SANDIGANBAYAN BARS ESCUDERO FROM LEAVING THE COUNTRY

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division issued a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) against Senator Francis Joseph "Chiz" Escudero on Monday, April 27.

The court order also applies to Maynard Ngu, Escudero's friend and campaign donor, effectively placing him on the national hold departure list.

This directive orders the Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration to prevent both individuals from departing the Philippines while they remain subjects of an ongoing investigation.

The PHDO restricts the travel of individuals facing ongoing complaints that carry a minimum penalty of at least six years and one day in prison.

The Office of the Ombudsman requested the travel restriction after linking Escudero and Ngu to plunder, graft, and indirect bribery complaints concerning the multibillion-peso flood control scandal.

The anti-graft court raffled the request to the Sixth Division on Saturday, April 25, leading to a closed-door hearing on Monday led by Chairperson Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez.

Justice Fernandez validated the private hearing by citing the court's concern regarding the potential "spoilage of evidence" if they opened the proceedings to the public.

The case against the former Senate President intensified following a September 2025 Senate Blue Ribbon committee inquiry, where former Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo testified on Escudero's request to Ngu for a project list for inclusion in the General Appropriations Act in exchange for a 20% commission.

The state further alleged that Escudero personally delivered P160 million and P120 million in kickbacks to Ngu in his Manila office.

Senator Escudero continues to deny all allegations regarding his involvement in the multibillion-peso scandal.