The Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday formally filed plunder and graft charges against Senator Jinggoy Estrada before the Sandiganbayan over alleged irregularities in government flood control projects.
With the filing of the cases, a warrant of arrest against Estrada may be issued by the anti-graft court. Plunder is a non-bailable offense punishable by life imprisonment, although bail may be granted if the court finds that the evidence of guilt is not strong.
The charges were filed weeks after the Department of Justice (DOJ) recommended the filing of plunder, graft, and bribery complaints against Estrada and several former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The case stemmed from alleged anomalies involving flood control projects, including claims that P355 million in allocations for Bulacan’s first district were manipulated through budget insertions in exchange for a supposed 30-percent commission.
The allegation was raised by former DPWH Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez during a House infrastructure committee hearing in September last year.
Estrada has denied the accusation and earlier said he was not shaken by the Ombudsman’s move.
“Well, if this is the price that I have to pay for standing on my own principles and what I believe in? So be it,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
The senator also maintained that findings from the Senate’s Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office showed he had no budget insertions.
Estrada was previously linked to convicted businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles in a plunder case involving the alleged misuse of P200 million from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
The Sandiganbayan had earlier denied Estrada’s motion to dismiss the related graft case for lack of merit.
He was also previously convicted of one count each of direct and indirect bribery for allegedly receiving P6.7 million in kickbacks tied to the misuse of his PDAF, although the Sandiganbayan later reversed the ruling in August.