Philippine court orders senator's arrest for large-scale corruption; he surrenders and posts bail

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MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A Philippine anti-graft court ordered the arrest of a prominent senator on Friday over allegations he pocketed a kickback of millions of dollars in a flood-control project, in the latest crisis to entangle the Senate.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada surrendered and posted bail before the Sandiganbayan court, allowing him to remain free while the case proceeds.

The court barred Estrada from leaving the country while facing the first of two corruption-related charges in relation to the flood control project anomalies.

Another warrant for his arrest for the second charge, which is non-bailable, is expected to be issued by the court soon, top anti-graft prosecutor Jesus Crispin Remulla told The Associated Press.

Estrada, 63, has strongly denied allegations mainly by a former government public works engineer that he received more than 570 million pesos ($9.3 million) in kickbacks.

“I intend to avail myself of every lawful means to defend myself and clear my name,” Estrada said.

The senator was an actor like his father, former President Joseph Estrada. Both have been previously detained on other corruption-related charges.

Several other senators and members of the House of Representatives have been implicated in the flood control anomalies in a poverty-stricken Asian archipelago that is among the most vulnerable to deadly floods and typhoons.

Another senator, Ronald dela Rosa, has gone into hiding after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for an alleged crime against humanity.

Dela Rosa was a former national police chief who enforced a brutal anti-drugs crackdown under then-President Rodrigo Duterte that left thousands of mostly petty suspects dead. The unprecedentedly large numbers of killings alarmed Western governments.

Duterte, who stepped down in 2022 after his stormy six-year term, was arrested last year on orders of the ICC and flown to the Netherlands, where he was detained and will face trial for alleged crimes against humanity starting in November over some of the killings.

Duterte and dela Rosa have denied any wrongdoing but Duterte had repeatedly threatened drug suspects with death.

Dela Rosa has been absent in the Senate since November for fear of getting arrested. On May 11, he suddenly reappeared to help an ally, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, capture the Senate presidency with a slim majority of 13 votes in the 24-member chamber.

Dela Rosa dashed to the Senate plenary hall after government agents tried to arrest him. He was taken into the Senate’s protective custody but fled two days later after the chamber’s security chief and two aides opened fire after seeing government agents in an adjacent building.

The dozens of gunshots did not cause any injuries but sparked chaos in the Senate that police investigators said may have provided dela Rosa a cover to escape.

Estrada, dela Rosa and Cayetano are allies of Duterte and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in an overwhelming vote on May 11 over criminal allegations that include unexplained wealth and threatening to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife and a former House speaker assassinated.

The vice president, who has announced plans to seek the presidency in 2028, denies the allegations but has not answered them in detail.

Despite the crises besetting the Senate, it has convened as an impeachment court for the vice president’s trial that may start in July.

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Associated Press video journalist Joeal Calupitan in Manila, Philippines contributed to this report.