MANILA — The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has turned down Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s request to leave detention so he could serve as a senator-judge during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
In a resolution issued on July 9, the anti-graft court denied Estrada’s motion, saying his attendance at the Senate proceedings did not constitute sufficient grounds for temporary release.
Estrada remains under detention after being charged with non-bailable plunder over his alleged participation in irregular budget insertions and project allocations involving the Department of Public Works and Highways’ 2025 infrastructure program. State prosecutors claim the transactions amounted to P573 million, although the senator has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
The senator argued that his presence in the impeachment court was necessary because the Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of all 24 senators to convict an impeachable official. He maintained that his role in the proceedings justified his temporary absence from detention.
The Sandiganbayan disagreed, pointing out that the impeachment trial is scheduled to run for 92 hearing days across 31 weeks, with sessions set three times each week.
According to the court, allowing Estrada to attend such a lengthy series of hearings would effectively result in recurring and prolonged releases from detention, which go beyond the limited circumstances contemplated for temporary leave.
The Fifth Division stressed that the trial schedule could not be considered an emergency or an exceptional situation that would warrant granting the senator’s request.
Estrada is regarded as an ally of Vice President Duterte and would have been among the senator-judges tasked with deciding whether she should be convicted or acquitted.
Under the Constitution, a conviction in an impeachment trial would remove Duterte from office and permanently bar her from occupying any public position. The vice president has already announced her intention to seek the presidency in the next elections.
elamigo/xf
