Jinggoy Estrada asks court to reconsider precautionary travel ban

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MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Jinggoy Estrada questioned the preliminary hold departure order issued against him by a Manila Regional Trial Court.

In an interview with reporters on March 12, Estrada spokesperson and lawyer Bianca Soriano said the senator filed an omnibus motion before Manila RTC Branch 52 seeking reconsideration and the lifting of the order.

Soriano said Estrada filed the motion on March 11.

"It should be lifted because the rules require that there should be probable cause and second that the respondent is at flight risk," Soriano said.

"So, you already attack the evidential nature that there's no probable cause… and second, that respondent Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is not a flight risk," she added.

The Manila RTC issued the precuationary travel ban on February 10 against Estrada and several other officials.

Those named in the order were former Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan, former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, and former district engineers Henry Alcantara and Gerard Opulencia.

Former Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Cathy Cabral, who died on December 19, 2025, was also listed among the respondents.

Travel request. On March 11, Estrada also asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to travel abroad despite his pending graft cases.

He had earlier submitted his counter-affidavit before the Department of Justice in connection with a plunder complaint.

Soriano said Estrada's camp questioned the procedural requirements of the complaint-affidavit, including the admissibility and credibility of the evidence.

She argued that the evidence presented against Estrada does not meet the threshold required by the DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman.