A Philippine senator said he will surrender to authorities after a special anti-corruption court ordered his arrest on Monday on a non-bailable charge of plunder after he allegedly pocketed a huge kickback in a flood-control project in the latest crisis to hit the upper chamber.The special Sandiganbayan anti-corruption court had initially issued a warrant for Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s arrest on Friday on a corruption charge that was bailable. He then surrendered and was released on bail and again denied any wrongdoing.Estrada, 63, has strongly denied allegations mainly by a former government public works engineer that he received more than 570 million pesos (US$9.3 million) in kickbacks from flood control projects.Before leaving the Senate to surrender, Estrada suggested that the corruption cases he was facing and his arrest were a result of his being aligned with the camp of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter, incumbent Vice-President Sara Duterte, a former ally but now an arch-political rival of President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.Philippines Senator Jinggoy Estrada waves from his vehicle as he is escorted out the Senate on Monday. Photo: AP“I will not yield to threats. I will not be intimidated,” Estrada said at the Senate.“I will not be pressured into surrendering my independence of judgment,” he said.
Philippine lawmaker charged with corruption to surrender
Senator Jinggoy Estrada has strongly denied allegations that he received more than 570 million pesos (US$9.3 million) in kickbacks.











