Estrada's Impeachment

October 2000

LEFTISTS SPLIT OVER GLORIA LEADERSHIP: Leftist groups who have plunged 
noisily into the anti-Estrada protest arena once more brought their 
internal squabbles into the fore yesterday as they publicly argued 
whether to support or bring down emerging opposition leader Vice 
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. 

On the one hand, Rep. Renato Magtubo of Sanlakas, which is identified 
with the left's ``rejectionist'  faction, declared yesterday that a 
new government under Macapagal would simply be a "farce." 

"The people have a third way, the road of social change and political 
and electoral reforms," he said. 

The Sanlakas then vented its ire on Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and the 
Kilusang Mayo Uno, rival groups associated with the ``reaffirmist'" 
faction in the left led by communist leader Jose Maria Sison. 

Sanlakas said the two organizations were "willing to be used in 
installing the new oppressor of the people," referring to the vice 
president. It said Bayan and KMU’s endorsement of Macapagal 
as Mr. Estrada’s successor was a "flagrant betrayal of the masses 
and their death warrant as left organizations." 

Sanlakas issued the statement after Bayan and the KMU joined the 
"United Opposition" party formally launched by Macapagal on Saturday 
in Cebu City. The group also includes mainstream opposition parties 
in the country, the Lakas-NUCD-Kampi, Reporma, Promdi, and Aksyon 
Demokratiko. 

Former National Democratic Front spokesperson Satur Ocampo admitted 
the NDF and other leftist groups had formed a "broad front" with the 
"United Opposition"led by Macapagal. But Ocampo explained this was 
just a "very loose" temporary alliance based on the common 
objective of forcing the resignation or ouster of President Estrada. 

He said that the loose alliance of the left with the United Opposition 
or with Macapagal could deepen. But this would all depend on 
Macapagal's position on the left's concerns regarding foreign 
investments, land reform, the Visiting Forces Agreement and on the 
re-opening of the government's peace talks with the NDF. 

Sison himself lashed out yesterday at groups demanding not only the 
resignation of Mr. Estrada but also that of Macapagal. 

"It is absolutely wrong now to put Gloria Macapagal at par with 
Estrada or to make her appear as worse than he," said Sison, now 
chief political consultant of the NDF. If Macapagal did an Estrada 
once she assumed power, he added, she would be accountable for the 
problems of puppetry, corruption, cronyism, the all-out war policy 
and human rights violations. 

"She would go the ignominious way of Estrada if she would not solve 
but aggravate these problems," Sison said in his Oct. 28 statement 
posted in the NDF's website at: 

http://members.nbci.com/natdemfront/. 

Moreover, according to Sison, the "Estrada regime" was using 
"pseudo-left elements" to confuse the target of the broad united front 
and shield the President from "the people's wrath."

He was apparently referring to Sanlakas, which led a rally in Makati 
on Friday calling for the resignation of Mr. Estrada, Macapagal and 
all government officials. 

He described Sanlakas’ move as an "old shallow tactic of 
concealing one enemy by attacking the many" in an attempt to 
"crack the broad united front aimed at removing Estrada from power." 
Inquirer, 10/30/2000


170 GROUPS IN PEOPLE'S CONGRESS CRY: 
"GUILTY" "Guilty!" 
This was the verdict overwhelmingly handed down on President Estrada 
yesterday by more than 1,500 participants of the Kongreso ng 
Mamamayang Pilipino (Kompil) at the Ateneo High School gym in 
Quezon City. 

Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former President Corazon 
Aquino and Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson addressed the 
congress. But it was former Solicitor General Frank Chavez's 
enumeration of the charges against the President that drew the 
strongest reaction from delegates belonging to 170 civic groups. 

The President's alleged offenses included bribery, graft and 
corruption, betrayal of the public trust, culpable violation of 
the Constitution and the "betrayal of the poor, the masses, the 
farmers and the workers." 

To each offense, the crowd screamed "Guilty!" while some shouted 
"Bitay! (Hang him!)" 

But officials of the Estrada administration called for sobriety 
amid mounting calls for the President to resign. In a television 
interview, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said there was need 
for two-way communication "if we are to resolve the present situation." 

He also took exception to comparisons made between the present 
situation and that obtaining in January 1984 when the first Kompil 
congress called for the resignation of then President Ferdinand Marcos. 

He said there was no comparison because Marcos was a dictator and 
there was no press freedom at the time. Today, he said, the country 
has the freest media in Asia and anybody can hit the President. 

Yesterday's Kompil participants demanded Mr. Estrada's immediate 
resignation because, according to Chavez, impeachment "may take time." 
Singson presented to the crowd a brown attaché case in which he said 
he delivered P5 million to the President in Malacanang as part of the 
jueteng payoffs. 

He also turned over some documents to Chavez and several congressmen 
who had signed the impeachment complaint against the President. Others 
who addressed the congress were former revenue commissioner Liwayway 
Vinzons-Chato, former Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Perfecto 
Yasay and representatives of the urban poor, the labor sector and 
Muslims in Mindanao. 

As part of the congress' recommendations and course of action, the 
participants resolved to stage work stoppages and general strikes and 
to stop paying their taxes. Other alternatives presented to make the 
President resign were more protest actions, transport strikes, noise 
barrages, prayer rallies, the boycott of products of crony companies 
and movies made by presidential friends, and the use of visual symbols 
like T-shirts and pins. 

During the daylong workshop, pickets were also planned in Congress 
and the houses of congressmen and Cabinet members who still support 
the President. The congress participants also vowed to support the 
impeachment proceedings, initiate signature drives asking for Mr. 
Estrada's resignation and impeachment, and talk to members of the 
administration to convince them to resign. Inquirer, 10/30/2000


IMPEACHMENT CASE- CHAIRMAN OF JUSTICE PANEL INHIBITS SELF: The Chair of the 
House justice committee, which is tasked with hearing the impeachment 
complaint against President Estrada, has decided to inhibit himself from 
the proceedings, after colleagues questioned several of his decisions 
during yesterday's plenary session. 

Nueva Ecija Rep. Pacifico Fajardo stepped aside after Makati Rep. Joker 
Arroyo revealed that the former had told justice committee members that 
they would be holding executive meetings to determine the "form and 
substance" of the impeachment complaint. 

Arroyo criticized the move, warning that if the committee decided that the 
complaint was not sufficient in form, it could dismiss it without the 
public knowing what really happened. 

The impeachment hearings now will be presided over by committee vice chair 
Rep. Neptali "Boyet" Gonzales II, whom a colleague noted was one of those 
who helped "gag" Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson when he appeared 
before the House committee on public order early this month. 

"The choice of Congressman Boyet Gonzales is a terrible one. It spells 
stonewall in scary, capital letters. (The majority) should have picked 
anyone but Gonzales. Gonzales has admitted that he was one of those who 
went to Malacanang on the invitation of the President despite the 
impeachment case," Rep. Roilo Golez said. 

Fajardo's decision to withdraw from the proceedings came after Arroyo's 
remarks sparked a debate where Rep. Sergio Apostol urged House members to 
come up with a resolution ordering Fajardo to follow the rules. 

Davao del Sur Rep. Douglas Cagas, meantime, pointed out that Fajardo was 
related to Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and that he had committed 
several blunders in his handling of the justice committee. 

Fajardo, who even critics said was well-loved and had no enemies, heard the 
remarks, stood up and declared that he was inhibiting himself from the 
panel, a move that was hailed by Rep. Eduardo Gullas as the act of a 
"gentleman."

With his decision, Fajardo said it would mean that the executive meeting he 
had set for today and subsequent executive meetings should be deemed 
cancelled. 

The panel is expected to hold its first hearing on Nov. 6, a date earlier 
set by Fajardo himself. 

In Davao City yesterday, Golez warned members of the justice committee that 
a "lynch mob" would be waiting for them if they continued with their 
dilatory tactics in the impeachment case against the President. 

Golez said many members of the House perceive the committee to be resorting 
to delaying tactics in the impeachment hearings. 

He said the committee could start discussing impeachment now and can even 
hold marathon hearings. 

He said House members have noted that Speaker Manuel Villar has not done 
anything despite earlier assurances he would expedite the impeachment 
hearings. 

Golez said what Villar is saying is different from what he is doing. 
Inquirer, 10/27/2000


PESO BREAKS 50: 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. Only a last-minute intervention by the Bangko 
Sentral ng Pilipinas yesterday pulled the peso off its all-time intraday 
low of 50.95 against the US dollar, dealers said. 

The battered peso finished at 50.40 to the dollar, down from 49.65 on 
Wednesday. The local currency averaged 50.03 on Thursday, with a total of 
$58.5 million transacted on the Philippine Dealing System. 

After staying on the sidelines for most of the trading day, the central 
bank decided to sell $5-10 million a few minutes before the closing to 
prevent the peso from touching the 51 level, traders said. 

As the peso bled, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Felipe Medalla said the 
government had decided to intervene more aggressively at the P52-to-$1 
level. 

He voiced confidence the Estrada administration had more muscle than 
currency dealers had. "Speculators should be warned. The moment we resolve 
this crisis, the peso will recover and they'll lose out," Medalla said. 

The country's economic managers, however, seem to be running out of weapons 
in their arsenal to defend the peso. The central bank has already increased 
the reserve requirements of banks, raised key overnight rates and sold a 
big volume of dollars on the spot market. 

On Wednesday, for instance, Finance Secretary Jose Pardo told a House 
budget hearing the country's dollar reserves had dwindled to about $13 
billion as of Oct. 24 from $15.4 billion at the end of August. 

The government is now way off its $16.4-billion reserve target it had 
promised the International Monetary Fund. 

For his part, BSP Governor Rafael Buenaventura hinted he was no longer 
willing to raise interest rates further. 

According to him, such a measure would pose too many risks to the economy 
that was already reeling from the political crisis, skyrocketing oil 
prices, and a host of other negative factors. 

Buenaventura said the peso had come under pressure not just from the 
jueteng scandal but also from outside influences that have hurt other 
currencies and markets, including violence in the Middle East, high oil 
prices and worries about the US and Japanese economies. 

Buenaventura said three other regional currencies--the Australian and New 
Zealand dollars and the Indonesian rupiah--were performing worse than the 
peso this year. Inquirer, 10/27/2000


GLORIA STEPS UP ATTACK ON ESTRADA: SAN PABLO, Laguna--A day after she urged 
President Estrada to resign, Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stepped 
up her attacks against the President. 

Macapagal said here that the President failed to keep his promise to serve 
the poor. Macapagal said the "jueteng" scandal hounding the President 
showed that his promise not to let his relatives and friends benefit from 
the government was just empty words. 

A Malacanang official admitted that Macapagal's call on Wednesday for the 
President to resign was a big blow to the administration. "Macapagal's call 
for a resignation did not help in any way because she's no ordinary 
citizen. She's the country's second highest official and her call may be 
one factor that would only further undermine the peso's stability," 

Angelito Banayo, presidential adviser on political affairs, said in a 
statement. Macapagal said there was consensus that "it was not in the 
national interest for this political and economic crisis to be prolonged." 

The Vice President said that the "stormy political developments" had 
affected the country's economy. Macapagal noted that the administration was 
punishing the people by raising high interest rates "to address political 
problems." 

She addressed the members of 42 party list and people's organizations. The 
groups, which boast of four million members, formally aligned yesterday 
with the united opposition that Macapagal is forming against Mr. Estrada. 

They included labor organizations like the Trade Union Congress of the 
Philippines and Lakas Manggagawa Labor Center, Partido Demokratiko-
Sosyalista ng Pilipinas, and the Coconut Farmers Federation for Rural 
Advancement. 

Present in the gathering were TUCP president Democrito Mendoza, PDSP chair 
Norberto Gonzales, and lawyer Ricardo Blancaflor of the Coalition of Party-
List Organization. 

In her speech, Macapagal said that she had heard the people's call for her 
leadership. The Vice President said the squid tactics employed had 
victimized her, former President Fidel Ramos and the Church, by the 
administration. 

The Vice President will be in Cebu today to meet for the first time with 
members of the united opposition, that included former Cebu Gov. Lito 
Osmena and former Defense Secretary Renato de Villa, leaders of the Promdi 
and Reporma parties. 

She is expected to make a major speech today before the business community 
as well as multi-sectoral groups, on how she intends to restore civil and 
business confidence in the country. 

For his part, National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre, who had earlier 
vowed to protect the Estrada administration with his "blood," appeared to 
have softened on his stand, saying he is now ready to accept the 
possibility of the President resigning. 

But he stressed that if the President were to be removed, it should be 
through constitutional means. 

The militant women's group Gabriela hailed Macapagal's call for the 
President to step down. Gabriela said millions of Filipino women had long 
expressed their dissatisfaction with the government's failure to respond to 
the needs of the people. 

Gabriela said Macapagal's call should serve as a signal for other 
government officials, especially women, to leave the Estrada 
administration. 

But in Bacolod, Macapagal's call drew flak from cause-oriented groups, 
which called her a "vulture pouncing on a sinking ship." Ariel Guides, 
Sanlakas spokesperson in Negros Occidental, said the Vice President had 
been collaborating with the administration for a long time. Now that Mr. 
Estrada is in trouble, Macapagal is calling for his ouster, according to 
Guides. 

