Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. Photo courtesy of PNA.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Tuesday assailed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) move to pursue plunder and other charges against him over alleged irregularities in flood control projects, calling the recommendation baseless.
The DOJ earlier endorsed the filing of plunder, graft and bribery complaints in connection with the supposed anomalies, naming Estrada among those implicated.
Estrada said the development did not align with findings from the Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office, which he noted had no record linking him to any budget insertions for 2025.
He maintained that official records failed to show his participation in introducing allocations, contradicting claims that tied him to questionable funding for infrastructure works.
The senator also disclosed that he filed an omnibus motion on May 15 seeking to reopen the National Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the matter.
He said the motion aimed to allow the submission of additional evidence that could help ensure a fair and impartial review of the complaints lodged against him.
The NBI had earlier filed criminal complaints against several lawmakers and some officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over the same issue.
In the course of the probe, a former DPWH engineer alleged that Estrada was involved in securing Php 300 million worth of projects in Bulacan in exchange for a 30 percent commission, an accusation the senator denied, reiterating that no proof linked him to any wrongdoing and that he would address the case through proper legal channels.
