MANILA - A Philippine senator who is the son of a former president surrendered to police on Monday after an anti-graft court issued an arrest order accusing him of plunder, a non-bailable offence under Philippine law.
The Office of the Ombudsman has charged Senator Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada with violating anti-corruption statutes for allegedly receiving "kickbacks" totaling 573 million pesos, an amount the government alleges derives from an infrastructure corruption scheme tied to flood-control projects.
Addressing reporters at the Senate, Estrada said he would not attempt to take refuge in the upper chamber to avoid arrest. "I will not seek Senate custody," he said. He added: "I am ready to defend myself before the court and I will not hide behind the institution to evade the process."
Estrada has publicly denied any wrongdoing and characterized the charges as politically driven. The senator had recently posted bail on a separate offence, according to the record.
The broader corruption scandal, which has focused on dangerously flawed flood-control facilities across the Philippines, has provoked public protests and contributed to a recent slowdown in economic growth, officials and observers say. The alleged kickbacks in the charge amount to 573 million pesos - roughly $9.3 million using the exchange rate cited with the charge ($1 = 61.7010 Philippine pesos).
Context and next steps
Following his surrender, Estrada faces the court process associated with a plunder charge, which is non-bailable. The Office of the Ombudsman is pursuing allegations of illicit payments connected to public infrastructure projects. The senator's statements indicate he intends to contest the charges through legal channels rather than seek protection from the legislative body.
This development follows widespread public concern over the integrity of flood-control works and the political fallout from demonstrations tied to the scandal.