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24 November Joker plays down motion to dismiss NOT
TO worry, the 11-man team of prosecutors said of the plan of President
Estrada's defense team to move today for the outright dismissal of the
impeachment case filed by the House of Representatives. "I don't think
it will prosper," said Makati Rep. Joker Arroyo, one of the House prosecutors,
who dismissed the motion as a ploy to buy more time for the defense lawyers. THE
RELATIONSHIP between President Estrada and one of his closest allies and
biggest campaign donors, Lucio Tan, has turned cold, a highly placed Malacañang
source confirmed, adding that there have been reports the beer and tobacco
tycoon is two-timing the President and is spending more time meeting with
Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instead of visiting him at Malacañang. EMPLOYEES
of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. expressed dismay over the
appointment by Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella of Caloocan City Rep. Luis
"Baby" Asistio as chair of the House committee on games and amusement.
"How can Congress, particularly the committee on games and amusement,
possibly investigate Pagcor for illegal activities and contracts when
the speaker himself and Asistio are among its big-time players?" an INQUIRER
source asked. 22 November Stop it, Estrada tells retired generals PRESIDENT
Estrada brushed off the call of retired generals and other military officers
for him to resign, saying they should just keep silent in keeping with
their inactive status. "Dapat yan, mga retired na, tumigil na. Di ba
retired na sila (They must stop it; they are already retired, right)?
Let us concentrate more on the generals who are on active duty". PRESIDENT
Estrada, Asia's first impeached president, will ask the Senate to dismiss
outright the Articles of Impeachment filed against him, according to Executive
Secretary Ronaldo Zamora. The President's advisers believe the House of
Representatives did not follow the prescribed procedure in transmitting
the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate last week because it was a number
of signatures short of the required 73 House members. Jose
Antonio Gonzalez, the owner of a casino at the Clark economic zone accused
President Estrada of conspiring "in a Mafia-like shakedown" with his cronies
and a Cabinet secretary to seize control of his company -- all because,
Gonzalez said, he refused to contribute to Mr. Estrada's campaign in the
1998 presidential election. 22 November Retired generals ask Erap to resign SAYING
that the President's resignation would be in the interest of and for national
stability, and that the impeachment process would not solve the current
crisis, a large group of retired generals and other military officers
yesterday urged active members of the Armed Forces to "assist" President
Estrada in performing the "heroic act" of voluntary resignation. Ambassador
Fortunato Abat, chair of the council of leaders of the Federation of Retired
Commissioned and Enlisted Soldiers (Forces), signed the manifesto in behalf
of the group. Ostentatious
staff house or presidential mansion? Mystery surrounds Cabin No. 1 inside
John Hay's VOA compound. A report of the Philippine Center for Investigative
Journalism claimed that the cabin is the real "Erap log house,'' allegedly
fronted for the President by Manta Equities Inc., owned by businessman
Manuel Zamora, brother of Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora. MARCOS
loyalists are fed up with President Estrada's "insults" directed at their
idol. The True Marcos Loyalists Association of the Philippines is withdrawing
support from the embattled Mr. Estrada, for whom it campaigned in the
1998 election. "Pikang-pika na kami sa kanya (We are thoroughly annoyed
with him)," said association president Cherry Cobarrubias. "He has been
saying that he is not like Marcos, that he is not a dictator and a thief.
Marcos is not a dictator and a thief. How dare he say that!" 21 November 'Painful duty for Senate' THE
SENATE has been formally constituted as an impeachment court, embarking
on what Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said was "our painful duty"
to put President Estrada on trial. Pimentel said the Senate would "not
allow itself to become a kangaroo court" rushing to convict or acquit
the President on charges of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of
public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution. The actual trial
starts on Dec. 7. THE
SENATE has been formally constituted as an impeachment court, embarking
on what Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said was "our painful duty"
to put President Estrada on trial. Pimentel said the Senate would "not
allow itself to become a kangaroo court" rushing to convict or acquit
the President on charges of bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of
public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution. The actual trial
starts on Dec. 7. Former
president Fidel V. Ramos claimed that Malacañang has hatched a plan called
"God Save the King" that includes discrediting opposition leaders and
the assassination of Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson. Ramos said
the plan was aimed at enabling President Estrada to keep his post amid
mounting calls for his ouster following Singson's accusation that Mr.