Resendo Elola, Bukluran ng Magbubukid sa Pilipinas secretary general in 
Negros Occidental, said Arroyo's call for Mr. Estrada's resignation only 
showed that the Vice President was a "trapo" and a "vulture." 

He said Arroyo was taking advantage of Mr. Estrada's woes by turning 
against him. Both the BMP and the Sanlakas will hold a rally this afternoon 
in Bacolod City to press for the resignation of both Mr. Estrada and 
Macapagal to pave the way for a snap presidential election. 

Guides said Macapagal would not bring social transformation even if she 
assumed the presidency because both Mr. Estrada and Macapagal belonged to 
the same social class. Inquirer, 10/27/2000


BIG BUSINESS GROUPS WANT ESTRADA TO QUIT: The country's top business 
leaders, touted as the country’s movers and shakers, believe 
President Estrada’s resignation will be the economy's salvation. 

An overwhelming majority of the members of the country's most influential 
business organizations - the Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Management 
Association of the Philippines (MAP) – said in two separate polls 
they want the President to resign to save the economy. 

"We haven't seen anything like this before," said business leader Raul 
Concepcion, referring to the state of the economy following allegations 
from Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson that President Estrada received 
P400 million in illegal gambling bribes. 

Concepcion urged congressmen to fast-track impeachment proceedings for a 
trial in the Senate. Juan Santos, president of Nestlé Philippines, heads 
lawyer Ricardo Romulo chairs the MBC and the MAP. 

The MBC survey - taken from Oct. 23 to 26 -said 96 percent of 230 
responding business executives believe Mr. Estrada should step down 
"to save the country from further economic ruin arising from the current 
controversy (the jueteng scandal)," while a mere four percent said he 
should stay. 

Of the 96 percent who said the President should leave office, 90 percent 
called for his immediate resignation, six percent preferred impeachment and 
four percent favored a leave of absence. In the MAP poll – conducted 
from Oct. 24 to 26 - 92 percent of 209 respondents said Mr. Estrada should 
leave office, while only seven percent felt the President should finish his 
six-year term that ends in 2004. 

The surveys' respondents were limited to the groups' members. 

Of the 92 percent who said he should leave, 80 percent preferred immediate 
resignation, nine percent said Mr. Estrada should be impeached, and four 
percent favored a leave of absence. 

The MBC and MAP polls followed a Social Weather Stations nationwide survey 
which showed that 85 percent of Filipinos viewed the government as corrupt. 

Aside from Filipino businessmen, the MBC includes some of the most 
prominent businessmen in Southeast Asia. On the other hand, the MAP is 
composed of top corporate executives ' like presidents, chief executive 
officers and board chairmen ' including those from the Philippines' top 
companies. Phil. Star, 10/27/2000


PESO SKIDS TO 49.25:$1: 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. 

The peso closed at 49.205 against the dollar on the Philippine Dealing 
System, down from Monday's close of 48.960. The peso hit an all-time 
intraday low of 49.250, but traders said the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas 
sold about $10-20 million in the spot market late Tuesday afternoon to 
soften the fall of the local currency. 

The peso averaged 49.143 compared to 48.89 Monday. 

Traders said the demand for dollars surged as calls mounted for the 
President to resign following allegations that he pocketed hundred of 
millions in jueteng payoffs and tobacco tax kickbacks. 

With the dollar supply a little tight, importers rushed to buy the 
greenback at current levels to fund their raw material purchases, according 
to traders. They said importers were worried the peso could slip beyond 50 
this week as the expected inflow of dollar remittances from overseas 
Filipino workers remained sluggish. 

Traders said OFWs were delaying their remittances in the hope of getting a 
better exchange rate for their dollars. Speculators were also reportedly 
testing the resolve of monetary authorities to defend the peso, the world's 
second-worst performing currency. 

The peso has slid 5.7 percent since Oct. 9 when Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis 
"Chavit" Singson accused the President of receiving more than P400 million 
in jueteng payoffs and P130 million in tobacco tax kickbacks. 

Since the start of the year, the peso has already lost 22 percent of its 
value against the US dollar. Traders said there was a growing market 
perception that monetary authorities no longer want to raise overnight 
rates further to avoid crippling economic growth. 

A massive four percentage point increase in the central bank's overnight 
rates earlier this month resulted in sharp increases in the yield of 
treasury bills on the secondary market. The central bank's overnight 
borrowing rate is now 15 percent. 

BSP Governor Rafael Buenaventura met Tuesday with officials of the Bankers 
Association of the Philippines discuss, among others, caps on commercial 
bank lending rates that shot up after the central bank raised overnight 
interest rates to prop up the peso. 

The prime lending rate at commercial banks jumped to about 20.03 percent 
yesterday from 15.17 percent on Oct. 12, a day before the BSP increased 
overnight rates by 4 percentage points. Several banks have jacked up 
lending rates to as high as 27 percent. 

The high rates are forcing businessmen to forego borrowings to finance 
ordinary working capital requirements as well as expansion projects. 

As if that were not enough, the embattled Estrada administration will have 
to cope with still another threat to economic growth--another round of fuel 
price increases. 

Local oil companies yesterday said they planned to raise fuel prices by as 
much as P1 per liter by the end of the month. 

They said the P49-$1 exchange rate and the rise of Dubai crude to $31.90 
per barrel had left them with no choice but to adjust fuel prices 
accordingly. 

Analysts also warned the peso's weakness could drive food prices up. 
Inquirer, 10/25/2000


SC REJECTS PETITION TO STOP SENATE PROBE: The Supreme Court yesterday 
rejected a petition filed by a group of lawyers from Pangasinan who urged 
it to stop the investigation being conducted by the Senate blue ribbon and 
justice and human tights committees on the alleged involvement of President 
Estrada in the jueteng scandal. 

Voting unanimously, the 14 justices present voted en banc to allow the 
Senate investigation on the allegations made by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis 
"Chavit" Singson that Mr. Estrada had pocketed hundreds of millions of 
pesos in jueteng proceeds. 

The petitioners, who belong to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-
Pangasinan chapter, "have no legal standing," the high court said. 

The court also acknowledged that the "judiciary cannot interfere with the 
official function of the legislature," short of saying that it did not want 
to meddle with a political question. 

The petitioners argued that the Senate committees "committed grave abuse 
of discretion amounting to excess of jurisdiction when they conducted an 
inquiry on a subject matter properly belonging to the House of 
Representatives." Inquirer, 10/25/2000


EXECUTIVE TOPS CORRUPTION LIST: Most Filipinos believe their government is 
corrupt with members of the executive branch being the most notorious for 
corruption, a pre-'juetengate' survey conducted by the Social Weather 
Stations said yesterday. 

The findings came as the nation was reeling from a gambling and bribery 
scandal surrounding President Estrada, who was accused by one of closest 
friends of taking hundreds of millions of pesos as kickbacks from illegal 
gambling and pocketing P130 million from tobacco taxes. 

The survey was conducted last month before the revelation of Ilocos Sur 
Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson that he personally delivered millions of pesos 
in jueteng and tobacco tax money to the President. 

In a summary, the SWS said 54 percent of respondents said the Executive 
branch was "the most notorious for corruption" with the legislature second 
with 30 percent and the judiciary with 17 percent. 

The respondents were asked to name in which of the three branches of 
government was corruption most widespread. 

The SWS said in a statement its survey on public attitudes toward 
corruption between 1997 and 2000 indicated that "most consider the extent 
of corruption in government to be large."

The size of this suspicious majority was, however, "volatile" it said. 

"Among branches, the executive is the most notorious for corruption, 
next the legislature, and then the judiciary."

SWS said a majority of the respondents also thought "many, if not all, 
businessmen engage in bribery to speed up papers, government contracts, or 
reduce their tax payments."

A majority says the government is sincere in wanting to eradicate 
corruption, but the common view is that just "a little" is being done to 
stop it, the statement added. 

The respondents listed the Department of Public Works and Highways; Bureau 
of Internal Revenue; Bureau of Customs; Department of Education, Culture 
and Sports; and the Philippine National Police as the most notoriously 
corrupt agencies. 

The survey also showed that most people think that at least 30 percent (or 
P200 billion) goes to corruption in the provision of textbooks, purchase of 
equipment, building of roads, and collection of taxes. 

The majority respondents believe that very many, if not all, businessmen 
engage in bribery to speed up papers, get government contracts or reduce 
tax payments. Also, the majority believe that corruption in media to be 
large. Inquirer, 10/25/2000


P130-M FUND DIVERSION AT LAND BANK CONFIRMED: Two top officials of the 
state-run Land Bank of the Philippines confirmed yesterday the claim of 
Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson that he diverted P130 million in 
tobacco taxes intended for his province. 

Victoria Reyes, Land Bank vice president for the National Capital Region, 
told a Senate inquiry that their branch in Vigan, Ilocos Sur transmitted 
the P130 million to three private savings accounts in the bank’s Shaw 
Boulevard branch in Mandaluyong City. 

Under questioning from Senate Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona and Lakas 
senators Juan Flavier and Loren Legarda, Reyes said they verified the 
money's origin because of the huge amount. 

"We were informed that the money came from the provincial government of 
Ilocos Sur," Reyes told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee which is 
investigating the jueteng scandal. 

Lolita Almazan, manager of the bank’s Shaw Boulevard branch, told the 
Senate investigation that the accounts were in the names of Alma Alfaro, 
Delia Rajas and Leuterio Tan. She said P50 million was deposited in Rajas-
account, and P40 million each in the accounts of Alfaro and Tan. 

Almazan said the three savings accounts were opened on the day the P130 
million was transferred, and the money withdrawn also on the same day. It 
was not mentioned if the accounts were closed after the transactions. 

Because of the huge amounts, Almazan said Alfaro, Rajas and Tan converted 
the money into cashiers' checks. To trace who encashed the checks and where 
they were encashed, committee chairman Aquilino Pimentel directed Reyes and 
Almazan to submit copies of the checks and other pertinent documents about 
the transactions to his panel. 

Pimentel also subpoenaed Alfaro, Rajas and Tan to shed light. 
At one point, Sen. Raul Roco reminded his colleagues that the Bank Secrecy 
Law covers bank transactions. But Pimentel ruled that the panel may 
continue asking Reyes and Almazan about the transactions unless the bank 
officials invoked the law. 

The testimonies of Reyes and Almazan bolstered Singson’s accusations 
against Mr. Estrada that the President received P130 million out of the 
P200 million in tobacco taxes intended for Ilocos Sur. 
Phil. Star, 10/24/2000


SPEAKER VILLAR SENDS IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT TO HOUSE JUSTICE PANEL: Speaker 
Manuel Villar Jr. referred the impeachment complaint against President 
Estrada yesterday to the House committee on justice for hearings. 

He said the justice committee should get to the bottom of the charges filed 
against the President by opposition congressmen and various people's 
organizations "so the whole truth may be known." 

Villar asked the committee to conduct hearings during the two-week recess 
of Congress which begins this weekend. He urged committee members not to go 
to Malacanang for obvious reasons. 

He also asked Secretary General Roberto Nazareno to make the necessary 
physical arrangements for the impeachment hearings, which he said will be 
open to the media and the general public. Villar sent the impeachment 
complaint to the justice committee on Day 4 of the 10-day period prescribed 
by the Constitution for him to do so. 

Rep. Pacifico Fajardo, committee chairman, said shortly after the complaint 
was referred to his panel that he would immediately convince the committee 
members to discuss procedural matters. 

He said he hoped he and his colleagues could start the impeachment hearings 
this week before the congressional break. On the day the ouster petition 
was sent to the justice committee, one more signature was added to it. 

Rep. Krisel Lagman-Luistro signed the complaint after determining "that the 
requirement of substance constituting the impeachment offenses… has 
been satisfied." 

She said the impeachment proceedings "respond to the President's demand for 
due process in the proper forum" and will be a test at the credibility and 
independence of Congress. 

Luistro's signature brought to 44 the number of signatories on the 
petition. This number excludes several Liberal Party congressmen who have 
publicly announced their decision to sign it. 

Villar also said he was not all bothered by reports that some of his LAMP 
colleagues are plotting to oust him because of his independent stance 
insofar as the impeachment initiative is concerned. He said the coup rumor 
could just be intrigue but that he could not stop solons belonging to the 
majority from removing him if they want to. 

There are also coup rumors in the Senate. At least one opposition senator 
has confirmed that some senators, upon the prodding of outside forces, are 
plotting to oust Senate President Franklin Drilon. 

The plotters are blaming Drilon for the embarrassment the Blue Ribbon 
Committee hearings on the jueteng scandal have been causing the President. 
Phil. Star, 10/24/2000


GMA WARNS VS STATE OF EMERGENCY: Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 
warned President Estrada yesterday against declaring a state of emergency 
to quell growing opposition to his administration. 

Arroyo said she would be busy in the coming days meeting with various cause-
oriented, religious and political groups to discuss "an alternative 
agenda." 

Tomorrow, the Vice President will be meeting with a select group of 
academicians, who she declined to identify except that they are from Metro 
Manila. On Friday, Arroyo would be in Cebu City to meet with religious and 
opposition leaders led by former Cebu Gov. Lito Osmena. 

In a related development, militant labor groups assailed Mr. Estrada for 
abusing the name of the poor to gain sympathy. The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) 
and the Workers Against Erap (Wage) told a press conference that Mr. 
Estrada has no right to speak for the poor while he lives in mansions. 

