Philippine lawmaker charged with corruption to surrender, without right to bail
Senator Jinggoy Estrada has strongly denied allegations that he received more than 570 million pesos (US$9.3 million) in kickbacks
A Philippine senator said he will surrender to authorities after a special anti-corruption court ordered his arrest on Monday on a non-bailable charge of plunder after he allegedly pocketed a huge kickback in a flood-control project.
It is the latest crisis to hit the country’s Senate, the upper chamber where a battle for control of the country’s political future is playing out.
The new charge for which he was arrested on Monday carries no right to bail.
Estrada, 63, has strongly denied allegations mainly by a former government public works engineer that he received more than 570 million pesos (US$9.3 million) in kickbacks from flood control projects.
Estrada had earlier told reporters at the Senate that he would surrender to authorities after receiving the warrant. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and police forces took him into custody at the chamber.