Jinggoy Estrada | |
|---|---|
.png) Portrait of Estrada as member of the PhilippineCommission on Appointments | |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| Assumed office June 30, 2022 | |
| In office June 30, 2004 – June 30, 2016 | |
| President of the Senate of the Philippines | |
Acting | |
| In office June 5, 2013 – July 22, 2013[1] | |
| Preceded by | Juan Ponce Enrile |
| Succeeded by | Franklin Drilon |
| President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines | |
| In office May 20, 2024 – September 8, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Loren Legarda |
| Succeeded by | Ping Lacson |
| In office July 23, 2007 – June 30, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Juan Flavier |
| Succeeded by | Ralph Recto |
| 16thMayor of San Juan | |
| In office June 30, 1992 – June 30, 2001 | |
| Vice Mayor | Philip Cezar |
| Preceded by | Adolfo Sto. Domingo |
| Succeeded by | Philip Cezar (acting) JV Ejercito |
| Vice Mayor ofSan Juan,Metro Manila | |
| In office June 30, 1988 – June 30, 1992 | |
| Succeeded by | Philip Cezar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr.[2] (1963-02-17)February 17, 1963 (age 62) Manila, Philippines |
| Political party | PMP (since 1991) |
| Other political affiliations | UNA (2012–2015) Liberal (1987–1991)[3] |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, includingJulian |
| Parent(s) | Joseph Estrada (father) Loi Estrada (mother) |
| Alma mater | University of the Philippines Manila (AB) Lyceum of the Philippines University (LL.B) |
| Occupation |
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| Website | jinggoyestrada |
| Nickname | "Jingle Bells"[4][5] |
| YouTube information | |
| Channel | |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Genres | |
| Subscribers | 75 thousand |
| Views | 3.7 million |
| Last updated: May 3, 2023[needs update] | |
| Criminal information | |
| Criminal status | Released on bail pending appeal |
| Convictions |
|
| Criminal penalty |
|
Date apprehended | June 23, 2014 |
Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr. (born February 17, 1963), better known asJinggoy Estrada[6] orJinggoy Ejercito Estrada,[2] is a Filipino politician and actor serving as asenator since 2022 and previously from 2004 to 2016. He served aspresident pro tempore of the Senate from 2007 to 2013 and again from 2024 to 2025. He also briefly became the actingSenate President in 2013 afterJuan Ponce Enrile's resignation. Before serving in the Senate, he was the vice mayor (1988–1992) and later mayor (1992–2001) ofSan Juan when it was still a municipality.
Estrada has been detained twice for corruption charges. In April 2001, he and his father,ousted presidentJoseph Estrada, were arrested after being charged withplunder. He was released in 2003, elected to the Senate in 2004, and was acquitted in 2007.[7] In 2014, he was charged and detained for allegedly embezzling₱183 million from his discretionary funds in a scandal known as thepork barrel scam.[8] In 2016, he was released after being allowed to post bail. He sought reelection in the2019 Senate election but lost. He ran again in2022 and won a Senate seat.[9] In 2024, Estrada was convicted on one count of committingdirect bribery and two counts of indirect bribery, but acquitted on charges of plunder over the use of the Priority Development Assistance Fund. He was sentenced to 8 to 9 years for direct bribery, 2 to 3 years for indirect bribery and ordered to pay a fine of₱3 million.[10] In August 2024,Sandiganbayan reversed Estrada's conviction of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery.[11]
Outside politics, Estrada, like his father, is also an actor who has starred in numerous action films. He won theBest Actor Award in the2007 Metro Manila Film Festival for the filmKatas ng Saudi.
