The Sandiganbayan rejected Sen. Jinggoy Estrada's motion to participate in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and to dismiss a graft case against him.
The antigraft court's Second Division on July 10 upheld its earlier denial of Estrada's June 4 motion to quash the graft charge linked to alleged kickbacks from flood control projects. The court ruled the motion lacked merit and noted that Estrada's own filings showed he understood the accusations.
On July 9 the Fifth Division turned down his June 29 request for temporary leave from detention to serve as a senator-judge in the impeachment trial. The court said the request was not an emergency or compelling reason and that a 92-day trial schedule could not be viewed as temporary leave.
Estrada has been detained since June 1 on a plunder charge. Senate impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol said no action has been taken on a proposal to seek court permission for detained senators to attend the trial.
