Jinggoy flies to US, vows to return to face plunder case

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Jinggoy Estrada said that he is ready to face the plunder charge filed against him by the government as he left for the United States on Saturday.

The state-owned Philippine News Agency reported that Estrada and his wife took Cathay Pacific flight CX 906 bound for San Francisco.

The senator went to the US for a scheduled medical check-up.

The Department of Justice has a pending request from the Department of Foreign Affairs to revoke the passports of the 37 incumbent and former government officials, including Estrada, and private individuals charged with plunder and malversation of public funds in connection with the pork barrel fund scam.

Charged along with Estrada were senators Bong Revilla and Juan Ponce Enrile. Also included in the list of respondents was Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the P10-billion pork barrel fund scam.

Estrada had said that he has informed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima of his scheduled trip to the US.