Manila: The Sandiganbayan has entered a plea of 'not guilty' on behalf of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada after the lawmaker declined to enter a plea during his arraignment on plunder and graft charges on Thursday. The anti-graft court also denied Estrada's plea to be granted bail in the plunder charge, which originates from allegations that he received kickbacks from government contracts for flood control projects.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Fifth Division of the Sandiganbayan stated it 'finds no cogent reason to disturb its earlier ruling (denying bail).' The court emphasized that 'until a hearing determines that the evidence of guilt is not strong, the court has no basis to set a bail amount. Consequently, the motion is denied,' as per the court's six-page resolution by Associate Justice Gener M. Gito.

Estrada had earlier filed a motion for reconsideration of a previous resolution by the Sandiganbayan last July 24. The earlier resolution declared that a motion by the defense to fix bail for Estrada's temporary liberty is premature. The court argued that a bail hearing must first be conducted to determine whether the evidence of guilt is strong.

The court further noted, 'In fine, accused Estrada's motion for reconsideration has failed to demonstrate any substantial error of fact or law. The considerations concerning his alleged lack of flight risk do not dispense with the antecedent determination of whether the evidence of guilt is strong.'

Meanwhile, the Sandiganbayan ordered the release from detention of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan. This decision came after the court granted the state prosecutors' motion to exclude Bonoan from graft and plunder charges against him, Estrada, and three former DPWH district engineers. The Office of the Ombudsman plans to use Bonoan as a state witness in other cases related to the anomalous flood control projects.