Court: Jinggoy can’t join VP impeachment trial; graft case stays
The Sandiganbayan court has denied Senator Jinggoy Estrada's motion to dismiss graft charges and barred him from attending the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The court ruled that his request to participate in the trial lacked compelling or emergency justification.
Why it matters
The ruling impacts high-level Philippine political proceedings and underscores the legal challenges facing a prominent sitting senator.
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. Photo from John Eric Mendoza
The Sandiganbayan dealt twin legal blows on Sen. Jinggoy Estrada this week when it rejected his motion to junk one of his graft cases and prevented him from participating in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying that his request wasn't an "emergency or compelling" reason.
Estrada has been detained since June 1 on one nonbailable charge of plunder in the antigraft court's Fifth Division for alleged kickbacks he received from flood control projects in 2025 - P350 million in Metro Manila and Oriental Mindoro and P213 million in Bulacan.
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