"He is always invoking the name of the poor whenever he is under attack, 
but he has never done any concrete and lasting service for the poor," said 
Wage spokesman Lito Ustarez. He noted that the poor have become poorer 
under the Estrada administration. 

For his part, KMU chairman Crispin Beltran said the President's visits to 
urban poor communities does not necessarily mean that the Chief Executive 
is pro-poor. 

"If Mr. Estrada thinks that by occasional visits to squatters and rural 
communities is being one of the poor, then he'd better drink some more 
Johnny Walker Blue Labels," he said. 

In other developments yesterday, about 50,000 people from various "urban 
poor groups" in Metro Manila will march today from the Quezon City Mabuhay 
Rotunda to the Don Chino Bridge (formerly Mendiola) to express their 
support to Mr. Estrada. 

The rally will be led by the People's Movement Against Poverty, which 
strongly believes that Mr. Estrada can reform the society through a number 
of policies. Phil. Star, 10/24/2000


NOW,IT'S GRAND MANSIONS: 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). 

The PCIJ said that its investigation showed that the President secretly 
acquired over 18,500 square meters of real estate in some of the country's 
most luxurious subdivisions through front companies set up with the help of 
one of his personal lawyers, Edward S. Serapio. 

The carefully researched report details how three of Mr. Estrada's cronies--
businessman Jacinto Ng, former housing adviser Jose Luis "Sel" Yulo and 
duty-free operator Lucio Lao Co--formed companies that were used to 
purchase at least seven properties for the President, including the New 
Manila residence known as "Boracay."

The properties listed in the report include "Boracay," the 7,000-square 
meter compound at 100 11th Street, New Manila; a 4,815-square meter 
property at 796-800 Harvard St., Wack Wack subdivision, Mandaluyong; and at 
least five other lots in Wack Wack. 

Residents there call the President "the biggest landowner in the whole of 
exclusive Wack Wack," since the village properties supposedly owned by Mr. 
Estrada total 11,388 square meters and are worth P455.5 million at current 
market prices, according to the report. 

Citing the President's 1999 declared net income of P2.3 million and net 
worth of P35.8 million, the PCIJ questioned whether the money used to 
purchase P1-billion worth of properties was illegally obtained. 

The PCIJ investigation discovered that Serapio, who is also the 
presidential assistant for political affairs, "was responsible for putting 
together the corporate infrastructure for the land purchases," according to 
journalist Sheila Coronel, the center's executive director and one of the 
report's four authors. 

A bar topnotcher from the Ateneo law school, Serapio is a senior partner in 
the De Borja Medialdea Bello Guevarra Serapio & Gerodias law firm, "which 
is known in lawyering circles for its closeness to the Estrada 
administration," the report said. 

The report explained how five partners of Serapio's law firm formed two 
corporations on July 12, 1999 that "appear to have provided the legal cover 
to purchase" the New Manila estate, as well as two adjoining lots in Wack 
Wack totaling 2,327 square meters. 

Both of those companies--St. Peter's Holding Corp. and Becks Resources--had 
the same five incorporators and the same paid-up capital of only P62,500, 
and bought properties worth tens of millions of pesos that later ended up 
in the hands of cronies, the report said. 

The house on the property has been renovated and is now worth an estimated 
P150 million, it said. The renovations reportedly include temperature-
controlled rooms, a giant gazebo, a smoke machine, and a now notorious wave 
pool with real sand. 

Altogether, the five parcels of land at 796-800 Harvard St. have a market 
value of P192 million, not including the house under construction. 

The report quoted a Wack Wack village official, who said: "We were informed 
that the construction belonged to Erap. In the beginning, they put up a 20-
foot curtain made of plastic sacks to cover the construction, but that 
attracted even more attention. Inquirer, 10/23/2000


ESTRADA SAYS HE'S OPEN TO SNAP ELECTION: Pres. Estrada admitted yesterday 
that he was open to the idea of holding a snap presidential election even 
as he urged the military not to support groups seeking his ouster. 

To those asking him to resign, working to have him impeached and calling on 
him to take a leave of absence, the President gave them this advice. 

"Why don't they take a vacation in the squatter areas and in far-flung 
areas so that they may see the abject poverty of our people whom they have 
long ignored," he said. 

The President said he would go for a snap election only if the Filipino 
people clamored for it. 

"That is constitutionally impossible, but if they want it . . . it would be 
better if there will be a snap election. It will be up to the Filipino 
people," Mr. Estrada said in an interview at the turnover rites of the 
Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio. 

Under the Constitution, a snap election can only be called if there is 
vacancy in the positions of the President and the Vice President. 

Mr. Estrada said he had no hand in Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile's filing of a 
resolution seeking the holding of a "snap presidential election to re-
establish the legitimacy of the Estrada administration."

But House Majority Leader Eduardo Gullas revealed on Saturday that the 
President had indicated his interest in holding a snap election a day 
before Enrile filed the resolution on Friday. 

Gullas said the President told a dinner meeting in Malacanang that he 
preferred a snap election because he wanted the people to decide on his 
fate, and not Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, former Presidents 
Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos and the opposition. 

Critics of the Estrada administration are wary of Enrile's proposal, saying 
it could be a ploy to sidestep accusations that he was a protector of 
jueteng lords. 

Senate Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona Jr. earlier warned that the 
holding of a snap election might provide the President with a "way out" of 
criminal culpability arising from charges that he pocketed more than P500
 million in jueteng and tobacco tax money. 

Senators have declared Enrile's proposal dead. Thirteen senators are 
opposed to the resolution. Only Enrile and Sen. Raul Roco are supporting it. 

Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo herself declared that she was 
against a snap presidential election. The President was at Fort Bonifacio 
to oversee the turnover of the Philippine Army command from Lt. Gen. 
Voltaire Gazmin to Maj. Gen. Diomedio Villanueva. 

The President asked the military to rally behind him in defending the 
Constitution, which he said was under attack by politically motivated 
groups. Mr. Estrada admitted that Malacanang was "besieged" by attacks 
"aimed at discrediting my moral credibility to lead this nation."

But he said he was determined to stay in office until year 2004. He 
reiterated that he never took jueteng money. The President expressed 
optimism that he would weather the crisis with the support of the military. 
Inquirer, 10/23/2000


US HANDS OFF ON RP AFFAIRS: The United States is keeping its hands off the 
leadership crisis now raging in the Philippines, a US Embassy official 
said. 

US charge d'affaires Mike Malinowski reiterated Washington's policy of 
"non-interference in the purely internal affairs" of other countries. 

"These are purely domestic matters which we believe can be capably handled 
by your government. We believe that the Filipino people would strictly 
follow your own democratic principles and constitutional processes," 
Malinowski said after a closed-door meeting with President Estrada. 

Mr. Estrada invited Malinowski to a "private meeting" at Malacanang Friday 
night, according to a Palace official who refused to be identified. 
Malinowski denied rumors that he delivered a letter from US President Bill 
Clinton, who reportedly expressed concern over the political instability in 
the Philippines wrought by the scandal -Mr. Estrada's most serious crisis 
in his nearly 29 months in office. 

However, Malinowski admitted that he and the President discussed the latest 
political turmoil to hit the country which, he said, appeared to be 
reaching "crisis" proportions due to the widespread clamor for Mr. 
Estrada's resignation. 

According to the Malacanang official who requested anonymity, Malinowski 
also assured Mr. Estrada that Washington would not be drawn into attempts 
by Filipino opposition politicians to send signals of US pressure on Mr. 
Estrada, urging him to step down. 

Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo Siazon Jr. earlier claimed that the 
political opposition has been calling on foreign embassies, campaigning 
against Mr. Estrada. Siazon refused to identify the opposition politicians. 
Phil. Star, 10/22/2000


PALACE DENIES HAND IN SENATE COUP TRY: Malacanang denied yesterday 
allegations that it is involved in a plot to oust Senate President Franklin 
Drilon for his alleged failure to prevent the Blue Ribbon Committee's 
investigation of the jueteng scandal. 

Opposition Sen. Renato Cayetano confirmed on Friday the alleged coup plot 
against Drilon. 

"Malacanang has no-thing to do with this," Press Secretary Ricardo Puno Jr. 
said. 

He cited the separation of powers between the executive and legislative 
branches of government. 

Cayetano said he was approached by some of his colleagues who wanted to 
unseat Drilon for his failure to stop the probe jointly conducted by the 
Blue Ribbon Committee and the justice committee, headed by Senators 
Aquilino Pimentel and Cayetano, respectively. 

Sources said those being eyed as possible replacement for Drilon are Senate 
Pro Tempore Blas Ople and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. Puno belied charges that 
the plot against Drilon was hatched by the Palace. Phil. Star, 10/22/2000


SABOTAGE, COUP RUMORS SPREAD AS BLACKOUT HITS LUZON: A massive power 
failure hit most parts of Luzon yesterday, triggering an avalanche of 
rumors of sabotage and coup attempts against the beleaguered administration 
of President Estrada. 

Metro Manilans struggled with chaos on the streets wrought by dead traffic 
lights, non-functioning mass transit systems and protest actions against 
the President. 

Limited access to news and information sources and rampant text messaging 
via cellular phones fueled wild speculations of a takeover at Malacanang 
and even the declaration of martial law. 

"There is really nothing to worry about. Right now we are looking for 
jellyfish to blame," Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, attempting to calm 
millions of anxious people, quipped. 

He was recalling a similar blackout last December reportedly triggered by 
50 tons of jellyfish clogging a cooling system in a Pangasinan power plant. 

The state-run National Power Corp. (Napocor) said yesterday's blackout was 
apparently caused by a system failure and not sabotage. 

"We want to reassure the people that so far there is no evidence of 
sabotage," Napocor president Federico Puno said. Energy Secretary Mario 
Tiaoqui, for his part, assured the public that the situation was under 
control and that the power outage had nothing to do with the current 
political situation in the country. 

Puno said they believe the blackout was triggered by the failure of a 500-
kilovolt power line in San Marcelino, Pangasinan, which shut down the 
entire Luzon power grid. 

The technical trouble at a Napocor substation triggered the power cut at 
5:41 a.m. As workers attempted to bring the system back to normal, three 
lightning arresters of the Angat-San Jose del Monte substation in Bulacan 
exploded at 10:30 a.m. 

The sudden surge of power overloaded the system, officials said. 
By mid-morning, chaos was reported in many parts of the metropolis with the 
traffic lights out. The Light Railway Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit 
(MRT) mass transport systems ceased operations, stranding thousands of 
commuters throughout the metropolis. 

Metro Manila police chief Director Edgar Aglipay said officers had to be 
deployed at road junctions to direct traffic which was moving at a 
snail's pace in several key areas. 

Work in several government agencies ground to a near halt, officials said. 
Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora ordered the suspension of work in 
government offices at 12 noon except in agencies performing vital 
functions. 

Stock and foreign exchange trading was not disrupted although many 
businesses were hit by the long electricity disruption, business leaders 
said. Electricity was restored to most parts of Metro Manila shortly 
before 1 p.m., squelching remaining rumors the outage might have been 
related to politics. Phil. Star, 10/22/2000


IMPEACH CASE FILED: The opposition bloc in the House of Representatives 
filed yesterday an impeachment complaint against President Estrada for 
allegedly receiving bribe money from illegal gambling operators, graft and 
corruption, and violation of the Constitution. 

"I will never, never resign," the embattled President said, reacting to the 
impeachment complaint. 

On the other hand, his predecessor Fidel Ramos supported mounting calls for 
Mr. Estrada's resignation, and urged Cabinet secretaries who were hold-outs 
of his official family to step down. 

Forty congressmen and 26 citizens' groups signed the impeachment document 
as complainants. The opposition lawmakers acknowledged, however, they still 
have insufficient supporters in the administration-controlled Congress for 
the passage of the impeachment charges. 

House Minority Leader Feliciano Belmonte Jr.) presented the complaint to 
House Secretary General Roberto Nazareno. The charges cited Mr. Estrada for 
alleged bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust and 
culpable violation of the Constitution. 

Assistant Majority Leader Rodolfo Albano II said Mr. Estrada will now have 
the chance to refute the charges against him. He called on his colleagues 
to give the President the benefit of the doubt and to avoid convicting him 
without a fair trial. 

Among the people's organizations that signed as complainants are the 
moderate Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and the militant Kilusang 
Mayo Uno (KMU), two of the country's largest labor groups; the Church-based 
Gomburza, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Concerned Women of the Philippines, 
Konsensiyang Pilipino, and Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption. 

Former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman Perfecto Yasay Jr. 
was also one of the private complainants. 

Among the documentary evidence submitted by the complainants was an 
affidavit of Singson, dated Sept. 14, detailing his accusations against the 
President. 

The charge of graft was based on the governor's allegation that Mr. 
Estrada, through a Filipino-Chinese friend, asked for P130 million out of 
the P200 million released by the budget department as Ilocos Sur's share of 
the tobacco excise tax. It also cited a report by the Philippine Center for 
Investigative Journalism saying Mr. Estrada engaged in real estate business 
through a family-owned corporation which built 36 townhouses in Vermont 
Park, Executive Village in Antipolo City. 

To support charges of betrayal of public trust, the petitioners cited 
Yasay's previous accusations that the President interfered in the 
investigation of the stock price manipulation involving Best World 
Resources owned by Dante Tan, another presidential ally. 

Yasay had claimed Mr. Estrada has asked him to go slow on the SEC probe. 

The petitioners alleged that the President had wantonly violated his own 
pronouncements that his relatives and friends will not receive any special 
favors from his administration. 

They pointed out that Mr. Estrada himself intervened when presidential son 
San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada got into trouble with some doctors at the 
Cardinal Santos Memorial Hospital last July 30; and another son, Jude, who 
allegedly flew a government plane to Cagayan de Oro City at government 
expense, and left P60,000 in unpaid hotel bills. 

The complaint also stated that Mr. Estrada appointed relatives to various 
government positions, contrary to his public declaration. 

The charge of culpable violation of the Constitution was based on the 
President's order for the transfer to Malacanang by the Bureau of Customs 
of smuggled luxury items, imported sardines, clothing and other contraband, 
as well as on his appointment of some Palace officials to dual or multiple 
positions. 

Mr. Estrada allegedly violated the Anti-Graft Law and the Customs and 
Tariff Code when he ordered the turnover of luxury vehicles to his office 
and their assignment to Cabinet members and other officials. 

The controversy generated by his directive forced him to recall the 
vehicles. 

The signatures on the petition were 31 shy of the required 73 (one-third of 
House members) to send the complaint directly to the Senate for trial. 

Nazareno, who is mandated by the House rules to convey the petition to the 
Speaker within three days, said he would do it in one day. 

Speaker Manuel Villar Jr., who has 10 days to put the complaint in the 
order of business then refer it to the justice committee, said he would try 
to expedite the process. 

For its part, the 60-member justice committee has 60 session days to come 
up with a report. If it decides to throw out the complaint, 73 votes can 
reverse the decision and elevate the case to the Senate. 

The majority coalition in the House is fighting the impeachment petition 
with a resolution expressing their unwavering support to the embattled 
President. 

Belmonte rued that they could have mustered more signatures had not the 
President used the "awesome powers and perks of the presidency" to draw 
away congressmen from the impeachment movement. 

Alvarez charged that LAMP congressmen were bussed to Malacanang, lured by 
promises of fund releases. 

Apostol assured the people that they are "ready for a long and protracted 
battle if the President does not yield to mounting clamor for him to 
resign." 

The impeachment initiative must be approved by at least one-third of the 
217-member House, or 73 congressmen, before the case can be sent to the 
Senate for trial. 

The President could eventually be unseated if 16 senators vote for it. 
The impeachment proceedings are expected to take months, prolonging the 
political and economic crises. 

The senators were divided on the question of whether to continue the 
inquiry being conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Singson's 
accusations against the President. 

Senate President Franklin Drilon said he will call for a caucus to settle 
the issue. Drilon said this was the first time in the country's history 
that the Senate is conducting a probe on alleged illegal acts committed by 
the Chief Executive, even as impeachment proceedings have been set in 
motion at the House. 

Senate President Pro Tempore Blas Ople said the panel must wrap up its 
investigation and turn over its findings and recommendations to appropriate 
agencies such as the justice department or the Ombudsman. 

Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Sen. Aquilino Pimentel and justice committee 
chairman Sen. Renato Cayetano argued that the hearings should go on. A 
grand alliance of opposition parties is fast shaping up as the storm of 
protests against the Estrada leadership continues to pick up speed. 

Former defense secretary Renato de Villa and former presidential assistant 
for Mindanao Paul Dominguez announced that a newly formed opposition 
coalition led by the Vice President will replace the Lakas-NUCD as the 
central party. 

De Villa, representing the Reporma party, and Dominguez, representing 
Promdi, were the first to sign up in the grand coalition. Dominguez said 
the scandal spawned by the jueteng bribery charges accelerated the 
process. 

Faculty members of the state-run University of the Philippines in Diliman, 
Quezon City called on the colleagues who are in the Cabinet to resign 
saying the President has lost his moral authority to govern. 
Phil. Star, 10/19/2000


RICH, POOR, LEFT, RIGHT ATTEND RALLY: The clamor for President Estrada's 
ouster closed the gap not only between the dirt poor and the filthy rich 
but also between the Left and Right--at least at the multi-sectoral rally 
yesterday in Makati City's central business district. 

The 10,000 marchers who took over a stretch of Ayala Avenue were a rare mix 
of the well-groomed elite and the gaunt shantytown crowd, from Forbes Park 
matrons tailed by servants to Laguna men dressed in shorts and rubber 
sandals. 

The President's accuser, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, arrived at 
4 p.m. and was rushed to the stage flanked by bodyguards. Drawing the 
loudest cheers from the crowd, Singson reiterated that he would not back 
down in the face of pressure from Malacanang. 

Singson dared Director General Panfilo Lacson, chief of the Philippine 
National Police, to reveal all he knew about jueteng. The governor also 
said the military had long been aware of jueteng operations in the 
country. 

In his own speech, Roberto Lastimoso, Lacson's predecessor at the PNP, said 
he had been informed by "some quarters" in the police force that "they are 
ready to go with the people." The rally, which started at around 2:30 p.m., 
started with the singing of the National Anthem. Next came prayers from 
representatives of the Muslim faith, Protestants and Catholics. 

Chanting "Erap Resign!" many in the crowd dressed in red and yellow raised 
clenched fists and clapped to the beat of the chants. Perfecto Yasay Jr., 
former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, was also heavily 
applauded when the emcee introduced him as "the first thunderbolt to hit 
Estrada."

But he warned that the forces that had clamped down on his own exposé on 
Mr. Estrada's intervention in behalf of a close friend involved in stock 
fraud could be stronger in Singson's case. 

Edgardo Abenina, representative of the Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa 
(RAM) and a retired Air Force general, admitted that the rightist rebel 
group erred in launching a putsch against the Aquino administration in 
1989, mainly at the Makati commercial district. 

Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, former commissioner of the Bureau of Internal 
Revenue, disclosed that in a recent conversation with incumbent BIR 
Commissioner Dakila Fonacier, he confided to her that he wanted to appeal 
the Supreme Court decision regarding the dismissal of the P23.8-billion tax 
evasion case against tobacco and beer magnate Lucio Tan. 

Msgr. Nico Bautista, garbed in a black habit, slowly stripped it to reveal 
a white shirt with the word "Resign" emblazoned on the front. 

Kilusang Mayo Uno chair Crispin Beltran acceded to prodding from Sen. Ramon 
Magsaysay to end his group's differences with the rightist RAM and shook 
hands with Abenina. 

Indeed, the rally thrust onto the same stage people who, at another time 
and place, would have regarded each other indifferently, if not 
contemptuously, over political or ideological issues. 

In one of the rally highlights, RAM's Domingo Calajate and Teddy Casino of 
the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan shared the stage to address the 
audience. But from their placards and streamers, some organizations that 
showed up were in sharp disagreement over certain side issues. 

The People's Action to Remove Erap (Pare) called for the resignation of 
both Mr. Estrada and Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Yet another 
circle led by Tawi-Tawi Vice Gov. Abubakar Mohammad wore caps marked 
"KGMA"--for "Kaibigan ni (Friends of) Gloria Macapagal Arroyo."

Casino railed at the President in the company of public officials, past and 
present, who were once the target of protest rallies mounted by his group. 

From a Muslim delegation, Sac Aguell, a real estate businessman and 
"participant" of the 1986 Edsa revolt, said he last met Mr. Estrada 
personally when the former was still a senator. 

While the gathering, showered with confetti thrown from surrounding office 
buildings, proved to be a wide sampling of anti-Estrada forces, the program 
proper was predominantly run by the Lakas-NUCD. 

Lakas spokesperson Hernani Perez served as the main host, introducing 
speakers with the bombast usually heard in a political rally, especially 
if they were officials of the Ramos administration. 

In Iloilo City, the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC) 
joined the Catholic, Protestant and other churches in calling for the 
President's resignation. 

The CPBC issued its statement yesterday, as more than 2,000 people joined 
separate rallies in Cebu and Bacolod cities to demand Mr. Estrada's 
resignation in the wake of the jueteng scandal. 

In Cebu, about 2,000 attended the oust-Erap rally led by the multisectoral 
group, Cebu Freedom Coalition, on Colon Street. Fr. Monico Catubig 
represented Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who is still in 
Rome. 

Two groups of rallyists assembled at Plaza Independencia at the waterfront 
area and at the Bradford Church on Osmena Boulevard before marching to 
Colon Street where speakers took turns in demanding Mr. Estrada's 
resignation. 

In Bacolod, the Sanlakas-Negros Occidental and the newly formed Negros 
Occidental Expel Remove Actor President (No Erap) Movement staged separate 
protest actions. In Davao City, some 50 members of the Kilusang Magbubukid 
ng Pilipinas yesterday linked arms to form a human chain outside the 
regional office of the Department of Agrarian Reform, as part of the 
series of mass actions pressing for Mr. Estrada's ouster. 
Inquirer, 10/19/2000


ADB WARNS OF GRAVE DANGER TO ECONOMY: The Asian Development Bank yesterday 
warned that good fundamentals supporting economic growth would be lost if 
the ''jueteng'' payoff scandal embroiling President Estrada dragged on. 

"The fundamentals are good for the Philippines but a long drawn-out crisis 
may melt away these good fundamentals," said Gunter Hecker, director of the 
ADB Philippine country office. 

Traders said the financial markets were spooked by the filing of an 
impeachment complaint against Mr. Estrada, a big protest rally in Makati, 
rising interest rates and a disappointing economic review by the 
International Monetary Fund. 

Hecker said the ADB--like other donor organizations such as the IMF and 
World Bank--was concerned about the latest scandal hounding Mr. Estrada. 
Hecker said the scandal could delay the release of ADB loans to the power 
sector, pointing out that the loans depended on congressional approval of 
much-needed reforms in the industry. 

In its biannual review of the region's recovery from the 1997-98 financial 
crisis, the ADB said the Philippines was not likely to meet the low end of 
the government's growth target of 4-5 percent for this year. 

The forecast contrasted with an IMF assessment earlier this week that 
growth was "very likely" to fall within the target. 

Ricardo Puig, analyst of Nomura Securities, said concerns raised by the IMF 
and World Bank over corruption charges against Mr. Estrada had further 
undermined confidence in the stock market. 

Negative sentiment toward the stock market was also fueled by the 
continuing rise in interest rates following the central bank's decision 
last week to tighten monetary policy to support the ailing peso. 

What is particularly worrisome for the stock market is the central bank's 
plan to issue short-term, high-yield debt securities to reduce the amount 
of money available for currency speculation, traders said. 

Such instruments are expected to further drain the stock market of 
liquidity as investors shift their investable funds elsewhere, they said. 
Inquirer, 10/19/2000


AFP WON'T RECOGNIZE GLORIA IF ESTRADA QUITS: 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. 

The Constitution provides that the Vice President succeed the President if 
the latter resigns from office. Obviously referring to Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo, Aguirre asked: ''If you remove the President against his free will, 
what will prevent other groups from doing the same to his successor, the 
Vice President? 

Aguirre pointed out that the constitutional process of removing the 
President is through impeachment. Taking potshots at former President 
Corazon Aquino and Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin who have called for 
Mr. Estrada's resignation, Aguirre said. 

"If the President says he will not resign to fulfill his sworn duty under 
the Constitution, then no one has any right to force him to do so."Aguirre 
said that while the government will respect the right of the people to 
demonstrate, it will not allow rallies that cause the "disruption of law 
and order and political stability," such as when demonstrators would 
physically occupy Malacanang and force the President out of office. 

Aguirre warned of bloodshed should the President's critics resort to extra-
constitutional means to force him out. Aguirre, however, allayed fears of 
an upheaval in the country similar to what happened in Indonesia. 

It was learned that the AFP is thinly spread in Luzon even as talk of a 
coup or the imposition of military rule swirl in the metropolitan area. 
Inquirer, 10/19/2000


CHAVIT LINKS ESTRADA TO KIDNAPS, KB RUBOUT: After his exposé about a 
gambling payoff, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson dropped another 
bombshell on President Estrada, this time accusing him of being involved in 
several kidnappings and the rubout of 11 suspected bank robbers in May 
1995. 

Singson made the revelation during a jampacked breakfast forum of the 
Greenhills Walking Corp. at the Ristorante La Dolce Fontana in Greenhills, 
San Juan. 

Singson said he has evidence that would link the President to a kidnapping 
incident as well as the summary execution of 11 suspected members of the 
Kuratong Baleleng gang on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on May 18, 
1995, when Mr. Estrada was still Vice President and chief of the 
Presidential Anti-Crime Commission. 

Singson also said the Senate should invite Ang, whom he said had boasted 
about his connection with Philippine National Police chief Director General 
Panfilo Lacson. 

"Atong Ang bragged to me several times that he had clout with General 
Lacson because it was him (Atong) who paid the witnesses to silence them," 
he said. He claimed that Mr. Estrada was involved in the kidnapping of two 
of the female relatives of Joey de Leon, the slain leader of the notorious 
Red Scorpion Gang. 

