MANILA, Philippines - Detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Tuesday expressed confidence that the Sandiganbayan will grant his request for bail despite the ruling of an anti-graft court's division on his fellow senator, Bong Revilla, that denied lawmaker's bail petition.
In an interview with reporters, Estrada said he is aware of the possible adverse effects of the decision of the First Division on his own bail request.
"Ako ay nangangamba rin na magkaroon ng adverse effect yung bail hearing ko," Estrada said.
Estrada, also facing plunder and graft charges in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam, has been attending his bail petition at the tribunal's Fifth Division, chaired by Associate Justice Roland Jurado.
"I am certain and confident that the court will grant me bail because of the weak evidence presented against me," Estrada said.
Estrada is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame with Revila.
Another senator facing plunder and graft charges, Juan Ponce Enrile, has been under hospital arrest at the PNP General Hospital due to his advanced age and medical condition.
Aside from Revilla, the Sandiganbayan also denied the bail petitions of his co-accused, businesswoman Janet Napoles; the senator's legislative staff, lawyer Richard Cambe; John Ronald Lim, and John Raymond de Asis.
Napoles, detained at the female dormitory of the Taguig City Jail, is the alleged brains behind the pork barrel scam.