Philippine Leader Toughens Stance Against Quitting

Philippine President Joseph Estrada, hardening his stance not to resign despite threats of an impeachment trial, said Tuesday that opponents demanding that he quit over a bribery scandal were hallucinating.

“That’s unthinkable,” Estrada said.

“From the very start I never thought of resigning . . . never, never, never. Tell them to stop imagining things,” the president said after speaking to the marine corps.

Senior aides said Estrada had toughened on his decision not to resign after a poll showed that many Filipinos wanted him to hang on.

“He will take his chances . . . let his fate be decided by the impeachment process and we will support him in that,” presidential spokesman Ricardo Puno said.

A survey by leading pollster Social Weather Stations about a week ago found that 44% disagreed with calls for Estrada to step down and that 29% were in favor.

Estrada, elected to a six-year term in 1998, has denied taking bribes from illegal gambling syndicates and said he will welcome an impeachment trial in the Senate, which is likely to begin this month.

Palace officials said Estrada had approved a package of reforms proposed by his ruling coalition in an attempt to halt a severe erosion of his popular support.