Estrada was born on February 17, 1963, inManila to actorJoseph Estrada and physicianLuisa Pimentel Ejercito. Beginning in his childhood, he migrated to theUnited States with his mother and his two siblings after his parents separated for 18 years following his father's extramarital affair withGuia Gomez in the 1960s.[12][13]
Estrada finished his primary and secondary education at theAteneo de Manila University and earned a degree in A.B. Economics from theUniversity of the Philippines Manila. He took up Bachelor of Laws for four years at theLyceum of the Philippines University while serving as vice mayor of the then Municipality ofSan Juan at the age of 25. He was also bestowed an honorary Doctorate in Humanities in 2007 by theLaguna State Polytechnic University.[citation needed]
In 1988, Estrada became the vice mayor of then municipality ofSan Juan. He was 25 and a member of theLiberal Party at the start of his term.[3]
In 1992, Estrada became the youngest ever elected-local chief executive during the1992 Philippine local elections at age 29. During his three consecutive terms as mayor, he spearheaded the construction of modernized barangay halls with daycare centers and various recreational areas such as gymnasiums, basketball courts and playgrounds. The renovation and repair of the San Juan National High School and other public elementary schools also took place, as well as the improvement and replacement of drainages, concreting of municipal roads, and the construction of the four-storey San Juan Medical Center and the San Juan Municipal Gymnasium. During his incumbency, San Juan gained the reputation of being one of the most progressive municipalities and the "most peaceful municipality in the Philippines".[14]
During his final tenure as mayor, he was sworn into office as the national president of theLeague of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) from 1998 to 2001.
President Joseph Estrada and incumbent San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada were the first elected officials to be charged with plunder under the Philippine Anti-Plunder Law.[15] On April 25, 2001, Estrada was arrested alongside his father, former presidentJoseph Estrada, at their home in North Greenhills Village inGreenhills,San Juan over charges ofplunder by theSandiganbayan, upon which they were transported to separate prison cells inCamp Crame.[16][17] Vice MayorPhilip Cezar succeeded Estrada as acting mayor of San Juan, while Estrada's half-brotherJV Ejercito won the town's mayoral election in May and became mayor on June 30, 2001.[18]
At the height of pro-Joseph Estrada protests inEDSA III, Jinggoy and his wife Precy Vitug-Ejercito were flown via helicopter toFort Santo Domingo inSanta Rosa,Laguna under heavy security on May 1, 2001; his father was simultaneously brought to the fort in a separate helicopter, and placed in a two-bedroom detention cell with Jinggoy.[19] By May 12, the two were transferred to theVeterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) inQuezon City after they complained of chills and fevers, with Jinggoy also noting his chest pain.[20] On June 18, 2001, Jinggoy was granted temporary liberty from June 19 to 23 for him to remove his belongings at the mayor's office in San Juan.[21]
In December 2001, cardiologist Roberto Anastacio deemed Estrada to be suffering from heart problems caused by stress.[22] With his heart ailments, Estrada was brought to theMakati Medical Center (MMC) at least five times during his detainment at the VMMC; his fifth visit to the MMC lasted for seven weeks (from May 17 to July 6, 2002) to recover from aspirational pneumonia,[23] and was ordered to return by the Sandiganbayan due to a report alleging to have spotted him on June 11 attending actorRudy Fernandez's press conference at a restaurant inside MMC.[24][25] Estrada was released on bail on March 7, 2003, and visited his family at North Greenhills Village, but spent an extra night at the VMMC before leaving on March 8, 2003.[26]
In November 5, 2007, Senator Jinggoy Estrada vowed to block the appointment to the Supreme Court of Sandiganbayan justicesTeresita de Castro andFrancisco Villaruz Jr. for convicting Joseph Estrada for plunder.[27]
In 2004, Estrada was elected as a senator. During his first term, he introduced at least 617 bills and resolutions and steered the passage of at least 16 bills either as a principal sponsor or principal author. Jinggoy is hailed as the second most productive and prolific senator, next to Sen.Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who filed the most bills and resolutions in the Senate.[28]
On July 23, 2007, Estrada was elected asSenate president pro tempore.[citation needed]
On August 15, 2007, theSupreme Court voted 13–0 to uphold theSandiganbayan's decision to grant his bail in connection with his plunder case before the graft court. His father, former presidentJoseph Estrada, was the main accused in that plunder case and was subsequently convicted but was immediately pardoned by then-PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo.[29] Jinggoy, on the other hand, was acquitted in the plunder charge.[30] On September 11, 2007, he introduced Senate Bill No. 1556, proposing to make ROTC mandatory for all college students.
In 2010, he was re-elected as a senator, finishing in 2nd place. During the opening of the15th Congress on July 26, 2010, he was re-elected asSenate president pro tempore.
