Jinggoy Estrada says he will not use Senate custody as shield against plunder case

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, before surrendering to the police, issued a statement saying he would neither seek custody from the Senate nor use it to shield himself from the allegations against him.

Facing arrest and detention on the non-bailable charge of plunder, Estrada said he has instructed the Senate secretary to place his salary on hold.

"I am giving instructions to the Senate Secretary to put my salary on hold. Personal kong pasya ito upang ipakita sa sambayanang Pilipino na wala akong intensiyong makinabang sa pondo ng bayan habang nililinis ko ang aking pangalan," Estrada said.

"At higit sa lahat, hindi ako papasailalim sa kustodiya ng Senado. I will not seek Senate custody. Hindi ko gagamitin ang Senado bilang panangga laban sa mga alegasyon sa akin," he added.

(I am giving instructions to the Senate secretary to put my salary on hold. This is my personal decision to show the Filipino people that I have no intention of benefiting from public funds while I clear my name. Most of all, I won't seek Senate custody. I will not use the Senate as a shield against the allegations.)

Estrada said he would remain with the Senate majority of 13 senators led by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.

Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on May 11 attended the Senate session after months of absence and participated in the voting that elected Cayetano the new Senate President, replacing Sen. Vicente Sotto III, who is now the Senate minority leader.

Dela Rosa has a warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court, and the Department of Justice has ordered law enforcement agencies to arrest him.

He is facing charges as a co-conspirator in the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte in connection with the killings in the war on drugs.

The Senate, under the new leadership, gave Dela Rosa protective custody after National Bureau of Investigation agents tried to arrest him.

Dela Rosa has since left the Senate premises on May 14, hours after the Senate shooting incident the night before on May 13.

Sen. Robin Padilla gave Dela Rosa a ride to leave the Senate.

Dela Rosa's lawyers are of the position that a local court should issue a warrant of arrest for the ICC warrant to be implemented in the country.

Duterte, who has been detained for more than a year at the Scheveningen prison in The Hague, had the Philippines withdraw from the ICC in March 2019.

The Supreme Court on May 20 denied Dela Rosa's prayer for a temporary restraining order on the implementation of the ICC warrant against him. –Sundy Locus/NB, GMA News