Estrada received more than P500 million in "jueteng" payoffs and tobacco
tax kickbacks. 20 November Loi's lot, Laarni's houses Quezon
City records show that land registered in the name of First Lady Dr. Luisa
"Loi" Ejercito is apparently being used by one of her husband's mistresses.
Laarni Enriquez, the mother of three of President Estrada's children,
is the listed owner of four townhouses worth a total of P8.5 million on
three adjoining lots owned by the First Couple. HOUSE
Minority Leader Feliciano Belmonte was appointed head of the 11-member
panel that will prosecute President Estrada in the Senate impeachment
trial on charges of bribery, graft, betrayal of public trust, and culpable
violations of the Constitution. Belmonte was named the lead manager, or
chief prosecutor, by the House panel during a meeting at the Ateneo de
Manila University campus in Quezon City. Newly
installed Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella is a "big-time" gambler, who has
played with Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson and Caloocan Rep. Luis
Asistio in the state-run Casino Filipino and in Las Vegas, Nevada. This
was disclosed by Singson, whose allegations that President Estrada received
more than P500 million in "jueteng" payoffs and tobacco tax kickbacks
led to the President's impeachment. 17 November Prosecutors to call Estrada mistresses THE
PRESIDENT'S mistresses -- "from 02 to 08" -- will be summoned to testify
at his impeachment trial, according to Quezon City Rep. Mike Defensor,
who is helping the 11 prosecutors from the House of Representatives prepare
for the trial at the Senate. "They will be called. I think so. From 02
to 08," Defensor told the Newsmakers' Forum, referring to the code names
of Mr. Estrada's mistresses. VARIOUS
groups have urged that Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago be disqualified from
sitting as juror in the impeachment trial of President Estrada in the
Senate for "prejudging" the case. "Santiago for all intents and purposes,
is partial toward the President and should be disqualified from sitting
as one of the jurors and judges of the case," the Kongreso ng Mamamayang
Pilipino (Kompil) II said. "In court cases, judges either inhibit themselves
or get booted out by petitioners for pre-judging cases." THE
PHILIPPINE National Police admitted conducting covert operations against
top personalities involved in the move to oust President Estrada. The
targets of the monitoring operations--which consist of taking still photos
and videos and recording speeches--are said to be those spearheading and
participating in rallies and protest actions against the administration. 16 November Miriam sees Erap acquittal
IN THE numbers
game at the impeachment trial, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago predicts,
President Estrada will be acquitted despite the massive rallies mounted
against him. A staunch ally of President Estrada, Santiago gave this fearless
forecast as the Senate prepared to put Mr. Estrada on trial, saying Mr.
Estrada would need only eight senators to escape conviction. VICE President
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said the impeachment complaint filed against her
in the House was meant to harass her, and this and other actions against
her have the blessing of Malacañang. But she said she believes the case
filed by Oliver Lozano, former lawyer of President Ferdinand Marcos, would
not prosper. THE "ERAP
resign" mass actions have caused dramatic and positive changes not only
in the government but also in President Estrada himself, Agriculture Secretary
Edgardo Angara said. "That I can tell you first-hand because I am always
with the President," Angara said of his close friend. "He's now more responsive,
more patient in listening to problems and issues brought to him, and much
more swift in acting on them." 15 November 'LAST QUARTER STORM'
Stretching
its tendrils across Metro Manila, the "parliament of the streets" emerged
once again yesterday to demand President Estrada's resignation, emboldened
by his impeachment by the House of Representatives the day before. "This
is the beginning of the Last-Quarter Storm," declared Satur Ocampo, a
veteran of the First-Quarter Storm, the broad movement that fought against
the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the early 1970s. CRIES of
"Erap resign!" resounded yesterday all over the country, with tens of
thousands spilling into the streets in Luzon, transport paralyzed in two
provinces in the Visayas, and protesters in Mindanao launching a "piso-piso"
campaign to lure President Estrada into stepping down. SOME 100
lawyers from top law firms in Makati have offered to pool their resources
to provide the 11 prosecutors the "best and strongest case" against President
Estrada during the impeachment trial. Leyte Rep. Sergio Apostol, one of
the prosecutors, yesterday disclosed in a news conference at the National
Press Club that the lawyers would serve "pro bono (free of charge)." 14 November Estrada is impeached
PRESIDENT Estrada yesterday became the first Philippine President to be impeached. Without missing a beat, Villar read an order for the House secretary-general "to immediately transmit to the Senate the impeachment complaint constituting the articles of impeachment" before banging the gavel to cut off any further debate. "It's official now that the impeachment rap is with the Senate," Villar said. "It's now up to the Senate to start the trial. We have indicted the President."
