Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Jinggoy

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175746934842920250806-senate-impeachment-vote-estrada-SPRIB-4 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. <em>Photo by Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Sen. Jinggoy Estrada claimed Wednesday he is the &quot;most vulnerable&quot; target among senators to being implicated in corruption, stressing it was &quot;unfair&quot; to connect his &quot;past issues&quot; to the accusation he is facing now.</p><p>Estrada on Tuesday found himself on the receiving end of a fresh corruption allegation after former Bulacan First District Assistant Engineer Brice Hernandez accused him of receiving kickbacks in flood control projects.</p><p>Estrada has been <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/video/news/01/19/24/estrada-acquitted-of-plunder-guilty-of-bribery-in-pork-barrel-scam">acquitted of plunder</a> and initially convicted of bribery and indirect bribery but later <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/2/sandiganbayan-upholds-decision-to-acquit-jinggoy-estrada-of-bribery-indirect-bribery-1231">cleared</a> by the court due to lack of evidence in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.</p><p>The senator, however, is <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/3/sandiganbayan-dismisses-jinggoy-estrada-s-move-to-drop-graft-cases-1942">still facing graft charges</a> related to the PDAF.</p><p>&quot;I am the most vulnerable because of the past issues that I have had. Please naman, it is unfair for me to connect my past issues today,&quot; he told ANC.</p><p>Since the collusion allegation, Estrada has repeatedly denied that he received payoffs of millions of pesos in infrastructure programs of up to 30 percent per project.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/9/estrada-dares-ex-dpwh-engineer-hernandez-to-take-lie-detector-test-over-corruption-claims-1147">Estrada dares ex-DPWH engineer Hernandez to take lie detector test over corruption claims</a></div><p>&quot;Wag sana nilang ilihis ang issue just to save his skin. Ang totoong isyu dito ang mga ghost projects, ang korupsiyon na nangyayari sa DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways),&quot; he said. </p><p>Estrada said he had been told that he was an &quot;easy target&quot; if he continued to participate in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee&#x27;s hearings into the anomalous flood mitigation projects.</p><p>But he said he would still do his job as a senator and &quot;would want to ferret out the truth&quot; during the Senate hearing, which is expected to resume next week.</p><p>Estrada also said he had been &quot;doing so well&quot; as he tried to rebuild his reputation after his legal troubles.</p><p>&quot;Sinira niya ang aking reputasyon. Maganda na &#x27;yon eh. Hindi naman sa pagbubuhat ng sariling bangko, [pero] maganda na &#x27;yung ating performance,&quot; Estrada said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;CONFRONT EYE TO EYE&#x27;</strong><strong><br/></strong></div><p>If he were to decide, Estrada would want Hernandez&#x27;s presence in the next hearing to &quot;confront&quot; him &quot;eye to eye, and it&#x27;s up to the public to determine who&#x27;s telling the truth.&quot; </p><p>Estrada on Tuesday said he would <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/9/jinggoy-threatens-to-sue-ex-dpwh-engineer-who-accused-him-of-corruption-1519">take legal action against Hernandez</a>.</p><p>The Bulacan engineer told a House hearing Tuesday that he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfL4suedWdU">does not want to return to the Senate</a>, where he had been detained after he was cited in contempt.</p><p>He is now <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/9/ex-dpwh-engineer-brice-hernandez-transferred-to-pnp-custodial-facility-2019">under the custody of the Philippine National Police</a>. </p><p>The transfer came after Senate President Vicente &quot;Tito&quot; Sotto III ordered that Hernandez be placed under the temporary custody of the PNP to ensure his safety.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/9/ex-dpwh-engineer-tags-estrada-villanueva-in-alleged-flood-control-anomalies-1055">Ex-DPWH engineer tags Estrada, Villanueva in flood control anomalies; senators deny allegations</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/disacayas-says-corrupt-officials-used-them-in-anomalous-bidding-1114">Discaya couple says lawmakers, DPWH execs &#x27;used&#x27; them in flood control anomalies</a></div><div><strong>— With reports from Karen De Guzman and Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9GJpvbguYAY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i8JH6SuDEvM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Sen. Jinggoy Estrada claimed Wednesday he is the "most vulnerable" target among senators of being implicated in corruption, stressing it is "unfair" to connect his "past issues" to the accusation he is facing now.</p>

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada claimed Wednesday he is the "most vulnerable" target among senators of being implicated in corruption, stressing it is "unfair" to connect his "past issues" to the accusation he is facing now.

Jinggoy says 'most vulnerable' to corruption claims, says 'unfair' to link his 'past issues'

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Jinggoy says 'most vulnerable' to corruption claims, says 'unfair' to link his 'past issues'

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 10, 2025 10:25 AM PHT

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Updated September 10, 2025 08:27 PM PHT

Read More:

Jinggoy Estrada

Flood Control

Brice Hernandez

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