The governor said sworn affidavits of several policemen tend to point to 
Mr. Estrada as behind the abduction of Magdalena Apostol and Carmelita 
Intal, the sister and niece, respectively, of De Leon. Phil. Star, 10/19/2000


PESO HITS NEW LOW OF 49 TO $1; STOCKS DIVE: Local financial markets plumbed 
new depths yesterday on a deepening political crisis sparked by continuing 
allegations President Estrada took bribes from illegal gambling operators, 
dealers said. 

At the Philippine Dealing System (PDS), the peso tumbled to a record low of 
49 to the dollar in morning trading, eclipsing the previous record of 48.50 
posted on Friday as traders shrugged off both the President’s weekend 
vow to get the government out of gambling and his apology for the scandal 
involving alleged jueteng payoffs. 

At the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), share prices breached the 1,300-
point support level and plunged to a new two-year low, pulled down by the 
weakening peso and a lack of confidence in the Estrada administration. 

At the end of trading at the forex market, however, the peso managed to 
recover by closing at 48.670 to the dollar as the Bangko Sentral ng 
Pilipinas (BSP) intervened in the foreign exchange market. "Thanks to the 
BSP's continuing intervention," currency traders said. It was not known how 
much the BSP pumped into the market although sources said it could be about 
$60 million to $80 million. 

Market players said the peso could have breached the 49 level if the BSP 
had not intervened and sold dollars. Some traders, however, believe the BSP 
may not sustain its intervention because its foreign exchange reserves 
would miss its $16.1-billion target at the end of the year. 

Yesterday&'s close, however, was still 17 centavos lower compared to 
Friday's close of 48.500 to the dollar. The 30-company composite index 
shattered the sensitive 1,300 support for the first time in two years, 
closing 28.63 points lower at 1,298.44. The last time the index ended below 
the 1,300-point level was on Oct. 8,1998 at 1,250.41. 

For his part, Albert Chua of All Asia Asset Management said "the seismic 
shock that we're feeling is really that of political problems." 

"It is still the same thing. It's still because of the gambling scandal. It 
has not been resolved," added April Lee of Citisecurities Inc. 

Traders said the market is unlikely to improve unless the political crisis 
gripping the country settles down. The next psychological support level for 
the index is at 1,250 points, but traders said this may not prove solid as 
the market continues to weaken in the coming days. Phil. Star, 10/17/2000

 
ESTRADA OUSTER LIKELY, SAYS US THINK TANK: The Texas-based think tank that 
last year predicted that President Estrada would not last until 2004 said 
yesterday that there was a "very real chance" he may be removed from office 
and Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would take his place. 

Strategic Forecasting Inc., in its Global Intelligence Update posted in its 
website (www.stratfor.com), said that Macapagal as president "may increase 
military ties" with the United States to confront a greater security 
threat, China. 

Stratfor said Mr. Estrada was "fighting for his political life" as members 
of the opposition in the House of Representatives move to impeach him for 
allegedly receiving "jueteng" payoffs, among other accusations. 

The organization said an impeachment was "likely" because the President's 
political party only controls half of the House where one-third of its 
members must vote for impeachment. 

Stratfor noted that the administration party holds 10 of the 24 seats in 
the Senate, enough to block a conviction. (A two-thirds vote in the Senate 
is needed to convict the President). But if two defectors from his party 
will vote with the rest of the opposition, "then Estrada is gone." 

"This scenario is not at all far-fetched, two legislators and a governor 
have already left the ruling party," it pointed out. 

Stratfor earned the ire of Malacanang last year when it predicted that Mr. 
Estrada would not finish his term as he could be removed from office either 
by force or by an opposition-controlled Congress that could declare him 
unfit for office. 

Stratfor said security relations between the Philippines and the United 
States could become stronger if Macapagal would become President. 

It pointed out the Georgetown University-educated Macapagal had kept a 
tight lid about her opinions and has been "a model Vice President, 
supporting and parroting the President's decisions." But her views on 
security issues showed more focus on external threats than internal ones. 

Macapagal, it said, shies away from the resumption of a patron-client 
relationship that existed between the Philippines and the United States. 
But in August, Macapagal said she "cautiously welcomed" the possibility of 
US intervention in the Abu Sayyaf hostage crisis. It was then that she 
noted that the United States had been a traditional ally of the 
Philippines. 

Stratfor said Macapagal viewed China as a greater threat than the United 
States. Inquirer, 10/18/2000


COPS, MILITANTS IN `SHOW OF FORCE': At least 2,000 policemen from the 
Southern Police District and the National Capital Region Police Office are 
expected to make sure today's multi-sectoral rally in Makati will be 
orderly. 

Militant groups also prepared for a show of force by urging the public to 
join them in "unprecedented" rallies today in Makati as well as in 
Congress. 

Organizers said moderates, conservative labor, oppositionist, and church 
groups would attend the rallies. 

On the Don Chino Roces (formerly Mendiola) Bridge near Malacanang, about 
250 pro-Estrada demonstrators booed and virtually chased off 50 anti-
government protesters from the militant women's group Gabriela. 

On Monday, a loose alliance of groups from the left, right and center was 
formed. The group announced in the Makati house of former Tarlac Rep. Jose 
Cojuangco that it would stage a rally today to call for the resignation of 
President Estrada. 

Expected to participate in the rally are leftist groups like the Bagong 
Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), the Reform the Armed Forces Movement, the 
Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, business groups based in Makati 
and other cause-oriented groups. 

"It's going to be a show of force and will mark the beginning of the 
snowballing protest movement to remove Estrada from power," said Bayan 
secretary general Teodoro Casino. 

Bayan, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Gabriela will assemble in front 
of Rustan's Dept. Store along Ayala Avenue at 1:30 p.m. before marching to 
the Ninoy Aquino monument at the corner of Ayala and Paseo de Roxas, 
organizers said. 

This morning, Bayan and its allied groups will also stage a rally in front 
of Congress to urge lawmakers to impeach President Estrada. 

About 8,000 peasants and fishermen belonging to the Kilusang Magbubukid ng 
Pilipinas (KMP) and Pamalakaya yesterday started a five-day march from 
Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog provinces, said KMP chair Rafael 
Mariano. 

On Don Chino Roces Bridge near Malacanang, a pro-Estrada group of 
demonstrators yesterday threw crumpled paper, placards and carton boxes at 
the Gabriela women. 

A clash was averted when anti-riot personnel from the Western Police 
District's contingency and disturbance management unit intervened and 
parted the feuding protesters. 

The bridge has been occupied since Monday night by a group of Estrada 
supporters called People's Movement Against Poverty. Its members come 
mostly from Nueva Ecija and are led by Gov. Tomas Joson III. 

Other members are from several labor unions based in Manila's Port 
Area. 

The Gabriela group, which planned to hold an hour-long protest, left after 
about 30 minutes. 

The Estrada supporters group said they would not leave the bridge until the 
jueteng payola issue against the President is resolved. 
Inquirer, 10/18/2000


GRAFT RAPS VS ESTRADA ALARM, IMF WORLD BANK: 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. 

The statements of concern came even as the peso on Tuesday closed at 48.30 
against the US dollar, up from 48.67 on Monday, due to drastic measures 
taken by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. 

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange, however, dropped 23.27 points to 
1,271, its lowest close in two years. 

The World Bank's representative in the Philippines, Vinay Bhargava, said 
the lending institution had been consistently advising its member countries 
of the ''serious economic and social consequences of corruption, especially 
within government.'' 

But he said he expected the allegations would be quickly resolved "through 
a due process within the legal system." Finance Secretary Jose Pardo said 
the International Monetary Fund also expressed concerns that the 
allegations against Mr. Estrada had "weakened the presidency."

Pardo said he remained confident that third-quarter economic data would 
show the economy expanded as strongly as in the second quarter, when gross 
domestic product grew a better-than-expected 4.5 percent on year on strong 
agricultural production. 

Even so, four business groups urged Congress on Tuesday to quickly resolve 
impeachment charges against President Estrada. 

In a joint statement, four business groups led by the influential Makati 
Business Club said the numerous scandals had marred the Estrada presidency, 
spawning a "crisis of leadership."

"The President's involvement . . . in a series of scandals and allegations 
has seriously undermined the confidence of local and foreign investors in 
the government's ability to lead and to manage the economy," the groups 
said. 

Joining in the statement were the Bishops-Businessmen's Conference for 
Human Development, Financial Executives' Institute of the Philippines, and 
the Management Association of the Philippines. 

"We call on all members of Congress to rise above party lines and personal 
interests, and expedite the constitutional process and resolve this serious 
issue at the shortest possible time," the groups said. 

The groups said political uncertainty would continue to undermine any 
prospect of economic recovery unless the crisis was quickly resolved. 

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Rafael Buenaventura, however, said 
Tuesday the bank would continue to pursue measures to defend the peso, 
despite signs of some stability returning to the beleaguered currency. 
Inquirer, 10/18/2000


GLORIA: I WILL LEAD UNITED OPPOSITION VERSUS ESTRADA: After resigning from 
her Cabinet post last week, Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 
yesterday offered to unify the opposition against President Estrada whose 
administration is being battered by allegations of payoffs from illegal 
gambling lords. 

"They (Estrada's critics) are looking for a united opposition," she told a 
news conference after arriving from a trip to Europe and the Middle East. 
"In their call to action, I shall not disappoint them." 

Arroyo said she quit her post as social welfare secretary "to join the true 
Cabinet of the people" and has gathered the support of key opposition 
politicians to form a "united front" against Mr. Estrada. 

"The first order of the day is unity," she said. Arroyo said she would 
reach out to different parties and sectors to forge "an alternative 
national agenda" which would bring "sobriety, stability and progress" back 
to the country. 

Arroyo also warned the public against elements who might take advantage of 
the crisis and seize power. "We must be vigilant against this, and we must 
not allow ourselves to be misled," she said. 

Asked if she was calling on the President to resign, Arroyo reiterated that 
since she was next in line for succession, it would be "improper" for her 
to comment. 

What surprised many reporters in the press conference was the presence of 
embassy officials from various foreign diplomatic missions, including US 
Embassy press attaché Tom Skipper. 

Some of the officials said they were there only as "observers." "We are 
here to pay courtesy to the Vice President upon her arrival. It's a regular 
thing," Skipper said. Malacanang was also suspicious over the presence of 
foreign diplomats at Arroyo's press conference. 

After the press conference held at the Philippine Village Hotel near the 
Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Arroyo motored to the EDSA Shrine to 
join former President Corazon Aquino and Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal 
Sin for a "Mass for National Enlightenment." 

She admitted yesterday after the Mass that Aquino and Sin urged her to 
resign after the scandal broke and thanked them for their "wise counsel." 

Arroyo's offer to unify opposition against Mr. Estrada signals her break 
with the administration. Although her KAMPI party is allied with the 
opposition party Lakas-NUCD of former President Fidel Ramos, Mr. 
Estrada's predecessor, Arroyo had refused to criticize Mr. Estrada in 
earlier scandals and refused to lead the political opposition. 
Phil. Star, 10/18/2000


LP LEADER CALLS ON ESTRADA TO RESIGN: The president of the Liberal Party 
called on President Estrada yesterday to resign amid charges of gambling 
payoffs. 

In a statement, Batanes Rep. Florencio Abad said Mr. Estrada's continued 
stay in office "will only lead… to further social instability and 
economic collapse." 

"I appeal to the sense of patriotism of President Estrada and his avowed 
concern for the welfare of our people, especially the poor, to resign and 
allow his constitutional successor to take over," he said. 

The Liberal Party has about 13 members in the House, all of whom, according 
to a source, will support an impeachment move. However, Abad's move puts 
his partymates Trade Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II and Interior and Local 
Government Secretary Alfredo Lim in a bind. 

These two Cabinet secretaries have recently expressed their continued 
support for the President. Earlier, the LP and another group of congressmen 
that hold the crucial swing votes on the planned impeachment complaint 
against Mr. Estrada are adopting a policy of neutrality on the ouster 
petition. 

The complaint is expected to be finally filed with the House today by 
people's organizations and opposition congressmen. Besides the LP members, 
the other lawmakers who have adopted a wait-and-see attitude belong to the 
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP). These two parties belong to the 
majority coalition in the House, which is dominated by the ruling Lapian ng 
Masang Pilipino (LAMP). 

The LDP congressmen's consensus was arrived at in a meeting Monday night. 
The party has 34 congressmen-members. Makati Rep. Agapito Aquino, head of 
the LDP contingent, told reporters yesterday that he and his colleagues 
want to see and evaluate the evidence of the President's accuser, former 
presidential friend and drinking buddy Ilocos Sur. Gov. Luis "Chavit" 
Singson. 

After appreciating the evidence and finding out the truth, Aquino said his 
colleagues will decide whether to support the impeachment complaint or join 
congressmen belonging to LAMP in blocking it. 

Aquino warned LAMP leaders against railroading the petition to remove their 
party boss, Mr. Estrada. Aquino announced his group's decision to be 
neutral at the moment on the eve of the scheduled filing of the impeachment 
complaint against the President. 

The petition charges Mr. Estrada with graft and corruption, bribery,
 betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution. 

It will be filed by Representatives Heherson Alvarez of Isabela, Ernesto 
Herrera of Bohol, Michael Defensor of Quezon City, and various people's 
organizations, including the moderate Trade Union Congress of the 
Philippines and the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno, two of the largest labor 
federations in the country. 

