MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan’s 2nd Division on Friday, May 29, issued a warrant of arrest against Senator Jinggoy Estrada for his graft case in connection to the flood control mess.

Estrada is facing one count of plunder and two counts of graft over alleged corruption in flood control projects.

Sources confirmed that the 2nd Division issued a warrant and a hold departure against the accused.

Apart from Estrada, the other accused are:

• Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan
• District engineer Manny Bulusan
• District Engineer Arturo Gonzalez Jr.
• Assistant District Engineer Denryl Caesar Cortuna

The Office of the Ombudsman charged them on Thursday, May 28, after an investigation revealed that there was an “intricate mechanism” allegedly involving illegal budget insertions and project allocations at the DPWH in 2025. 

The probe also showed that funds were “deliberately” funneled into specific infrastructure projects “in exchange for predetermined commission fees or kickbacks.”

“Case records point to an accumulated sum of illicit payouts amounting to an aggregate sum of over P573 million, which were systematically delivered to the principal respondent, Senator Jingoy Estrada,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said on Thursday.

Estrada’s graft and plunder cases were assigned to the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division chaired by Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses, while the graft case was raffled to the Second Division chaired by Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg.

Graft is a bailable offense but plunder is non-bailable.

In February, the Department of Justice — which the Ombudsman deputized to probe the flood control mess — secured a precautionary hold departure order against Estrada and Bonoan, which barred them from leaving the country. The Ombudsman also requested on Thursday a hold departure order against the accused.

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Estrada is the highest incumbent official to be arrested over alleged flood control corruption. His case is also the fourth set of charges that reached the courts, after the filing of cases against former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co, contractor Sarah Discaya, and former senator Bong Revilla.

What’s next?

Estrada can either surrender or be arrested.

These were also the options given to him by Department of the Interior and Local Government chief Juanito “Jonvic” Remulla, who said the police will immediately implement the warrants as soon as the Sandiganbayan issues them.

But even if Estrada surrenders, this is still considered an arrest because the warrant will be executed to temporarily deprive him of his liberty.

Meanwhile, Remulla added that Estrada told him that he “needed” medical attention.

“He mentioned that he needed knee replacement surgery but I said that would be for the Sandiganbayan’s appreciation,” the interior chief said. “He has been diagnosed with terminal knee tendonitis. When he walks his right knee grinds bone to bone. It’s the same operation his father had at the same age.”

Once arrested, Estrada will undergo booking process with his arresting authorities. This is a standard practice.

Afterwards, he will be turned over to the Sandiganbayan for the return of warrant to prove that the said document was indeed implemented. Then, the anti-graft court will decide Estrada’s detention facility while his trial is ongoing.

It’s likely that he will be detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, where other flood control suspects like former senator Bong Revilla, are held. Estrada and Revilla had shared the same detention facility — the PNP Custodial Center — for their pork barrel scam cases. – Rappler.com