Estrada arrives at private hospital for knee X-ray

MANILA, Philippines — Detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Wednesday afternoon arrived at a private hospital in San Juan City for a medical examination after being allowed by the Sandiganbayan where he faces a plunder case.

Estrada was escorted by several jail personnel when he arrived at Cardinal Santos Medical Center from the New Quezon City Jail in Barangay Payatas.

The senator, who apparently grew a beard while in detention, appeared to be in pain when he alighted from the ambulance.

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Before that, his camp reported that his left knee snapped. 

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On Monday, the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division allowed him to leave detention for up to four hours for a knee X-ray.

In his motion for leave filed in the court, Estrada said he has been suffering from joint effusion even before his detention on June 1, as he was previously diagnosed with osteoarthritis. 

“Accused Estrada has of late been experiencing a flare up of persistent pain in both knees, making it acutely difficult for him to walk,” the motion stated, as quoted by the Fifth Division’s resolution.

Estrada is facing a plunder case stemming from an alleged “intricate mechanism involving illegal budgetary insertions and project allocations” within the Department of Public Works and Highways’ infrastructure portfolio for fiscal year 2025, worth P573 million, according to prosecutors.