PHILIPPINES: JOSEPH ESTRADA PROFILE

(20 Jan 2001) English/Nat
XFA
President Joseph Estrada resigned amid a corruption scandal on Saturday as tens of thousands of protesters marched on his residence in Manila.
The country's vice president - Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - immediately took the oath of office in an effort to end the Philippines' worst crisis in years.
The back-to-back developments came just minutes after protesters pushed through police lines and marched close to the presidential palace, demanding the removal of the former action-film star whose political career was ruined by a corruption scandal and an unprecedented impeachment trial.
Estrada spent a turbulent morning barricaded inside the Malacanang palace, apparently seeking last-minute concessions for the only thing he had left to offer: his resignation.
The nation has been suffering through political turmoil that exploded in October with allegations Estrada took gambling kickbacks and skimmed money from provincial tobacco taxes.
The end was inglorious for the former action-movie star who was being tried on unprecedented impeachment charges when the situation worsened on Tuesday as senators serving as judges narrowly refused to open bank records that prosecutors say would have proven Estrada's guilt.
Protests swelled and Estrada was devastated on Friday by a string of high-level defections.
He had tried to buy time with two appearances on national television, offering to restart his impeachment trial, then later urging Congress to call snap elections in May, saying he would stay out of the race.
It was a clear attempt to thwart Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the daughter of a former president who headed an opposition group made up of such diverse elements as big business and left-wing labour and communist forces.
Minutes after Estrada went on television for the first time Friday, military chief General Angelo Reyes abandoned the president and joined the wildly cheering protesters in Manila.
Reyes sought conciliation, saying Estrada and his family should be allowed to "exit with dignity".
Macapagal-Arroyo's aides resisted Estrada's attempts to gain concessions.
Details of his decision to leave were not immediately released.
Sources earlier said three airplanes were put on standby at nearby Villamor Air Base, and that immigration officials were told to go there and prepare to process some people leaving the country by early Saturday.
Rumours of possible destinations included the United States and Australia.
At least a quarter (M) million people had demanded his resignation during a raucous rally early on Saturday at a Manila monument to the 1986 "people power" revolt that threw out late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
As Estrada tried to negotiate as favourable an exit as possible - raising issues said to have included his departure from the nation as well as requests to take some of his fortune - demonstrators began marching toward Malacanang in the early morning.
Calls for Estrada's resignation followed an expose made by a friend that he received pay-off money from illegal gambling operators in the country.
In a senate hearing on October 11, Estrada's friend, Governor Luis Singson, accused Estrada and other government officials of regularly receiving money from proceeds of an illegal numbers game called "jueteng".
The charges have sparked the nation's worst political crisis in years and led to the charges built into the impeachment trial at the senate.
Estrada's vice president also joined those calling for the former movie star to step aside.
SOUNDBITE: (English/Tagalog)
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[@brycederosas9085]

3:55 That is Chief Justice Corona

[@sketchstoriesofedrickgonza4368]

The Barbaric rule of force of my fellow Filipinos.

[@ryleitdept]

pinagtulungan nang dilawan si erap , kawawa naman. hindi rin siguro lubos maisip nang dilawan na mananalo sya kaya ganyan ginawa nila kay erap. ahe3

[@kennethgonzales5079]

0:01 6:42 ERAP RESIGN!!

[@totoybibo4421]

ngyon mgkkmpi n sla sma2 mga mgnnkaw😂😂😂

[@vincentroysamot7311]

Presidential Chief of Staff and Associate Justice Renato Corona 3:55

[@mjching239]

2:40 ERAP riding PNR Train DEL ???

[@Casa_Media]

Pinatalsik si Erap, tapos nung kauupo lang ni Arroyo sa pwesto, siya naman ang gustong pababain 😆 Nasa huli talaga ang pagsisisi

[@lonesurvivor9039]

Mga Baliw pala Tao noon 😁😁🤣

[@johnchristiancanda3320]

Bagay kay Érap ang theme songs nang "The Godfather" at "The Bund" kasi manga kaibigan niya manga shady character. "Bagong pulitika" at "Leadership by example" ang manga pangako nang EDSA Dos, pero pagbabalik nang manga trapo noong panahon nina Córy at Ramos ang nangyari at si José Velarde/José Rizalisto Marcelo/José Valhalla ay pinalitan ni José Pidal.

[@ibunnydude7572]

Pinatalsik ang magnanakaw sa mas matalinong magnanakaw

[@karagdagangimpormasyon4736]

😂😂😂😂

[@chaelmarcial428]

HahHAUAUAUAUAHAHA

[@chaelmarcial428]

Gg sa pinas

[@vincentroysamot7311]

6:17

[@johnchristiancanda3320]

The Pinoy version of "The Godfather" and "The Bund".

[@kennethgonzales5079]

0:18 ERAP RESIGN!!

[@thirdy_ty3496]

Sana patay na ang liberal party

[@gretelgrant-gomez5379]

1998 president estrada meet british prime minister tony blair

[@stephengallardo5562]

5:23 nice shot

[@sighcruz9088]

Daming balimbing talaga dto sa pinas

[@bosspautv8291]

Magaling na pangulo c erap nung pumalit c gloria lalo lang naluko ang pilipinas.

[@el_raffido18]

Donald trump of Philippines

[@Ohjieun-j1j]

Trump is worse

[@Penguin982]

But ngayon nagsisi na ang amerikano dahil sa boto nila kasi alam na nila na walang gera noong panahon ni trump kaya marami sa amerikano gusto na sa trump at sinasabihan ng tao na sleepy joe si joe biden.

[@TimeMakerDotPH]

Ronald Reagan of the Philippines

[@DangerousEditz500]

Grabe ka talaga😂😂😂

[@jonasavrilpasadilla7947]

1:03 5:45

[@its_simplychris]

Macarena 2:45

[@Ashely_7]

Same shit happened after Erap resigned

[@johnang5194]

Erap resign sigaw noon , gusto talaga pabagsakin

[@jeyeltv7585]

dahil sa inyo maunlad na ang pilipinas hahahha

[@germaluffy7560]

😂😂😂😂😂