Jinggoy Estrada wants to join Erap in Singapore

FORMER senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada is asking the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division to let him accompany his father, former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, to Singapore from November 11 to 20 “for the latter’s medical procedure.”

Estrada, who is out on bail, is facing a P183-million plunder case and 11 counts of graft before the court along with other individuals in connection with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel scam.

The court issued hold departure orders in 2014 that bar the respondents from leaving the country without its permission.

“For his medical procedure at Singapore – accused-movant’s father is requesting the Honorable Court that he be accompanied by accused-movant Jinggoy Estrada during the duration of examination and possible surgery scheduled November 12 to 19 of this year,” the senator’s camp said in a motion filed on Friday.

“The earlier date is requested for any advance preparations to be made while the November 20 return is requested for any extended recuperation period of the mayor,” the defense said.

Estrada was released from detention in September after the Sandiganbayan’s Special Fifth Division, voting 3- 2, allowed him to post bail over the plunder case filed against him and several others.

He is one of three former senators — the other two were Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Juan Ponce Enrile — and other individuals including Janet Lim-Napoles whom the Office of the Ombudsman charged before the Sandiganbayan in 2014 in connection with the PDAF scam.

The Ombudsman filed in 2014 a P224-million plunder case and 16 counts of graft against Revilla, and a P172-million plunder case and 15 counts of graft against Enrile.

Revilla is detained at the Philippine National Police custodial center in Camp Crame in Quezon City, while Enrile is out on bail after the Supreme Court granted his bail petition in 2015 on humanitarian grounds.

Napoles is detained at a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.