MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has rejected Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s request for reconsideration of its decision denying his bid to post bail without a hearing, saying he failed to show circumstances comparable to those that led the Supreme Court to grant temporary freedom to former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
In a six-page resolution issued Thursday, the anti-graft court denied Estrada’s Aug. 3 motion for reconsideration and upheld its earlier ruling.
“After a careful review of accused Estrada’s arguments, the court finds no compelling reason to depart from its ruling,” the resolution said.
Estrada had cited the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling in Enrile v. Sandiganbayan, which allowed the late senator to post bail in his plunder case despite the absence of a bail hearing at the time.
Estrada argued that he and Enrile were similarly situated because neither posed a flight risk.
The Sandiganbayan rejected the comparison, saying the circumstances surrounding the two cases were materially different.
The court noted that the Supreme Court considered Enrile’s advanced age, fragile health and other circumstances that created serious humanitarian concerns during his detention.
“No comparable circumstance involving advanced age, frail health, or any other compelling humanitarian consideration similar to those present in Enrile has been shown,” the Sandiganbayan said.
Estrada faces a plunder case over alleged irregularities involving P573 million in 2025 Department of Public Works and Highways infrastructure funds. Prosecutors allege that the senator participated in an “intricate mechanism involving illegal budgetary insertions and project allocations.”
Estrada has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Also on Thursday, Estrada declined to enter a plea during his arraignment. The court then entered a not guilty plea on his behalf after the charges were formally read to him.
