Jinggoy Estrada faces fresh 90-day suspension

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, along with three of his co-accused, arrived at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on June 4, 2026 for the arraignment of their plunder case in connection with the alleged P573 million in illicit payouts from flood control projects.

The Philippine STAR / Miguel De Guzman

MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has implemented a preventive suspension of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada amid his pending cases before the anti-graft court.

In a resolution dated October 12, the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division imposed a 90-day suspension pending trial, following the automatic lifting of the first 90-day suspension, which was imposed in June.

“Accordingly, accused Senator Jose "Jinggoy" P. Ejercito Estrada is suspended from his position as Senator of the Republic of the Philippines and from any other public office which he may now or hereafter be holding for a period of ninety (90) days from receipt of this Resolution,” the anti-graft court’s ruling read.

The cases were originally filed by the Office of the Ombudsman on May 28.

The charges also named Manuel Bonoan, Denryl Caesar Cortuna, Manny Bulusan and Arturo Gonzales Jr. as co-accused.

While the court suspended Cortuna, Bulusan and Gonzales pendente lite in June 2026, it deferred Estrada’s suspension due to pending motions to quash and subsequent moves to amend the charges to exclude Bonoan.

Following the court’s denial of the motions for reconsideration regarding the amended charges on October 9, the anti-graft court proceeded with Estrada’s suspension.

In his comment, Estrada opposed the move, arguing that placing him under another 90-day suspension would be overly punitive.

He pointed out that he had already been serving a separate 90-day suspension issued by the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division since June 22, 2026.

Estrada also argued that the rationale for a preventive suspension no longer existed because he was detained at the New Quezon City Jail, where he had been held since June 1, and therefore could not frustrate or hamper his prosecution.

However, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division brushed aside these arguments, reiterating established jurisprudence that preventive suspension is mandatory under the law.

It explained that under Section 13 of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and Section 5 of Republic Act No. 7080, or the Plunder Law, any public officer facing pending criminal prosecution under a valid information in court must be preventively suspended from office.

“Jurisprudence is clear on the mandatory nature of preventive suspension when a public officer is charged with a valid information involving violation of R.A. No. 3019, there are no ifs and buts about it,” the Sandiganbayan said.

“The imposition of suspension, however, is not automatic or self-operative as a pre-condition thereof is the existence of a valid information, determined at a pre-suspension hearing,” it added.

Estrada is currently detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas over graft and plunder charges.

These stem from allegations that Estrada received kickbacks amounting to P573 million from flood control projects.