Joseph Ejercito Estrada KGCR ([ʔɛˌhɛːɾ.sɪˈto ʔɛsˈtɾaː.dɐ]; born Jose Marcelo Ejercito; April 19, 1937), also known by the nickname Erap,[1][a] is a Filipino politician and former actor, who served as the 13th President of the Philippines from 1998 until his removal in 2001. Estrada previously served as the ninth Vice President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998, the 26th Mayor of Manila, the country's capital, from 2013 to 2019, and the 14th Mayor of San Juan from 1969 to 1986. In 2000, he became the first chief executive in Asia to be formally impeached, being ousted two months later by the Second EDSA Revolution.[2] As a result, Estrada served the third shortest term as Philippine president, after Emilio Aguinaldo and Sergio Osmeña. Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over a hundred films in an acting career spanning some three decades. He also worked as a model, beginning as a fashion and ramp model at the age of 13. He used his popularity as an actor to make gains in politics, serving as the mayor of San Juan from 1969 to 1986, as a senator from 1987 to 1992, then as vice president under President Fidel V. Ramos from 1992 to 1998. Estrada was elected president in 1998 with a wide margin of votes separating him from the other challengers and was sworn into the presidency on June 30, 1998. In 2000, he declared an "all-out-war" against Moro Islamic Liberation Front and captured its headquarters and other camps.[3] Allegations of corruption spawned an impeachment trial in the Senate, and in 2001, Estrada was forced out of the Philippine presidency during the Second EDSA Revolution after the prosecution walked out of the impeachment court when a slim majority of the senator-judges voted not to open an envelope that allegedly contained incriminating evidence against 18th Secretary of the Interior and Local Government In office June 30, 1998 – April 12, 1999 President Himself Preceded by Sonny Collantes (OIC) Succeeded by Ronaldo Puno Chairman of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission In office 1992–1997 President Fidel V. Ramos Senator of the Philippines In office June 30, 1987 – June 30, 1992 14th Mayor of San Juan In office August 5, 1969 – March 26, 1986 Preceded by Braulio Santo Domingo Succeeded by Reynaldo San Pascual Personal details Born Jose Marcelo Ejercito April 19, 1937 Tondo, Manila, Philippines Political party PMP (since 1991) Other political affiliations Nacionalista (1969–1987) Liberal (1987–1991) NPC (1991–1997) LAMMP (1997–2001) UNO (2005–2010) UNA (2012–2015) Spouse Luisa Pimentel (m. 1959) Children 11 (incl. Jose Jr., Joseph Victor, Jude and Juan Emilio) Parents Emilio Ejercito Sr. (father) Maria Marcelo (mother) Relatives Ejercito family Residence Santa Mesa, Manila Alma mater Mapúa Institute of Technology Central Colleges of the him. After his arrest on April 25, 2001, on charges of plunder, his supporters rallied and marched to Malacañang Palace and attempted to storm the premises in EDSA III. In 2007, Estrada was sentenced by a special division of the Sandiganbayan to reclusión perpetua under a charge of plunder for the embezzlement of the $80 million from the government but was later granted a pardon by the president and his former deputy, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He ran for president again in the 2010 presidential election but was defeated by Senator Benigno Aquino III by a wide margin. He later served as the mayor of Manila for two terms, from 2013 to 2019. Joseph Estrada was born as Jose Marcelo Ejercito at 8:25 pm on April 19, 1937 in his home in Tondo, an urban district of Manila.[4] His family later moved to the wealthy suburb of San Juan, then a municipality in the province of Rizal. He belonged to a wealthy family and was the eighth of ten children of Emilio Ejercito Sr. (1899–1977) and his wife, Maria Marcelo (1906 2009). After graduating from the Ateneo Elementary School in 1951, he was expelled during his second year of high school at Ateneo for defending his classmate, Mario Tiaoqui, who later became Energy Secretary under Estrada. Tiaoqui was bullied by a burly American named Patrick Hilton in the restroom. Both Estrada and Hilton were dismissed but later struck a friendship in school reunions.[5] Estrada graduated high school at the Mapúa Institute of Technology (MIT), and during college, he enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the MIT to please his father. He would leave once again and transferred to Central Colleges of the Philippines (CCP) College of Engineering but dropped out to pursue films.[6] Estrada's first partner was his St. John's Academy schoolmate Mercedita "Ditas" Carmona, whom he began dating at the age of 15.