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Daphne Galvez - The Philippine Star
June 3, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Second Division has reset to June 4 the arraignment of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan for their graft case related to alleged P573 million worth of flood control kickbacks.
Estrada’s counsel Noel Ostrea moved to reset the arraignment, citing their pending omnibus motion that sought the dismissal of the cases against the senator or suspension of the proceedings and have the cases remanded to the Office of the Ombudsman for reinvestigation.
Bonoan’s lawyer Edward Ong also moved to defer the arraignment due to his client’s health condition.
Bonoan was in a wheelchair while inside the courtroom and could be seen rubbing his forehead and wincing as if in pain. His blood pressure was taken twice by the Sandiganbayan resident doctor, who said his blood pressure was 160/90.
Estrada’s lawyer has asked the court that he be allowed “to appear as a regular person” and not wear handcuffs and the yellow shirt of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
His counsel cited the fact that Estrada voluntarily surrendered before the court and posted bail in relation to the graft case.
The court asked Estrada’s counsel to put the motion in writing.
Estrada’s camp also asked if he could attend court proceedings via video conferencing so that he could “attend to his legislative duties” as a sitting senator.
Presiding Justice Geraldine Econg said that as far as the court division is concerned, hearings in the Sandiganbayan can be done via video conferencing as it is allowed under the rules.
The arraignment for the separate plunder case will also take place Thursday.
Quezon City jail detention
Estrada and his co-accused for plunder have joined thousands of inmates at the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory following their arrest.
Citing a report from the BJMP, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Estrada, along with two of his co-accused, former DPWH officials Manny Bulusan and Arturo Gonzales Jr., were admitted to the detention facility in Barangay Payatas at around 8:15 p.m. on Monday.
Another co-accused, former public works assistant district engineer Denryl Caesar Cortuna, arrived at around 5:47 p.m.
The detention facility has a jail population of around 3,600 inmates, including former senator Ramon Revilla Jr., who is also implicated in the flood control scandal.
Remulla said he has no information if Estrada and Revilla are staying in the same detention cell.
With Estrada’s arrest, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will also enforce warrants of arrest that will be issued by the Sandiganbayan and other courts.
Hospital arrest?
Bonoan was brought back to the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame around 4 p.m. yesterday after appearing before the Sandiganbayan. He was supposed to join Estrada at the New QC Jail.
Bonoan’s lawyers have filed a motion for hospital arrest.
PNP spokesman Col. Allen Rae Co said Bonoan’s scheduled arraignment did not proceed after doctors raised concerns about his blood pressure, which prompted a court-directed medical assessment.
“Initial evaluation showed elevated blood pressure, with readings at approximately 170/100 and the Sandiganbayan medical doctor noting that the condition may be stress-related, thus requiring continued monitoring,” he told reporters in a message on Viber.
Alcantara’s kickback
During yesterday’s Sandiganbayan hearing for the P92.8-million malversation case against Revilla and former DPWH officials, a witness presented by the prosecution testified that former Bulacan district engineer-turned state witness Henry Alcantara received P10-million “kickbacks” per project from at least five contractors.
John Carlo Rivera, Engineer II at the DPWH Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office, said contractors who paid a 25 to 30 percent commitment fee include JB Construction, Triple A Construction, Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc., Floordesk Construction, IM Construction and Ferdstar Builders, among others.
In a related development, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has denied the petition of former DPWH IV-B officials to junk their malversation case related to an alleged substandard flood control project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro worth P289.5 million.
The sacked DPWH IV-B officials, co-accused of wanted fugitive Zaldy Co, were Juliet Calvo, Gerald Pacanan, Gene Altea, Ruben delos Santos Jr., Dominic Serrano, Lerma Cayco, Felisardo Casuno, Dennis Abagon and Montrexis Tamayo.
Palace hits Alan
Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday questioned Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s move to prevent the serving of an arrest warrant against Senator Estrada.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro maintained that the arrest warrant against Estrada is valid and disputed Cayetano’s claim that the issue involves the Senate’s independence.
“Independence from what? What is Sen. Alan Cayetano fighting for? Where did the President intervene? It is just proper to serve a valid warrant of arrest,” Castro said at a press briefing.
Asked if Cayetano’s act can be regarded as obstruction of justice, Castro replied: “It is not obstruction of justice, he did not hide him. He just prevented it (arrest) because maybe he was thinking, he is the Senate president, he is in his place and he was saying this is not for Sen. Jinggoy, but for the institution.”
National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag also defended the arrest of Estrada inside the Senate building, saying law enforcers acted within the bounds of the law in serving the warrant against the senator.
“He went peacefully because there was already a valid warrant of arrest. It was an arrest. The offense is non-bailable and carries a penalty of more than six years. All the requirements for a valid arrest were present,” Matibag said over Bilyonaryo News Channel. — Emmanuel Tupas, Alexis Romero, Mark Ernest Villeza
