The Sandiganbayan Second Division has ordered the 90-day preventive suspension of Senator Jinggoy Estrada in connection with a graft case involving alleged irregularities in government flood control projects.
In a resolution dated June 16, the anti-graft court directed Estrada’s suspension pendente lite under Criminal Case No. E-SB26CRM0004 for violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The court said the suspension will take effect upon finality of the ruling and upon receipt of the order, effectively barring the senator from performing his functions in the Senate or holding any other public office during the 90-day period.
The Second Division stressed that the preventive suspension covers Estrada’s current position as senator and any other government post he may occupy while the order remains in force.
The case before the Second Division is separate from other pending charges against Estrada before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, which also involve allegations linked to the flood control controversy.
Estrada is likewise facing 11 additional graft cases related to the alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or discretionary pork barrel allocations, which have remained pending since 2014.