THE NATIONWIDE people's strike to demand that President Estrada step down pushes through today with the full support of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin and the business, labor and student sectors. "We must safeguard our freedom of expression and our right to the full truth," Sin said. "In this time of socio-moral-politico-economic crisis, the right of every Filipino to express himself must be descended."
PRESIDENT Estrada's
personal lawyer took the rap for the P200-million "jueteng" money that
he had accepted on behalf of the Erap Muslim Youth Foundation, which Ilocos
Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson claimed was but a front for laundering
jueteng payoffs to Mr. Estrada. 13 November Solons fear delay in impeach vote
THE OPPOSITION in
the House of Representatives is all set to make history today, but the
session is expected to be stormy. Rep. Heherson Alvarez yesterday voiced
confidence the full House would vote to impeach Mr. Estrada today and
send the case to the Senate for trial. But some of his colleagues expressed
fears the President's allies would try to derail the impeachment proceedings
by calling for a revamp of the House leadership and by insisting that
pro-administration congressmen be included in the chamber's 11-member
prosecution panel. DESPITE
the heavy turnout at the prayer rally called by President Estrada on Saturday,
anti-Estrada forces remained unfazed as they declared "all systems go"
for tomorrow's general strike in at least 42 provinces. Militant groups
yesterday said the strike in Metro Manila could muster at least 70,000
protesters in three major venues alone. The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
(Bayan) said it was expecting at least a 50,000 turnout at its rally in
Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila. THE
PRO-ESTRADA rally at the Luneta on Saturday, in which nearly a million
people assembled, is more of a demonstration of the presidency's power
and resources to stage mass mobilization and less of a vote of confidence
on the embattled administration. In an aerial survey of the crowd, Philippine
National Police Director General Panfilo Lacson estimated the throng at
800,000. His estimate deflated Interior Secretary Alfredo Lim's exaggerated
two million crowd, useful for political propaganda. 12 November A million rally for Erap
THE EFFORTS of the
Estrada administration to produce a show of force for yesterday's ecumenical
prayer rally proved to be hugely successful, with over a million people
thronging the vicinity of the Rizal Park. Chief Supt. Avelino Razon, director
of the Western Police District and who took charge of security and order,
estimated the crowd at 1.2 million at about 5:15 p.m. Agence France Presse
said the people numbered more than a million. The crowd--the bulk of which
was bused from various points of the metropolis and from as far as Cagayan
Valley, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija and Olongapo City--was clearly intended to
be the message, with President Estrada and other speakers delivering,
not speeches reflecting the political crisis, but prayers for "peace and
unity." VERBAL
sparks flew as progressive Christian groups railed against yesterday's
prayer rally at the Luneta with fire-and-brimstone statements scoffing
at the Palace-initiated display of support for the President. An official
of Gomburza, a national ecumenical association of priests and pastors,
dared Catholic Church authorities to sanction "evil monster" El Shaddai
leader Mike Velarde for alleged insubordination and to investigate the
sources of his wealth. "PLAY
all the tapes you have. Give them all to the Senate so we'll see. I'll
face you there." This was President Estrada's message to his former drinking
and gambling buddy, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, who had accused
him of accepting millions in "jueteng" payoffs and tobacco tax kickbacks.
To prove his charges, Singson earlier presented to the media tapes of
his alleged conversations with people close to the President. According
to the governor, unidentified military men gave him the tapes. 11 November Pro-Erap forces mobilized for big Luneta rally
THE ESTRADA administration
is bent on marshaling the numbers at today's rally at the Rizal Park in
Manila to mark the "National Day of Prayer and Fasting for National Strength
and Unity Against All Adversities." Interior Secretary Alfredo Lim yesterday
said the rally crowd could reach "two million." If his figure were to
be taken seriously, then an assembly of more than one-fifth of Metro Manila's
current population of 9.1 million would attend what he described as a
"purely religious" occasion "devoid of political undertones."
"I
FEEL vindicated," Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson said a day after
President Estrada admitted over national radio that he received P200 million
in "jueteng" payoffs. "That proves that all my exposés against Erap are
true. Now, the grave that he had assigned to me is being dug deeper by
Erap for himself," Singson told the INQUIRER. WHILE
President Estrada yesterday sought to wriggle his way out of a trap unwittingly
set by his own astounding admission that his lawyer had accepted P200
million in "jueteng" payoffs on his behalf, his "shocked" legal team worked
to blunt the damaging impact of the statement on his impeachment case.
