#Jinggoy Estrada

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Due to failure to fulfill energy commitments, Solar Philippines’ 21 contracts with government will be terminated

Have you ever heard of a corporation called Solar Philippines? That company boasted being the largest solar company in Southeast Asia and the national government awarded them with lots of contracts years ago. The results, however, are disastrous as Solar Philippines failed to fulfill the energy commitments which compelled the government to initiate moves to discontinue 21 of the 42 contracts,…

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(5th UPDATE) Estrada was convicted of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery. He will remain free as he appeals those convictions.

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Jinggoy Estrada was acquitted of plunder, but convicted of bribery in the pork barrel scam. 

The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan released this verdict to Estrada on Friday, January 19.

Estrada was convicted of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery. Those carry a sentence of 8 to 9 years for direct bribery and 2 to 3 years for indirect bribery. He was also ordered to pay a P3-million fine.

Estrada will remain free as he appeals those convictions.

Estrada’s indirect bribery conviction carries an accessory penalty of suspension from public office. It is uncertain if this is immediately executory or if he has a chance to appeal. 

Co-accused Janet Lim-Napoles, who owns most of the NGOs in the pork barrel scam, was convicted of a total of 7 counts of corruption of public officials. She was ordered to pay a fine of P262 million. 

Like Estrada, Napoles was acquitted of plunder, but she remains in jail for other convictions, including plunder in relation to the Bong Revilla case where the senator was acquitted.

Estrada’s staff Pauline Therese Mary Labayen, and Napoles’ staff John Raymund de Asis remain at-large; their cases are archived, and warrants of arrest have been re-issued.

Estrada had been accused of pocketing P183 million in kickbacks from his Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF, discretionary funds for lawmakers which were corrupted by using bogus NGOs whose projects turned out to be fake.

He is the second of three senators to be acquitted of plunder in the pork barrel scam, a decade-long trial that has seen lower-ranked staff fall but lawmakers free.

Estrada, who won a senatorial comeback in 2022 with the Marcos-Duterte slate, is not completely off the hook on the graft allegations over the same controversy. Plunder has to involve an amount of P50 million and above, and has to prove earning a kickback. Graft is a lesser crime that can cover several offenses from negligence to partiality in government transactions.

Estrada has been out on bail for almost seven years now after the same court granted his bail petition in 2017. The Sandiganbayan approved the bail then using the novel principle of proving a “main plunderer,” which Estrada was not, at that point in the trial, according to the court.

Former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, who is now chief presidential legal adviser, is the only one with a pending plunder case. His case notoriously dragged on in the Sandiganbayan because of technical petitions. Revilla, the first to be acquitted, has also been cleared of his graft charges, ending his criminal trials over the pork barrel scam.

Like the others, Estrada has always maintained that he only endorsed the NGOs, and did not earn from the scam.

This is Estrada’s second plunder win. He was charged alongside his father, former president Joseph Estrada, over the accusation that they earned P4 billion from jueteng operations, among others.

Jinggoy Estrada was cleared, but his father President Estrada was convicted and pardoned later on by former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Estrada’s plunder charges from the pork barrel scam began in June 2014, when the Office of the Ombudsman, then under Conchita Carpio Morales, charged him, Revilla and Enrile – all big fish at the time. Enrile got bail on humanitarian grounds, and his chief-of-staff Gigi Reyes also recently secured a humanitarian release.

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Deciphering the Dynamics of Voter Preferences

Peering into the Latest Senatorial Candidate Survey The recent Pulse Asia survey, conducted from April 10 to 14, provides a glimpse into the evolving preferences of voters ahead of the May 13, 2019 elections. The survey ranks the top 12 senatorial candidates: Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Lito Lapid, Pia Cayetano, Bong Go, Sonny Angara, Bong Revilla, Bato dela Rosa, Nancy Binay, Koko Pimentel, Imee…

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Our Takeaways From Today’s Senate Hearing

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was star-struck with Rodrigo Duterte. Only one person stood (actually sat) between Duterte and Leila de Lima. None of the senators dared to cite Duterte in contempt, or accuse him of lying. No, Sen. Risa Hontiveros was not ‘disrespecting’ the president. She was talking to an ordinary citizen. Senators Bato de la Rosa and Bong Go did what they do best in front of their…

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The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. added five new measures to the list of its top priorities for passage in Congress before the current batch of lawmakers adjourns in May 2025, but progressive measures on divorce and prohibition of gender-based discrimination remain excluded.

