Former Philippine president and movie star Joseph Estrada was found guilty of massive corruption yesterday and ordered to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Winding up a six-year trial that the 70-year-old had repeatedly insisted was politically motivated, a special anti-corruption court ruled he was guilty of plundering tens of millions of dollars in tax kickbacks and bribes.
It also confiscated US$87 million from his bank accounts that had been frozen during the trial. Estrada slumped in his chair as the verdict was read and later vowed to appeal.
PHOTO: EPA
"I disagree with the findings and conclusions of the court. These conclusions, however, did not come as a surprise to us," he said, urging his supporters to stay calm.
In a meeting of Estrada's family and lawyers later, his daughter, Jackie Lopez, openly sobbed while Estrada's son, San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito, had tears streaming down his face.
Estrada said the verdict "appeared to be a political move" that came after pressure from his arch-rival and successor, Philippine President Gloria Arroyo.
"Against the advice of my friends I submitted myself to the judiciary believing that the case would be tried on its merits," he said before being flown by helicopter back to his luxurious compound, where he will remain under house arrest for now.
The case has marked a bitter chapter in Philippine politics that began when the onetime action hero was ousted from power in 2001, a move which led to violent street protests.
Estrada has accused the nation's business elite, Arroyo and the Roman Catholic church of conspiring against him because of his populist platform.
He said on Tuesday he had twice rejected offers from Arroyo to clear his name in exchange for his voluntary exile.
Arroyo welcomed the verdict and said the "rule of law" should prevail.
"We have a country to run, an economy to grow and a peace to win. We hope that this sad episode in our history will not permanently distract us from these goals," an Arroyo spokesman said.
The expected huge crowds of pro-Estrada protesters failed to materialize, although outside the court several hundred people stood in the rain waving flags and banners in support of the deposed leader, who remains hugely popular among much of the nation's disenfranchised.
"That is not the will of the poor. He is my president," cried street vendor Loretta Barrias, 55, as colleagues calmed her down.
"He is the people's president, set him free!" she sobbed.
The politically influential Roman Catholic church urged Estrada's supporters to follow the rule of law and not take to the streets.
National police chief Oscar Calderon said the rallies have been generally peaceful, but said a heightened state of alert would remain until the situation normalizes.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
IMPORTANT BACKER: China seeks to expel US influence from the Indo-Pacific region and supplant Washington as the global leader, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng said China is preparing for war to seize Taiwan, Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said in Washington on Friday, warning that Taiwan’s fall would trigger a regional “domino effect” endangering US security. In a speech titled “Maintaining the Peaceful and Stable Status Quo Across the Taiwan Strait is in Line with the Shared Interests of Taiwan and the United States,” Chiu said Taiwan’s strategic importance is “closely tied” to US interests. Geopolitically, Taiwan sits in a “core position” in the first island chain — an arc stretching from Japan, through Taiwan and the Philippines, to Borneo, which is shared by
RSS