Mr. Estrada said that upon learning that the money came from the governor--and
by association, from jueteng lords--he had ordered the lawyer, Edward
Serapio, to return it to Singson. 10 November Erap:'Why would I agree to graceful exit?'
President Estrada dismisses an opposition offer for a "graceful exit"
and immunity from prosecution, saying that he is not guilty of anything
and so has no reason to accept the offer. Vice-President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declines President Estrada’s request to head a
caretaker committee while he attends the Apec summit. At the same time,
an impeachment motion against her is filed in Congress. President
Estrada admits in a radio interview that he has "lost the media war."
09 November
REPLACING the chair and members of the committee handling the impeachment case against President Estrada is the ultimate aim of the planned reorganization of the House, Rep. Joker Arroyo said yesterday.
Arroyo told a news conference that Malacañang wanted to overhaul the justice committee to be able to influence the selection of the 11 prosecutors who would present evidence against Mr. Estrada.
A top US official admits meeting with Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but downplay the meeting as routine.
Firs Lady Loi Ejercito rejects calls from women’s group asking her to leave her husband, saying "she may not have the most ideal marriage in town, but I prefer to heed the voice of God and the teachings of the Church. 08 November
THE COUNTRY’S biggest association of stock market analysts and former Finance Secretary Edgardo Espiritu added their voice yesterday to the national chorus calling on President Estrada to step down.
The Estrada-resign movement, however, suffered a blow after the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop) and the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) said they would not take an "anti-Erap" stand and insisted instead on a "constitutionally correct" process.
Philippine ambassador to the US Ernesto Maceda is back in the Philippines and assisting the administration in dealing with the impeachment crisis. Sources say he is responsible for President Estrada’s hard-line stance and for stemming the tide of defections from LAMP. SEN.
Ramon Magsaysay Jr. warns of midnight deals to delay and even derail the
impeachment process. 07 November
FACE to face, former President Fidel Ramos yesterday told President Estrada to reform himself and his administration, or, if he is unable to do so by mid-December, simply resign.
Ramos made the call at a National Security Council meeting in Malacañang convened by the President in response to the political crisis engulfing the country—a meeting which former President Corazon Aquino and Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo both boycotted.
AFTER a heated meeting, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the country’s largest business organization joins the chorus of voices asking President Estrada to resign. The PCCI is joined by the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations and by members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (Apec) Business Advisory Council (ABAC)
Despite acrimonious debate and the threat of delaying tactics, the House Committee on Justice agrees to recommend the impeachment motion to the plenary body. From there, the measure is expected to reach the Senate, which is in the process of formulating the procedural rules that will govern the trial of the President.
El Shaddai’s Bro. Mike Velarde, has refused to intercede and persuade President Estrada to resign after being asked by Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. 06 November
FINANCE Secretary Jose Pardo is not resigning from the Cabinet but is holding talks with former President Corazon Aquino regarding a possible graceful exit for President Estrada, according to INQUIRER sources. "He (Pardo) is helping the President find a graceful way out and he is using his ties with Aquino," said a top monetary official who declined to be identified. Another source said Pardo had reckoned that the end "was just a matter of time" as the impeachment case in Congress gained momentum. "That's why he is trying to move fast," the source said.
THE PROTEST rallies scheduled for today and the coming days until President Estrada steps down are reminiscent of the days of rage that greeted the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983, WITH new groups being formed today in different parts of the country to register their rage.
LAST SATURDAY'S mammoth rally at the Edsa Shrine was the biggest throng assembled on that historic highway since the 1986 People Power Revolution. Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin and former President Corazon Aquino demonstrated again their power and influence to mobilize people during crisis on Saturday. 05 November
SAYING that they can muster signatures equivalent to about 70 percent of the members of the House after the huge prayer-rally at Edsa yesterday, opposition lawmakers are confident that the move to impeach President Estrada would be unstoppable.
Senator Robert Jaworski enters the ranks of the opposition and resigns from LAMP, the ruling coalition, joining Senators Franklin Drilon, Rodolfo Biazon, and Anna Dominique Coseteng. The defection brings to 12 the number of oppositions senators, only three votes short of the two-thirds needed to impeach the President.