A press release issued by [House Speaker Martin Romualdez]'s office said the five new pet bills are:

Amendments to the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease Act

Amendments to the Agrarian Reform Law

Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act

Reforms to the Philippine Capital Markets

Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law

The said five bills are in addition to the 23 priority measures that are pending before the House or the Senate, and have yet to reach the President’s desk for his signature.

The passage of the divorce bill in the House breathed new life into debates on the subject, but senators are divided on the matter, with Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada saying it’s not the new leadership’s priority.

Marcos said during his campaign in 2022 that he was open to the legalization of divorce in the Philippines.

The SOGIE equality bill, meanwhile, already hurdled the committee level in the Senate in December 2022, but the leadership won’t calendar it for deliberations in the plenary. In the House, it has reached the plenary, but is still in the period of sponsorship.

2024 Jun. 24

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Senate President Zubiri Urges PBBM to Consider P100 Wage Hike Bill

Manila, Philippines – On May 2, 2024, Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubri called on President Marcos Jr. to consider the Senate-approved bill for the P100 increase in the minimum wage.

According to the Senate President, the approval of the bill could be urgent due to rising inflation rates, considering the workers’ wages cannot keep up with the price hike of consumer goods. After PBBM ordered the review of workers’ minimum wage on May 1, Senate President Zubiri urged Marcos to consider Senate Bill no. 2534, or the P100 Daily Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2023.

According to the IBON foundation, as of 2024, a family of five in the National Capital Region (NCR) needs a minimum of P1,1193 per day to live decently. As of May 2024, the minimum wage in Metro Manila is P573 for agricultural workers and P610 for non-agriculture sectors. Senate President Zubiri noted that workers in Visayas and Mindanao are earning an average of P390, which is insufficient for a family to maintain a decent standard of living.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recorded a 3.7% increase in inflation in March and projected an inflation rate between 3.5 to 4.3% for April. "So our workers, despite making massive contributions to our industries, are still dealing with wages that are not enough to cover their needs," according to the Senate President on May 2.

The last law passed by the Congress concerning an increase in the national salary was the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989, raising the minimum wage to P89 from P64. Despite pushbacks due to arguments of repercussions on enterprises nationwide, Senate Bill No. 2534, authored by Senator Migz Zubiri, was approved on February 19, 2024.

According to Zubiri, the Senate is waiting for the House of the Representatives' counterpart measure, which is for them to approve the Senate Bill and to write a similar one, to be then approved by the Senate before the change is enacted into law. 

"All we need is the House counterpart measure, and this will be immediately felt across the sector.", he stated.

In 2013, the House of Representatives proposed a bill about a 125-peso increase in salary, which was approved by the Senate, but the bill was withdrawn by the House, according to Senator Jinggoy Estrada. In a discussion with Senator Risa Hontiveros, the matter of raising the minimum wage was proposed by Senator Estrada originally as P150, but the wage board of Metro Manila increased it by 40 pesos; from P570 to P610. “Kaya if I will stick to P150, eh baka marami ng mga magsasarang business establishments”, Senator Estrada stated.

Senator Chiz Escudero clarified that the changes in the minimum wage would not affect R.A. 6727 and R.A. 9187, which are about businesses in the micro and barangay levels not earning over 3 million pesos a year.

In February 2024, Arsenio Balisacan, secretary of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), stated that the raise of wages would affect the economy negatively, possibly leaving 100,000 to 340,000 Filipinos unemployed. According to Secretary Balisacan, the country’s top economists think that it’s not the time to raise wages as it could leave an “inflationary chain reaction”.

Secretary Balisacan added that they are not against the idea of raising wages, but it should be done at regional tripartite levels to take into account the differences in the economic conditions in different regions and areas. 

Senator Zubiri clarified that Senate Bill No. 2534 aims to address the immediate concerns regarding inflation and the cost of living and that adjustments to the regional wages will still fall under the jurisdiction of the wage boards. Zubiri emphasized that the bill's purpose is to aid the labor sector during challenging economic times.

"This bill will only give a boost to the labor sector at this time of great need, as our people work to survive inflation," said Senate President Zubiri.

