Another Philippine senator arraigned over graft
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A second senator in the Philippines was arraigned yesterday on corruption charges for allegedly receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks in misappropriated congressional development funds.
Senator Jose Estrada, son of former president and Manila Mayor JosephEstrada, did not enter a plea to the charge of plunder, a non-bailable offence punishable by life imprisonment.
The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court entered a not-guilty plea for him.
Estrada, who has been detained since he surrendered on June 23, told the court he has a pending petition before the Supreme Court questioning the charges, accusing the ombudsman of committing “grave abuse of discretion”.
Three senators are implicated in the multimillion-dollar scam that triggered public outrage and street protests last year. The court cases have become a test for President Benigno Aquino's anti-corruption agenda.
Senator Ramon Revilla, the first to be detained by police, was arraigned on Friday. He also refused to enter a plea, prompting the court to enter a not-guilty plea. The court was still deliberating on the charges against Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, a 90-year-old former defence minister, and has not yet issued an arrest warrant against him.
According to a government audit, at least 10 billion pesos (Bt7.3 billion) from the congressional development fund were funnelled to non-existent projects and foundations from 2007-09.
The three senators and their aides are accused of receiving a total of more than US$13 million (Bt413 million) in kickbacks from the alleged mastermind, businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, who pleaded not guilty to charges of plunder.
