Joseph Estrada

Joseph Marcelo Ejercito Estrada, widely known as Erap (born April 19, 1937) is a popular film actor in the Philippines and was the 13th President of the Philippines from June 30, 1998 to January 20, 2001.

Presidency

Election

In the 1998 presidential election, Estrada ran and soundly won as president over his closest rival, Jose de Venecia. Estrada's running mate, Edgardo Angara, was defeated by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. During the campaign, Estrada's political rivals tried but failed to discredit him while publicizing his womanizing, drinking and gambling. Estrada was inaugurated on June 30, 1998.

Related Topics:
1998 presidential election - Jose de Venecia - Edgardo Angara - Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo - June 30 - 1998

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Philippine Daily Inquirer

Estrada criticized The Philippine Daily Inquirer, the nation's most popular broadsheet newspaper, for "bias, malice and fabrication" against him ? a charge The Inquirer denied. In 1999, several government organizations, pro-Estrada businesses, and movie producers simultaneously pulled their advertisements in The Inquirer. The presidential palace was widely implicated in the advertising boycott, prompting sharp criticism from international press freedom watchdogs.

Related Topics:
The Philippine Daily Inquirer - 1999 - Press freedom

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Corruption charges and impeachment

The Estrada presidency was soon dogged by charges of plunder and corruption, and he was reported by his advisor Aprodicio Laquian to spend long hours drinking with shady characters. In October 2000, an acknowledged gambling racketeer, Luis Singson, governor of the province of Ilocos Sur, alleged that he had personally given Estrada the sum of 400 million pesos as payoff from illegal gambling profits. Singson's allegation caused an uproar across the nation, which culminated in Estrada's impeachment by the House of Representatives in November of 2000. He was the first Philippine President to be impeached. The articles of impeachment were then transmitted to the Senate and an impeachment court was formed, with Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. as presiding officer.

Related Topics:
Corruption - 2000 - Luis Singson - Governor - Ilocos Sur - Impeachment - House of Representatives - Chief Justice - Hilario Davide, Jr.

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During the trial, the prosecution (composed of congressmen and private prosecutors) presented witnesses and evidence to the impeachment court regarding Estrada's involvement in illegal gambling, also known as jueteng, and his maintenance of secret bank accounts. However, the president's legal team (composed of a former chief justice, former congressman, former solicitor-general and other lawyers) was quick to deny these allegations and did its best to destroy the claims of the witnesses during cross-examination.

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EDSA II Revolution

Main article: EDSA II

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On January 16, 2001, the impeachment court, whose majority were political allies of Estrada, voted not to open an envelope that was said to contain incriminating evidence against the president. The prosecution panel walked out of the impeachment court in protest of this vote. That night, anti-Estrada protesters gathered on the historical EDSA highway at the site of the 1986 EDSA Revolution that overthrew Ferdinand Marcos. A political turmoil ensued and the clamor for Estrada's resignation became stronger than ever. In the following days, the number of protesters grew to the hundreds of thousands.

Related Topics:
January 16 - 2001 - EDSA highway - The site - 1986 EDSA Revolution - Ferdinand Marcos

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On January 19, 2001, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, seeing the political upheaval throughout the country, decided to withdraw its support from the president and transfer its allegiance to the vice president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Without military support, and with mass resignations from his cabinet, Estrada's government quickly fell.

Related Topics:
January 19 - 2001 - Armed Forces of the Philippines - Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

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On January 20, 2001, the Supreme Court declared the presidency vacant and the Chief Justice swore in the constitutional successor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, as the 14th President of the Philippines. Estrada and his family were quickly evacuated from the presidential palace.

Related Topics:
January 20 - 2001 - Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

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The overthrow of Estrada has become popularly known as EDSA II due to parallels with the 1986 revolt.

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