Jonvic tells Jinggoy: Surrender or be arrested

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MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he's offered Sen. Jinggoy Estrada two options — to "surrender or be arrested" — but the senator held off on a decision due to a knee he says needs surgery.

Remulla, secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), said he placed the call himself yesterday at around 4 p.m. 

"Sinabi ko either surrender or arrest. Sabi nya pagiisipan nya raw (I told him either surrender or arrest. He said he'd think about it)," he said in a chance interview on Friday, May 29. 

"Ang concern n'ya ay 'yung tuhod niya na kailangan ng knee replacement (His concern is his knee, which needs a knee replacement)," he said.

Remulla said he told the senator that was not something the department could weigh in on. "So sabi ko hindi naman ano 'yan, it's beyond our jurisdiction. Wala na kaming masasabing iba (So I told him that's not the issue, it's beyond our jurisdiction. We have nothing more to say)."

The DILG chief said he's waiting on the Sandiganbayan before carrying out an arrest.

The Sandiganbayan is the court that handles graft and corruption cases against public officials, and an arrest would be carried out by the Philippine National Police, which the DILG oversees.

Remulla's remarks come a day after the Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder and graft charges against Estrada before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the flood control projects scandal. He's accused of pocketing P573 million in illicit payouts tied to illegal budget insertions in the Department of Public Works and Highways. 

The Ombudsman recommended no bail and said it would pursue hold departure orders to keep the accused from leaving the country. A Sandiganbayan division must first find probable cause before any arrest warrant is issued.

— Cristina Chi