Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Kaxandra Salonga

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/178580975363012 (18).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator Jinggoy Estrada during a press conference at the Senate Building on June 1, 2026, as he announces his surrender in connection with the plunder case filed against him. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em><br/></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Sen. Jinggoy Estrada urged the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division to reconsider its previous denial of his motion to fix bail in his plunder case over the alleged flood control kickback scheme.</p><p>In his motion for reconsideration filed on Monday, Estrada&#x27;s legal counsel argued that the court erred when it ruled that a prior judicial determination of strong evidence of guilt is a prerequisite to fixing bail in capital offenses like plunder. </p><p>The anti-graft court on July 24 ruled that his earlier bid to fix bail was premature.</p><p>The senator’s recent motion cited the high court&#x27;s decisions in Enrile v. Sandiganbayan, which it said established a clear exception to the general rule by allowing an accused charged with a non-bailable offense to be granted bail if they are demonstrably not a flight risk, regardless of the strength of the prosecution&#x27;s evidence.</p><p>&quot;The exception to the fundamental right to bail should be applied in direct ratio to the extent of the probability of evasion of prosecution,&quot; the motion stated. </p><p>&quot;Apparently, an accused&#x27;s official and social standing and his other personal circumstances are considered and appreciated as tending to render his flight improbable,” it added. </p><p>Estrada’s camp argued that the primary and limited purpose of bail is merely to secure the appearance of the accused during trial and ensure they submit to the court’s jurisdiction, rather than to punish individuals before conviction.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/10/sandiganbayan-rejects-jinggoy-s-bid-to-attend-vp-sara-impeachment-trial-0842">Sandiganbayan rejects Jinggoy&#x27;s bid to attend VP Sara impeachment trial</a></div><p>It noted that bail acts as a “reconciling mechanism to accommodate both the accused&#x27;s interest in pretrial liberty and society&#x27;s interest in assuring the accused&#x27;s presence at trial&quot;. </p><p>Estrada cited his nearly 40-year career in public service to prove his claim of low flight risk.</p><p>The defense also noted Estrada&#x27;s strict compliance with travel conditions imposed by the Sandiganbayan in previous cases when he was repeatedly granted leave to travel internationally and reportedly always returned to face proceedings. </p><p>Furthermore, the motion argued that even after the Manila Regional Trial Court temporarily lifted a precautionary hold departure order to allow Estrada to travel to Singapore for medical consultations in April 2026 amid impending plunder charges, he voluntarily returned to the country.</p><p>&quot;He has never exhibited the slightest inclination to flee the jurisdiction of Philippine courts,&quot; the motion read.</p><div> </div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><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/BbDRvq4_NV0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Sen. Jinggoy Estrada urged the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division to reconsider its previous denial of his motion to fix bail in his plunder case over the alleged flood control kickback scheme.</p>

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada urged the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division to reconsider its previous denial of his motion to fix bail in his plunder case over the alleged flood control kickback scheme.

Estrada urges Sandiganbayan to reconsider bid to fix bail

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Estrada urges Sandiganbayan to reconsider bid to fix bail

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 04, 2026 10:19 AM PHT

Read More:

Sandiganbayan

Estrada

motion for reconsideration

flood control

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