Manila: Senator Jinggoy Estrada and former Quezon City Representative Mike Defensor have officially filed their petitions for bail before the Sandiganbayan, seeking temporary liberty amid their ongoing plunder charges.

According to Philippines News Agency, Defensor, along with co-accused Joseph Espiritu, has argued in their submission to the anti-graft court's 3rd Division that they should be granted bail due to the alleged weakness of the evidence against them. Both are implicated alongside Senator Rodante Marcoleta in a PHP75 million plunder case, which involves funds received by Marcoleta from Defensor, Espiritu, and businessman Aristotle Viray, occurring months prior to the 2025 mid-term national and local elections.

In a separate legal battle, Senator Estrada, accused of receiving PHP573 million in illicit kickbacks from flood control projects, has also filed a petition for bail. Estrada contends that there is insufficient evidence against him to warrant his continued detention and claims the warrant for his arrest was issued solely on probable cause.

Previously, the Sandiganbayan had rejected Estrada's motion to fix bail, deeming it premature since it was filed before his formal petition for bail. In an eight-page resolution, the Sandiganbayan's 5th Division emphasized that Estrada must first undergo the necessary hearing to determine the strength of the evidence against him before any bail could be considered.

The court elaborated that Estrada's request aimed to set the bail amount without first addressing whether he could be legally granted bail. The Sandiganbayan stated that such a motion required a preliminary determination of bail eligibility, without which discussing bail amounts would be premature.