Jinggoy camp questions PHDO before Manila court

Senator Jinggoy Estrada has asked a Manila court to lift the precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) issued against him amid the plunder complaint he is facing with the Department of Justice, with his spokesperson saying that he is not a flight risk.

In an ambush interview, Estrada spokesperson Bianca Soriano said they filed an omnibus motion asking the court to reconsider the issuance of the order as well as a motion to lift the order on Wednesday.

“It should be lifted because the rules require that there should probable cause, and second that the respondent is a flight risk,” she said.

“So we already attacked the evidentiary nature that there is no probable cause… and second, that respondent Senator Jinggoy Estrada is not a flight risk. As we’ve seen in Sandiganbayan, he has been complying with the necessary requirements for him to be able to travel,” she added. 

In February, the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 52 ordered the issuance of a PHDO against Estrada, former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan, former DPWH undersecretaries Maria Catalina Cabral and Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH regional director Gerard Opulencia, and former district engineer Henry Alcantara.

In a separate ambush interview, Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez said they have yet to receive an official copy of the motion.

“So hangga’t matanggap namin ‘yung motion, makita namin ‘yung mga arguments doon, then we’ll may be think whether we will oppose it or not,” he said.

(So until we can see the motion, until we can see the arguments, then we’ll think about whether we will oppose it or not.)

When asked about Estrada’s claim that he is not a flight risk, Martinez said this is up to the courts to decide.

“Nasa court na po ang decision whether or not they will lift the PHDO, temporarily [or] permanently. Aalamin po ng court kung legitimate ‘yung mga reasons ni Senator Estrada for filing the motion,” he said.

(It is up to the court to decide whether or not they will lift the PHDO, temporarily or permanently. The court will determine whether Senator Estrada’s reasons for filing the motion are legitimate.) 

Counter-affidavit

Accompanied by his lawyers, Estrada personally appeared before the DOJ to file his counter-affidavit on his plunder complaint.

According to Martinez, the complaint was for plunder, alleged violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, direct bribery, and receiving gifts by public officers, and corruption of public officers.

“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,” Soriano said.

“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 Alcantara and Bernardo.

Alcantara previously tagged Estrada as the proponent of P355 million worth of flood control projects. 

Meanwhile, Bernardo accused Estrada of receiving kickbacks from millions worth of projects included in the National Expenditure Program for 2024. 

“Unahin natin ‘yung sinabi ni Henry Alcantara na si Bernardo ‘yung nagtanong kung meron pa siyang projects. And then we see Bernardo’s statements or affidavit naman saying na it was Alcantara who offered that list of projects,” she said.

Meanwhile, Soriano said Estrada is confident that his cases will be dismissed. —AOL/RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News