The complaint will be endorsed by several opposition congressmen led by 
Minority Leader Feliciano Belmonte Jr. (Lakas, Quezon City) and Deputy 
Minority Leader Sergio Apostol (Lakas, Leyte). Defensor said as of 
yesterday, 31 congressmen have signed the impeachment petition. 

Of the 31, two had been identified with LAMP: Representatives Roilo Golez 
of Paranaque and Romualdo Vicencio of Northern Samar. Golez bolted the 
ruling party last week after administration congressmen gagged Singson. 

In a related development, Golez urged Philippine National Police chief 
Director General Panfilo Lacson yesterday to profess his loyalty to the 
Constitution. Expressing alarm over reports that the elite PNP Special 
Action Force has been mobilized to quell demonstrations, the Paranaque 
congressman said "Lacson has been strangely quiet." 

He said while Armed Forces chief Gen. Angelo Reyes has reiterated his 
loyalty to the Constitution, the PNP chief has not spoken up. Golez now 
belongs to the minority led by Belmonte. Makati Rep. Joker Arroyo 
criticized yesterday the LAMP-sponsored resolution giving the President a 
vote of confidence in the wake of the jueteng scandal. 

Arroyo said the principal author of the measure, Rep. Danilo Suarez of 
Quezon, has been dangling SAROs (special allotment release orders) to 
majority coalition congressmen whose signatures the Quezon lawmaker is 
soliciting. 

A SARO is a Department of Budget and Management document evidencing the 
appropriation of funds for a specific project. On the basis of such 
document, a government agency can enter into a contract for the 
implementation of a project. 

Arroyo said his colleagues are hungry for SAROs since their districts have 
been scarce of funds due to the economic crisis and poor revenue 
collections. 

He said it is "poor taste" for Suarez to be taking advantage of such a 
situation to force administration congressmen to sign the resolution. 
Phil. Star, 10/18/2000


PINOYS DON'T WANT ESTRADA TO QUIT - POLL: Despite the gravity of the 
corruption allegations against President Estrada, an independent opinion 
poll has revealed that most Filipinos still believe that Mr. Estrada should 
not resign. 

According to a Pulse Asia survey conducted only last Friday, 53 percent of 
397 respondents polled in Metro Manila disagreed that Mr. Estrada should 
step down, while 31 percent agreed that he should. Sixteen percent were 
undecided. 

The survey had a margin of error of five percentage points. 
Analyzing the survey figures, Pulse Asia president Felipe Miranda said the 
poll showed that many were "not ready for President Estrada to resign now 
and that they are still giving him the benefit of the doubt." 

Thirty-eight percent of the respondents said they still trusted the 
President, while 29 percent of them said they had very little trust. 
Thirty-one percent were undecided. 

But the numbers were close when it came to credibility. Twenty-six percent 
felt Mr. Estrada’s accuser, Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson, 
was more credible, compared to 23 percent for Mr. Estrada. The remaining 52 
percent could not make up their minds. 

Curiously, despite the vote of confidence for Mr. Estrada, the Pulse Asia 
poll revealed a huge distrust for one of his friends, Charlie "Atong" Ang. 

Only eight percent of the respondents said they trust Ang very much, while 
57 percent said they have very little trust. Twenty-eight percent were 
undecided. 

As for Mr. Estrada’s former friend and nemesis, 21 percent said they 
trust Singson, 46 percent said they have very little trust, and 30 percent 
were undecided. However, it seems that Mr. Estrada is standing on thin ice. 
Forty-five percent said they trust Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin- 
who had urged the President to resign -28 percent said they have very 
little trust, and 27 percent were undecided. 

Although the poll was limited to Metro Manila, Miranda said the survey 
would reflect the mood in the provinces because the nation’s capital 
has always been the "most critical" of the government. 

Pulse Asia will conduct a nationwide poll on the controversy, Miranda said, 
which he estimated would take about a month. No one commissioned the 
survey, Miranda said. 

They conducted the poll on their own, he said, to ensure that it would be 
above suspicion, and to get a picture of how people were taking the 
controversy – the most serious to rock Mr. Estrada's 28-month 
presidency. 

A cutaway view of the figures reveals that Mr. Estrada still has the 
support of the poor, who largely voted for him in the 1998 elections, but 
not that of the upper classes of Filipino society, who were the most 
critical of Mr. Estrada. 

Broken down into social classes, 43 percent of the A, B and C classes - 
which comprise 27 percent of the 397 survey respondents - agreed that the 
President should step down, 46 percent disagreed, and 11 percent were 
undecided. 

Fifty-four percent of the D class - which comprise 53 percent of the survey 
respondents – said Mr. Estrada should stay on, 27 percent said he 
should go, and 18 percent were undecided. 

Fifty-nine percent of the E class - comprising 20 percent of the 
respondents -said Mr. Estrada should not resign, 26 percent said he should 
and 15 percent could not make up their mind. Asked if Mr. Estrada or 
Singson were more credible, 42 percent of the A, B and C classes chose 
Singson, 22 percent chose Mr. Estrada, 36 percent were undecided. 

Twenty-two percent of the D class said Mr. Estrada was more credible, but 
22 percent also felt Singson was more credible, and 56 were undecided. Only 
11 percent of the E class felt Singson was more credible as opposed to 26 
percent for Mr. Estrada. Sixty-three percent were undecided. 

Analyzing the figures, Miranda said people in the A, B and C classes are 
the moneyed and educated. Although comprising a small percentage of the 
population, Miranda said, these segments of society are very influential 
because most of them are in business. 

He said they were "traditionally" the most critical of President Estrada 
because they have plenty to lose. 

The United States government said yesterday the scandal rocking the 
Philippine leadership was a domestic issue that would be better resolved by 
the country's own constitutional process. "We view the recent allegations 
as a purely domestic issue for the Filipino people to decide within their 
own constitutional system," the US State Department said in a statement 
through the US Embassy in Manila. 

Embassy spokesman Thomas Skipper said the US cannot intervene in the 
internal affairs of the Philippines, but nevertheless will monitor day-to-
day developments. 

He said the US government had noted President Estrada’s recent 
statements that reiterated the administration’s commitment to follow 
the constitutional and democratic process. 

The other day, the President vowed to let Congress find out the truth about 
the alleged jueteng payoffs. Mr. Estrada likewise apologized to the public 
and admitted it was wrong for the government to indulge in gambling 
activities. The President said he would scrap such activities under 
government control by privatizing the state-run Philippine Amusement and 
Gaming Corp. Phil. Star, 10/16/2000


NO MORE TIME FOR IMPEACHMENT?: While the political opposition is mustering 
the needed support for its attempt to impeach President Estrada, Senate 
President Franklin Drilon said it may all go to naught. 

Drilon said Congress has only six weeks of sessions left in its calendar 
and, therefore, may not have enough time to complete the impeachment 
process. 

But Rep. Heherson Alvarez, who is leading the impeachment attempt, said 
yesterday he has solicited the support of seven Davao and Cebu congressmen, 
five of them from the Lapian ng Masang Pilipino (LAMP) ruling coalition, 
to boost the opposition’s bid to oust the President. 

Alvarez added that he has also convinced Rep. Joey Hizon to sign the 
impeachment complaint, which Alvarez will file Wednesday. He reiterated his 
confidence that they will be able to muster the required 73 votes for Mr. 
Estrada’s impeachment despite the LAMP majority in the House of 
Representatives and the Senate. 

Alvarez said he expects other Liberal Party congressmen to support the 
impeachment complaint. Last Friday night, LP lawmakers met at the Quezon 
City residence of former President Corazon Aquino to decide their next move. Aquino's son, Rep. Benigno Aquino III, is with the Liberal Party. 

LP president Rep. Florencio Abad said they would like to see more evidence 
during the impeachment hearings before deciding whether or not to impeach 
Mr. Estrada. So far, the complaint has 20 signatures, all belonging to the 
opposition. 

Alvarez said Laguna Gov. Joey Lina, who bolted the LAMP last week, is 
trying to convince Laguna congressmen to support the complaint. 

Under the Constitution, the House must act on the impeachment complaint 
within 10 days, and refer it to the House committee on justice within three 
days. The committee has 60 days to go over the complaint and submit it to 
the floor for deliberations. If one-third of the 219-member House or 73 
congressmen vote to impeach Mr. Estrada, the complaint will then be 
submitted to the Senate for trial. 

The Senate will then act as a tribunal, with 16 votes needed for a 
conviction. 

"In certain instances, I would like to think that our representatives and 
senators would vote in accordance with their conscience, which is what it 
should be," Drilon said. But Drilon said he was "not optimistic if there is 
enough time" to complete the impeachment process. "That's the reality," he 
said. 

Because of the tedious legislative process and the LAMP's majority, Singson 
already expressed doubt that the impeachment attempt will succeed. He said 
only widespread public discontent will force Mr. Estrada to step down. 
Phil. Star, 10/16/2000


CBCP TO SUPPORT IMPEACHMENT INITIATIVE: Saying the people "need more than 
just a change of political power," the Catholic Bishops Conference of the 
Philippines (CBCP) said yesterday it is supporting impeachment moves 
against President Estrada if it would be needed. 

CBCP president Archbishop Orlando Quevedo said the culture of gambling 
should be eradicated. Msgr. Hernando Coronel, on the other hand, expressed 
hopes the jueteng mess would not lead to another "people power" against the 
government. 

Quevedo urged the Estrada administration "to see what is good for our 
country." The prelate also pledged full support to Manila Archbishop Jaime 
Cardinal Sin's who earlier called on Mr. Estrada to step down in the light 
of the jueteng scandal. 

Quevedo lamented that the President has been repeatedly linked to 
controversies that threatened the very foundation of his (Mr. Estrada's) 
leadership. Among these issues were the textbook scam, the Marcos hidden 
wealth and anti-family values. 

He noted that government leaders dragged in serious controversies were 
prompted to resign out of delicadeza. Quevedo's message to the Estrada 
administration came following consultation with the CBCP's Permanent 
Council which tackled the country’s myriad problems. 
Phil. Star, 10/16/2000


PESO BIGGEST CASUALTY OF `JUETENG': The economy may hit the floor first 
before President Estrada does as calls mount for him to resign and the 
scandal over "jueteng" payoffs drags on, analysts say. 

They see the peso, which closed Friday at 48.50 to the US dollar, plunging 
anew to record lows this week and further depressing the stock market, the 
fourth worst performer in the region this year. 

"The problem is not whether President Estrada will survive this crisis, but 
whether the economy will survive this presidency," said Alex Magno, a 
political science professor at the University of the Philippines. 

But Mr. Estrada, who is facing the biggest crisis in his 28-month 
administration, told an urban poor community on Saturday that he would 
never resign amid allegations that he had pocketed P400 million in jueteng 
payoffs and another P70 million in kickbacks from tobacco taxes. 

While the President still commands a strong following among the general 
public according to the latest opinion poll, disgruntled investors are 
beginning to regard him a financial market risk. 

"Right now, investors just want one thing. They want him out now, whether 
or not the allegations are true," Joey Roxas, president of Eagle Equities 
Inc., told Reuters. 

Traders said the peso was likely to test this week a record low of 50 
against the US dollar as they voiced doubts about the capability of the 
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to defend the local currency. 

The central bank has been intervening in the market in the past weeks. Its 
international reserves now stand at $14 billion from $14.90 billion at the 
end of September, BSP Gov. Rafael Buenaventura said. Acknowledging the 
adverse impact of the political turmoil on the peso, Buenaventura said the 
local currency should be trading only at a range to 46.70-47.20. 

A currency trader at a large foreign bank said the central bank might put a 
cap on the peso's fall at the 49 level. The peso remained weak, however, 
despite the central bank's twin moves on Thursday to raise its overnight 
rates by a spectacular four percentage points and bank liquidity reserve 
requirements by two percentage points. 

Guillermo Luz, executive director of the prestigious Makati Business Club, 
warned that the already ailing economy would be the biggest casualty if the 
crisis were prolonged. According to other analysts, the key to the Estrada 
administration's survival may hinge on whether Filipinos are angry enough 
to come out marching in huge numbers against him in the streets. 

Analysts said what was needed was a public outcry reminiscent of the Church-
backed "People Power" Revolution of 1986 that toppled late dictator 
Ferdinand Marcos and brought Corazon Aquino to power. 

Asked about his worst fear, a foreign businessman said: "That Mr. Estrada 
survives this and goes through the next three years. Then we have a country 
that would be last in Asia, investments will dry up, there will be complete 
lack of confidence, and the stock market will be in shambles. It will be an 
unhappy place to live in." 


MORE CHURCH GROUPS CALL FOR RESIGNATION OF ESTRADA: The religious sector 
continued to close ranks yesterday as both Catholic and Protestant groups 
called for the resignation of President Estrada and the rest of his 
government for alleged links to gambling lords. 

The Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) 
said it was necessary for Mr. Estrada to step down to pave the way for an 
impartial investigation on the jueteng payola scam exposed by Ilocos Sur 
Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson. 

Meanwhile, a group belonging to the National Council of Churches in the 
Philippines (NCCP) in a statement said the President would serve the people 
better if he resigned rather than finished his term. 

"In the light of our Christian faith that seeks justice and truth, we 
strongly urge the highest officials in our country to step down to allow 
speedy and impartial investigation on the latest alleged crime directly or 
indirectly committed by them," the AMRSP said in a separate statement. 

