Showbiz and politics in the Philippines have long had a strong overlap, with many famous artists entering politics with the desire to change the country. However, not everyone has maintained their original ideals. Some political artists have been caught up in serious corruption scandals, even paying the price with prison sentences. Here are some names that have shocked the history of Philippine politics.

Joseph “Erap” Estrada was a top actor before becoming President of the Philippines in 1998. However, his reign was short-lived when in 2001, he was ousted for corruption, embezzling government funds worth **₱4 billion pesos**.

In 2007, Estrada was sentenced to **life in prison for corruption**, but just a month later, he was pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Still, the Estrada case remains one of the biggest political scandals in Philippine history.

Not only Joseph Estrada, his son, **Jinggoy Estrada**, has also been caught up in the law. Jinggoy, a famous actor before becoming a senator, was arrested in 2014 in connection with the **Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF)** scandal, also known as the **Pork Barrel Case**.

He was accused of accepting bribes from government funds worth **₱183 million**. Although he was released on bail in 2017, his case has not been completely closed.

Bong Revilla, one of the Philippines’ most famous action actors, has not been spared from scandal when he entered politics. He was arrested in 2014 in connection with the Pork Barrel Case, where he was accused of **embezzling ₱224 million** from the national treasury.

Although he spent more than four years in the PNP Detention Center, Bong Revilla was later acquitted in 2018 due to lack of direct evidence. However, he was still ordered to return **₱124.5 million** to the government.

Lito Lapid, another action actor turned politician, has also faced corruption charges. He was accused of being involved in the **Fertilizer Fund Scam**, where millions of pesos that were supposed to help farmers were lost.

Although the case did not land him in jail, it did affect his political image. However, Lapid continued his political career and is now a Senator.

Aside from the Pork Barrel case, Bong Revilla was also accused of being involved in phantom contracts and dubious funds while he was a Senator. Although he was acquitted criminally, he was ordered to return the lost budget funds.

The above cases are clear evidence that not all artists can become honest politicians. Fame does not guarantee a clean government, and if they are not careful, they can lose their reputation, career, and even their freedom.