Jinggoy Estrada acquitted of plunder, convicted of bribery in pork barrel scam

Senator Jinggoy Estrada has been acquitted of plunder but convicted of direct and indirect bribery in line with the pork barrel scam that made headlines in 2013.

According to a ruling released by the Sandiganbayan 5th Division on Friday, Jan. 19, the lawmaker was found guilty of one count of direct bribery, for which he may be put behind bars for eight to nine years; and two counts of indirect bribery, for which he may be imprisoned for two to three years. He would also need to pay a fine of P3 million.

According to constitutional lawyer Tony La Viña, Estrada can keep his seat in the Senate while his bribery conviction appeal is still pending in court. He added: "The appeal could take a couple of years and he could serve his full term. But if reelected and his conviction is affirmed, he will be disqualified from serving and go to prison."

His co-accused, businesswoman Janet Napoles was also cleared of plunder. She, however, was found guilty of corruption of public officials and was ordered to pay a P29.62 million fine.

Estrada was accused of misusing P183 million in his pork barrel, which was known as the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), from 2004 to 2010.

The Office of the Ombudsman in June 2014 filed plunder complaints against him and Napoles as well as senators Bong Revilla and Juan Ponce Enrile.

Estrada stressed he had nothing to do with it and surrendered himself to the police a few days after the complaint was submitted.

The lawmaker was granted bail in September 2017.

Six years later, the Sandiganbayan ruled that state prosecutors are not concealing evidence in the graft complaints against Estrada.

Revilla was acquitted of plunder in the case in 2018, while Enrile's motion to dismiss the plunder complaint against him was granted by the Sandiganbayan last year.