MANILA, Philippines – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan on Monday, June 1, ordered the arrest of Senator Jinggoy Estrada for a plunder case linked to the flood control scandal, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed.

Remulla said the Sandiganbayan’s 5th Division issued the arrest warrant against Estrada on Monday. Plunder is non-bailable.

A Sandiganbayan source also confirmed the validity of the warrant against Estrada.

Estrada is facing cases of plunder and two counts of graft over his alleged involvement in the flood control corruption. The Sandiganbayan 2nd Division issued a warrant for his arrest for a graft case on May 29, and he secured temporary liberty by posting a P90,000-bail.

The Office of the Ombudsman filed charges against Estrada on May 28, along with former Department of Public Works and Highways secretary Manuel Bonoan and some former DPWH officials over their alleged involvement in flood control-related budget insertions.

According to the Ombudsman, there was a scheme where funds were deliberately assigned to specific public infrastructure projects in exchange for commission fees or kickbacks.

“Case records point to an accumulated sum of illicit payouts amounting to an aggregate sum of over P573 million, which were systematically delivered to the principal respondent, Senator Jinggoy Estrada,” the Ombudsman said.

Estrada is the highest sitting official to be arrested over the flood control scam, so far. His cases were also the fourth set of charges to reach the Sandiganbayan after former Ako Bicol representative Zaldy Co in November 2025, contractor Sarah Discaya in December 2025, and former senator Bong Revilla in January.

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This is Estrada’s third plunder case in the last 25 years. He was previously acquitted of plunder twice — first in relation to the jueteng scandal in 2001, and the pork barrel scam in 2014.

Estrada’s graft cases stemming from the pork barrel scandal are still pending before the Sandiganbayan. – Rappler.com