The Sandiganbayan has upheld its decision to acquit Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada of bribery charges, rejecting a prosecution motion for reconsideration.
In a resolution issued on November 27, the court’s Special Fifth Division dismissed the motion, citing lack of merit, and maintained its earlier ruling from August 22, 2024. Estrada had been cleared of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery linked to allegations of receiving kickbacks from “fake projects” in collaboration with businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
The court reiterated that revisiting the acquittal would violate the constitutional protection against double jeopardy, which prevents someone from being tried twice for the same offense. It also emphasized the prosecution’s failure to establish Estrada’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt during the trial.
Associate Justice Maryann Corpus-Mañalac, in a concurring opinion, noted that the prosecution failed to provide valid grounds to challenge the acquittal, such as grave abuse of discretion or violation of due process. Instead, the issues raised were deemed insufficient to warrant a reversal.
Estrada, invoking the Finality of Acquittal Rule, argued that the prosecution’s appeal should be expunged, as the acquittal was final and unappealable. The court, while denying this request, agreed that the prosecution’s motion had no legal basis to alter the verdict.
