Senator Jinggoy Estrada is facing a plunder case for the third time.

He was previously charged over the jueteng scandal in 2001, then over the pork barrel scam in 2014. Estrada was acquitted in both cases.

At present, he is facing a plunder charge and two counts of graft at the Sandiganbayan due to his alleged flood control budget insertions. The Office of the Ombudsman said Estrada allegedly received P573 million in kickbacks.

Coincidentally, each time the senator faced a corruption case, he would also bring up a medical condition. Rappler traced the ailments raised by Estrada before the court as he faced different corruption cases through the years.

1st plunder: Heart, rectal bleeding

When he was detained for plunder in 2001, Estrada filed an urgent second motion for bail for medical reasons. The Sandiganbayan conducted a three-day hearing on September 1, where a doctor named Roberto Anastacio served as witness for the then-San Juan City mayor.

Anastacio, as quoted by a Philippine Star report, said “myocardial injuries” or a condition of the heart affected Estrada’s health due to “psychological stress.”

According to an Inquirer report, Estrada was confined twice in Makati due to his heart condition. In December 2001, he was rushed again to the hospital after complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath.

In December 2001, he filed another urgent motion praying for early resolution of his petition for bail, for medical/humanitarian considerations.

The Sandiganbayan, in a resolution dated December 20, 2001, denied Estrada’s motion for bail for “lack of actual basis.” It said Estrada “failed to submit sufficient evidence to convince the court that the medical condition of the accused requires that he be confined at home and for that purpose that he be allowed to post bail.”

A year later, in 2002, Estrada sought a transfer from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) to the San Juan Medical Center to undergo medical treatment for rectal bleeding, according to a Philippine Star report. Estrada said he experienced “on and off fresh bleeding in his rectal area for the past two weeks,” and his doctor said this could probably because of his previous illness, hemorrhoids.

However, the Sandiganbayan junked Estrada’s request because he failed to prove that the VMMC’s facilities were not equipped for his medical needs.

Ultimately, in 2003, Estrada was allowed to post bail after it was found that he was not in conspiracy with his father when he allegedly collected jueteng money.

In 2007, former president Joseph Estrada was found guilty of plunder, while the younger Estrada was acquitted. According to the Sandiganbayan, the testimony of then-state witness Chavit Singson was not convincing enough to pin the younger Estrada.

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2nd plunder: Shoulder, knees

Seven years after his plunder acquittal for the jueteng scandal, Estrada was charged again with plunder by the Office of the Ombudsman which accused him of collecting P183 million in pork barrel kickbacks. He was also charged with 11 counts of graft.

In September 2014, Estrada complained of recurring pain in the left shoulder. His lawyer then, Noel Malaya, asked the court to allow Estrada to undergo Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to check his shoulder.

The Sandiganbayan granted his request on September 22, 2014, and allowed him to undergo the needed procedure at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center. Estrada was diagnosed with tendinitis-adhesive capsulitis or “frozen shoulder.”

In March 2015, Estrada filed a new motion with the court “on [the] ground of increasing and unbearable pain at his left shoulder area.”

The court granted the motion in April of the same year, saying, “After taking into account the arguments of both parties and for humanitarian considerations, the Court resolves to grant accused-movant’s prayer over the objection of the prosecution.”

In August 2015, he also complained of “light headedness and acid refluxes” and underwent a check-up at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center anew. He also had his shoulder therapy sessions there.

Two years later, in 2017, Estrada complained of knee pain. He once again asked the court to allow him to undergo an X-ray and MRI tests at Cardinal Santos because the pain in his left knee worsens whenever he gets up from sitting. The Sandiganbayan allowed his request on January 9, 2017.

In May of the same year, Estrada was once again allowed by the court to undergo a check-up due to pain in his right shoulder.

Estrada was released on bail in 2017, after the 5th Division granted his petition because the evidence at the time did not point to him as a “main plunderer.”‬ The same division acquitted Jinggoy of plunder in 2024, but convicted him of direct and indirect bribery. 

However, he was later acquitted of bribery charges when the Sandiganbayan granted his appeal in August 2024. His graft cases, meanwhile, are still pending before the 5th Division.

3rd plunder: Osteoarthritis

Even before the Sandiganbayan issued its warrants for Estrada’s new plunder and graft cases due to alleged flood control corruption, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla told Rappler on May 29 that Estrada was suffering from a knee ailment and “needed knee replacement surgery.”

Estrada’s graft warrant from the 2nd Division was released on May 29, while the other warrant for plunder and another count of graft was issued on June 1. He has been in detention since June 1. (READ: Jinggoy Estrada is back in jail after 9 years)

While detained, the senator asked the 2nd Division if he could attend the hearings via videoconferencing due to his knee condition.

His lawyer Noel Ostrea said Estrada is suffering from osteoarthritis for both knees — a joint condition that “causes pain, swelling and stiffness, affecting a person’s ability to move freely,” according to the World Health Organization.

“The technical term is effusion, so parang pinapasukan ng fluid [‘yong knee]. Ang mahirap do’n, so parang namamaga siya, so ‘pag nakaupo parang naiipit ‘yong tuhod mo… kaya masakit (Fluid enters the knee. The hard part is, it’s swelling, so when you sit, your knees get cramped that’s why it’s painful),” Ostrea told reporters.

The Division chaired by Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg granted Estrada’s request on Thursday, June 4: “We find that the motion of Jose Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada to be in accordance with the promulgated rules [on videoconferencing].”

In the middle of the Thursday hearing, while videoconferencing, Estrada asked to be excused because he said sitting for long hours causes pain in his knees. The court then asked if he has a comfortable chair inside the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas.

“Wala po your honor, pero okay lang po. Tatayo na lang po ako, your honor,” said Estrada. (None, your honor, but it’s okay. I’ll just stand up.)

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On Thursday, the 2nd Division denied Estrada’s request to dismiss his graft case, then proceeded to arraignment. Estrada waived his right to hear the reading of the information or the case, and refused to enter a plea.

The court entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. He has yet to be arraigned for his plunder and other graft case at the 5th Division due to his pending motions there.

Ostrea, meanwhile, said they might seek hospital arrest for his client due to his condition: “We might have to kasi nga, as you can see, maski nga nakaupo lang siya in the Quezon City jail, nahihirapan siya. We could consider it for potential pain management issue.”

(Because as you can see, even with just sitting in the Quezon City jail, he’s in pain.)

Estrada’s co-accused, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan, is currently under hospital arrest due to a list of ailments. The 5th Division granted his temporary hospital arrest on Friday, June 5.

According to the police and Bonoan’s lawyer, the 80-year-old former DPWH chief is suffering from:

• Acute coronary syndrome
• Chronic Renal Disease (stage 4)
• Hypertension
• Diabetes
• Gouty arthritis
• Spondylolisthesis (spinal ailment)
• Dyslipidemia (abnormal amount of lipids)
• Carcinoma
• Prostate cancer

– Rappler.com