Jinggoy joins Bong in detention; asks court to grant him bail

By ROUCHELLE R. DINGLASAN, GMA News

Published June 23, 2014 3:37pm

(Updated 5:22 p.m.) Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Monday afternoon joined his friend and fellow Senator Bong Revilla in detention at the Philippine National Police's Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

Police transferred Estrada to the detention center at 3:33 p.m.

Estrada and Revilla are both facing graft and plunder charges in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam. They have both denied the charges filed against them.

The Sandiganbayan issued a warrant of arrest against Estrada on Monday morning.

Estrada surrendered to the police at Camp Crame, where he was held until a custody order by the anti-graft court was issued.

Estrada has been accused of pocketing P183.79 million in kickbacks from dealings with fake non-government organizations (NGOs) from 2004 to 2012.

The NGOs were allegedly put up by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the pork barrel scam. The Ombudsman earlier said Estrada chose bogus NGOs as "project partners" for livelihood projects financed by his Priority Development Assistance Fund.

Petition for bail

Hours after a warrant of arrest was issued against him by the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, Estrada on Monday filed a motion for bail with the anti-graft court.

“Sen. Estrada most respectfully prays that the Honorable Court admit him to bail in such amount as the court may fix, and order his release upon posting of bail,” Estrada's motion read.

In his motion submitted through his lawyers, Estrada emphasized that “evidence of guilt is absent and at worst is not strong.”

The motion also further qualified that Estrada, son of former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, is not a flight risk.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, dadalhin na sa PNP Custodial Center. #BantayKaban #NewsTVLive

— GMA News (@gmanews) June 23, 2014

Revilla's warrant of arrest came earlier, last Friday. He also surrendered to the police and was detained, since then, at the tightly secured custodian center. Revilla and his co-accused allegedly received P224.5 million in kickbacks from 2006 to 2010 for funding the ghost projects of Napoles NGOs.

Jinggoy-Bong meeting

In an interview with Estrada's legal counsel, Alexis Abastillas Suarez said Estrada and Revilla met inside the Custodial Center's common room.

"Nagkita na sila at nagka-usap na sila," she told reporters in a chance interview.

"Nasiyahan ata si Senator Revilla dahil may kasama na siya," she added, citing that the senators' cell are adjacent.

Aside from Estrada's lawyers, his family and relatives also visited him.

Meanwhile, Suarez said Senator Estrada has no complaint as regardshis detention cell.

"He has no complaints at all. Kaya niya naman 'yung init. Okay naman 'yung electric fan," she said.

Senator Revilla's camp earlier requested an air cooler inside his detention cell as the heat purportedly induce headache to the senator.

Vital signs

According to a report by dzBB's Tuesday Niu, Estrada's vital signs following a medical examination were "essentially normal."

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, Estrada's vital signs included:

- Blood pressure: 110 over 70

- Pulse rate: 76 beats per minute

- Body temperature: 36.6 degrees Celsius

Estrada on Monday submitted himself to the PNP shortly after the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division issued a warrant of arrest against him and several others in connection with the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam.

Estrada, who was charged with plunder and graft, arrived at the PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame around noon accompanied by his parents, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph "Erap" Estrada and former Senator Luisa "Loi" Ejercito Estrada.

The younger Estrada was also accompanied by his wife Precy Vitug-Ejercito and four children: Janella Marie, Joseph Luis Manuel, Julian Emilio, and Julienne. — with a report from Joel Locsin/NB/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: bantaykaban, jinggoyestrada, ramonrevillajr