SANDIGANBAYAN DENIES ESTRADA'S BID FOR PDAF INVESTIGATION RECORDS — 11 GRAFT COUNTS REMAIN

Senator Jinggoy Estrada wanted access to the preliminary investigation records of the Ombudsman. The Sandiganbayan said no — twice.

The anti-graft court's Fifth Division, in a resolution dated March 12, 2026, denied Estrada's motion for reconsideration, affirming its earlier January 27 ruling that rejected his request for the complete preliminary investigation records related to his PDAF graft cases.

The four-page resolution was written by Associate Justice Maryann E. Corpus-Manalac, with the concurrence of Fifth Division Chairperson Associate Justice Zaldy V. Trespeses and Associate Justice Gener M. Gito.

WHAT ESTRADA WAS ASKING FOR

On January 7, 2026, Estrada filed a motion requesting the "complete" records of the preliminary investigation conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman.

His argument was simple: he needed access to the previous statements of his co-accused and their witnesses for cross-examination purposes. Without those records, his defense team claimed it could not adequately challenge the prosecution's witnesses during trial.

The court disagreed. It found that Estrada failed to demonstrate compelling reasons for the production of the records, did not specify which documents should be transmitted, and could not explain why those documents were necessary for presenting his evidence.

When the motion was denied on January 27, Estrada filed a motion for reconsideration on February 16, arguing that he had sufficiently stated his purpose.

The court was unpersuaded. The March 12 resolution stated: "At this point, this court finds that the Motion contains merely a reiteration of arguments already considered and passed upon at length in the assailed Resolution, thereby dispelling the need for a more in-depth discussion of the issue."

THE P183.8 MILLION PDAF CASE

Estrada faces 11 counts of alleged violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The charges stem from the broader Priority Development Assistance Fund scam — the pork barrel scandal that rocked Philippine politics when it was exposed in 2013.

The accusation: Estrada allegedly pocketed P183,793,750 from his PDAF allocations by endorsing fictitious non-governmental organizations controlled by Janet Lim Napoles. The disbursements in question span the period from 2004 to 2012, based on Ombudsman case records.

Estrada was acquitted of plunder in a separate decision on January 19, 2024. He was initially convicted of bribery in the same ruling, but the Sandiganbayan reversed those bribery convictions in August 2024, citing lack of evidence. Both plunder and bribery have been resolved in his favor. The 11 graft counts are the only remaining charges from the PDAF case, and they are still being litigated before the Sandiganbayan.

THE LONGER TIMELINE

The PDAF scam — also known as the Napoles pork barrel scam — was one of the largest corruption cases in Philippine history. The Commission on Audit flagged P10 billion in questionable PDAF disbursements that were funneled through Napoles-controlled NGOs between 2007 and 2009, though the scheme is believed to have started earlier.

Three senators were initially charged: Estrada, Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr., and the late Juan Ponce Enrile. Revilla was acquitted of plunder in 2018. Enrile's cases were eventually resolved after he was granted bail and his health deteriorated.

Estrada's 11 graft counts are among the few remaining active cases from the PDAF scandal that are still moving through the court system.

The March 12 resolution does not end the case. It simply closes one procedural fight — Estrada's attempt to access records he believes could help his defense. The trial on the 11 graft counts continues.