Philippine lawmaker charged with corruption to surrender

Philippine lawmaker charged with corruption to surrender Senator Jinggoy Estrada has strongly denied allegations that he received more than 570 million pesos (US$9.3 million) in kickbacks A Philippine senator said he will surrender to authorities after a special anti-corruption court ordered his arrest on Monday on a non-bailable charge of plunder after he allegedly pocketed a huge kickback in a flood-control project in the latest crisis to hit the upper chamber. Estrada, 63, has strongly denied allegations mainly by a former government public works engineer that he received more than 570 million pesos (US$9.3 million) in kickbacks from flood control projects. “I will not yield to threats. I will not be intimidated,” Estrada said at the Senate. “I will not be pressured into surrendering my independence of judgment,” he said.