Marilyn Cahatol

Senator Jinggoy Estrada files a case against former Bulacan Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on October 7, 2025. Estrada filed four counts of perjury against Hernandez after he was implicated in anomalous “ghost” flood control projects during several probes conducted by both the lower and upper chambers of Congress. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

SEN. JINGGOT ESTRADA- PERJuYRY CASE

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178011724950220251007-jinggoy-estrada-vs-hernandez-JC0193.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Senator Jinggoy Estrada files a case against former Bulacan Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office on October 7, 2025. Estrada filed four counts of perjury against Hernandez after he was implicated in anomalous “ghost” flood control projects during several probes conducted by both the lower and upper chambers of Congress. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was granted temporary liberty Friday after paying bail of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/29/jinggoy-estrada-arrest-warrant-out-1346">P90,000 </a>to the Sandiganbayan, which had ordered his arrest for a graft case in connection with the multibillion-peso flood control corruption scandal.</p><p>The case is among the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/28/jinggoy-estrada-plunder-case-flood-control-scandal-1359">two graft charges and a plunder complaint</a> that the Office of the Ombudsman filed against him and former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan.</p><p>This is not the first time that Estrada is facing non-bailable plunder cases.</p><p>He was accused of being involved in the massive 2014 Priority Development Assistance Fund scam and the 2001 jueteng case. </p><p>Estrada has hinted he believes the latest cases are politically motivated and are &quot;is <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/26/jinggoy-estrada-on-looming-plunder-case-so-be-it-1721">the price that I have to face for standing on my own principles</a>, on what I believe in.&quot;</p><p>The allegations, serious as they are, have also spawned memes online of people posting photos of themselves in the years that Estrada was accused of corruption.</p><div> </div><div><strong>2001: JUETENG</strong></div><p>In 2001, then-San Juan Mayor Estrada was co-accused in the P500-million jueteng plunder case, which was also among the allegations that led to his father, then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, impeached and later ousted after massive protests.</p><p>The Estradas were arrested and detained a few months later. </p><p>The younger Estrada was allowed to post bail in 2003 and eventually acquitted in 2007 for insufficient evidence.</p><p>President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Joseph Estrada&#x27;s successor, later pardoned the ousted president.</p><div> </div><div><strong>2014: PDAF</strong></div><p>Years later, Estrada, by then a two-term senator, was alleged to be among the high-profile politicians who benefited from the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam led by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.</p><p>Following the scheme’s exposé, Estrada was detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame for three years until 2017, when he was allowed to post bail of P1.33 million </p><p>In 2024, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/01/19/24/jinggoy-acquitted-of-plunder-guilty-of-direct-indirect-bribery">acquitted</a> Estrada of plunder charges, saying the prosecution failed to prove he amassed at least P50 million in ill-gotten wealth.</p><p>The court however found him guilty of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery.</p><p>He was sentenced to eight to nine years for direct bribery and two to three years for indirect bribery.</p><p>The Sandiganbayan also ordered him to pay a fine of P3 million.</p><p>He was <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/2/sandiganbayan-upholds-decision-to-acquit-jinggoy-estrada-of-bribery-indirect-bribery-1231">acquitted on appeal </a>in those cases in 2024.</p><p>Estrada still has <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/13/sandiganbayan-denies-estrada-s-bid-for-transmittal-of-complete-ombudsman-probe-records-1017">ongoing graft cases</a> over the same corruption issue.</p><div> </div><div><strong>2026: FLOOD CONTROL</strong></div><p>For the third time, Estrada’s name was dragged into a massive corruption scandal after former Departmrent of Public Works and Highways-Bulacan District Engineer Brice Hernandez accused him of receiving 30 percent kickbacks from flood control projects in Hagonoy, and Malolos, Bulacan in 2025.</p><p>The senator denied the allegations and has presented certification from the Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office that there was no record that he made budget insertions — funding amendments — on the project.</p><p>He has alo raised questions on whether he was afforded due process in the government&#x27;s investigation.</p><p>The Sandiganbayan ordered Estrada’s arrest on Friday.</p><p>Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla previosuly said the senator was given two options: <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/29/surrender-or-arrest-jinggoy-estrada-given-two-options-after-plunder-case-filing-dilg-1002">Either surrender or be arrested.</a></p><p>Estrada posted bail on the same day for one graft charge and the Sandiganbayan has yet to decide on the two other charges.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CF9wbqUClLY?si=u65vI4M-JKaJwyBM" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>This is not the first time that Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is facing non-bailable plunder cases.</p>

This is not the first time that Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is facing non-bailable plunder cases.

Latest raps are third time since 2001 that Estrada has been tagged in graft

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Latest raps are third time since 2001 that Estrada has been tagged in graft

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 30, 2026 02:36 PM PHT

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Jinggoy Estrada

plunder

flood control

PDAF

jueteng

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