Sandiganbayan junks Jinggoy Estrada’s bail request

MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan 5th Division has denied the motion of Senator Jinggoy Estrada to be released on bail despite his plunder case stemming from alleged kickbacks from anomalous flood control projects from 2024 to 2025. In the ruling dated July 24 but released on Tuesday, July 28, Associate Justice Gener Gito ruled that Estrada’s motion had no legal basis and was filed prematurely. Associate Justices Zaldy Trespeses and Maryann Corpus-Mañalac concurred. “Accused Estrada’s instant motion effectively asks the court fix the amount of bail without first resolving the antecedent question whether bail may be granted at all. This the court cannot do,” the 5th Division said. The court clarified that Estrada is not precluded from filing a proper bail petition which will accord the prosecution the opportunity to present documentary evidence and testimony of witnesses to prove that it has a strong case against the accused. Here is a timeline of developments in his case. This will be constantly updated. July 9: Sandiganbayan denies Jinggoy Estrada’s request to attend impeachment trial The Sandiganbayan 5th Division thumbed down Estrada’s bid to attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. “Accordingly, the Motion to Allow Accused Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada to Attend the Senate Impeachment Trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio dated June 29, 2026 of accused Senator Jose ‘Jinggoy’ P. Ejercito Estrada is denied for lack of merit,” the seven-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Maryann Corpus Mañalac said in a resolution on July 9. The 5th Division said the senator’s motion lacked merit. It also noted Estrada’s ongoing suspension due to his graft case. June 24, 2026: Sandiganbayan denies Estrada’s motion to consolidate plunder, graft cases under 1 division The Sandiganbayan 5th Division denied Estrada’s motion seeking to consolidate his plunder and graft cases related to the flood control mess under one division. “While indeed the plunder case shares a common question of fact with each of the anti-graft cases, a consolidation of these cases would defeat the purpose of consolidation and impede the progress of the latter,” the Sandiganbayan said in its resolution dated June 24. Estrada is charged with one count of graft before the 2nd Division and a separate graft charge and one plunder case before the 5th Division. June 4, 2026: Sandiganbayan denies Jinggoy’s bid to dismiss graft case The Sandiganbayan 2nd Division denied Estrada’s motions questioning his charge, clearing the obstacles to arraign Estrada and proceed to pre-trial conference. Estrada refused to enter a plea in his graft case during his arraignment. June 2, 2026: Sandiganbayan defers graft arraignment of Estrada, Bonoan to June 4, 2026 Estrada arrived at the Sandiganbayan 2nd Division for his arraignment but was told that his camp actually filed a motion that day, asking the anti-graft court to defer the hearing. The court reset the hearing to June 4. June 1, 2026: Back in jail after 9 years Estrada is back in jail after authorities served him a warrant for this arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan 5th Division over plunder and graft cases. The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group enforced the warrant at the Senate, where Estrada held a news briefing before he went with PNP-CIDG personnel to Camp Crame for booking and other legal procedures. The Senate majority led by Alan Peter Cayetano boycott the plenary session scheduled at 5 pm in protest of Estrada’s arrest. May 29, 2026: Sandiganbayan orders Estrada’s arrest over flood control case The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan 2nd Division issued a warrant of arrest against Estrada for his graft case in connection to the flood control mess. Estrada appeared before the anti-graft court to post bail of P90,000 for the graft charge, a bailable offense. Estrada is facing one count of plunder and two counts of graft over alleged corruption in flood control projects. The plunder and other graft case is under the Sandiganbayan 5th Division. May 18, 2026: DOJ recommends plunder, graft cases vs Estrada The Department of Justice (DOJ) recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of plunder and graft cases against Estrada and former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan over alleged flood control corruption. The recommended cases also include direct bribery and receiving gifts by public officers under Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code, and corruption of public officials under Article 212. February 10, 2026: Manila court issues PHDO vs Estrada Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 52 Presiding Judge Juan Rañola Jr. on February 10 issued a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) against Estrada, former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan, and several other former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials based on a petition filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ). In issuing the order, Rañola said “there is probable cause to believe that respondents will depart from the Philippines to evade arrest and prosecution of the crimes against them.” November 3, 2025: San Juan court denies TRO vs Brice Hernandez Presiding Judge Caron Aicitel Lascano-Netherscott of the San Juan City Regional Trial Court Branch 160 denied Estrada’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against former DPWH Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez. According to Hernandez’s legal counsel, Ernest Levanza, the TRO was meant to prevent Hernandez from further implicating Estrada in the flood control scandal. October 29, 2025: ICI recommends criminal, administrative complaints vs Estrada The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) recommended the filing of criminal and administrative complaints against senators Joel Villanueva, Jinggoy Estrada, resigned Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co, and three others. September 9, 2025: Ex-DPWH official implicates Estrada in flood control kickback scheme During the House probe into the flood control projects corruption, former DPWH Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Ericson Hernandez implicated senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva, claiming they received kickbacks. Hernandez alleged that Estrada channeled P355 million worth of flood control projects to Hagonoy and Malolos in Bulacan and got a 30% kickback. Estrada held a press conference to categorically deny kickback the allegations against him, dismissing the claims as “malicious, outright lies.” – Rappler.com