Estrada surrenders to police over plunder raps tied to flood mess

SENATOR JOSE “Jinggoy” P. Ejercito Estrada, Jr. surrendered to the police on Monday, after the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division issued an arrest warrant against him for allegedly pocketing P573 million from the multibillion-peso flood control scam.

In a press briefing, Mr. Estrada said he is prepared to face the consequences of the principles he chose to uphold but maintained that he had no budget insertions as per the findings of the Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO).

“I will meet these charges head-on, defend my honor through due process, and place my faith in the truth,” he said. “I will be proceeding now to the CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) to voluntarily surrender myself.”

The Office of the Ombudsman on May 28 said the charges filed against Mr. Estrada stemmed from budget insertions in public infrastructure projects for the fiscal year 2025, which amounted to P573 million.

The Ombudsman recognized the LBRMO’s findings stating that there was no record of Mr. Estrada’s insertions but argued that their certification does not cover the full budgetary process.

Mr. Estrada claimed receiving offers to turn his back to the majority bloc in exchange for the dismissal of his, but reaffirmed his commitment to the majority lawmakers, under Senate President Alan Peter S. Cayetano’s leadership.

Reporters have reached out to minority senators for comments on Mr. Estrada’s allegations but have yet to receive a response.

Mr. Cayetano, alongside Senators Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos, Rodante D. Marcoleta, and Camille A. Villar accompanied him during the briefing before his voluntary surrender.

The senator joins former Senator Ramon “Bong” B. Revilla, Jr. and former Party-list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” S. Co among the prominent figures charged in connection with the flood control scam.

Mr. Estrada was acquitted in 2024 of plunder charges tied to the pork barrel scam, although separate graft cases linked to the Priority Development Assistance Fund remain pending before the anti-graft court.

Earlier on Monday, Mr. Estrada called on the Sandiganbayan to quash and dismiss the plunder charges against him after his legal team filed an urgent omnibus motion ad cautelam on Monday.

“I firmly believe that I am entitled to avail myself of the remedies available under the law, including the filing of a motion for reconsideration, especially considering that I received a copy of the Ombudsman Resolution on the plunder case only on Friday evening,” Mr. Estrada said.

Shortly after his statement, however, the Sandiganbayan issued the warrant of arrest against the senator along with four other individuals linked to the anomalous flood control.

The other individuals named in the warrant were Department of Public Works and Highways former officials.

Meanwhile, Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro denied that the arrest of Mr. Estrada was politically motivated.

“Is it not the other way around? Because now, those who almost form the majority are the ones with issues, there are pending cases, supposedly… maybe they are the ones doing the politics and not the executive,” she told reporters in Filipino on Monday.

She added that his voluntary surrender is better than the case of his colleague, Senator Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa, who is currently evading justice amid a standing arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel