EVEN though the Sandiganbayan has not yet issued an arrest warrant for the non‑bailable plunder case against Senator Jinggoy Estrada, a detention cell at the New Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory in Payatas is already prepared and waiting for him.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, which oversees the facility, has completed all necessary arrangements. “Yes, we are prepared,” Remulla stated in a Viber message, noting that this jail has been officially designated as the detention center for all individuals accused in connection with the flood control fund controversy.
Estrada faces serious plunder charges linked to over ₱573 million in alleged kickbacks from government flood control projects. The case is pending before the anti‑graft court’s Fifth Division, which has yet to release the arrest order. Earlier on Friday, Estrada and his co‑accused, former Public Works secretary Manuel Bonoan, were able to secure temporary liberty after posting a ₱90,000 bail bond each for a separate graft case filed before the court’s Second Division. Unlike graft, however, plunder carries no provision for bail, meaning immediate detention will follow once the warrant is issued.
The Payatas facility currently houses around 3,600 inmates, including former senator Ramon Revilla Jr., who was detained last January on charges of graft and malversation involving a ₱92.8‑million flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan. According to Secretary Remulla, while the jail is fully ready to receive Estrada, the final decision regarding where he will be committed rests entirely with the Sandiganbayan. Authorities remain on standby, ready to implement the court’s order as soon as it is issued.
