Jinggoy ordered arrested

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) — The Sandiganbayan on Monday morning issued an arrest warrant against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is facing a plunder charge over the pork barrel fund scam.

The anti-graft court's Fifth Division, presided by Associate Justice Roland Jurado, also ordered the arrests of Estrada's former chief of staff Pauline Labayen, alleged pork barrel scam operator businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles and her former driver and "agent" John Raymund de Asis.

Estrada and the three others are all facing plunder charges over the pork barrel fund scam.

The court says in the order that "no bail is recommended" for the four accused.

In an earlier resolution, the Fifth Division found probable cause to proceed with Estrada's trial, who is accused by the Office of the Ombudsman of pocketing P183-million in Priority Development Assistance Funds kickbacks.

The anti-graft court's division denied Estrada's motions and consolidated prayers of his co-accused, questioning the validity of the plunder and graft cases against them.

Estrada is also facing 11 counts of graft charges.

"The above-enumerated motions are without merit," the resolution said. "The arguments raised by accused-movants in their respective motions are matters of defense which shall be best threshed out during the trial on the merits of these cases."

In the four-page resolution, the Sandiganbayan said: "If he (Estrada) is not satisfied that probable cause exists, he may disregard the prosecutor's report and require the submission of supporting affidavits of witnesses to aid him in arriving at a conclusion as to the existence of probable cause."

It added: "To move the Court to conduct a judicial determination of probable cause is a mere superfluity, for with or without such motion, the judge is duty-bound to personally evaluate the resolution of the public prosecutor and the supporting evidence."

"In fact, the task of the presiding judge when the information is filed with the court is first and foremost to determine the existence or non-existence of probable cause for the arrest of the accused," the resolution noted.

Also covered by the resolution was Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos, several other government officials and employees and private respondents.

Estrada earlier vowed to turn himself in and has requested the Philippine National Police to refrain from serving the arrest warrant.

He is expected to be brought to the Custodial Center at the police headquarters in Camp Crame to join his colleague, Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. in detention.

The son of former President Joseph Estrada said that there will be no fanfare in his surrender.

Follow the LIVE UPDATES on the "pork" arrests