Jinggoy meets dad Erap before going to jail

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Monday, June 23, met with his father, former President and current Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada, before he surrendered to authorities in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam case.

The younger Estrada “turned himself in” to his father, who then turned over the senator to the police, the senator’s camp said in a statement.

Estrada left his home in Corinthian Hills in Quezon City at past 11 am, shortly after the 5th division of the Sandiganbayan signed a resolution upholding the finding of probable cause by the Ombudsman against Estrada and ordered his arrest. 

He arrived at the Estrada residence in Polk Street, Greenhills, San Juan, around 11:30 am, where the rest of the family was waiting for him. 

The elder Estrada, along with other members of their family, accompanied the senator, who is accused of plundering millions of pesos in taxpayers’ money, to his surrender at Camp Crame. 

They left the San Juan residence shortly before noon, and proceeded to the police camp, where he will undergo processing for his detention.

“Maraming salamat sa taumbayan, sa mga sumusuporta sa akin. Ako ay kumpyansa naman na malulusutan ko ang kasong ito,” Estrada told reporters as he left his home in Quezon City. (I thank the people, those who support me. I am confident we’ll get through this.)

“Wala akong kasalanan sa taumbayan. Masakit,” he said. (I did not do anything wrong against the people. It’s painful.)

Lawyer Alexis Abastillas, in an interview aired on ANC, said that the senator is in detention, they will immediately file for motions for bail and house arrest. 

Thirteen years ago, Estrada was temporarily jailed with his father, after the older Estrada was the principal accused in a plunder charge over illegally gaining from jueteng operations in the country. Erap was convicted while Jinggoy was acquitted.

This time, the younger is Estrada is one of 3 senators principally held to be probably liable by the Ombudsman over alleged diversion of development funds to ghost projects in connivance with Napoles.

The Ombudsman on June 6 filed plunder charges against Estrada, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr, and Juan Ponce Enrile on June 6. Graft charges were filed 2 days after.Revilla was detained last Friday along with his former staff Richard Cambe. – With reports from Ayee Macaraig/Rappler.com