DOJ to oppose Jinggoy’s plea to travel abroad amid HDO

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will oppose Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s appeal to the Sandiganbayan to allow him to travel abroad amid a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) issued against him by a Manila court, Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez said Tuesday.

Martinez said there are “sufficient grounds that warrant its continued effectivity.”

“The DOJ maintains that he is a flight risk and must not leave the country,” he added in a message to reporters.

Estrada filed a motion seeking permission to travel to Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan from March 31 to April 5 while facing graft charges over the alleged misuse of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) during his previous term as senator.

However, Estrada was also issued a PHDO by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 52, which found probable cause to believe that he and other respondents might leave the country to evade arrest and prosecution.

The PHDO relates to Estrada’s plunder complaint before the DOJ over alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects.

According to Martinez, the PHDO can only be revoked by order of the same court that issued it.

“Court na po ang magsasabi kung may merit ang motion ni Sen. Estrada (the court will decide if there is merit to Sen. Estrada’s motion),” he said.

In January 2024, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Estrada of plunder but found him guilty of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery related to the scheme.

The 11 graft counts, which are separate from the plunder case, remain pending and continue to undergo trial before the anti-graft court.—MCG, GMA Integrated News