Sandiganbayan resets arraignment of Jinggoy Estrada, Bonoan in plunder and graft cases

The Sandiganbayan has postponed the arraignment of Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan in the P375-million plunder case and a separate graft case over their alleged involvement in the flood control mess.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division chaired by Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses tentatively scheduled the arraignment on June 30 at 8:30 a.m. given that Estrada and Bonoan both have pending motions to quash the criminal cases filed against them.

Bonoan also has a pending motion seeking hospital arrest.

Estrada initially filed a motion to fix bail and transfer of his detention, but his legal counsels later withdrew them before Thursday’s court proceedings since it will run in conflict with his pending motion to quash the plunder and graft cases.

The arraignment of their other three co-accused in the graft and plunder cases, who are Department of Public Works and Highways National Capital Region (DPWH-NCR) engineers, pushed through since they did not file a motion to quash the information.

The three DPWH NCR officials who all pleaded not guilty in the plunder and graft cases include: Denryl Cortuna, Manny Bulusan and Arturo Gonzales Jr. — RSJ, GMA News