Jinggoy Estrada Claims Faster Case Progress After Senate Leadership Shift
JINGGOY ESTRADA – The senator said that cases involving members of the Senate majority bloc have moved more quickly following the change in Senate leadership, which occurred when Alan Peter Cayetano replaced Vicente Sotto III as Senate President.
He made this remark while addressing the legal case filed against him, where the Office of the Ombudsman recommended no bail in connection with plunder and graft charges before the Sandiganbayan linked to an alleged flood control corruption issue. Authorities also claimed that around ₱573 million in kickbacks were supposedly involved in the case.
Estrada maintained that he is preparing legal actions through his lawyers to challenge what he believes are irregularities in the process. He argued that some pieces of evidence were not properly considered, including a letter from the Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office stating that there was no record of him inserting any funding into the 2025 national budget. He said this document directly contradicts the allegations against him but was allegedly ignored.
He also raised concerns about fairness in the process, saying he was not given enough opportunity to review or respond to the resolutions issued by the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman before the case was filed. For him, this raised serious concerns about his right to due process and his ability to properly respond through legal remedies such as a motion for reconsideration.
The senator further noted that the cases of other members of the majority bloc have also been progressing quickly, including those involving Senators Chiz Escudero, Joel Villanueva, and Rodante Marcoleta. He pointed out that shortly after the Department of Justice issued its resolution in his case, the Ombudsman immediately filed charges without conducting what he described as a full and independent fact-finding investigation. He also questioned earlier assurances that the Ombudsman would conduct an independent review of the case.
In the end, Estrada said he will continue pursuing the truth and will defend his name through proper legal channels in accordance with the law.
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