Philippine President Is Impeached

M A N I L A, Philippines, Nov. 13, 2000 -- Philippine President JosephEstrada was impeached by the country’s House of Representativestoday and will face trial in the country’s Senate oncharges of bribery and corruption.

But voting patterns in the Senate, or upper house, later inthe day indicated Estrada could survive the impeachment.

Lawmakers raised clenched fists and shouted “Erap Resign”as House Speaker Manuel Villar announced the impeachment at thestart of the day’s session. Erap is Estrada’s nickname and itwas the first time in Philippine history that a president hasbeen impeached.

Opposition concerns that Estrada supporters would attemptto delay the proceedings were pre-empted by Villar, who readout a resolution approving the impeachment as soon as he hadfinished regular prayers at the start of the day’s proceedings.

Senate Support for Estrada

“The resolution is being endorsed to the Senate in the samemanner as prescribed in the rules of procedure,” he said, assome lawmakers protested and others cheered.

The opposition has said 115 congressmen have endorsed themotion, more than the required 1/3 of the 218-member House.

“I did not want to be stopped on a technicality,” Villarlater told local television, adding he deliberately did notallow the matter to come up for discussion since the requirednumber had already signed assent.

“A vote was not necessary.”

Villar and 45 other congressmen defected from the rulingcoalition earlier this month after charges emerged allegingEstrada had taken bribes worth millions of dollars fromillegal gambling syndicates. The desertions pushed thegovernment into a minority in the House.

Trial This Month

The 22-seat Senate, meanwhile, voted 12-7 to replace SenatePresident Franklin Drilon — who defected from Estrada’scoalition at the same time as Villar — with Senator AquilinoPimentel, who is viewed as being independent.

The move was mooted by an Estrada supporter and in the votetwo senators abstained and one was absent.

While there is no certainty the upper house will vote toremove Estrada, Monday’s result did indicate that thepresident’s Senate supporters were stronger than previouslybelieved.

To remove Estrada from office, two-thirds of the Senate hasto vote in favor. The body is likely to begin the impeachmenttrial later this month.

Pimentel told the Senate any charges against Estrada had tobe substantiated.

“The charges against the president are just that for themoment — charges that are meant to be proven and establishedwithin the impeachment process,” he said.

Estrada Reiterates Innocence

Estrada, speaking hours before proceedings began in the twolegislatures, reiterated his innocence and said no amount ofprotests could make him step down.

“This is the last time I will be serving the public sowould I do that? ... I did not become president to rake upmoney,” the embattled former film actor said.

He appealed to labor unions not to go through with aplanned nationwide general strike and protest rallies onTuesday, saying only the poor would suffer.

“No amount of rallies can force me to step down,” Estradasaid in an interview on Manila radio station dzRH. “I appeal toyou not to go through with it... We have a crisis. Let’s joinhands to pull out of this, for the sake of the nation.”

Leftist and moderate unions have announced plans to launchstrikes, including transport stoppages and factory walkouts, inManila and dozens of provinces around the country to pressureEstrada to step down.

Estrada, who drew more than a million supporters to aprayer rally on Saturday, warned that forcing him to resignwould create a dangerous precedent for future Philippinepresidents who could be ousted from office on the basis ofunproven allegations.

The gambling pay-offs scandal has prompted calls fromchurch and business leaders for Estrada to step down and badlyhammered the economy, causing the peso to plummet to a historiclow of 51.95 to the dollar two weeks ago.

Manila’s main share index fell 33 points, or 2.2 percent,on Monday as investors, worried that the impeachment battlemight drag on, liquidated positions after last week’s strongrally.

Estrada is facing four charges, ranging from bribery andcorruption to betrayal of public trust and culpable violationof the constitution.