Embattled Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Thursday blasted the filing of plunder and graft charges against him before the Sandiganbayan, calling the process “irregular” and a violation of his right to due process.

In a statement, Estrada said his legal team is preparing to challenge what he described as procedural lapses and ignored evidence tied to the case.

Among the documents cited by the senator was a certification from the Senate’s Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office stating there was no record of him making budget insertions in the 2025 national budget.

Estrada claimed the document was disregarded despite being “crucial” to his defense.

The senator is facing plunder and graft complaints over allegations that he funneled allocations into questionable flood control projects and received unlawful commissions from contractors.

Earlier Thursday, the Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder and graft complaints against Estrada and several former Department of Public Works and Highways officials before the anti-graft court.

According to Ombudsman prosecutors, more than P573 million in alleged kickbacks linked to irregular infrastructure allocations and budget insertions were supposedly delivered to Estrada.

“Our evaluation shows that substantial public funds were deliberately funneled into designated infrastructure projects in exchange for predetermined commission fees or kickbacks,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said during a press conference.

Estrada, however, argued that he was not given enough time to review and respond to resolutions issued by both the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman before the filing of charges.

“Hindi ako nabigyan ng pagkakataong makita at mapag-aralan nang maayos ang mga resolusyon ng DOJ at Ombudsman bago isinampa ang kaso sa Sandiganbayan… may seryosong implikasyon sa aking right to due process,” he said.

The senator also pointed to the recent Senate leadership reorganization that installed Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president, replacing Tito Sotto.

Estrada noted that the Ombudsman filed the case barely a week after the DOJ resolution was released, which he said raised questions over whether an independent review was truly conducted.

Despite the controversy, Estrada said he would continue to defend himself in court.

“If this is the price that I have to pay for standing by my principles and for what I believe in, then so be it,” he said.