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El ay se perdonado na octubre, 2007 por la presidente en las investigaciones de la corrupcion.
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==Early life and career==
José Marcelo Ejército was born in [[Tondo, Manila|Tondo]], one of the poorest parts of [[Manila]]. He was the son of Emilio Ejército, Sr. ([[1898]]-[[1977]]), a small-scale government contractor, and the former María Marcelo ([[1905]]-present), a housewife. He is the brother of Antonio Ejercito (1932-2005) and Emilio Ejercito, Jr. (1928-1999)
Contrary to the popular notion that he grew up in life of poverty, he lived a relatively lower middle class life. After being expelled from [[Ateneo de Manila University]] for repugnant conduct, he enrolled in an engineering course at [[Mapua Institute of Technology]], eventually dropping out to pursue acting.
Dropping out of college and involvement in a street gang so displeased his family that they forbade him from using his family name. He adopted the surname "Estrada" ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for 'road') as a last name. As an actor he acquired the nickname "Erap" (from the reversed spelling of ''pare'', Filipino slang for 'pal' or 'buddy'). He played the lead role in more than 100 movies, and was producer of over 70 films. He was the first FAMAS Hall of Fame awardee for Best Actor ([[1981]]) and also became a Hall of Fame awardee as a producer ([[1983]]). He often played heroes of the downtrodden classes, which gained him the admiration of a lot of the nation's many unschooled and impoverished citizens. This later proved advantageous to his political career.
Joseph Estrada married [[Loi Estrada|Luisa Pimentel]] (former Doctor and first lady turned senator) and was blessed with three children: [[Jinggoy Estrada]] (former Mayor of [[San Juan (Philipines)|San Juan]] turned Senator/married to Precy Vitug), Jackie Estrada (married to Beaver Lopez), and Jude Estrada. Joseph Estrada met her wife Loi, while working as an orderly at the National Center for Mental Health (NMCH) in Mandaluyong City.
He also had a child from an out-of-wedlock relationship, Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito (from socialite Guia Gómez), who also made a name for himself in Philippine politics by following his father's footsteps as the current mayor of the town of [[San Juan, Metro Manila]]. [[Pagsanjan, Laguna]] Mayor Emilio Ramon Ejercito III, known in Philippine showbiz as George Estregan Jr. or E.R. Ejercito, is his nephew.
During the 2000 impeachment proceedings, reports of Estrada's numerous out-of-marriage relationships and offsprings surfaced in the press.
As an actor with no prior political experience, Estrada ran for mayor of [[San Juan, Metro Manila|San Juan]], a [[Philippine municipality|municipality]] of [[Metro Manila]], in [[1968]] and ended up losing his bid for mayor. He was only proclaimed mayor in [[1969]], after winning an electoral protest against Dr. Braulio Sto. Domingo.
When [[Corazon Aquino]] assumed the presidency in [[1986]], all officials of the local government suspected of malfeasance and anomalies were removed and replaced by appointed officers-in-charge. Estrada was then removed from his position as mayor. The following year, he ran and won a seat in the [[Senate of the Philippines|Senate]] under his own party, [[Partido ng Masang Pilipino]].
==Vice-Presidency==
In the [[Philippine general election, 1992|1992 presidential election]] Estrada initially intended to run for president but later decided to be the running mate of [[Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.]] of the [[Nationalist People's Coalition]]. Estrada won the vice-presidency, though Cojuangco was defeated by [[Fidel V. Ramos]] of the [[LAKAS]] party. Shortly after the inauguration of Ramos, Estrada was appointed to head the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC) even though Estrada was from the political opposition.
==Presidency==
===Election===
[[Image:ImagePhp bill 2000 front.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The 1998 inauguration of Joseph Estrada as President in Barasoain Church in Bulacan Province as depicted in the obverse side of the 2000-Philippine peso bill.]]
