UMVA has learned that Senator Jose “Jinggoy” P. Estrada Jr. faces plunder and graft charges in a dramatic showdown over a P573 million flood‑control scandal.
The Sandiganbayan arraigned the senator on Thursday, while the Office of the Ombudsman moved to deny bail and issue departure bans, aiming to keep him grounded until trial.
Assistant Ombudsman Jose Dominic F. Clavano IV revealed that investigators uncovered a sophisticated web of illegal budget insertions and project allocations hidden inside the Department of Public Works and Highways’ 2025 infrastructure plan.
According to the case files, more than half a billion pesos in illicit payouts were funneled directly to Estrada, exposing a pattern of corruption that stretches across multiple agencies.
Alongside the senator, a former Public Works secretary and three DPWH engineering officials from the National Capital Region have been indicted, widening the net of accountability.
The charges stem from a joint probe by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice’s Public Works and Bid Rigging Task Force, which traced shady fund transfers to selected flood‑control projects in exchange for kickbacks.
Lawmakers and watchdogs have long warned that the government’s flood‑control spending is riddled with anomalies, and this case intensifies the political heat surrounding the Marcos administration’s infrastructure agenda.
Estrada vehemently denies any wrongdoing, pointing to a certification from the Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office that he says shows no budget insertions tied to him.
However, the Ombudsman countered that the certification fails to capture the layered stages of the budget process where covert insertions can occur.
In a fiery statement, the senator accused authorities of ignoring evidence that could exonerate him and slammed the speed of the proceedings as a violation of his right to due process.
His legal team is preparing to spotlight procedural irregularities and present overlooked evidence, claiming they were denied a fair chance to review the resolutions that led to the indictment.
Estrada also hinted that the timing of the case aligns with recent shifts in Senate leadership, though he offered no further details.
The scandal now joins the ranks of high‑profile figures—such as former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and ex‑Party‑list Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co—caught in the flood‑control fraud net.
While Estrada was cleared of plunder charges linked to a separate pork‑barrel case in 2024, other graft accusations tied to the Priority Development Assistance Fund remain pending before the anti‑graft court.
Separately, the Ombudsman announced that charges against former DPWH Undersecretary Maria Catalina E. Cabral will be dropped following her death last year, and three dismissed officials have been placed under the Department of Justice’s witness‑protection program after turning state witnesses.
