Philippines' Estrada given pardon

Disgraced former Philippine President Joseph Estrada has been granted an official pardon by his successor, a government spokesman has confirmed.

President Gloria Arroyo's office said the decision was reached after Estrada agreed not to pursue political office.

Estrada was given a life sentence last month after being convicted of corruption following a six-year trial.

The 70-year-old ex-film star was found to have embezzled $80m (£42m) before being forced from office in 2001.

'Demeaning' decision

Ms Arroyo's spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, said Estrada's age and the fact he had spent six years under house arrest were taken into account when awarding the pardon.

The former president, who analysts say retains huge popularity among poor Filipinos, will officially be freed on Friday.

He had been serving his sentence at his sprawling country estate near the capital, Manila, rather than a jail cell.

Estrada's son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, said he thanked Ms Arroyo from the bottom of his heart for releasing his father.

But political opponents of Estrada were highly critical of the move.

"If we are going to show the world that we are for the rule of law, then there should be no pardon for Estrada," said Senator Richard Gordon.

Prosecutors involved in the Estrada case said the president had no right to pardon him, and claimed the move had "totally demeaned" their efforts to combat corruption.

After his conviction for plunder in September, Estrada denounced the verdict as a "political move" and said he had been tried in a "kangaroo court".

A successful movie star with populist appeal, Estrada was elected president in 1998 by the biggest margin ever.

He was seen as a refreshing change from the wealthy elite that had previously dominated political life.

But it was not long before his presidency ran into trouble amid allegations of corruption.

He was ousted three years after coming to power in a revolt backed by the army and the church. Mrs Arroyo - who was his vice-president at the time - took over.

Ousted Philippine president Estrada seeks pardon on plunder conviction

Ousted Philippine leader Joseph Estrada, jailed after a historic corruption conviction, dropped his appeal Monday and said he will seek a presidential pardon instead.

Estrada said he authorized his lawyers to withdraw his appeal to the special anti-graft Sandiganbayan court to reverse his Sept. 12 conviction for economic plunder.

The move takes away a key obstacle for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to grant him a pardon that could free him from more than six years of detention.

"I don’t stand a chance of being acquitted in the courts," Estrada told The Associated Press by telephone, adding he would go straight to a suburban Manila hospital to visit his ailing mother if released.

Estrada, a former action movie star still adored by many of the country’s poor, has been allowed by the court to be detained in his sprawling villa near Manila while appealing his conviction.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, a close Arroyo ally, welcomed Estrada’s move saying "it can help lower the political temperature."

Arroyo recently authorized Puno to hold talks with Estrada on a possible pardon. The talks stalled, however, after Estrada decided to appeal his corruption conviction, which legally barred Arroyo from issuing a pardon.

Estrada was ousted by a non-violent "people power" revolt that was co-led by Arroyo, then his vice-president, in 2001 over allegations of massive corruption and misrule. He was arrested and detained a few months later, angering his legions of followers.

Estrada was convicted last September after a landmark six-year trial on charges that he took bribes and kickbacks while in office. He was sentenced to life in prison.

He also was ordered to forfeit a mansion and more than US$15.5 million.

Estrada has denied the charges and accused Arroyo of masterminding his removal in a conspiracy with leaders of the Roman Catholic church and senior military officers.

A former action film star who once pulled off the biggest election victory in Philippine history, Estrada remains popular among impoverished Filipinos who adored his B-movies, where he often portrayed roles as a champion of the poor.

He served as an opposition icon, often criticizing Arroyo from behind bars.

The 70-year-old Estrada said he would not seek public office even if that right were restored by presidential pardon. He said, however, he would continue to criticize Arroyo.

"If she does good, I will support her. But I’ll go against any politics that’s not good for the country and the people," he said.

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."