During his stint in the Senate, he had been consistently hailed as one of the very few senators who scored perfect attendance, with no absence or late arrival during the chamber's plenary sessions.[31]
Estrada is the principal author of the Kasambahay Law, or the law promoting the interests and welfare of the domestic workers in the Philippines. Republic Act No. 10361, or simply the "Kasambahay Law", prescribed standards, privileges, and rights of domestic workers.[32]
Estrada ran again for senator in the2019 Philippine Senate election.[33] His half-brother,JV Ejercito, also sought a Senate reelection. During the campaign, the half-siblings had a disagreement[34] in the idea of them running at the same time. He was named to theHugpong ng Pagbabago senatorial slate.[35] However, he lost, placing 15th in the final tally, while Ejercito ended up in the 13th place, just a spot outside the winning circle. After conceding defeat, he wished that SenatorNancy Binay would make it over Ejercito, with both senators vying for the last spot in the partial and unofficial count. JV Ejercito responded by telling Estrada that he placed 13th in his own hometown San Juan, telling him “It’s painful to accept that even in your own bailiwick you are unwanted".[36]
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Estrada ran once again in the2022 Philippine Senate election.[37] He was named to the senatorial slate ofUniTeam alliance and openly endorsed theeventually successful candidacies ofBongbong Marcos for president andSara Duterte for vice president. For the second straight time, his half-brother, JV Ejercito, also ran for senator on the same election. He won as the 12th placer, finally earning his third nonconsecutive term,[38] while Ejercito was also successful as he placed 10th.[39] Estrada chairs theSenate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development and theSenate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation.
In October 2022, Estrada said he was thinking of a proposal to ban allKorean dramas in the Philippines, saying that "if we continue showing Korean telenovelas, our citizens praise the Koreans while Filipino artists continue losing jobs and money."[40][41] Estrada clarified that he was only frustrated "that while we are only too eager and willing to celebrateSouth Korea's entertainment industry, we have sadly allowed our own to deteriorate because of the lack of support from the movie going public."[42][43]
On January 18, 2024, Estrada was found guilty of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery, as well as acquitted of plunder in relation to the utilization of the Priority Development Assistance Fund. He was sentenced to eight to nine years in prison for direct bribery and two to three years for indirect bribery. He was also ordered to pay a fine of₱3 million. In addition to the criminal and civil penalties, the conviction also carries with it accessory penalties of suspension from holding public office and deprivation of right to suffrage. His legal team said that they would appeal the conviction.[44] TheSandiganbayan in its August 22Resolutionacquitted Estrada of one count of direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery, based onreasonable doubt.[11]
Estrada was elected through a closed-ballot by the members of the Senate, which elected him to the position ofPresident pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines, a position he previously held from 2007 to 2013. Estrada was sworn-in by newly-electedPresident of the Senate of the PhilippinesFrancis Escudero.[45] On May 20, 2024, Estrada succeeded SenatorLoren Legarda, who tendered her resignation. He was retained for the role in the subsequent20th Congress. However, following Senate leadership changes on September 8, 2025, that sawTito Sotto replace Escudero as Senate President, Estrada was replaced byPanfilo Lacson as the Senate president pro tempore and joined the minority bloc.[46]
In June 2014, Estrada was subject to another plunder charged at theOmbudsman, this time relating toJanet Lim-Napoles' pork barrel scam involving₱10 billion in public funds. Two other senators—Juan Ponce Enrile andBong Revilla—as well as more than two dozens individuals were charged with him. Estrada is accused of pocketing₱183 million in kickbacks from fake projects.[47][48][49]
A report by theCommission on Audit was released on August 16, 2013, showing alleged misuse of funds by lawmakers who allegedly endorsed part of their congressional allocations to bogus non-governmental organizations.[47] The accusations were the subject of a Senate probe that began later that month.[47]
TheDepartment of Justice filed its case against Estrada, Enrile, and Revilla before the Ombudsman on September 16, 2013.[50][51]
During a Commission on Appointments' committee hearing in March 2014, Estrada stalled the appointment ofHeidi Mendoza to the Commission on Audit and vowed to oppose the appointment confirmation of Justice SecretaryLeila de Lima, both of whom were investigating corruption charges related to the pork barrel scam.[52]
