LOOK: Jinggoy Estrada arrives at DOJ for flood control mess probe

Senator Jinggoy Estrada arrived Thursday at the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the preliminary investigation on the plunder complaint filed against him and others in connection with the questionable flood control projects.

Atty. Bianca Soriano, Estrada’s lawyer and spokesperson, said the senator filed his counter-affidavit for alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, plunder, and indirect and direct bribery.

“Of course, we attacked it based on procedural rules, specifically on the requirements of a complaint affidavit, because what NBI filed is a letter attached in an affidavit,” she said in an ambush interview.

“And then, we also discussed the admissibility and the credibility of the evidence, which will not be able to meet the threshold required for criminal cases before the DOJ or the Ombudsman,” she added.

Aside from this, she said they addressed the alleged inconsistencies of the statements of state witnesses Henry Alcantara and Roberto Bernardo.

His co-respondents are former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH Regional Director Gerard Opulencia, former DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara and John/ Jane Does.

According to DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez, the plunder complaint is not confined to a single project or locality. Instead, it covers allegations of the acquisition of ill-gotten wealth amounting to more than P50 million, allegedly obtained through a combination or series of transactions.

Bonoan has filed his counter-affidavit on the plunder complaint.

A Manila court has also issued a precautionary hold departure order against Estrada and his co-respondents, saying that there is probable cause to believe that respondents will depart from the country to evade arrest and prosecution.

Meanwhile, Estrada has asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to travel to Hongkong, Macau, and Japan from March 31 to April 5 amid his graft charges over the alleged misuse of his PDAF during his previous term as senator.—AOL, GMA Integrated News