Senator Jinggoy Estrada faces non-bailable plunder and graft charges in the Sandiganbayan over allegations regarding the flood control scandal, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said on Thursday, May 29.
The cases charged by the Office of the Ombudsman involve ‘illicit’ payouts amounting to an aggregate sum of over P573 million, which were systematically delivered to the principal respondent, Estrada.
“Our evaluation shows that substantial public funds were deliberately funneled into designated infrastructure projects in exchange for predetermined commission fees or kickbacks,” Clavano said.
The evaluation conducted by the anti-graft body shows that substantial public funds were deliberately funneled into designated Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) infrastructure projects for Fiscal Year 2025 in exchange for predetermined commission fees or kickbacks.
The charges came following a six-month investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Three other DPWH engineers were also charged, while three former officials were excluded from the case to serve as state witnesses.
Following the charges, the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division issued an arrest warrant for the bailable graft charges, and Estrada announced he would personally post the PHP 90,000 bail.
Estrada strongly denied the allegations, calling them baseless and raising due process concerns over the speed of the filing, which occurred barely a week after the DOJ's resolution.
“I will continue my search for the truth and to defend my name in the right forum accordingly to law,” Estrada said.
Estrada argued that a Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office letter proves he made no insertions in the 2025 national budget, though the Ombudsman counter-argued that budget insertions can happen in stages not captured by that certificate.
Leyte Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has also been pulled into the discussion, but his camp is rejecting the Ombudsman's claims.
The Ombudsman suggested that Romualdez's former role as House Speaker gave him "functional control" over the budget, making him a mastermind.
In response, Romualdez's camp countered that the national budget is far too regulated and multi-layered for any single official to dictate.
Written by Czairine Quimoyog
Czairine Quimoyog is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
