Estrada Seeks Court Reconsideration of Travel Ban

Senator Jinggoy Estrada has asked a Manila court to reconsider a precautionary hold departure order issued against him, arguing that the restriction lacks sufficient legal basis.

In a motion filed before Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 52, Estrada’s legal team sought to overturn the order that currently prevents him from leaving the country. The request was submitted on March 11 through an omnibus motion questioning the validity of the travel restriction.

According to his spokesperson and lawyer Bianca Soriano, the senator’s camp contends that the conditions required for such an order were not properly established. She argued that prosecutors failed to demonstrate probable cause and that there is no indication Estrada poses a flight risk.

The precautionary travel ban was earlier issued on February 10 and also covered several former officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways, including former undersecretaries Manuel Bonoan and Roberto Bernardo, as well as former district engineers Henry Alcantara and Gerard Opulencia. Former DPWH official Cathy Cabral, who passed away in December 2025, was also included in the case filings.

Separately, Estrada also requested permission from the Sandiganbayan to travel abroad despite his pending graft cases.

His legal team said they have already submitted a counter-affidavit to the Department of Justice in relation to a plunder complaint, while raising questions about the admissibility and credibility of the evidence presented against the senator.

The court has yet to rule on Estrada’s motion to lift the travel restriction.