Senator Jinggoy Estrada disputed claims about insertions in the 2025 Philippines budget, saying Senate records do not show that he made amendments related to the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Philippines budget testimony prompts denial
Estrada issued his statement on October 27, 2026, after former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan testified before the Sandiganbayan that about 7.4 billion pesos in congressional initiatives had been inserted into the 2025 budget.
The senator denied involvement in alleged public works budget insertions. Bonoan’s reported testimony concerned the overall amount of congressional initiatives; the available account does not specify how he linked Estrada to that figure.
What the Senate records office found
Estrada cited a March letter from the Senate’s Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office to the Office of the Ombudsman. The office said it found no legislative records or official documents indicating that Estrada had made official insertions or amendments to the 2025 budget related to the public works department.
He also cited a privilege speech by Senator Panfilo Lacson that echoed the office’s finding. Estrada said the General Appropriations Act was the product of both houses of Congress and was approved by the president.
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