Polls both online and offline continue to indicate President Estradaís declining popularity. Half the respondents of an Inquirer.net online poll believe Estrada will not last the month. An offline poll of top analysts at stock brokerages and banks showed that most did not expect Estrada to last until the May congressional elections. 04 November
Erap losing
numbers game JUDGING by the numbers alone, President Estrada is as good
as impeached in the House of Representatives, and a mere four votes
shy of losing an impeachment trial in the Senate, according to legislators.
Yesterday’s resignation of Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senators
Rodolfo Biazon and Anna Dominique Coseteng from the ruling coalition
brought the number of opposition senators to 11 out of 22, four votes
short of the two-thirds required to remove the President from office. DEALING another humiliating blow to President Estrada and rejecting his efforts to save his presidency, the heads of both chambers of Congress and at least 47 other legislators deserted his party yesterday, as his top Palace aide likened the pressure on the leader to resign to a "lynch mob." "I was deeply
hurt by their resignations because they are my friends," the President
said later in a visit to Hagonoy, Bulacan, where he surveyed the trail
of damage left by Typhoon "Seniang" and handed out relief goods to flood
victims.
COME hell or
high water, the Manila Archdiocese expects some 100,000 people to gather
outside the Edsa Shrine starting at 1 p.m. today to pray for President Estrada’s
enlightenment and his resignation from his post. And if the people decide
to stay on after the three-hour prayer rally to keep vigil until Mr. Estrada
resigns, Church organizers are in no position to compel them to leave, Msgr.
Mel David told the INQUIRER yesterday. 03 November EVEN as the embattled President Estrada was appealing to four of his senior economic advisers to remain on his team, one of his key economic managers jumped ship. Trade and
Industry Secretary Mar Roxas II announced his resignation from the Cabinet,
further increasing pressure on the President to heed the clamor for him
to step down over charges that he had pocketed millions in "jueteng" money
and tobacco tax kickbacks. SPEAKER Manny Villar and 20 members of the House of Representatives are set to announce that they are bolting President Estrada’s ruling Lapian ng Masang Pilipino (LAMP) coalition amid mounting calls for the President to step down. A highly
placed source in Malacañang said Villar had already sent word to the President
about his decision.
ANTI-ESTRADA
forces yesterday planned to launch another popular uprising similar to the
1986 People Power revolt, while a former presidential candidate advised
President Estrada, who had trounced him in the 1998 election, to set up
a ``government of national salvation.’’ 02 November
FOUR of the
five-member Council of Senior Economic Advisers--all prominent businessmen--
informed Finance Secretary Jose Pardo of their decision to quit the embattled
Estrada administration, the INQUIRER said.
NOW, Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Rafael Buenaventura is warning of an economic
recession next year if the "Juetengate" scandal hounding President Estrada
is not resolved soon.
PREPARATIONS
for the Nov. 4 prayer rallies calling for the resignation of President Estrada
are in full swing, with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines,
in close coordination with all 77 dioceses nationwide, expecting 100-percent
compliance. 01 November
``HUWAG niya
kaming takutin (Don’t scare us),’’ was the reaction of Vice President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the appearance on television of the police and
military top brass after President Estrada offered a hand of reconciliation
to his critics on Monday night.
A SECRETARY
of Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis ``Chavit’’ Singson corroborates the testimony of
her boss that Yolanda Ricaforte was President Estrada’s auditor on jueteng
payoffs.
PRESIDENT Estrada
is ``finished’’ regardless of his response to the outcome of calls for his
resignation or impeachment, according to independent Rep. Joker Arroyo.
31 October
IN A GAMBLE
to restore investor confidence, President Estrada last night promised “sweeping
reforms” in government and extended ``the hand of reconciliation’’ to Vice
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, offering her the chairmanship of the
Economic Coordinating Council if she agrees to “work together again.”
MALACANANG
will not hesitate to use its resources to make sure the impeachment petition
against the President is dismissed at the House of Representatives, former
Senate president Jovito Salonga said yesterday, even as a congressman warned
that there was a plan to dismiss the complaint on a technicality. While
it was her word against Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson’s, on certain
important aspects of the scandal, however, Yolanda Ricaforte’s testimony
at the Senate jibed with Singson’s. And it seemed damning. 30 October FORMER
President Corazon Aquino appeals to President Estrada to "find it in (his)
heart to go," even as she describes the current political crisis as a
battle between right and wrong. SUPPORTERS
of the impeachment complaint against the President urge Rep. Wigberto
Tañada to head the House committee on justice that would handle the case. 29 October
VICE President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s plans for her "first 100 days as the next President"
have not only left Malacañang cold but also elicited a warning that she
could be liable for sedition.
