From the Website of PNA
links https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1276063
links https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1276063
Ombudsman files plunder, graft raps vs Estrada, Bonoan
MANILA – Non-bailable plunder and graft charges have been filed against Sen. Jinggoy
In a press briefing, Clavano said the plunder and graft cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman involve “illicit” payouts amounting to PHP573 million.
Likewise named respondents in the case are three engineers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-National Capital Region.
“Our evaluation shows that substantial public funds were deliberately funnelled into designated infrastructure projects in exchange for predetermined commission fees or kickbacks,” Clavano said.
He added that the charges came following extensive investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Clavano said the Ombudsman recommended no bail for the respondents and will also seek a hold departure order against them.
He said those originally named in the complaint include former DPWH Undersecretary Cathy Cabral, former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former NCR Regional Director Gerard Opulencia and former Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara.
Pursuant to court rules, Cabral was dropped from the case after her death.
Bernardo, Opulencia and Alcantara were formally excluded from the charges following their application to become state witnesses.
In a statement, Estrada questioned the speed of the filing of plunder and graft cases against him before the Sandiganbayan, saying the move raises due process concerns as he vowed to exhaust all legal remedies.
Estrada said the Ombudsman filed the cases barely a week after the DOJ issued its resolution, allegedly without conducting a separate and thorough fact-finding investigation despite its earlier commitment to an “independent review and resolution on the merits of the case.”
“We will exhaust all legal remedies,” Estrada said.
He said his lawyers are preparing the necessary legal steps to raise alleged irregularities in the process, including evidence he said was not given sufficient weight and consideration.
Among these, Estrada said, was a Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office (LBRMO) letter stating that there was no record that he made any insertion in the 2025 national budget.
He said the LBRMO letter is an important piece of evidence that directly refutes all allegations against him, but was allegedly disregarded.
Estrada also said he was not given the chance to properly see and study the DOJ and Ombudsman resolutions so he could file the appropriate explanation or motion for reconsideration before the cases were filed.
“Ang ganitong labis at hindi makatuwirang proseso ay may seryosong implikasyon sa aking right to due process (Such excessive and unreasonable process has serious implications on my right to due process)," he said. (With a report from Wilnard Bacelonia/PNA)
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