Estrada Seeks Bail in Plunder Case

Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Ejercito Estrada, Jr. has filed a petition for bail with the Sandiganbayan to secure provisional liberty in his plunder case. In a pleading submitted on Wednesday, Mr. Estrada argued the prosecution’s evidence against him is not strong, meeting the threshold for granting bail in cases otherwise punishable by life imprisonment. The Office of the Ombudsman charged Mr. Estrada on May 28 alongside former Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan and other officials. Mr. Estrada surrendered on June 1 and remains detained at the New Quezon City Jail. The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division earlier denied his motion to fix bail, labeling it premature before the formal petition. It ruled that defendants charged with offenses punishable by reclusion perpetua, such as plunder, do not receive bail as a matter of right. Mr. Estrada must first undergo a bail hearing, where the prosecution bears the burden of proving that evidence of guilt is strong, before the court decides whether to grant provisional liberty. — Mark Joseph M. Sanchez