Sandiganbayan Affirms Denial of Jinggoy Estrada's Plea to Dismiss Graft Case

The Sandiganbayan Second Division has once again denied Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s bid to have the graft case against him dismissed. In a six-page resolution promulgated on July 10, the anti-graft court stated that Estrada’s motion “lacks merit.” Estrada is facing a non-bailable plunder case and a graft case over alleged kickbacks amounting to P573 million. The graft case before the Second Division pertains to transactions in Bulacan worth P213 million, which state prosecutors claim was a 25 percent kickback for flood control projects valued at P855 million. The senator also faces charges related to transactions in Metro Manila and Oriental Mindoro. Estrada’s camp argued that the case information was deficient, failing to specify the exact acts constituting his offense, thereby violating his constitutional right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation. However, the court countered that Estrada’s own pleadings “demonstrate his detailed understanding of the allegations against him.” The resolution noted that his omnibus motion and subsequent motions for reconsideration contained extensive discussions on project requests, budgetary processes, alleged kickbacks, and the prosecution’s legal theories, belaying any claim of uncertainty. The court also dismissed Estrada’s claim of denied due process during the preliminary investigation, citing his submission of a counter-affidavit as proof that he was afforded an opportunity to respond and defend himself. Estrada was previously ordered suspended for 90 days from his senatorial post on June 16, as mandated by Section 13 of Republic Act 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The Senate implemented this suspension on June 22. Additionally, another division of the Sandiganbayan rejected Estrada’s motion to participate in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.