MANILA, Philippines — Detained Sen. Jingoy Estrada declined to enter a plea on Thursday during his arraignment before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, prompting the court to enter a not guilty plea for him.
“Well, we will exhaust all legal remedies available to us as advised by my lawyers,” Estrada said.
The senator is facing graft and plunder charges over allegations that he received P573.75 million in kickbacks from infrastructure and flood control projects in Metro Manila, Bulacan and Occidental Mindoro included in the 2025 national budget.
His lawyer, Laurence Arroyo, said Estrada waived the reading of the information and maintained their petition seeking bail for the plunder charge.
Estrada arrived in court on crutches after his left knee snapped last week.
When asked about his condition after the arraignment, Estrada said: “I'm okay. According to my doctor, it’s up to me if I want the surgery on my left knee.”
Also charged in the case were former South Manila District Engineering Office chief Manny Bulusan, former Quezon City 1st District Engineering Office chief Arturo Gonzales Jr. and former North Manila DEO assistant chief Denryl Caesar Cortuna.
Bulusan, Gonzales and Cortuna pleaded not guilty to the charges. The preliminary conference for Estrada’s case is set for Sept. 11.
