Left ‘unconvinced’ with the invocation of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s ‘exceptional circumstance,’ the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Thursday affirmed its earlier ruling which blocked the move of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada for temporary freedom.
Estrada on Aug. 3 filed a motion for reconsideration (MR) on the anti-graft court’s resolution denying his motion to fix bail even without a hearing.
‘The motion for reconsideration is DENIED,’ said the six-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Gener Gito ‘After a careful review of accused Estrada’s arguments, the court finds no compelling reason to depart from its ruling.’
In support of his position, Estrada cited the Supreme Court decision on Enrile vs Sandiganbayan case in 2015 to allow the late senator to post bail in his plunder case without a bail hearing at that time.
‘The Supreme Court held that Senator Enrile was entitled to bail regardless of the strength of the evidence against him because he was not a flight risk,’ stated the 13-page MR of Estrada.
Estrada’s motion said he is ‘similarly situated’ with Enrile in a sense that both of them were not flight risk.
‘Accused Estrada once again places heavy reliance on the Enrile ruling,’ the resolution said. ‘The court remains unconvinced.’
According to the court, the circumstances of Enrile and Estrada are ‘materially different.’
‘The Supreme Court considered, among others, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s advanced age and fragile state of health, together with other circumstances demonstrating
that his continued detention posed serious humanitarian concern,’ the resolution said.
‘No comparable circumstance involving advanced age, frail health, or any other compelling humanitarian consideration similar to those present in Enrile has been shown,’ it added.
Estrada is facing plunder case stemming from alleged ‘intricate mechanism involving illegal budgetary insertions and project allocations’ within the Department of Public Works and Highways’ infrastructure portfolio for fiscal year 2025 worth P573 million, according to prosecutors.
The senator has repeatedly denied the accusations.
Also on Thursday, Estrada refused to enter a plea during his arraignment, when the formal reading of his charges was read to him, prompting the court to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf