MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan's fifth division has denied the motion of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada to allow him to attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte for lack of merit.
In a resolution promulgated on July 9, 2026 and written by Associate Justice Maryann Corpus-Mañalac, the court said that Estrada's request could not be considered in the nature of an emergency or a compelling temporary leave.
It added that while an impeachment trial was of "paramount constitutional importance," its significance does not provide a basis for his request, and that his attendance would constitute a "contining and recurring leave" from detention.
The court said that with an estimated 31-week timeframe, allowing him to attend the trial "would virtually make him a free man with all the privileges appurtentant to his position.".
"It would not only elevate his status to that of a special class but also make a mockery of the purposes of preventive detention. To grant such request would substantially erode the very restraints that lawful detention necessarily entails," the court said.
Division chairman Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses and Associate Justice Hans Chester Nocom concurred with Corpus-Mañalac.
Estrada is facing plunder and graft charges over his involvement in the flood control scandal in Bulacan