[7][8] Estrada was alleged Early life and education to have nearly lost his life defending himself against a knife attack in the mid-1950s, being rushed to the North General Hospital in Manila after the incident. [7] Film career In his twenties, he began a career as an actor, usually playing the role of the villain/antagonist. He adopted the stage name "Joseph Estrada", as his mother objected to his chosen career and his decision to quit schooling multiple times. He also acquired the nickname "Erap" (a play on the Tagalog slang "pare", meaning 'buddy') from his friend, fellow actor Fernando Poe Jr. Philippines Occupation Profession Signature Criminal status Criminal charge Penalty Politician · actor Businessman Criminal information Pardoned on October 26, 2007 by President Macapagal Arroyo Plunder Gloria Reclusión perpetua Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over a hundred films in an acting career spanning some three decades. In 1974, Estrada founded the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund), which helps filmmakers through medical reimbursements, hospitalization, surgery and death benefits, livelihood, alternative income opportunities, and housing. Its educational arm, the Mowelfund Film Institute, has produced some of the most skilled and respected producers, filmmakers, writers, and performers in both the independent and mainstream sectors of the industry since its inception in 1979. [9] He also founded, together with Guillermo de Vega, the first Metro Manila Film Festival in 1975. [10] Entry into politics Mayor of San Juan (1969–1986) Estrada entered politics in 1967, running for mayor of San Juan, failing and only succeeding in 1969 after winning an electoral protest against Braulio Sto. Domingo. [4] His administration achieved many infrastructure developments. These included the establishment of the first Municipal High School, the Agora complex, a modern slaughterhouse, a sprawling government center with a post office, a mini-park, and the paving of 98 percent of the town's roads and alleys. As mayor, he paid particular attention to the elementary education of children by improving and renovating school buildings, constructing additional school structures, health centers, barangay halls, and playgrounds in all barangays, and providing artesian wells to areas with low water supply. He relocated some 1,800 squatter families out of San Juan to Taytay, Rizal, at no cost. He was also the first mayor to computerize the assessment of the Real Estate Tax at the Municipal Assessor's Office. [11] When Corazon Aquino assumed the presidency in 1986, all elected officials of the local government were forcibly removed and replaced by appointed officers-in-charge, including Estrada Senator of the Philippines (1987–1992) In 1987, Estrada won a seat in the Senate under the Grand Alliance for Democracy (GAD) placing 14th in the elections (out of 24 winners). [4] He was appointed Chairman of the Committee on Public Works. He was Vice-Chairman of the Committees on Health, Natural Resources and Ecology, and Urban Planning. [12] In the Senate, Estrada sponsored bills on irrigation projects and the protection and propagation of the carabao, the beast of burden in the rural areas. [4] Estrada and eleven other senators (dubbed the "Magnificent 12" in media coverage) voted to terminate the RP-US Military Bases Agreement in 1991, leading to the withdrawal of American servicemen from the Pampanga and the Clark Air Base in Subic Naval Base in Zambales. [13] In 1989, the Free Press cited him as one of the Three Outstanding Senators of the Year. He was conferred the degree of Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa by the University of Pangasinan in 1990, [4] and by the Bicol University in April 1997. Vice presidency (1992–1998) Estrada as a senator, photograph released by the Philippine Congress, c. 1988 In 1992, Estrada initially ran for president under the Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP), with Vicente Rivera Jr. as his running mate and fellow actor as his campaign manager. Fernando Poe Jr. [14] The Philippine film industry called for a 60-day "moratorium" on all film projects by March for industry figures to help Estrada's presidential campaign. [15] However, Estrada reluctantly withdrew his bid on March 30 due to financial issues and instead became the running mate of Eduardo Cojuangco Jr. under the Nationalist People's Coalition; Estrada expressed that the decision was "very painful, if not traumatic". 0:00 [16] Though Cojuangco lost to former National Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos for the presidency, Estrada won the vice-presidency garnering more votes than his closest opponent Marcelo Fernan, Ramon Mitra Jr.'s running mate. Oath taking as Vice President of the Philippines on June 30, 1992 As vice president, Estrada was the chair of President Ramos' Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC). Estrada arrested criminal warlords and kidnapping syndicates. [17] He repeatedly topped surveys on government officials' performance conducted by the Social Weather Stations within his first two years [18] He resigned as chair in as vice president and was named "Man of the Year" by 1997. ABS-CBN for 1993. In the same year Estrada, together with former president Corazon Aquino, Cardinal Jaime Sin, Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and other political leaders, led an anti-charter change rally that brought in an estimated half a million people to Rizal Park against the charter change moves by Ramos and his supporters. [19] In early 1993, Estrada established Club 419 (later the International Business Club) in Cafe Ysabel within San Juan as a private men's club for him and his friends, including Poe. Presidency (1998–2001) [20] [21] On June 30, 1998, Estrada took his oath of office at the historic Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan. He also gave his inaugural address at the Quirino Grandstand where he promised to