Decision of Sandiganbayan over Jinggoy Estrada’s Motion for Reconsideration Issued
Sandiganbayan junked the plea of Senator Jinggoy Estrada for the dismissal of the graft charges filed against him over the Pork Barrel scam.
The flood control scam that left countless Filipinos disappointed and triggered the “Trillion Peso March” as the people called for an end to corruption in the government is not the first gigantic corruption issue in the country. Several years ago, the Filipinos also cried foul over the Pork Barrel scam.
Several names were linked to the Pork Barrel scam or the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF. One of them is Sen. Jinggoy Estrada who is also accused of flood control corruption involvement now.
Estrada, together with former Sen. Bong Revilla, were detained in Camp Crame for several years before he was allowed to post bail for his liberty. In 2017, Estrada post a bail of P1 million and walked as a free man again. However, based on the recent decision issued by the Sandiganbayan, he is not totally off the hook.
Based on a report on Inquirer, the Sandiganbayan junked the appeal of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada seeking for the dismissal of the graft charges filed against him over the Pork Barrel scam. The Senator cited “lack of merit” in the motion for reconsideration that he filed before the court.
In his appeal, Sen. Estrada claimed that the prosecution “not only failed to prove the scienter (knowledge or intent) element but also failed to show that he actually caused the award of the PDAF projects”. He also stated that there was allegedly no proof that he knew about the PDAF scheme.
According to Estrada, his signatures on the documents of the PDAF projects are allegedly not a proof of his intentional participation in the scam. However, based on the report, in the 22-page resolution issued by the Sandiganbayan, the court said there is no reason to reverse the demurrer to evidence previously filed by the Senator.
“After a careful perusal of the arguments raised by accused Estrada in his motion for reconsideration, the Court finds no cogent reason to disturb its findings in the assailed resolution denying his demurrer to evidence,” the Sandiganbayan wrote in its decision.
The Court stressed that the findings and decisions in the plunder case filed against Estrada do not automatically warrant the dismissal of the graft charges filed against the Senator. Over the recent corruption accusations against him, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada denied his alleged involvement in the flood control scam.