Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada during the weekly Kapihan sa Senado forum on June 4, 2024. 黑料社 file photo / NOY MORCOSO
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Sandiganbayan upheld its decision to clear Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery in connection with the pork barrel scam.
In a resolution dated November 27, the anti-graft court鈥檚 special fifth division denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the prosecution to revert the conviction verdict against Estrada, as well as the senator鈥檚 preemptory challenge and motion to expunge.
READ: Sandiganbayan reverses Jinggoy Estrada鈥檚 bribery conviction
鈥淲e agree with Estrada insofar as his acquittal can no longer be assailed by the prosecution as this would put him twice in jeopardy,鈥� the resolution reads.
鈥淎ccordingly, the Resolution dated August 22, 2024, hereby STANDS,鈥� the earlier part of the document states.
Last August 22,聽 the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division reversed its decision convicting Estrada of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery.
The court granted Estrada鈥檚 motion for reconsideration, which seeks to reverse his conviction.
To recall, Estrada and businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles were acquitted of plunder last Jan. 19.
In the same resolution, the court 鈥減artially reconsiders鈥� the conviction of Napoles for one count of corruption of public officials in relation to one count of direct bribery against Estrada, which was already reversed.
However, the court upheld her conviction for four counts of corruption of public officials, which violates Article 212 concerning Article 210, paragraph 2, of the Revised Penal Code.
The plunder case against the two and others stemmed from transferring Estrada鈥檚 Priority Development Assistance Fund, or pork barrel, to bogus non-government organizations owned by Napoles.
Estrada was charged with plunder for allegedly receiving kickbacks worth P55.79 million from Napoles.
The prosecution accused him of accumulating ill-gotten wealth after he allegedly gained P55.79 million from the scheme, aside from being 鈥渁n active participant in the conspiracy to commit plunder.鈥