[[Image:erapestrada.jpg|thumb|right|250px|U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines Thomas Hubbard (left) and Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (center) visit with President Joseph E. Estrada (right) at Malacanang Palace, Philippines, on Aug. 3, 1998]]
The 1998 presidential election campaign had hardly anything to do with a contest between political ideologies and political programs. Estrada’s campaign in particular was focused on wooing the masses. Estrada’s political strategists and backers were aware that a large share of the Philippine electorate had become so dissatisfied and estranged from the ruling political elite, that the masa (the poor and undereducated also called masses) were looking for a change in leadership. Estrada’s handlers designed a campaign strategy that reflected Estrada’s pro-poor image that he had built up throughout his movie career. Central in the campaign was Estrada’s campaign slogan ''"Erap para sa Mahirap"'' (Erap for the poor) that succeeded in inspiring the masses with the hope that Estrada would be the president of and for the masses. Estrada soundly won as president over his competitors who were unable to provide a real alternative for Estrada. Estrada's running mate, [[Edgardo Angara]], was defeated by [[Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo]]. During the campaign, Estrada's political rivals tried but failed to discredit him while publicizing his womanizing, drinking and gambling. Estrada was inaugurated on [[June 30]], [[1998]] in the historical town of [[Malolos]] in [[Bulacan]] province. In response to his election, he stated ''"This is the greatest performance of my life."''
===Philippine Daily Inquirer===
Erap criticized [[The Philippine Daily Inquirer]], the nation's most popular broadsheet newspaper, for "bias, malice and fabrication" against him — a charge The Inquirer denied. In [[1999]], several government organizations, pro-Estrada businesses, and movie producers simultaneously pulled their advertisements in The Inquirer. The presidential palace was widely implicated in the advertising boycott, prompting sharp criticism from international [[press freedom]] watchdogs.
===Corruption charges and impeachment===
The Estrada presidency was soon dogged by charges of plunder and [[political corruption|corruption]], and he was reported by his Chief of Staff Aprodicio Laquian to spend long hours drinking with shady characters. In October [[2000]], an acknowledged gambling racketeer, [[Luis Singson|Luis "Chavit" Singson]], [[governor]] of the province of [[Ilocos Sur]], alleged that he had personally given Estrada the sum of 400 million pesos as payoff from illegal gambling profits, as well as 180 million pesos from the government price subsidy for the tobacco famers' marketing cooperative. Singson's allegation caused an uproar across the nation, which culminated in Estrada's [[impeachment]] by the [[House of Representatives of the Philippines|House of Representatives]] in November 13, 2000. He was the first Philippine President to be impeached. The articles of impeachment were then transmitted to the Senate and an impeachment court was formed, with [[Chief Justice of the Philippines|Chief Justice]] [[Hilario Davide, Jr.]] as presiding officer.
During the trial, the prosecution (composed of congressmen and private prosecutors) presented witnesses and evidence to the impeachment court regarding Estrada's involvement in illegal gambling, also known as [[jueteng]], and his maintenance of secret bank accounts. However, the president's legal team (composed of a former chief justice, former congressman, former solicitor-general and other lawyers) denied these allegations.
Ilocos Governor Chavit Singson was one of the witnesses who testified against President Estrada. The President and the governor of Ilocos were said to be "partners" in-charge of the operations of illegal gambling in the country. Governor Singson feared that he would be charged and stripped of power (there have been talks about the governor making a deal with the opposition... he was to help incriminate Estrada and he would be compensated for his service), but he was offered immunity by anti-Estrada lawmakers. He was then asked to accuse the President of having committed several illegal acts. He gave personal accounts that may or may not have been biased. Singson's credibility has been questioned several times in the past, and he has been involved in various scandals that have not been resolved up to this day.
===EDSA II Revolution===
:''Main article: [[EDSA II]]''
On [[January 16]], [[2001]], the impeachment court, whose majority were political allies of Estrada, voted not to open an envelope that was said to contain incriminating evidence against the president. The prosecution panel walked out of the impeachment court in protest of this vote. Others noted that the walkout merit [[contempt of court|court contempt]] which Davide, intentionally or unintentionally, did not enforce.
That night, anti-Estrada protesters gathered on the historical [[EDSA|EDSA highway]] at [[EDSA Shrine|the site]] of the [[EDSA Revolution|1986 EDSA Revolution]] that overthrew [[Ferdinand Marcos]]. A political turmoil ensued and the clamor for Estrada's resignation became stronger than ever. In the following days, the number of protesters grew to the hundreds of thousands.
On [[January 19]], [[2001]], the [[Armed Forces of the Philippines]], seeing the political upheaval throughout the country, decided to withdraw its support from the president and transfer its allegiance to the vice president, [[Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo]].