 Written by: Marco Agas

Pubmat by: Francheska Ivana Piñon

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#BREAKING: #Sandiganbayan declares senator #JinggoyEstrada as not guilty

BREAKING: Sandiganbayan declares Senator Jinggoy Estrada as NOT GUILTY of plunder but GUILTY of one count of direct bribery and 2 counts of indirect bribery. He is sentenced to 8-9 years for direct bribery and 2-3 years for indirect bribery. | via @victoriatulad Source: X

[thxnews]

Senators Urge Action to Ensure OFWs' Safety

In a compelling call to action, senators demanded that government agencies prioritize the safety of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) caught in the crossfire of the escalating conflict between Israel and the Hamas group. This urgent plea came after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed the tragic loss of two Filipino lives among the six nationals reported missing.  

Tragic Loss of Filipino Lives

One of the casualties was a 33-year-old Filipino worker from Pangasinan, newly married and with dreams yet to be fulfilled. The second victim, aged 42, hailed from Pampanga, leaving behind a grieving family and loved ones.

Senator Imee Marcos Highlights the Scale of the Crisis

Senator Imee Marcos, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, has taken center stage in the national discourse. She underscored the gravity of the situation, urging the government to prioritize the safety of nearly 25,000 OFWs, along with Filipino tourists and pilgrims currently in Israel, and over 2 million Filipinos residing across the Middle East and North Africa.   Warning of Long-term Consequences Marcos also sounded a cautionary note about the potential "long-term consequences" that might stem from the government's approach to safeguarding its interests in the Middle East conflict. She pointed out that despite the Philippines' geographical distance from the epicenter of conflict, it remains at risk of violence. Being a staunch ally of the United States, which has pledged military support to Israel, the nation faces the potential of retaliatory attacks from militant Hamas sympathizers should the war drag on. As Senator Marcos emphasized, "We import practically all of our oil supply from the Middle East. Despite the recent assurance of six OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) nations to support market stability, we remain vulnerable to the winds of geopolitics."  

Urgent Action Demanded by Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla

Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla underlined the urgency of the situation, emphasizing the need to utilize every available opportunity to ensure the safety of Filipinos in Israel. He stated, "Kaya dapat siguruhin talaga na gagamitin natin ang lahat ng pagkakataon at oportunidad para madala natin sila sa mabuting kalagayan (That's why we really need to make use of all the chances and opportunities to ensure their safety)."  

Emergency Repatriation Fund: A Lifeline, Says Senator Jinggoy Estrada

In a separate statement, Senator Jinggoy Estrada shed light on a lifeline available to Filipinos affected by the conflict. He emphasized that the government could provide immediate assistance and support, tapping into an emergency repatriation fund amounting to PHP8.9 billion. "May PHP8.9 bilyon na alokasyon sa Emergency Repatriation Fund na nasa pangangalaga ng DMW para sa kasalukuyang taon at nasa PHP693.5 milyon o 7 percent pa lamang ang nagagamit dito. Nasa kabuuang PHP9.1 bilyon ang nakaantabay na gastusin para tustusan ang agaran nilang pag-uwi (The Department of Migrant Workers has an allocation of PHP8.9 billion for its ERF this year, and they were able to use PHP639.5 million or 7 percent. There is still PHP9.1 billion remaining that could be spent for their immediate repatriation)," Estrada affirmed.   As the conflict in the Middle East intensifies, senators have united in their call for immediate and comprehensive action to protect the lives and well-being of Filipino nationals abroad. The government faces a pivotal moment in ensuring the safety of OFWs, Filipino tourists, and residents affected by the crisis. The emergency repatriation fund, in Senator Estrada's view, stands ready as a vital resource to aid those in need during these trying times.   Sources: THX News & Philippine News Agency. Read the full article

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Senator calls for sanctions vs Elvie's abusive employers

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Jinggoy Estrada has emphasized that while Elvie Vergara may have been accused of theft, her employers must still face sanctions for the severe battery and maltreatment she endured. The 44-year-old maid reportedly suffered blindness and multiple injuries due to alleged abuse by her employers in Occidental Mindoro. Estrada issued a statement on Monday, expressing his…

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Senator calls for sanctions vs Elvie's abusive employers

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Jinggoy Estrada has emphasized that while Elvie Vergara may have been accused of theft, her employers must still face sanctions for the severe battery and maltreatment she endured. The 44-year-old maid reportedly suffered blindness and multiple injuries due to alleged abuse by her employers in Occidental Mindoro. Estrada issued a statement on Monday, expressing his…

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As the next step involves the formal pen and paper session, along with photo-ops, it is hoped that this will be advantageous to the nation in the long term.

