Senator Jinggoy Estrada has announced plans to contest the plunder and graft charges filed against him by the Office of the Ombudsman, which are based on alleged irregularities in government flood-control projects. Estrada claims that he and his legal team are gathering evidence to demonstrate these irregularities, emphasizing that he was not given adequate opportunity to respond to the accusations before they were escalated to the Sandiganbayan. He argues that the Ombudsman failed to conduct a proper investigation and that the Department of Justice's resolutions were issued without his input. Estrada, accused of facilitating the allocation of ₱355 million (approximately $6.4 million USD) for flood projects in exchange for kickbacks, insists that there is no record of his involvement in budget insertions. He views the rapid filing of charges as a serious violation of his right to due process and has committed to defending his name through legal channels.