On [[January 20]], [[2001]], the Supreme Court declared the presidency vacant and the Chief Justice swore in the constitutional successor, [[Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo]], as acting President of the Philippines. Estrada and his family were quickly evacuated from the presidential palace.
There was no legal or constitutional basis for the Supreme Court's declaration of the presidency's vacancy. The presiding jurors of the impeachment case against the president had yet to prove him guilty and it would have taken more time for the body to come up with a ruling. The charges against Estrada were not substantiated by strong pieces of evidence. Several people, including Ilocos governor Chavit Singson, who's credibilities were questioned several times in the past, gave mere testimonials that could or could have not been biased. Joseph Ejercito Estrada, incumbent President of the Republic of the Philippines in that period, did not fill out the formal documents for resignation. These documents had to be completed by the President and submitted to the Supreme Court before the judicial branch of the republic declared the presidency vacant.
When the presidential palace was stormed by protesters, Estrada declared that he would leave the grounds of the palace in order to avoid the provocation of violence and strife. He released a statement that he was to "step down" but he was not to resign or to vacate the presidential post. However, the opposition led by then Vice-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, saw this as an opportunity to take over and gain control of the republic. On the 20th of January, Political allies and supporters of Mrs. Arroyo gathered at Edsa shrine. Upon the arrival of Mrs. Arroyo, Mr. Hilario Davide, Chief Justice of the Philippines swore her into office as the President of the Philippine Republic. This was a dead-end for President Estrada who was left with no power. Legally, Joseph Estrada was still the President of the Republic, and the swearing in of another president was to be considered as a violation against the constitution. But contentions, against the illegality of Arroyo's rise to power, were shunned. Mrs. Arroyo had the support of politicians, wealthy businessmen, heads of major religious denominations, including Cardinal Sin , and the heads of the Armed Forces.
==Post-presidency==
Estrada returned to his old home in [[San Juan, Metro Manila|San Juan]]. He maintained that he never resigned, implying that Arroyo's government was illegitimate, despite the international community's recognition of Arroyo's succession and that all government offices, the military and the national police acknowledged Arroyo as the new president.
The new government charged him with plunder and had him arrested in April. Estrada's herded supporters, particularly among the poor, marched to the [[EDSA Shrine]] demanding Estrada's release and his reinstatement as president, attempting to replicate the success of the previous revolution. On the morning of [[May 1]], the protesters marched straight to the presidential palace. Violence erupted and the government declared a [[State of Rebellion]]. Many of Estrada's supporters were arrested, including politicians accused of provoking the violence. The government called out the military and was able to quell the rebellion. The rebellion came to be known as [[EDSA III]].
Estrada was initially detained at the Veteran's Memorial Medical Center in [[Manila]] and then transferred to a military facility in [[Tanay, Rizal|Tanay]], [[Rizal]], but he was later transferred to a nearby vacation home, virtually in house arrest. He is still facing the charges of plunder and corruption. Under Filipino law, plunder has a maximum penalty of death, though it is unlikely that Estrada will be given that sentence.
The [[Philippine general election, 2004|2004 presidential election]] was widely seen as a test of legitimacy for the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Estrada supported his friend, [[Fernando Poe, Jr.]], who became Arroyo's main opponent. However, Poe lost to Arroyo in a close election which some people say she won by cheating, by intimidating those that opposed her and by buying the military to do the cheating for her. Most international election observers however, say that the election was mostly clean.
On [[April 2]], [[2005]], the United Opposition movement named Estrada "Chairman Emeritus". The unexpected death of [[Fernando Poe, Jr.]], after the election brought with it uncertainty as to the opposition's direction and leadership, yet with Estrada still facing charges and trial some have been left to speculate how much of an influence or support this declaration will create in the formation of an opposition front to the current Presidency, and her Lakas-CMD party.
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==External links==
*[http://www.thephilippines.org/Phildocs/Estrada/ Database with articles about Estrada's Presidency]
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[[Category:1937 births|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Living people|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Actor-politicians|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Filipino politicians|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Filipino actors|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:People from San Juan, Metro Manila|Estrada]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Philippines|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Philippine presidential candidates|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic politicians|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Senators of the Philippines|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Vice Presidents of the Philippines|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Junior Chamber International|Estrada, Joseph]]
[[Category:Estrada family]]
[[ar:جوزيف استرادا]]
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