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente also weighed in against what it 
described as "the Estrada regime," in a statement entitled "Now (no other 
way) is the time to resign!" "We express our continuing solidarity with the 
basic masses' clamor for the President's ouster," the independent church 
said through its Obispo Maximo Tomas Millamena, who is also the NCCP 
chairman. Phil. Star, 10/15/2000


ESTRADA DENIES ALL CHARGES AGAINST HIM: President Estrada yesterday made a 
blanket denial of charges aired against him in connection with jueteng 
operations in the country.

"I repeat, I never received a single centavo from jueteng or from any other 
type of illegal gambling," he declared on national television. 

"My conscience is clear." 

So far, "the only evidence submitted consists of the self-serving testimony 
of a confessed key player in illegal gambling," the President said on 
national television. 

Later, in a meeting of more than 600 business leaders from all over the 
country at the Manila Hotel, President Estrada assured the nation of 
political stability and stressed that the government is in full control 
despite the massive smear campaign being waged by opponents driven by 
partisan and personal interests. 

He told the businessmen that they can safely anchor their decisions on a 
set of certainties and an environment of predictability, constancy, and 
stability amid a disinformation campaign that signals what he called the 
early start of the political season in preparation for next year's 
elections. 

The President, speaking at the 26th Philippine Business Conference at the 
Fiesta Pavilion of the Manila Hotel, said: 

"No matter what your opinion of my administration or me is, and no matter 
how choppy the political waters become, this set of certainties should 
persuade you that it is worth your while to remain invested - - and even 
contemplate investing more, " Mr. Estrada declared. 
Mla. Bulletin, 10/13/2000


GLORIA QUITS CABINET: Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo resigned 
yesterday as secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development 
because of the "serious accusations" against President Estrada concerning a 
gambling payoff. 

And after she informed the President of her decision through a telephone 
call from Turkey at about 12 noon yesterday, Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. and 
Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez bolted the ruling Lapian ng Masang Pilipino 
(LAMP) party. 

Press Secretary Ricardo Puno Jr. said Mr. Estrada "understands that 
(Arroyo) may be under certain pressures in acting the way she did." 

The President appointed Dulce Saguisag, wife of former Sen. Rene Saguisag, 
as Arroyo's replacement in the Cabinet. 

Palace officials, on the other hand, were not surprised by the resignations, 
saying they have long been expecting such defections. Meanwhile, Cabinet 
secretaries expressed their continued support for Mr. Estrada when they 
attended the 26th Philippine Business Conference at the Manila Hotel, where 
the Chief Executive was the special guest speaker. 

But four of the President's men were missing in that affair. They were 
Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, Agriculture Secretary Edgardo Angara, 
Environment Secretary Antonio Cerilles and Science and Technology Secretary 
Felimon Uriarte. 

Arroyo, who is traveling in Europe, said in a statement that she had been 
"consulting with the people" ever since Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" 
Singson accused Mr. Estrada of taking more than P400 million in bribes from 
gambling lords. 

"Much as I appreciate the chances that the President gave me to serve the 
poor through the Cabinet position to which he appointed me, I regret that 
I can no longer continue to serve as a member of the present Cabinet," the 
statement said. 

Arroyo said she was winding up her an official visit to Turkey and would 
travel to Rome for a previously scheduled audience with Pope John Paul II. 
She is expected to return this weekend. 

A source said Arroyo consulted with former Presidents Corazon Aquino and 
Fidel Ramos as well as Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin before she 
resigned. 

"She was assured of their support," the source said. Arroyo's resignation 
is likely to further weaken the credibility of the Estrada administration. 
Meanwhile, Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. said his resignation stemmed from 
delicadeza. 

"Delicadeza prevents me from staying in a party where partisanship is 
seemingly more important than the interest of the people," Magsaysay said 
his letter of resignation to Mr. Estrada. 

He said that his resignation from the coalition would help him see things 
more clearly and more objectively "in the light of present developments." 

He added that he might lose some of his committees. 
He admitted that his resignation from LAMP was also influenced by the call 
of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin for the President's resignation. 

For his part, Rep. Roilo Golez said he quit LAMP because he felt he was 
getting "bad treatment" from his colleagues, especially during a recent 
public hearing. 

Golez, chairman of the House committee on public order and security, held a 
public inquiry where he invited Singson to present evidence on the jueteng 
scandal. 

But some congressmen questioned the jurisdiction of his committee in 
conducting such a hearing. He noted that the act of these lawmakers sets a 
dangerous precedent "because they can abuse their power to vote in 
committees by being there in full force." 

Another reason why he resigned was because the President had already lost 
the "moral ascendancy" to lead the ruling party. Golez said Singson's 
charges have remained unanswered by the Chief Executive. 

Observers said the resignations of the two lawmakers could erode crucial 
presidential support in Congress. Arroyo's partymates in the opposition 
Lakas-NUCD party are scheduled to initiate impeachment proceedings against 
Mr. Estrada today over allegations of a jueteng bribe. 

Seventy-five members of the 225-seat House of Representatives are needed to 
initiate an impeachment trial. According to LAMP sources, Magsaysay and 
Golez actually have personal reasons for leaving the ruling party. 

Magsaysay, they said, has been expecting to be appointed secretary of the 
Department of National Defense. But his hopes were dashed when Mercado 
declared that he is not leaving his post to run for any elective position. 

The sources also said that Golez had his eyes on a Senate slot in LAMP. But 
the party has such a "deep bench" of highly qualified senatorial candidates 
that he does not stand a chance of landing a spot in the ticket. 

"These two politicians are guilty of political opportunism. Soon, the 
people will see them for what they really are," a source said. 
Phil. Star, 10/13/2000


SENATE TO CHAVIT: PRESENT DOCUMENTS: The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee asked 
Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson yesterday to submit additional 
documentary evidence to substantiate his accusations that President 
Estrada received payoffs from illegal gambling operators. 

Testifying at the committee hearing the other day, Singson said he 
delivered over P400 million in jueteng payoffs to President Estrada over a 
21-month period. 

Singson submitted an affidavit accompanied by a ledger ostensibly detailing 
the dates and amounts of the alleged payoffs he delivered to Mr. Estrada, 
members of the First Family and certain ranking government officials. 

"The so-called ledger of Mr. Singson was prepared by somebody else and so, 
under the law, the one who can identify the papers has to be the person who 
prepared it primarily," Pimentel said in a television interview. 

Singson said the President's accountant, Yolanda Ricaforte, prepared the 
ledger. Meanwhile, Sen. John Osmena said he would likely inhibit himself 
from further inquiries by the Blue Ribbon Committee on the jueteng scandal. 

Sen. Renato Cayetano, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human 
rights, said the President should answer Singson's allegations. 
To avoid a conflict over the separation of powers between the executive and 
legislative branches, Cayetano proposed that the President make his 
testimony through a video recording similar to what US President Bill 
Clinton did on the Monica Lewinski sex scandal. 

Pimentel clarified, however, that his committee's inquiry was focused 
on the privilege speech of Senate Minority Leader Teofisto Guingona Jr. 
regarding Singson's exposé. 

The committee resumes its fact-finding inquiry this morning with Singson, 
presidential friend and suspected gambling lord Charlie "Atong" Ang and 
Mayor Lilia Pineda of Lubao, Pampanga as witnesses. 

Pimentel, on motion of Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, has asked the Bureau of 
Immigration to put on the hold-order list the suspected jueteng operators 
cited by Singson in his testimony. 

The Blue Ribbon Committee has also subpoenaed bank records on the accounts 
claimed by Singson as depository for the jueteng payoffs, including those 
in Ang's name. 

Sen. Raul Roco said he received numerous calls from all over the country, 
commending the Blue Ribbon Committee and the Senate leadership for the 
conduct of the hearing. He refused to comment on the case pending 
completion of the hearings. 

At the same time, Roco chided Philippine National Police chief Director 
General Panfilo Lacson who vowed he would eradicate jueteng within three 
months after taking over the PNP post. 

"Instead of eradicating jueteng, it even grew." 
In another development, Rep. Gerardo Espina urged the Senate to stop its 
investigation, saying it might result in a constitutional crisis and 
possible mistrial. 

Espina clarified that under the Charter, the House of Representatives has 
the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment, and the Senate to 
sole power to try and decide such cases. Phil. Star, 10/13/2000


IMPEACHMENT COMPLAINT FILED TODAY: Various people's organizations, joined 
by opposition congressmen, are scheduled to file with the House of 
Representatives today a joint impeachment complaint against President 
Estrada. 

Rep. Heherson Alvarez said yesterday that the complaint will accuse the 
President of graft and corruption, bribery, culpable violation of the 
Constitution, and betrayal of public trust. 

He said the impeachment petition will be based on the revelation of former 
presidential friend Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson that the Chief 
Executive received more than P400 million in jueteng money. 

He said Singson’s affidavits detailing the money trail and the 
circumstances surrounding the receipt of the money will be attached to the 
complaint.

He added that Singson will not be among the complainants, although he would 
be among the principal witnesses in the impeachment process. Alvarez, who 
is Lakas secretary general, wants to stand as a complainant although many 
of his opposition colleagues are dissuading him from doing that to avoid 
giving the petition a political color. 

They want him to be among the endorsers of the petition. Among those who 
will endorse the complaint are House Deputy Minority Leader Sergio Apostol 
and former senator and now Rep. Ernesto Herrera. 

The moderate Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, of which Herrera is 
secretary general, and the left-leaning Kilusang Mayo Uno, two of the 
country's biggest labor federations, will be among the complainants. 

Speaker Manuel Villar Jr., who has 10 days under the Constitution to refer 
any ouster petition to the committee on justice, said he would promptly do 
his job as soon as he receives the complaint. 

Asked what he would do if there is Malacanang pressure to stop him from 
sending the complaint to the justice committee, Villar said firmly: 
"I'll do my constitutional duty." 

Alvarez said an affidavit of former Chairman Perfecto Yasay Jr. of the 
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accusing President Estrada of 
protecting his friend Dante Tan in the BW stock manipulation scandal will 
also be attached to the impeachment petition. 

Herrera said aside from the impeachment complaint, people's organizations 
would also charge the President next week with plunder, a crime punishable 
by death. Phil. Star, 10/13/2000


PROTESTANT CHURCH ASKS ERAP TO RESIGN: Leaders of a Protestant church 
called on President Estrada yesterday to resign or take a leave of absence 
following allegations that he had received money from gambling operators. 

In a statement issued to the media yesterday, the bishops of the United 
Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) said: "No amount of rhetoric or 
protestations of having been elected by the people will serve as a 
justification for holding on to an office when the integrity of the 
official is under a dark cloud of doubt." 

The bishops said the Chief Executive's mandate, or that of any public 
official, is to uphold and defend the Constitution and protect the people's
interest, and not to complete their terms. 

The bishops said President Estrada’s decision "to slug it out" with 
Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson and his other critics by hurling 
countercharges will not be "beneficial" to the nation. 
Phil. Star, 10/13/2000


SIN URGES ERAP: RESIGN: Leaders of the popular revolt that ousted the late 
dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986 are now calling for the resignation of 
President Estrada after the Chief Executive, his family and some of his 
allies were implicated in a multimillion-peso jueteng scandal. 

In separate statements, Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin and the 
Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa (RAM) urged Mr. Estrada to step down 
for losing the "moral ascendancy to govern." 

Former President Corazon Aquino agreed with Sin, but fell short of calling 
for the President's resignation. 

She said "all public officials must be imbued with moral leadership guided 
by social justice, truth and decency." Aquino then called the people "to 
prayer and to action." 

In a pastoral statement of the Archdiocese of Manila’s decision-
making body, Sin said, "We believe that in the spirit of obligation and for 
the good of the people, he (Mr. Estrada) must relinquish his office and 
turn it over to the constitutional successor." 

Sin stopped short of saying Mr. Estrada was guilty of receiving large 
payoffs from illegal gambling lords. 

"We would rather advise our people to look at what has happened to the 
country in the two years that the incumbent President has led the nation," 
he said. 

Still, Sin said "it would be a heroic act for the President" to resign. 
"We still trust in his sense of nationalism and patriotism. This appeal 
comes not from an emotional outrage but as a fruit of prayer and 
discernment," he said. 

For its part, RAM said Mr. Estrada should now resign because the people are 
starting to believe what Singson is saying. 

"President Estrada has completely lost the moral capacity to lead," said 
RAM spokesman retired Navy Capt. Proceso Maligalig. 

Maligalig warned that another people power revolt may take place if the 
President refuses to step down. 

Already, rival leftist groups are starting to link arms to start a series 
of protest actions against Mr. Estrada. "We are joining force… to 
force Erap to resign because of the high level of corruption in his 
government," said Sonny Melencio, chairman of the Sosyalistang Partido 
Paggawa - a newly formed "revolutionary" party that has allied with 
the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan. 

Melencio said his group is also holding talks with leaders of the 
opposition Lakas-NUCD party as well as with former Budget Secretary 
Salvador Enriquez, who has formed the People's Consultative Assembly. 

Several teachers’ groups also formed an alliance to call for the 
ouster of Mr. Estrada. Called Teachers and Employees Against Corruption and 
Hypocrisy (TEACH), the 50,000-strong alliance will initiate a signature 
campaign today to mark the group's formal launching. 

