MANILA, Philippines – Senator  Jinggoy Estrada on Monday, June 1, surrendered to Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP CIDG) personnel at the Senate shortly after the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan’s 5th Division ordered his arrest for plunder and graft cases linked to the flood control scandal.

Before surrendering to the CIDG at the Senate, Estrada faced the media but only to read a prepared statement. He was accompanied by members of the majority bloc including Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla was also in attendance.

“Ipagtatanggol ko hanggang  sa huli ang aking sarili (I will defend myself till the end),” Estrada said.

He added that he will not seek the Senate’s protective custody and that he will face his cases head on. Estrada alleged that there were attempts to lure him to abandon the Cayetano bloc at the Senate in exchange for junking his cases, but he rejected them.

He headed to Camp Crame with CIDG personnel after reading his statement.

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Estrada is facing cases plunder and two counts of graft over his alleged involvement in flood control corruption. The Sandiganbayan 2nd Division issued a warrant for his arrest for the other graft case on May 29, and he secured temporary liberty by posting a P90,000-bail.

The Office of the Ombudsman filed charges against Estrada on May 28, along with former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan and some former DPWH officials over their alleged involvement in flood control-related budget insertions.

According to the Ombudsman, there was a scheme where funds were deliberately assigned to specific public infrastructure projects in exchange for 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 Jinggoy Estrada,” the Ombudsman said.

Estrada is the highest sitting official to be arrested over the flood control scam, so far. His cases were also the fourth set of charges to reach the Sandiganbayan after former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co in November 2025, contractor Sarah Discaya in December 2025, and former senator Bong Revilla in January.

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This is Estrada’s third plunder case in the last 25 years. He was previously acquitted of plunder twice — first in relation to the jueteng scandal in 2001, and the pork barrel scam in 2014.

Estrada’s graft cases stemming from the pork barrel scandal are still pending before the Sandiganbayan. – Rappler.com