The Sandiganbayan Second Division has issued an arrest warrant against Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan in connection with graft complaints filed by the Office of the Ombudsman. The charges stem from alleged anomalous flood control projects.
Court Actions
The anti-graft court's Second Division, chaired by Presiding Justice Geraldine Econg, also issued a hold departure order against Estrada, Bonoan, and their co-accused: Engineers Denryl Cortuna, Arturo Gonzales Jr., and Manny Bulosan. A plunder complaint was also filed against Estrada and his co-accused, which was raffled to the Sandiganbayan 5th Division.
Allegations
The Ombudsman earlier stated that the charges arose from an “intricate mechanism, illegal budgetary insertions and project allocations within the DPWH infrastructure portfolio for fiscal year 2025.” Prosecutors alleged that approximately P573 million in kickbacks were funneled to Estrada after directing funds into designated infrastructure projects.
Estrada is expected to surrender amid the plunder and graft charges. The case continues to develop as legal proceedings move forward.