bring peace and harmony to the people and pledged to fight corruption and continue the economic reforms of the previous Ramos administration. The elected vice-president was Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from the Lakas–NUCD. [22] "Erap Para sa Mahirap" became the campaign slogan of the presidency. He drove his election campaign vehicle JEEP, which meant Justice, Economy, Environment, and Peace. [22] Estrada was the first president to use a special name as his official address name, combining his real family name, Ejercito, with his screen name, thus forming "Joseph Ejercito Estrada". [23] Estrada was inaugurated on June 30, 1998, in the historical town of Malolos in Bulacan province in paying tribute to the cradle of the First Philippine Republic. That afternoon the new president delivered his inaugural address at the Quirino Presidential styles of Joseph Ejercito Estrada Reference style Spoken style Alternative style 0:00 His Excellency Your Excellency Mr. President Grandstand in Luneta. He assumed office amid the Asian Financial Crisis and with agricultural problems due to poor weather conditions, thereby slowing the economic growth to −0.6% in 1998 from 5.2% in 1997. economy recovered by 3.4% in 1999 and 4% in 2000. Inaugural address delivered in Rizal Park, Manila, June 30, 1998. [24] The [25] In 2000 he declared an "all-out-war" against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and captured its headquarters and other camps. [3] [26] Allegations of corruption [27] spawned a railroaded impeachment trial in the Senate courtesy of house speaker Villar, and in 2001 Estrada was ousted by a coup after the trial was aborted. In his inaugural address, Estrada said: Manuel One hundred years after Kawit, fifty years after independence, twelve years after EDSA, and seven years after the rejection of foreign bases, it is now the turn of the masses to experience liberation. We stand in the shadow of those who fought to make us free – free from foreign domination, free from domestic tyranny, free from superpower dictation, free from economic backwardness. [28] Domestic policies Rebellion in Mindanao During the Ramos administration a cessation of hostilities agreement was signed between the Philippine government and the MILF in July 1997. This was continued by a series of peace talks and negotiations in Estrada administration. [26] The MILF, an Islamic group based in formed in 1977, seeks to be an independent Islamic state from the Philippines, and, despite the agreements, a sequence of terrorist attacks on the Philippine military and civilians still continued. [26] These included the kidnapping of a foreign priest, namely Father Luciano Benedetti; the destruction by arson of Talayan, Maguindanao's municipal hall; the takeover of the Kauswagan Municipal Hall; the boat at bombing of the Lady of Mediatrix Ozamiz City; and the takeover of the Narciso Ramos Highway. By doing so, they inflicted severe damage on the country's image abroad, and scared much-needed investments away. For this reason, on March 21, 2000, Estrada declared an "all-out war" against the MILF. During the war the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) asked Estrada to negotiate a ceasefire with the MILF, but Estrada opposed the idea arguing that a ceasefire would cause more terrorist attacks. For the next three months of the war, Camp Abubakar, headquarters of the MILF, fell along with other 13 major camps and 43 minor camps, and then all of which became under controlled by the government. The MILF leader Hashim Salamat fled to Malaysia. The MILF later declared a jihad on the government. On July 10 of the same year, the Estrada went to Mindanao and raised the Philippine flag symbolizing victory. After the war Estrada said, "... will speed up government efforts to bring genuine and lasting peace and development in Mindanao". In the middle of July Estrada ordered the military to arrest top MILF leaders. [29] In his state of the nation address (SONA), Estrada highlighted his vision for Mindanao: The first is to restore and maintain peace in Mindanao—because, without peace, there can be no development. The second is to develop Mindanao—because, without development, there can be no peace. The third is to continue seeking peace talks with the MILF within the framework of the Constitution—because a peace agreed upon in good faith is preferable to a peace enforced by force of arms. And the fourth is to continue with the implementation of the peace agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front, or MNLF—because that is our commitment to our countrymen and the international community. In addition to this Estrada said his administration can move with more speed in transforming Mindanao into a progressive economic center.[1] High on the list of priorities was the plight of MILF guerrillas who were tired of fighting and had no camps left to which to report. On October 5, 2000, the first massive surrender of 669 LC-MILF mujahideen led by the renegade vice mayor of Marugong, Lanao del Sur Malupandi Cosandi Sarip and seven other battalion commanders, surrendered to Estrada at the 4th ID headquarters in Camp Edilberto Evangelista, Bgy. Patag, Cagayan de Oro City. They were followed shortly by a second batch of 855 surrenderees led by Lost command MILF Commander Sayben Ampaso on December 29, 2000.[2