45pc favour sending Estrada abroad

A year after the arrest of the ousted president Joseph Estrada for the trial of his plunder case, a majority of Filipinos now favour the idea of sending him abroad for the treatment of his knees, the recent survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

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A year after the arrest of the ousted president Joseph Estrada for the trial of his plunder case, a majority of Filipinos now favour the idea of sending him abroad for the treatment of his knees, the recent survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

In the March 4-23 nationwide survey, 45 per cent of 1,200 respondents agreed that the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court, should let Estrada go abroad for up to four months to have his knee operated on.

Thirty-one per cent disagreed with the plan, and 24 per cent said they were undecided. Fifty seven per cent of those who agreed to Estrada's U.S. travel came from Metro Manila, 55 per cent from Luzon. Estrada was formerly mayor of suburban San Jauna and his family is from southern Luzon's Laguna.

Of those favouring the plan, 49 per cent came from Visayas, central Philippines, and 32 per cent from Mindanao, southern Philippines.

"Even those who mostly came from the elite ABC class, 53 per cent believe Estrada should be given permission, to have his treatment abroad. Those from the D class, 43 per cent agreed, class E, 47 per cent) agreed.

Majority of respondents believe that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration is "only fair" in treating Estrada. But this number is slowly going down, from 63 per cent in July 2001 to 59 per cent in September 2001, to 55 per cent in November 2301, to 51 per cent in March 2002.

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