Former Sen. Alberto Romulo also called for Mr. Estrada's resignation. 
"Just like President Nixon during the Watergate scandal, the time has come 
for President Estrada, a lawbreaker, to face the nation and forthwith 
resign," he said. 

The former senator also revealed that a national strike is scheduled for 
next week to pressure the President to resign. Makati Business Club 
president Guillermo Luz denied issuing a call for the President to resign 
because of the Chief Executive's alleged involvement in jueteng. 
Phil. Star, 10/12/2000


GOV'T MOVES TO BLOCK IMPEACHMENT EFFORT: Moving to block impeachment, the 
government prepared yesterday to throw everything, including the kitchen 
sink, at Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson. 

Ombudsman Aniano Desierto, the Department of Justice and the Department of 
the Interior and Local Government have initiated separate investigations of 
Singson. 

At the House of Representatives, administration congressmen succeeded in 
gagging Singson yesterday as he prepared to testify and present his evidence 
of alleged jueteng payoffs to the President. 

Malacanang admitted it was mobilizing the President’s allies in a bid 
to block impeachment initiatives. Unfazed, the opposition's Isabela Rep. 
Heherson Alvarez said he will file today a consolidated impeachment case 
against the President. The case will include Singson’s allegations as 
well as the Best World Resources scandal and reports on questionable 
presidential assets as presented by the Philippine Center for Investigative 
Journalism. 

As this developed, the Ombudsman formed a panel to investigate Singson' 
against the President. But Desierto said he will also probe a report by the 
Commission on Audit (COA) that Singson allegedly spent P2.1 billion in tax 
money that remained unaccounted for. 

In addition, Justice Secretary Artemio Tuquero ordered the National Bureau 
of Investigation (NBI) yesterday to investigate Singson for a possible 
violation of the law against wiretapping. 

And Interior Secretary Alfredo Lim has ordered Undersecretary Narciso 
Santiago Jr. to determine the extent of Singson’s involvement in 
jueteng. Although Desierto has the power to investigate a sitting President 
for alleged misdeeds, he said he decided to let Congress, which has the 
authority to initiate impeachment proceedings, to take the lead. 

Desierto said if Singson applies for immunity in exchange for his 
cooperation, his application "would be carefully evaluated within the 
context of the requirements of the law and the rules of court, particularly 
on the extent of the guilt of Singson." 

Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora denied that Malacanang was getting back 
at Singson by auditing the governor’s use of government funds. 
Press Secretary Ricardo Puno Jr. accused Singson of trying to divert 
attention from the COA report by accusing the President of wrongdoing. 

For his part, Tuquero said in a statement that he wanted Singson 
investigated by the NBI for recording his conversation with the President's
auditor, Yolanda Ricaforte. 

Ricaforte was heard on tape, played by Singson during a press conference 
last Monday, allegedly arranging Singson's jueteng payment to Mr. 
Estrada. Singson could be imprisoned for up to six years if convicted. 

Press Secretary Ricardo Puno Jr. said in a press briefing at the Palace 
that there is nothing surprising or illegal with the President's move to 
rally his supporters behind him. 

He also said Malacanang was already taking preemptive moves for any 
eventuality that the impeachment bid may gain ground. 
He claimed that the political opposition instigated Singson's revelations. 

Puno also reiterated his allegations that Singson’s charges, which 
were repeated during yesterday's inquiry by the House committee on 
justice headed by Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez as chairman, were not 
supported by solid evidence. 

Meanwhile, Alvarez who is secretary-general of Lakas-NUCD party, said the 
charges will include the complaints of Singson and various non-government 
organizations (NGO). 

For his part, Lakas spokesman Hernani Perez called on Mr. Estrada and Vice 
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to voluntarily step down to pave the way 
for snap elections. 

Alvarez expressed optimism that the impeachment measure will prosper if the 
House leadership including the Speaker "will allow the truth to come out." 

But some administration congressmen said they wanted Alvarez to author the 
complaint himself so that they can easily vote it out for lack of merit as 
Alvarez did not have a personal knowledge of Singson's allegations. 

Alvarez was initially scheduled to file the impeachment raps yesterday, but 
some colleagues advised him against rushing the move. Congressmen 
identified with the ruling party have predicted that the impeachment move 
would not prosper because of the overwhelming numbers of the majority 
party. They also cited the limited time left before Congress adjourns. 

There are only 35 opposition congressmen as against the required 73, or 
one-third vote of the 219-member House for the impeachment bid to prosper. 

Alvarez countered, however, that the alleged "limited time" was only meant 
to dampen the people’s enthusiasm over his impeachment initiative. 

He argued that it would not take the Speaker forever to refer the complaint 
to the House committee on rules which, in turn, can refer the matter to the 
committee on justice in one or two days. 

For its part, the justice committee may take one month to debate on the 
issue before endorsing it for floor deliberations. Observers said the 
impeachment move was another blow to the already shaky investor confidence 
in the Philippines, as well as public support for Mr. Estrada. Former 
President Corazon Aquino said the disclosures made by Singson shocked her. 

The charges against the President are very serious and I await Governor 
Singson’s presentation of evidence in Congress," Aquino said in a 
statement. 

"As the charges are indeed, very disturbing, our people deserve the truth 
about this issue at the soonest possible time," she added. 

Meanwhile, Senate President Franklin Drilon called for sobriety among the 
people in the aftermath of Singson’s charges. In a statement, Drilon 
said the allegations against the President , compounded by the Mindanao 
conflict and skyrocketing oil prices, were serious enough to inflict 
irreparable damage to the country’s political and economic life. 

Let us not be easily swayed by impulsive calls for sweeping action because 
they disregard the essential of the tenets of due process and the rule of 
law," Drilon said. 

He urged his colleagues to set aside "partisanship and narrow interest," 
and called on the people to unite behind a bigger cause which is national 
interest. Drilon viewed the unfolding events as not simply a quarrel among 
individuals, "but a battle for national unity and survival that may lead 
the country on the prospect of disintegration and civil strife." 

Deputy Speaker Daisy Avance-Fuentes said Singson’s allegations should 
not be taken lightly by Congress. Rep. Ernesto Herrera said if Singson 
could present concrete evidence, Mr. Estrada may be criminally prosecuted 
after his impeachment, along with other officials such as presidential son 
San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada and presidential accountant Yolanda 
Ricaforte. Phil. Star, 10/11/2000


MBC TO ESTRADA: RESIGN: Government economic managers downplayed yesterday 
the impact of the jueteng scandal on the economy, giving their assurances 
that the controversy would blow over by May next year. 

But that’s too late for the economy, as far as the Makati Business 
Club is concerned. The MBC wants President Estrada to resign instead. 

Trade Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the latest accusations against the 
President was a predictable development, and on schedule with the start of 
the campaign season for the 2001 senatorial and local elections. 

"These issues are not germane to what should be our focus, which is 
economic growth. This is just politics, it’ll all be over in May," 
Roxas said in a speech at the opening day of the 26th Annual Philippine 
Business Conference. 

Assurances, however, were not enough to appease some businessmen, who cited 
the downtrend in the money and stock markets. The peso plunged to an all-
time low of 46.90 to the dollar at the close of trading yesterday. 

Roxas said the executive department and the private sector should "continue 
focusing on the job and avoid being sidetracked by political happenings." 

Finance Secretary Jose Pardo said he is convinced that the business sector 
"would not be swayed by the controversy and allow its focus to be 
divided." 

But the influential MBC refused to be swayed by attempts to downplay the 
potentially explosive charges that Mr. Estrada received payoffs from 
illegal gambling operations. Club president Guillermo Luz said the Estrada 
administration has to address the issue swiftly and decisively "before the 
public takes the accusations as truth." 

Luz explained that the government’s failure to take the issue "by the 
horns" was the primary reason for the poor performance of the peso and the 
stock market. He noted that the effect of the scandal on the economy as a 
whole would depend on how the administration responds to the allegations. 

"We saw the reaction of the Phisix and forex, two indicators that react 
immediately. The more critical indicators such as foreign investments would 
take longer to react," the businessman said. 

He said the government could face even more difficulty attracting 
investments, considering the accusations are directed toward the Chief 
Executive himself. 

And his comment as to whether or not the President should step down: 
"Let us see where the evidence points and follow it to its logical 
conclusion." Other business groups continue to rally behind Mr. Estrada, 
even coming up with a covenant that would signify the sector's continued 
commitment to economic development. 

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said there is a need 
to isolate business issues from political issues to keep the situation from 
getting worse. Phil. Star, 10/11/2000


IMPEACHMENT MOVE VS ERAP STARTS MONDAY: Members of the opposition are 
poised to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Estrada on 
Monday for alleged direct involvement in illegal gambling operations. 

Lakas-NUCD secretary- general and Rep. Heherson Alvarez said they will soon 
file the impeachment charges against the President. 

"This is unconscionable, a sure betrayal of public trust," Alvarez said, 
referring to allegations by Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson that the 
First Family had been receiving P10 million monthly in protection money 
from jueteng operators. 

The House leadership, however, is cool to the move. Speaker Manuel Villar 
said he will never allow the chamber to be used for partisan political 
purposes. 

Majority Leader Eduardo Gullas also said it would be "mathematically and 
politically impossible to impeach President Estrada." Alvarez revealed that 
a draft of the impeachment case has long been prepared, and they were 
merely waiting for the right time to file it. 

He said the filing of charges had been set last Thursday, but was overtaken 
by events. 

Alvarez said non-government organizations and leaders of various sectors 
support the impeachment move. Reps. Michael Defensor, Sergio Apostol and 
Oscar Moreno will be the principal sponsors of the measure. 

Leaders of Aklas-Pilipino, a non-government organization composed mostly of 
people from Ateneo de Manila University, have met with Lakas officials to 
draw up strategies to push the impeachment. 

Aklas-Pilipino reportedly enjoys the support of militant personalities 
such as Fr. Joaquin Bernas, Tess Baltazar of Konsensyang Pilipino and 
Linggoy Alcuaz of Silent Protest group. 

It is a movement organized by former Cabinet members of the Corazon Aquino 
and Fidel Ramos administrations, the Young Officers’ Union and former 
Muslim rebels. 

The group's convenors said earlier they had recruited several coordinators 
in at least 10 regions. Lakas officials have said they were convinced that 
Mr. Estrada has committed enough mistakes that are grounds for impeachment. 

Alvarez said they can present enough evidence to prove that the Chief 
Executive has committed culpable violations of the Constitution. However, 
members of the ruling party maintained that any impeachment move in the 
House of Representatives is doomed to fail as the opposition does not have 
the numbers needed to push it through the plenary. Phil. Star, 10/07/2000


GUINGONA SAYS THAT ESTRADA GOT P290 MILLION: The drop-off points were 
Malacanang and private homes and the total amount involved was P290 million. 

The recipient was none other than the President of the Republic of the 
Philippines. The allegation yesterday came from Senate Minority Leader 
Teofisto Guingona Jr., who accused President Estrada of receiving a total 
of P220 million in jueteng money from Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson 
since November 1998 until August 2000. 

Jueteng is an illegal numbers game. 

Guingona said the President also received from Singson P70 million in 
excise tax on Virginia tobacco grown in Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, La Union 
and Abra. 

The Senate minority leader hurled the accusations against the President in 
a surprise privilege speech at the Senate. 

Guingona, president of the opposition Lakas-NUCD Party, later told reporters 
that the President had a "direct participation" in graft because he 
personally received the money from Singson in Malacanang and in private 
homes. 

The senator's privilege speech came a day after Singson accused members of 
the President's family, officials of Malacanang and friends of the President 
of receiving millions of pesos monthly from jueteng lords. 

The accusation of Singson stems from his conflict with Charlie "Atong" Ang, 
who he says is harassing him for his strong opposition to Bingo 2-Ball, 
which the government launched on Sept. 18. 

Ang, a consultant of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is 
pushing Bingo 2-Ball to eradicate jueteng, raise revenues for the government 
and eliminate payoffs to military and police officials. 

Guingona's disclosure prompted three legislators to call for the impeachment 
of the President. Sen. Raul Roco said Guingona's accusation "should be 
brought to its just conclusion--(the impeachment of the President)." 

In the House of Representatives, Senior Deputy Minority Leader Sergio 
Apostol and Rep. Michael Defensor said impeachment proceedings should be 
conducted once the charges are proven. 

But Ombudsman Aniano Desierto said his office would "go slow" in the 
investigation on the President's role in the controversy. 
Guingona said he based his accusation on documents furnished by Singson, 
who claims that he personally delivered the jueteng money to Mr. Estrada. 

Because of this, he accused the President "of betraying public trust." 
Guingona, who called for the President's resignation in April, said the 
people trusted him to protect them from illegal gambling. 

Guingona said the President received P10 million a month from November 1998 
to August 2000. 

Surprisingly, not one of the seven senators present at the session hall 
rose for the customary interpellation after Guingona read a one-page 
speech. 

On the P70-million excise tax pocketed by Mr. Estrada, Guingona said: 
"Documents show that shortly after assuming office in 1998, the President 
asked for a portion from releases of funds allocated for Ilocos Sur under 
Republic Act 7171." The law sets aside a portion of the excise tax on 
Virginia tobacco to provinces producing the product. Inquirer, 10/06/2000