Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada talks to the media after inspecting the ongoing renovation of his soon-to-be office in the Senate, Monday, July 4, 2022. Joseph VidaL, Senate PRIB

Returning Sen. Jinggoy Estrada talks to the media after inspecting the on-going renovation of his soon-to-be office in the Senate, Monday, July 4, 2022. Joseph VidaL, Senate PRIB

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED)</strong> – Senator Jinggoy Estrada has filed a motion at the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) to lift the precautionary hold departure (PHDO) order issued against him, asserting that he is not a flight risk.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/10/estrada-seeks-sandiganbayan-permission-to-leave-ph-during-holy-week-for-personal-trip-1216"><strong>Estrada seeks Sandiganbayan permission to leave PH during Holy Week for ‘personal trip’<br/></strong></a></div><p>Estrada’s spokesperson, Bianca Soriano, said their legal team on Wednesday filed an omnibus motion before Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 52 seeking reconsideration of the PHDO and its eventual lifting.</p><p>“We are prepared to respond nonetheless,” Soriano told reporters at the sidelines of their camp’s submission of a counter-affidavit for the plunder and graft complaints filed against the senator by the National Bureau of Investigation.</p><p>Soriano said the defense believes the order should be lifted because the requirements for its issuance were not met.</p><p>“It should be lifted because the rules require that there should be probable cause and second, the respondent is not a flight risk. We already attacked the evidentiary nature that there is no probable cause, same with our counter-arguments in the counter-affidavit,” she added.</p><p>She added that Estrada has previously complied with travel requirements imposed by the Sandiganbayan when seeking permission to leave the country.</p><p>“There is really no reason for him to escape all of these,” she said.</p><p>“Yun din ang argument, the case is still undergoing investigation before the DOJ,” she added.</p><div> </div><div><strong>DOJ TO STUDY MOTION FILED BY ESTRADA</strong></div><div> </div><p>In a chance interview, Justice Spokesperson Polo Martinez said the Department of Justice (DOJ) has yet to receive a copy of the motion filed by Estrada at the RTC.</p><p>“Hangga’t matanggap namin ang motion, makita namin ang mga arguments doon, then we’ll maybe think if we’ll oppose it or not. Kasi previously, everyone knows, that Senator Estrada filed a motion at the Sandiganbayan, that pertains to a different case,” Martinez said.</p><p>“Yung sinasabi ni Senator Estrada na filing niya with the Manila RTC, hindi pa namin nakikita so hihintayin  muna namin until we receive it to properly see if there is a need to comment to oppose it,” he added.</p><p>The justice official said the regional trial court has the ultimate discretion on whether or not it would approve Estrada’s plea to lift the PHDO temporarily or permanently.  </p><p>“Ang alam natin is aalamin ng court kung legitimate ang mga reason ni Senator Estrada in filing the motion so that he could leave the country. The court may be respected to submit certain documents,” he said.</p><p>“We will defer to the court’s judgment on this and competence. Pero kunwari magsa-submit siya ng travel documentation – kung lehitimo talaga ang mga rason kung bakit siya mag-travel,” he added.</p><p>Pushed by reporters if the DOJ would oppose the lawmaker’s motion to travel, he said: “We have to see the motion first before we comment on it.”</p><div> </div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/18/ex-dpwh-chief-bonoan-back-in-ph-immigration-1328" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ex-DPWH chief Bonoan back in PH — Immigration</a></div><div><br/></div><p>Martinez noted that their reason for filing a PHDO against Estrada and other co-accused in the plunder case related to the flood control projects stemmed from Bonoan’s “failure to return to the Philippines” in December.</p><p>“Yun talaga actually ang reason ng filing for the application of the PHDO. It so just happened na he is not the sole respondent in that case. (JC) Lahat ng personalities doon (plunder complaint) na-issuehan ng PHDO similarly,” he said.</p><p>ABS-CBN News first broke the story about Estrada’s plea to the  Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Tuesday, asking permission to travel to Macao, Hong Kong, and Japan for a “personal trip” with his family during Holy Week.</p><p>The anti-graft court division is handling his pending graft case over his alleged misuse of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Estrada was present during the presentation of his motion to the associate justices.</p><p>In February, Manila’s RTC Branch 52 issued the PHDO against Estrada and his co-respondents in plunder and other charges over alleged irregularities in some flood control projects.</p><p>A precautionary hold departure order has the same effect as an HDO and the only difference is the timing when it is issued by court, according to the Bureau of Immigration.</p><p>A regular HDO is issued during the pendency of the case, while a precautionary HDO is issued during the initial stages of a case.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</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/j4E_L079AwI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has filed a motion at the Manila Regional Trial Court to lift the precautionary hold-departure order issued against him, asserting that he is not a flight risk.</p>

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has filed a motion at the Manila Regional Trial Court to lift the precautionary hold-departure order issued against him, asserting that he is not a flight risk.

‘No reason to escape’: Estrada asks Manila court to lift order barring travel abroad

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Nation

‘No reason to escape’: Estrada asks Manila court to lift order barring travel abroad

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 12, 2026 02:42 PM PHT

|

Updated Mar 12, 2026 05:14 PM PHT

Read More:

Jinggoy Estrada

Precautionary Hold-Departure Order

Flood control projects

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.