Estrada turns 70 but wields influence from detention

Manila: Joseph Estrada, the deposed Philippine president, turned 70 yesterday and proclaimed his innocence yet again as he marked his sixth birthday under house arrest while awaiting a court verdict in his marathon plunder trial.

Estrada, toppled in massive street protests in 2001 on charges of corruption, has reached the age when he is eligible for presidential pardon if he is found guilty, a possible face-saving formula that may placate both the government and his followers.

The former president, who has repeatedly maintained his innocence during his trial, remained defiant, telling The Philippine Daily Inquirer: "Pardons are only for the guilty."

Estrada, a former movie star who won the 1998 election with the largest margin in Philippine history, still commands influence and a large following, particularly among the poorest sectors of the society.

Power grab

Four months after he was forced to flee the Malacanang presidential palace as the powerful military sided with tens of thousands of protesters seeking his ouster, pro-Estrada supporters attempted to storm the palace and reinstate him.

His successor, Gloria Arroyo, who rose to the presidency as his separately elected vice-president, said the protest was an attempt to grab power.

Since then, Philippine politics has often been seen as a battleground between proxies of Estrada and Arroyo. In May 14 congressional elections, Estrada is backing opposition candidates.

Estrada is accused of amassing about 4 billion pesos (Dh298 million) in payoffs from illegal gambling operations, tobacco tax kickbacks and commissions. He also is charged with perjury for allegedly falsely declaring his assets.

He has denied any wrongdoing and accused Arroyo of conspiring with the country's elite, Roman Catholic church leaders and some military officers.