Jinggoy Estrada Declines Plea in Plunder, Graft Cases; Court Enters Not Guilty Plea

Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Thursday refused to enter a plea in the P573 million plunder and graft cases filed against him in connection with his alleged involvement in the flood control mess. As a result, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division entered a not guilty plea for the Senator. Estrada arrived at the Sandiganbayan on Thursday on crutches. Last week, Estrada was rushed to Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City on Wednesday after suffering a tear in his left knee. According to Glenn Juego's report on Super Radyo dzBB, Estrada's doctor, Dr. Jose Fernando Syquia, said the senator suffered the injury after getting up from a seated position, when his knee suddenly made a cracking sound. Estrada then began experiencing difficulty walking and severe pain, the doctor said. The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, meanwhile, has granted the Ombudsman’s motion to drop former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan from the accused in the plunder and graft cases due to Bonoan serving as a government witness against perpetrators of the flood control mess. This decision left Estrada the lone accused in the graft case pending before the Fifth Division. —VAL, GMA News