Arraignment, Pre-Trial of Senator Estrada, Bonoan postponed

THE Sandiganbayan on Tuesday postponed the arraignment and pre-trial proceedings of Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan.

The hearing has been reset to 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, due to pending legal motions and health concerns raised before the court.

The case involves alleged anomalies in flood control projects worth ₱573 million and was originally scheduled for formal arraignment before the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division.

However, lawyers for both camps requested a postponement, which the court eventually granted.

Estrada’s legal team filed several motions, including an omnibus motion to quash the information and a motion for reinvestigation, urging the court to resolve these matters before proceeding with the arraignment.

According to the defense, it is necessary to first determine the validity of the charges before trial proceedings can move forward.

Meanwhile, Bonoan’s camp cited health concerns as the basis for its request for postponement.

In a statement before the court, the former DPWH chief was reported to be suffering from hypertension.

Court medical personnel reportedly examined Bonoan and recorded his blood pressure at 160 over 90, prompting the court to consider his medical condition.

In light of these developments, the Sandiganbayan deferred the arraignment and pre-trial proceedings to allow the resolution of the pending legal motions and health-related concerns of the accused.