Jinggoy Estrada had P1.6 billion in budget insertions, says witness

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Senator Jinggoy Estrada inserted over P1.6 billion worth of projects in the budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in 2025, a witness told the Sandiganbayan on Tuesday.

According to the judicial affidavit of witness DPWH Programming Division Chief Engr. Peter Paul Cortez, these budget insertions were spread across 16 projects.

Testifying before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, Cortez said that these insertions were in the 1st and 3rd District Engineering Offices of Bulacan. He also alleged that there were budget insertions at the National Capital Region office.

The DPWH employee also said that these projects appeared in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) without appearing in the National Expenditure Program.

Cortez reportedly found out about Estrada’s projects because this was part of the list given to him by the late DPWH undersecretary Catalina Cabral.

Cabral reportedly sent the list to his office so that it could be encoded into the DPWH’s database.

Estrada is currently being tried for a P573 million plunder case in relation to the flood control scam.

Billions of pesos were allegedly funneled through bogus flood control projects, with officials and lawmakers allegedly pocketing millions in the process. Estrada is among those who have been accused of being part of the scam. –NB, GMA News