Three Co-Accused of Jinggoy Estrada Face 90-Day Court Suspension
JINGGOY ESTRADA – Three co-accused of the detained senator have been ordered suspended for 90 days by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division over plunder and graft charges linked to alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
The suspended officials are Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineers Manny Bulusan and Arturo Gonzales Jr., and Assistant District Engineer Denryl Cortuna. During the suspension period, they are prohibited from performing their official duties or exercising the powers of their positions or any other government office they may hold.
The court said the preventive suspension is required by law to protect the integrity of the case. It explained that allowing the accused to remain in office could create opportunities to interfere with the investigation or commit further misconduct. The court also clarified that being under detention does not automatically prevent government officials from holding or exercising the authority of their positions, making preventive suspension necessary while the cases are pending.
Bulusan, Gonzales, and Cortuna are co-accused of Senator Jinggoy Estrada in the plunder case involving the alleged misuse of flood control funds. Earlier, on June 16, the anti-graft court also ordered Estrada’s 90-day preventive suspension. The resolutions were signed by Associate Justices Zaldy Trespeses, Maryann Corpus-Manalad, and Gener Gito.
Estrada and the three DPWH officials are currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas while the court proceedings continue. The three officials have pleaded not guilty to the plunder and graft charges. The preventive suspension is a temporary legal measure and should not be interpreted as a finding of guilt. Instead, it is intended to ensure that the investigation and trial proceed fairly and without possible interference.
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