The senator posted bail shortly after the warrant was issued, taking advantage of provisions under Republic Act 3019, which makes graft a bailable offense.
“Posting bail is a legal remedy available to me under our justice system, and I intend to avail myself of every lawful means to defend myself and clear my name,” Estrada said.
It does not, however, guarantee that an accused will remain free in the face of a warrant, especially if he is charged in a separate non-bailable case.
This suggests a high chance of Estrada’s petition for temporary release not being granted, and he will be detained pending the court’s decision.
Estrada firmly maintained his innocence, calling the corruption charges “unfounded and without merit.” Nonetheless, he averred that he trusts the rule of law and the independence of judicial institutions. He contended that his personal appearance before the Sandiganbayan indicated his good faith.
“I hope for fair treatment, due process, and impartiality in the hearing of this case. I trust that in the end, justice and truth will prevail,” Estrada said.
The lawmaker from San Juan had flagged “procedural irregularities” in the Ombudsman’s filing of plunder and graft charges against him at the Sandiganbayan on Thursday.
He suggested the case was politically motivated and hastily prepared without a proper, independent fact-finding, and that the Ombudsman relied solely on the Department of Justice’s resolution that was issued just last week.
Rights infringement
He accused the DoJ and the Ombudsman of infringing on his right to due process, arguing that he was “not allowed to study the resolutions properly” and to file a motion for reconsideration before the case was elevated to the Sandiganbayan for court hearings.
The DoJ’s recommendation to file plunder, graft, and bribery charges against Estrada and several former Department of Public Works and Highways officials formed the basis of the Ombudsman’s case.
In a parallel probe by the House of Representatives into flood control anomalies in September last year, ex-DPWH Bulacan engineer Brice Hernandez alleged that Estrada received at least P350 million in commissions as the “proponent” of flood control projects in Bulacan.
The amount represented the 30-percent “standard operating procedure” or kickbacks that were purportedly agreed upon by the lawmaker and the DPWH officials.
Bulacan has been tagged as the “most notorious” in the corruption scheme involving flood control projects, which recorded the highest number of anti-flood projects from July 2022 to May 2025 at 668.
The province received the lion’s share of the P98 billion in flood control funds allocated for Central Luzon with a whopping P44 billion.
Despite the massive allocation, Bulacan continues to suffer from severe flooding, fueling speculation of corruption and substandard, ghost, and incomplete projects.
DoJ process hit
Estrada, meanwhile, questioned the process undertaken by the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman in filing plunder and graft charges against him before the Sandiganbayan.
Estrada said he posted bail before the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division while maintaining his innocence and denying the allegations against him.
“I strongly deny the allegations against me. They are baseless and completely devoid of truth,” he added.
Estrada said he was denied the opportunity to file a motion for reconsideration or to respond fully to the resolutions issued by the DoJ and the Ombudsman before the cases were filed in court.
Bad knee
Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Estrada had conveyed to him his concern over his ailing knee, which needs to be treated.
Remulla said he told Estrada that it was not within his jurisdiction and the court must decide on the matter.
Remulla said the senator will undergo the standard procedure for treating wanted persons such as booking, fingerprinting, mug shots, a medical checkup and others.
