Senate suspends Jinggoy Estrada over plunder raps

The Senate on Tuesday implemented the 90-day suspension of Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
 
Senate President Franklin Drilon said the chamber would start implementing the order of the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division.

“We have no recourse but to implement it,” Drilon told reporters.

Estrada said he would no longer appeal the court decision but he expressed hope that his colleagues would first discuss first the suspension before implementing it.

“Sana pagbotohan o pag-diskusyunan man lang because the Senate President is not the Senate. We have to decide as a collegial body,” Estrada said.
 
Sought for comment on Estrada's preference, Drilon said the Supreme Court had already ruled that the implementation of the suspension was automatic.
 
“The decision of the Supreme Court is that the suspension becomes automatic upon motion of the prosecution, and that has been resolved as early as 2001,” Drilon said.
 
He added that the Senate would not be affected with the suspension of two of its members.