Presidency of Joseph Ejercito Estrada June 30, 1998 – January 20, 2001 | |
Joseph Ejercito Estrada | |
Cabinet | See list |
Party | LAMMP |
Election | 1998 |
Seat | Malacañang Palace, Manila |
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Early political career Mayor of San Juan
Senator of the Philippines
Vice President of the Philippines
Political affiliations
Public image
Post-Presidency
Elections
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The presidency of Joseph Ejercito Estrada, also known as the Estrada administration, spanned 31 months from June 30, 1998, to January 20, 2001. Estrada was elected president of the Philippines in the May 11, 1998 national elections, receiving almost 11 million votes.
Estrada campaigned on a pro-poor platform. He ordered the removal of all sovereign guarantees on contracts for public projects which would require the sovereign Filipino people to assume the financial losses of private companies doing business with the government. He made efforts to clean the bureaucracy by ordering the immediate relief of corrupt officials in the military and police hierarchy. He ordered a wide-ranging investigation of all government contracts entered into by the previous administration to ensure these were above-board and directly advantageous to the citizenry. He also ordered the investigation of suspected big-time tax evaders including individuals who had contributed to his presidential campaign. He undertook an aggressive housing program on a national basis, targeting low-cost homes for the poor.
Estrada assumed office amid the Asian Financial Crisis and with agricultural problems due to poor weather conditions, thereby slowing the economic growth to -0.6% in 1998 from a 5.2% in 1997.[1] The economy recovered by 3.4% in 1999 and 4% in 2000.[2] The agricultural sector received greater priority, while the national government took steps to bring down the cost of medicine. His term was marked by a growth in foreign investments. He declared an "all-out-war" against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which led to the capture of the largest camp of the MILF.
In 2000, Estrada was accused of illegally accepting payoffs from various sources, including jueteng, a popular local numbers game, sparking a national controversy that led to the House of Representatives voting to impeach him. The Senate impeachment trial ended abruptly in mid-January 2001 after prosecutors staged a walk-out after the senators voted against the opening of a document that supposedly contained substantial evidence against Estrada. The decision drew protesters to EDSA, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines later withdrew their support. On January 20, 2001, Estrada resigned from office and fled Malacañang. Following the Supreme Court's decision upholding the legality of the Arroyo presidency, Estrada was arrested at his San Juan home on April 25, 2001, on the warrant of arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan for plunder charges.