Morales mentions Jinggoy Estrada’s conviction; Chel Diokno reacts
CHEL DIOKNO – The lawyer reacted to the comments made by former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent Jonathan Morales during a Senate hearing on Monday, May 13, regarding Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s “conviction.”
During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs regarding alleged PDEA leaks, Senator Estrada, who serves as the committee’s vice chairman, questioned whether Morales, facing various charges including “planting of evidence,” “estafa,” “extortion,” and “false testimony,” should be allowed to testify in the Senate.
Morales expressed his concern about Senator Estrada’s remarks, stating, “Parang hindi naman po maganda ‘yung sinasabi ni Senator Jinggoy Estrada patungkol sa akin. Para namang ako talaga ang hinuhusgahan. Ako’y may kaso pa lang, at hindi pa napapatunayan sa hukuman. Hindi kagaya po ng ating butihing senador, na-convict na po. Huwag naman pong ganoon.”
In response, Senator Estrada told Morales not to intervene in his case, saying, “Alam mo, Mr. Morales, huwag mong pakikialaman ang kaso ko, problema ko ‘yun. ‘Yung kaso mo ang ayusin mo, ha.” Reacting to the incident, Attorney Chel Diokno made a post on Facebook on Tuesday, May 14, stating, “Iba talaga ang labas pag sinasabi with conviction.”
Meanwhile, Estrada has faced legal issues twice for corruption. Initially, in 2001, he was arrested alongside his father, former president Joseph Estrada, on plunder charges, eventually being released in 2003. He later won a Senate seat in 2004 but was acquitted in 2007. However, in 2014, he faced accusations of embezzling ₱183 million from his discretionary funds, resulting in his detention during the pork barrel scam scandal.
Though released on bail in 2016, he lost his bid for reelection in 2019. Despite this setback, he ran again in 2022, securing a Senate seat. In 2024, Estrada was convicted of direct and indirect bribery charges but acquitted of plunder regarding the Priority Development Assistance Fund. His sentence includes 8 to 9 years for direct bribery, 2 to 3 years for indirect bribery, and a fine of ₱3 million.
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