Sandiganbayan puts Jinggoy Estrada under 90-day suspension over graft case
The Sandiganbayan Second Division has placed Sen. Jinggoy Estrada under a preventive 90-day suspension over his graft case in connection with the flood control scam.
Estrada, who is currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, is facing two graft charges as well as a non-bailable plunder charge. He was able to post a P90,000 bail for graft on May 29, but remains in police custody for plunder. He has been in detention since June 1.
Per a The Philippine STAR report, Estrada submitted a comment regarding his preventive suspension, arguing the court should not suspend him as he has not been given the full opportunity to challenge the initial investigation carried out by the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice. By suspending him without sufficient justification, the senator said, the court is not granting him "due process of law."
In response, the prosecution, citing Republic Act 3019, said the preventive suspension is part of the mandated process when a case has been filed against an individual.
The anti-graft court said Estrada had the chance to argue against the validity of his case at a June 4 pre-suspension hearing. The Sandiganbayan had set the hearing to specifically resolve Estrada's motion questioning the case and his request to dismiss it.
While Estrada and the prosecution had the opportunity to present their arguments orally, the senator was able to submit a written plea where he "exhaustively" presented his defense.
In its resolution, the Sandiganbayan wrote, "After arraignment, accused Senator Estrada was given a non-extendible period of 10 days to show cause why he should not be preventively suspended."
The court further wrote that under the law, the presumption is that an accused individual might interfere with prosecution or may commit more unlawful acts; thus, the mandatory nature of a preventive suspension.
With this suspension in place, Estrada will be unable to perform his senatorial duties.
Corruption allegations vs Estrada
Estrada was named by former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez as among those who were allegedly involved in kickback schemes in Bulacan. The senator has since denied the claims and filed perjury charges against Hernandez in December 2025. The DOJ junked the case due to a lack of evidence.
On May 28, the Ombudsman filed plunder and graft charges against Estrada, Bonoan, and others as recommended by the Department of Justice for supposedly maneuvering allocations, rigging public bidding processes, and siphoning government funds stemming from major national infrastructure budget systems.
The following day, May 29, the Sandiganbayan 2nd Division issued an arrest warrant against him for graft. He was allowed to post a P90,000 bail later in the day.
On June 1, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division issued an arrest warrant against Estrada for a non-bailable plunder charge connected to his alleged receipt of P573 million in kickbacks from flood control projects. Hours later, Estrada surrendered to the Philippine National Police.
This is Estrada's third time facing corruption accusations.
In 2001, he was jailed for plunder alongside his father, Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
Then in 2014, he was detained over his alleged involvement in the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam, where he was accused of channeling Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations to bogus non-government organizations linked to businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.
He was later granted bail in 2017 after the Sandiganbayan ruled that the evidence against him for plunder was not strong, although the case itself remained pending.
