The Office of the Ombudsman filed on Thursday, May 28, 2026, plunder and graft complaints against Senator Jinggoy Estrada in relation to his alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano led the filing of the complaints before the Sandiganbayan.
Highest Official Charged
Estrada is so far the highest government official to face criminal complaints in connection with the flood control controversy. Among his co-respondents were former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan and three former DPWH-National Capital Region officials, with no bail recommendation.
Details of the Charges
Clavano stated that the charges stemmed from an intricate mechanism involving illegal budgetary insertions and project allocations within the DPWH infrastructure portfolio for fiscal year 2025. He said substantial public funds were deliberately funneled into designated infrastructure projects in exchange for predetermined commission fees or kickbacks. Based on investigations by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice, an accumulated sum of illicit payouts amounting to P573 million was systematically delivered to Estrada.
Former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH Bulacan engineering office officials Henry Alcantara and Brice Hernandez, and former DPWH-NCR director Gerard Opulencia were excluded from the charges as they have become state witnesses. Charges against former DPWH undersecretary Catalina Cabral were dropped following her death.
Clavano emphasized that the case is built on solid and immovable evidence, with state witnesses providing comprehensive, corroborated sworn statements that map out the execution of the scheme from its inception to the logistics of the illicit payouts. The Office of the Ombudsman will pursue hold departure orders against Estrada, Bonoan, and the other respondents.
