Deposed Philippine president given life sentence for plunder

A Philippine court convicted deposed President Joseph Estrada of plunder and sentenced him to life in prison Wednesday, following a six-year trial in which the constitutionality of the law was challenged.

Estrada, 70, was found not guilty of perjury. Prosecutors alleged he falsely declared his financial assets.

In a phone interview with CNN, Estrada said the next step for his legal team would be to appeal his conviction in the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court to the country's Supreme Court.

"It's not yet the end of the road, we still have (an) option to appeal our case to the Supreme Court," the former president said.

Estrada's son Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada and Attorney Edward Serapio were co-defendants in the case, but were acquitted of the plunder charges.

Prosecutors, however, lauded the decision in news reports. "This is the last chance for the state to show that we can do it, that we can charge, prosecute and convict a public official regardless of his stature," special prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio said in an Associated Press report. "It shows that our judicial system really works."

Plunder is a capital offense in the Philippines, although the death penalty was abolished recently, according to AP reports. The law, passed in 1994, was prompted by the outcry over the illegal wealth acquired by former President Ferdinand Marcos while in office and ironically, Estrada was one of its main proponents when he was a senator. Estrada was the first person prosecuted under the law.

He was convicted of pocketing tens of millions of dollars during the 31 months of his presidency. As a part of his sentencing, Estrada was ordered to forfeit about $15 million and a mansion.

He was acquitted of perjury related to allegations he falsely declared his assets, according to the AP

Estrada was ousted after three years in office in January 2001 in the midst of an impeachment hearing on corruption charges that had lost its credibility with the public.

Following massive protests, current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo -- then Estrada's vice president -- was swept into power on a wave of public support and the backing of the military.

Estrada remains a popular figure in the Philippines and security forces have been on alert in the event his conviction stirs violence amongst his supporters.

"Of course, I'll try to calm them," Estrada told CNN.

Riot police and troops kept hundreds of Estrada backers several blocks from the anti-graft court in Manila that Estrada inaugurated before he was ousted, The AP reported.

Security also was very tight around the presidential palace as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo worried about a repeat of violent protests that followed Estrada's arrest in April 2001.

Arroyo spokesman Ignacio Bunye appealed for calm.

"We hope and pray that the rule of law will prevail," Bunye said in AP reports. "Meantime, 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 this goal."