MANILA, Philippines — The family of Jinggoy Estrada on Friday visited him at his detention cell in Camp Crame amid reports of his impending release more than three years after the former senator was arrested over plunder and graft charges in connection with the alleged pork barrel scam.
His wife Precy and children San Juan City Vice Mayor Janella Estrada and teen actor Julian Emilio Estrada arrived at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Quezon City before 5 p.m.
Jinggoy’s family did not grant media interviews but reporters heard Julian saying that he was excited.
Police took a mugshot of Jinggoy and the ambiance was pleasant while authorities were taking a photo of the former lawmaker, according to a News5 source.
According to the same source, it is possible that Jinggoy will be freed either on Saturday (Sept. 16) or on Monday (Sept. 18).
News reports quoted unnamed court sources as saying that the Sandiganbayan’s special Fifth Division had voted 3-2 allowing Jinggoy to post bail.
The bail was reportedly set at P1 million for plunder and P330,000 for 11 counts of graft.
In June 2014, the Office of the Ombudsman charged Jinggoy, along with then fellow senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile, with plunder and graft for allegedly pocketing kickbacks from public funds by diverting the money to fake government projects in collusion with supposed pork barrel scam queen Janet Lim-Napoles.
Of the P745.63 million worth of Priority Development ASsistance Fund allegedly amassed by five lawmakers, who supposedly got the biggest kickbacks from their transactions with Napoles, 78 percent or P581.14 million was said to have been accumulated by Revilla (P224.512 million), Estrada (183.793 million), and Enrile (172.834 million).
Enrile was freed on humanitarian grounds in August 2015 after more than a year of being under hospital arrest. The Supreme Court allowed his release after he posted a P1.45-million bail.
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