Press Secretary
Ricardo Puno Jr. yesterday flatly dismissed Macapagal’s planned agenda
for a post-Estrada administration, saying: "First, she has to become President.
And that will not happen. President Estrada has said that he would never
resign and that he would finish his term." FULL STORY
CEBU CITY—"It
is imperative that the President resign immediately to avoid irreparable
damage to the economy and to restore the people’s faith and confidence in
government."
Taking her
post as the head of the new "United Opposition," Vice President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo made the call Saturday at the formal launching of the
opposition front composed of the Lakas-NUCD-Kampi coalition and at least
two smaller parties, Reporma and Promdi. FULL STORY
PRESIDENT Estrada
Saturday dropped tough talk and appealed to his critics’ sense of patriotism
not to exacerbate the economic crisis besetting his administration.
He said
he could not deny that "the economy is being severely tested," and pointed
out that the moves of his "enemies" would result in more sufferings for
the people. FULL STORY
28 October VICE PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo rejected in Cebu a proposal for President Estrada to share power with her, as her "united opposition" group was already preparing a program for her first 100 days as the next President. "Power sharing is no longer acceptable at this stage. So much harm has been done to the economy already," Macapagal said before meeting with the leaders of the "united opposition." FULL STORY THE PESO yesterday breached the 51 to the dollar level as the international ratings agency Moody’s revised its outlook on the Philippine currency and sovereign debt to negative from stable because of the political crisis. FULL STORY CHANTING, dancing and singing, thousands of militant workers and urban poor workers walked out of 200 factories and companies and trooped to Makati City yesterday to demand the resignation not only of President Estrada but of Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and of all other elected officials. FULL STORY The self-exiled leader of the communist underground group National Democratic Front has predicted the downfall of the Estrada administration soon. ``Estrada’s days are numbered,’’ said Jose Maria Sison, in a statement posted on the Internet, adding that the President has to resign or face bigger, more serious trouble. FULL STORY 27 October NOW that the peso has breached the key 50-level, the government is looking at a P52:$1 exchange rate amid talks President Estrada may step down soon. FULL STORY SAN PABLO, Laguna--A day after she urged President Estrada to resign, Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stepped up her attacks against the President. FULL STORY IN THE nearly century-old ``Palace in Pagsanjan,’’ an ``exquisitely carved four-poster narra bed’’ graces the master bedroom. A ``noble wooden floor’’ greets visitors. FULL STORY PRESIDENT Estrada was yesterday urged to fire all his Cabinet officials and consider a power-sharing arrangement with his critics, including Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and his predecessor, Fidel Ramos. FULL STORY 26 October THE PESO yesterday plunged to P49.80 against the US dollar, prompting Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to call for President Estrada’s resignation to save the economy from collapse. FULL STORY RALLIES for and against President Estrada were held yesterday in various parts of the country, reflecting the boiling crisis spawned by the scandal involving his alleged pocketing of hundreds of millions of pesos in "jueteng" payoffs and tobacco tax kickbacks. FULL STORY DENYING allegations that four luxury log cabins in Baguio City were promised to President Estrada for his help in expediting the release of government papers, Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora yesterday dared those making the claims, including the INQUIRER, to prove them. FULL STORY 25 October THE CORRUPTION scandal hounding President Estrada yesterday knocked the battered peso down to a new record low of 49.25 against the US dollar, raising fears of higher fuel and food prices. FULL STORY A PRE-'JUETENGATE' survey shows that most Filipinos believe that the government is corrupt, particularly the executive branch. FULL STORY THE SUPREME Court rejects a petition filed by a group of lawyers from Pangasinan to stop the Senate from further investigating the jueteng allegations against President Estrada. FULL STORY 24 October Two Landbank officers corroborated Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson’s testimony, saying the provincial government had, indeed, transferred P130 million to the private accounts of three alleged associates of Charlie "Atong" Ang. Their testimony came nine hours after the President’s alleged personal auditor on the jueteng payoffs returned to Manila. FULL STORY THE SENATE will investigate all allegations concerning President Estrada’s unexplained wealth and various real estate properties, including the latest reported by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, the head of the blue ribbon committee said yesterday. FULL STORY A NEW multisectoral movement expressly formed to pressure President Estrada to step down will hold simultaneous rallies tomorrow in 20 provinces and