Philippine Senate Won’t Open Bank Files in Impeachment Trial

The impeachment trial of Philippine President Joseph Estrada came to a sudden halt Tuesday after the Senate rejected prosecutors’ request to open bank records allegedly showing that the president amassed an illegal fortune while in office.

Angry prosecutors and two Senate leaders abruptly resigned their posts in protest, and thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of Manila to stage an all-night vigil calling for Estrada’s resignation.

The 11-10 decision by the lawmakers, who are acting as judges in the trial, indicated that Estrada has enough support in the Senate to escape impeachment despite evidence of corruption and theft on a massive scale.

“This is a shameless vote of acquittal,” said Rep. Joker Arroyo, one of the congressmen who was serving as a prosecutor. “This means there are 11 senators there who are in the pocket of the president.”

Estrada’s foes, led by former President Corazon Aquino and Cardinal Jaime Sin, held a candlelight rally in the capital in the hope of inspiring the same kind of “people power” protest that toppled former President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1986.

“We know in our heart that the president is guilty,” said Sin, who warned that there would be prolonged protests against Estrada.

Estrada, a former action movie star, has maintained broad support among the country’s poor, who see him as a hero despite damaging testimony that he opened a bank account under the name Jose Velarde and accepted an estimated $63.5 million in illegal payments.

Early today, Estrada reiterated that he is not guilty of the corruption charges and urged the public to remain calm.

“Just like in any important trial . . . you win some, you lose some,” the president said in a statement. “Let us be calm and pray for unity and guidance so that there will be no violence or other events that will not be good for the unity and peace of our nation.”

The vote was the first test of Estrada’s strength in the Senate, where a two-thirds vote is required for impeachment.

The Philippine House of Representatives voted late last year to bring impeachment charges against Estrada after provincial governor Luis Singson, a onetime Estrada ally, said he had given the president more than $11 million in illegal gambling proceeds and cigarette tax revenues.

The president faces four counts: corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust and violation of the constitution. Conviction by the Senate on any one of the charges would mean his removal from office.

The impeachment is the first in the Philippines since democracy was established with the ouster of Marcos. It also is the first impeachment trial in Southeast Asia, where leaders are more likely to be removed from office by military coup, as in Myanmar, or by massive public protests, as in Indonesia.

Among the witnesses against the president was a bank officer who said she saw Estrada sign the name Jose Velarde on bank documents. Also testifying was a former Cabinet member who said some of the nation’s major smugglers were frequent visitors to the presidential palace.

Overall, the testimony painted a picture of Estrada as a hard-drinking, pleasure-seeking president who granted special favors to his cronies and spent part of his allegedly illegal millions to buy houses for his mistresses.

The prosecution had been scheduled to end its case Friday, followed by the presentation of Estrada’s defense.

Senators who voted against opening the “Jose Velarde” bank records argued that the account was not part of the impeachment complaint and was therefore outside their jurisdiction.

After the vote, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel and Senate Secretary Lutgardo Barbo angrily resigned, followed by the House prosecutors and much of the legal staff assisting them.

“We will tender our irrevocable letter of resignation as prosecutors,” Rep. Sergio Apostol said. “To us, prosecuting is already a sham. The impeachment court is already tainted with bias.”

All 11 prosecutors officially resigned in protest today. Sergio Osmena, one of the 22 senators hearing the case, also stepped down as a judge, leaving the case in jeopardy.

Despite fears of violence, protests in Manila and other cities remained calm through the night. Traffic was being detoured around potential hot spots in the capital this morning, as thousands of protesters took to the streets again. The Philippine armed forces chief said the military would repel any attempt to exploit political unrest.

Estrada, who has shown no sign of giving in to his critics, recently warned his foes not to try to force him from office if he was acquitted.

“If they will incite a revolution, they will be put in their proper places,” he told reporters.

A seemingly confident president’s office called for the continuation of the trial.

“The president wants the full presentation of evidence,” said Edicio dela Torre, a state official and Estrada friend.