Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was transferred to the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas on Monday night after surrendering to authorities following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division in connection with a plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Estrada was escorted by personnel of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the same unit that facilitated his surrender at the Senate earlier in the day. Before being brought to the detention facility, the senator was taken to the Sandiganbayan for standard procedures, including the return of the warrant and booking process.
Also admitted to the facility were Department of Public Works and Highways officials Denryl Caesar Cortuna, Manny Bulusan and Arturo Gonzales Jr., according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government. All of the accused underwent medical examinations before being processed for detention.
Former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who was also named in the complaint, was not transferred to the jail after reportedly suffering a medical condition and being taken to the PNP General Hospital.
According to the Ombudsman's complaint, Estrada allegedly received P573 million from various infrastructure projects nationwide in 2025. The senator has denied the accusation and insisted the charges are politically motivated.
"Maraming beses akong inalok na talikuran ang independent majority bloc kapalit ng pagbabasura sa aking kaso, ngunit hindi ko ito tinanggap. Mas nanaig ang paninindigan ko na manatili sa hanay ng mga kasamahan ko sa independent majority bloc," Estrada said during a press conference before his surrender.
The senator maintained that he is prepared to face the allegations and believes the charges are not supported by truthful evidence.
His legal team has filed several motions related to the graft and plunder cases, which are pending before the Sandiganbayan's Second and Fifth Divisions.