MANILA, Philippines — Plunder respondent Sen. Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada entered detention at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters Monday afternoon and met with Sen. Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr.
Associate Justice Roland Jurado, chair of the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, issued a commitment order as a formal directive to the PNP to hold Estrada at the newly renovated PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group's Custodial Center, where Revilla is also detained.
Estrada's lawyer, Alexia Abastillas, said that Revilla was "happy" to see his colleague and close friend at the common area of the Custodial Center shortly after Estrada was placed there. Revilla has already spent four days in prison.
Abastillas said that his client has "no complaints" and can bear the reported heat inside the detention cell. Revilla, meanwhile, had been complaining of migraines caused by the heat and lack of ventilation.
"Kinakaya naman niya ang init," Abastillas said in a radio interview.
Estrada surrendered to authorities at noon on Monday, immediately after the anti-graft court issued an arrest warrant and resolution declaring probable cause to proceed to his plunder trial.
Read: Jinggoy surrenders, tells children not to be ashamed
Manila Mayor Joseph "Erap" Estrada, the newly-detained senator's father, decried the poor conditions his son has to endure in detention. He said he would rather go to jail than his son.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada, blows a kiss as he is whisked to his detention cell after surrendering to police authorities. AP/Bullit Marquez
"Nakakaawa ang kalagayan ni Jinggoy," Erap said, adding that he will explore the possibility of installing an air-conditioning unit inside the cell from his own pockets.
"Kung maari, ako na lang ikulong nila e, 'wag na 'yun anak ko," said the former president, who was ousted from the presidency in 2001 and eventually convicted of plunder.
The younger Estrada had said that he sees the need for cable television while in prison so he could follow drama serials, current events and developments of his case.
Estrada, along with Revilla and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, is a primary respondent in the plunder and graft cases connected to the Priority Development Assistance Funds scam.
This is his second time in jail, following his detention in 2001 as San Juan City Mayor with his father as a co-accused in plunder.