Jinggoy Estrada

Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr. (born February 17, 1963), also known as Jinggoy Estrada, is a Filipino politician and film actor who has been a Senator since 2022, and previously from 2004 to 2016.

Estrada was born on February 17, 1963, in Manila.

He finished his primary and secondary education at the Ateneo de Manila University and earned a degree in A.B. Economics from the University of the Philippines Manila.

He took up Bachelor of Laws for four years at the Lyceum of the Philippines University while serving as Vice Mayor of the then Municipality of San Juan at the age of 25.

Before serving in the Senate, he was the vice mayor (1988–1992) and later mayor (1992–2001) of San Juan when it was still a municipality.

Estrada has been detained twice for corruption charges.

In 1992, he became the youngest ever elected-local chief executive during the 1992 Philippine local elections at age 29.

During his three consecutive terms as mayor, he spearheaded the construction of modernized barangay halls with daycare centers and various recreational areas such as gymnasiums, basketball courts and playgrounds.

The renovation and repair of the San Juan National High School and other public elementary schools also took place, as well as the improvement and replacement of drainages, concreting of municipal roads, and the construction of the four-storey San Juan Medical Center and the San Juan Municipal Gymnasium.

During his incumbency, San Juan gained the reputation of being one of the most progressive municipalities and the "most peaceful municipality in the Philippines".

During his final tenure as mayor, he was sworn into office as the national president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) from 1998 to 2001.

In 2001, he and his father, ousted president Joseph Estrada, were arrested after being charged with plunder.

He was released in 2003, elected to the Senate in 2004, and was acquitted in 2007.

In 2004, he was elected as a senator.

During his first term, he introduced at least 617 bills and resolutions and steered the passage of at least 16 bills either as a principal sponsor or principal author.

Jinggoy is hailed as the second most productive and prolific senator, next to Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who filed the most bills and resolutions in the Senate.

He was the president pro tempore of the Senate from 2007 to 2013, and briefly became Senate President in acting capacity after Juan Ponce Enrile's resignation.

He won the Best Actor Award in the 2007 Metro Manila Film Festival for the film Katas ng Saudi, the award is the one of the most-sought and prestigious distinction among Filipino actors.

He was also bestowed an honorary Doctorate in Humanities in 2007 by the Laguna State Polytechnic University.

On July 23, 2007, Estrada was elected as Senate president pro tempore.

On August 15, 2007, the Supreme Court voted 13–0 to uphold the Sandiganbayan's decision to grant his bail in connection with his plunder case before the graft court.

His father, former president Joseph Estrada was the main accused in that plunder case and was subsequently convicted.

However, Estrada was immediately pardoned by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

On September 11, 2007, Estrada introduced Senate Bill 1556, proposing to make ROTC mandatory for all college students.

Jinggoy was acquitted in the plunder charge.

In 2010, he was re-elected as a senator, finishing in 2nd place.

During the opening of the 15th Congress on July 26, 2010, he was re-elected as Senate president pro tempore.

During his stint in the Senate, he had been consistently hailed as one of the very few senators who scored perfect attendance, with no absence or late arrival during the chamber's plenary sessions.

Estrada is the principal author of the Kasambahay Law, or the law promoting the interests and welfare of the domestic workers in the Philippines.

Republic Act No. 10361, or simply the "Kasambahay Law", prescribed standards, privileges, and rights of the domestic workers.

In August 2010, Estrada claimed that while traveling to Hong Kong, he experienced a backlash of the emotions surrounding the death of eight nationals from Hong Kong during the 2010 Manila hostage crisis.

According to him, as he passed through the immigration desk in Hong Kong, officers threw back his passport at him after checking it.

Estrada said the officer may not have known who he was because he used a "regular passport" for personal travel.

In 2014, he was charged and detained for allegedly embezzling ₱183 million from his discretionary funds in a scandal known as the pork barrel scam.

In 2016, he was released after being allowed to post bail.

He sought reelection in the 2019 Senate election but lost.

He ran again in 2022 and won a Senate seat.

In 2024, Estrada was convicted on one count of committing direct bribery and two counts of indirect bribery, but acquitted on charges of plunder over the use of the Priority Development Assistance Fund.

He was sentenced to 8 to 9 years for direct bribery, 2 to 3 years for indirect bribery and ordered to pay a fine of ₱3 million

Outside politics, Estrada is also an actor like his father appearing in numerous films in action star roles.