Acronym for:

EZATGCPTCRLDVPEVVGL

Embrace the Zeal, Achieve Triumphs, Generate Connections, Propel Transformation, Create Resilience, Leverage Determination, Visualize Potential, Elevate Visions and Values, Grow Limitlessly.

___

Voted Yes

E - Estrada, Jinggoy

Z - Zubiri, Migz

A - Angara, Sonny

T - Tulfo, Raffy

G - Gatchalian, Win

C - Cayetano, Alan Peter

P - Padilla, Robin

T - Tolentino, Francis

C - Cayetano, Pia

R - Revilla, Bong

L - Lapid, Lito

D - Dela Rosa, Bato

V - Villanueva, Joel

P - Poe, Grace

E - Ejercito, JV

V - Villar, Mark

V - Villar, Cynthia

G - Go, Bong

L - Legarda, Loren

___

#SkyIsTheLimit

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SEN JINGGOY ESTRADA NAKIPAGKITA KAY TATAY DIGONG! HALA ANO ANG PLANO NILA?

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Jinggoy Estrada files bill establishing database for sex offenders

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Jinggoy Estrada has filed a bill seeking the creation of a database for sex offenders to keep the public informed and to monitor such criminals in the community. According to Estrada in a statement on Sunday, Senate Bill No. 1291 or the proposed “National Sex Offender Registry Act” aims to establish a national sex offender registration database that may be of use…

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Sen. Jinggoy Estrada: Like A Spurned Lover Demanding Answers (video)

Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s latest performance at the Senate was nothing short of a circus act, proving once again that he’s more interested in playing the clown than fulfilling his legislative duties.  His callous line of questioning towards Sandro Muhlach, who was visibly shaken and traumatized, was a masterclass in insensitivity. One can’t help but wonder if Estrada would maintain his bravado…

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RG Cruz, ABS-CBN political correspondent, on Twitter @RG_Cruz12479:

Updated list of Senate Committee Chairmanships following the Leadership Change yesterday

2024 May 21

ID under the cut

Senate President: Sen. Francis "Chiz" G. Escudero

President Pro-Tempore: Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada

Majority Floor Leader: Sen. Francis "Tol" N. Tolentino

Minority Floor Leader: Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III

Sen. Loren Legarda

Culture and the Arts

Sen. Cynthia A. Villar

Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform

Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change

Sen. Manuel "Lito" M. Lapid

Games and Amusement

Sen. Francis "Chiz" G. Escudero

Higher, Technical and Vocational Education

Sen. Francis "Tol" N. Tolentino

Justice and Human Rights

Rules

Sen. Raffy T. Tulfo

Energy

Migrant Workers

Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada

Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development

National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation

Sen. Robinhood C. Padilla

Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes

Cultural Communities and Muslim Affairs

Public Information and Mass Media

Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa

Public Order and Dangerous Drugs

Sen. Grace Poe

Economic Affairs

Public Services

Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr.

Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation

Public Works

Sen. Alan Peter "Compañero" S. Cayetano

Accounts

Government Corporations and Public Enterprises

Science and Technology

Sen. Imee R. Marcos

Cooperatives

Electoral Reforms and People's Participation

Foreign Relations

Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development

Sen. Christopher Lawrence T. Go

Health and Demography

Sports

Sen. Pia S. Cayetano

Accountability of Public Officers & Investigations (Blue Ribbon)

Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation and Futures Thinking

Sen. Mark Villar

Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies

Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship

Sen. Joseph Victor G. Ejercito

Local Government

Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement

Sen. Win Gatchalian

Basic Education

Ways and Means

Sen. Risa Hontiveros

Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality

No listed Chairperson

Ethics and Privileges

Finance

Tourism

Youth

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Jinggoy ESTRADA.

#12 SA BALOTA.

Supports:

Extrajudicial Killing

Death Penalty

Against:

Unemployment

No statement on:

Divorce

Abortion

Drug Addiction

Click here for more on Estrada.