On June 23, 2014, Estrada was arrested and detained at thePhilippine National Police Custodial Center inCamp Crame,Quezon City.[47] In July 2014, the Sandiganbayan ordered a 90-day suspension for Estrada. Following Estrada's request to reconsider the suspension order, the Sandiganbayan upheld its decision in a ruling released in August 2014.[53] The Senate on September 2, 2014, suspended Estrada from his position for 90 days.[8][54]
On September 16, 2017, theSandiganbayan anti-graft court released its resolution granting bail to Estrada.[55]
On February 22, 2019, Estrada filed a request for a demurrer before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, asking the court to deviate from established procedure and to allow him to challenge the sufficiency of evidence midway into the trial.[56][57][58] In March 2019, the court granted Estrada and his co-accused 10 days to file their respective demurrers; prosecution was also granted 10 days to respond.[57]
In April 2025, the Sandiganbayan rejected Estrada's demurrer to evidence seeking to dismiss 11 graft charges against him.[59][60] In October 2025, the Sandiganbayan denied Estrada's plea to dismiss his graft charges.[61]
In August 2010, Estrada claimed that while traveling toHong Kong, he experienced a backlash of the emotions surrounding the death of eight nationals from Hong Kong during the 2010Manila hostage crisis. According to him, as he passed through the immigration desk in Hong Kong, officers threw back his passport at him after checking it.[62]
Estrada said the officer may not have known who he was because he used a "regular passport" for personal travel. He also said that he "understood the pain being felt by many Hong Kong nationals".[62]
According toApple Daily, theHong Kong immigration department recorded that Estrada visited Hong Kong with a diplomat passport and that from an alleged video surveillance record, he and three other Filipinos were accompanied by staff from the Philippine embassy and had arranged to go through the privileged passage for diplomats. The immigration officer handed back the passport to the Philippines embassy staff, not to Estrada.[63]
On May 3, 2020, Estrada was arrested over alleged violations of theCOVID-19 community quarantine rules inSan Juan. He said that he had been distributing relief goods to residents of the city when policemen in two patrol cars arrived at the scene and invited him to the local precinct.[64]
In September 2025, Jinggoy Estrada is among the members of the Senate investigating massive corruption in flood control infrastructure projects in the Philippines. Estrada and fellow senatorJoel Villanueva were tagged during the House of Representatives hearings into the flood control corruption controversy.[65] In his testimony in the House, formerDepartment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District engineer Brice Hernandez alleged under oath that Estrada, Villanueva, DPWH district engineerHenry Alcantara and Undersecretary Robert Bernardo received large kickbacks in the implementation of the flood control projects.[65] Hernandez alleged that Estrada received 30% kickbacks after channeling₱355 million in multiple flood control projects in Malolos and Hagonoy, Bulacan.[66] On September 11, 2025, Senator Ping Lacson stated that there was an insertion into the national budget worth₱355 million. The amount, Lacson said, was absent from the House of Representative's draft of the General Appropriations Act but was added in either in the Senate or during the bicameral conference.[67]
Justice SecretaryJesus Crispin Remulla said that the National Bureau of Investigation will file charges for indirect bribery and malversation against Estrada, Villaneva, and Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co.[68]
In 1989, Estrada married Ma. Presentacion "Precy" Vitug with whom he has four children, namely: Janella Marie, Joseph Luis Manuel,Julian Emilio, and Julienne.[69] His daughter Janella is the current Undersecretary of the National Authority for Child Care (an attached agency of theDepartment of Social Welfare and Development) since 2022, after serving as a councilor and Vice Mayor of San Juan.[70] His wife and son Joseph Luis Manuel were nominees of the Balikatan of Filipino Families (BFF) party-list, which ran but failed to secure congressional seats in2025.[71]
| Year | Award-giving body | Category | Nominated work | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | PMPC Star Awards for Television | Male Star of the Night | — | Won[72] |
Jinggoy Estrada [-] VICE-MAYOR
We [Estrada and Guia Gomez] went out a few times and my wife, Loi, heard about it. My wife and I quarreled about this. In her anger, she left for the States with our three children[...]
Acting San Juan Mayor Philip Cesar [sic] reportedly denied any knowledge of the eviction.
Media related toJinggoy Estrada at Wikimedia Commons| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Adolfo Sto. Domingo | Mayor of San Juan 1992–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Senate of the Philippines | ||
| Preceded by | President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines 2007–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President of the Senate of the Philippines Acting 2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President pro tempore of the Senate of the Philippines 2024–2025 | Succeeded by |
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