cities nationwide. FULL STORY 23 October A NETWORK of cronies, lawyers and front corporations has purchased nearly P1 billion worth of land and houses in President Estrada's behalf since 1998, according to a new report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ). FULL STORY PRESIDENT Estrada says he is open to the idea of holding a snap presidential election even as he urged the military not to support groups seeking his ouster. FULL STORY AN OPPOSITION congressman says he expects 60 solons to sign the formal impeachment complaint against President Estrada within the next two days. FULL STORY 22 October PRESIDENT Estrada says he would not let his 28-month-old administration get sidetracked by its worst political crisis over allegations he has received millions in jueteng money and kickbacks from tobacco taxes. FULL STORY SAYING she has to defend and protect the Constitution, Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo says no to the proposed snap presidential election.FULL STORY ILOCOS Sur Gov. Luis ``Chavit'' Singson on Friday could only watch in envy as senators gently but firmly question two of President Estrada's sons on allegations that they partook of the jueteng money and tobacco tax kickbacks their father had allegedly pocketed. FULL STORY 21 October AFTER a five-minute meeting with President Estrada in Malacañang on Thursday, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile files on Friday a resolution seeking the holding of "a snap presidential election to reestablish the legitimacy of the Estrada administration." FULL STORY FORMER Philippine National Police chief Roberto Lastimoso tells the Senate blue ribbon and justice committees that he went easy on jueteng, obeying President Estrada's alleged order. FULL STORY MALACAÑANG admits that it invited congressmen to a meeting Wednesday but denies that pork barrel was offered in exchange for supporting President Estrada in the impeachment proceedings.FULL STORY 20 October PRESIDENT Estrada directs the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and the Philippine National Police to close all Bingo 2-Ball outlets and jai alai off-fronton betting stations.FULL STORY THE SENATE blue ribbon committee may summon President Estrada and his mistresses to testify over allegations he received more than P400 million in jueteng payoffs, even if Congress rejects an impeachment complaint against him, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel said yesterday. FULL STORY A HIGH-RANKING official of the Commission on Elections alleges that one of President Estrada's women "pressured" the poll body into picking the winning bidder for the P6.5-B computerized voters registration project. FULL STORY THE PHILIPPINE hits an all-time low, tumbling to 48.775 to the dollar amid a political crisis stemming from the jueteng allegations against President Estrada. FULL STORY 19 October NATIONAL security adviser Alexander Aguirre said yesterday the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police will not recognize any successor to President Estrada if the embattled Chief Executive is forced to resign.FULL STORY OPPOSITION congressmen and groups are finally able to file a formal impeachment complaint against President Estrada in the House of Representatives.FULL STORY AT A RALLY in Makati City attended by President Estrada's accuser Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, protesters from different sectors loudly demand the President's resignation in the wake of the jueteng scandal.FULL STORY 18 October THE INTERNATIONAL Monetary Fund and World Bank yesterday joined four local business groups in voicing concern that charges of corruption against President Estrada are hurting the country's economy.FULL STORY FORMER President Corazon Aquino urges President Estrada to consider making the "supreme self-sacrifice" by resigning.FULL STORY THE MOST recent survey of the Social Weather Stations shows that Mr. Estrada's popularity is rising, but the survey was taken from Sept. 23-Oct. 6, shortly before Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson's jueteng allegations.FULL STORY 17 October AMID the worsening jueteng scandal, President Estrada yesterday accused the Ramos administration of planning a campaign of bombing and arson to force him to resign.FULL STORY SEN. Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, who once led coups against the Aquino adminsitration, says that no coup d'etat is being planned against President Estrada. FULL STORY THE OUTGOING chair of the Presidential Commission Against Graft and Corruption declares that President Estrada should serve as a good role model and challenges him to disclose the sources of his wealth.FULL STORY 16 October PRESIDENT Estrada met yesterday afternoon with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Gregorio ''Gringo'' Honasan and Philippine National Police chief Director General Panfilo Lacson at Malacañang. FULL STORY JV Ejercito joins the First Lady in coming to his Dad's defense and says that Singson confessed to being pressured by former President Fidel Ramos. FULL STORY Chavit says he'll stop leaking information on condition that Estrada resigns. FULL STORY The peso is the biggest casualty of the jueteng scandal: analysts predict 50 to the dollar this week. FULL STORY
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