The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region denied that Sen. Jinggoy Estrada received special treatment during his booking procedure after his mugshot drew public attention over the orange detainee shirt placed over his shoulders.
CIDG-NCR chief Col. John Guiagui said Estrada was not able to properly wear the standard detainee shirt because no triple XL size was available at the time. The explanation came after the mugshot circulated online and drew criticism from social media users who questioned why the shirt appeared to be draped over Estrada’s clothes instead of being worn in the usual wa
Guiagui said the issue was caused by the lack of an available shirt that fit Estrada and was not a special arrangement. The CIDG maintained that Estrada went through the required booking process, with the shirt issue traced to a size limitation rather than preferential treatmen
The photo showed Estrada standing before a police height chart while holding a booking board bearing the name “Ejercito Estrada, Jose y Pimentel a.k.a. ‘Jinggoy.’” The board identified the case as plunder under Republic Act 7080, as amended, and listed the date as June 4, 202
Estrada underwent booking procedures after surrendering in connection with the plunder case filed against him over the alleged flood-control corruption scandal. The case is part of the widening investigation into alleged irregularities involving public works funds and government official
The attention around the shirt issue shows how closely Filipinos are watching the treatment of powerful officials once they enter the criminal justice process. For a sitting senator facing a plunder case, even a booking detail can raise questions about equal treatment, procedure, and public trus
The CIDG’s explanation answers the immediate question over the unusual mugshot, but it does not lessen the weight of the case attached to the booking photos.
