Estrada sent for trial

Congressmen celebrate the President's impeachment

Philippine President Joseph Estrada has been impeached and is to face a corruption trial in the Senate.

House of Representatives Speaker Manuel Villar said a motion seeking his impeachment on charges of bribery and corruption had been sent up to the Senate after the required one-third of lawmakers had endorsed the move.

Estrada: The fight is not over yet

Before the decision Mr Estrada said he wanted the impeachment process to be speeded up because he was confident he would be cleared.

He has been accused of involvement in an illegal gambling racket.

It is alleged, among other things, that he took more than $8m in bribes to protect illegal lotteries played nationwide.

The allegations have led to a political and economic crisis that the opposition believes can only be ended by Mr Estrada resigning or being removed from office.

Road to trial

9 October: Former ally accuses him of taking bribes

18 October: Impeachment motion filed

25 October: Vice President Gloria Arroyo calls for his resignation

3 November: Estrada's key supporters quit

11 November: A million take part in protest rally

13 November: Estrada is impeached

The vote for impeachment was met with cheers and shouts.

Several members shouted "Erap resign" and raised clenched fists.

Erap is Mr Estrada's nickname from his days as a movie actor.

"We will be remembered in history for what we will do here," House Speaker Manuel Villar said.

Earlier on Monday, speaking on a local radio station, Mr Estrada said he was confident of being acquitted.

"I have told the lower house...to speed up the process of impeachment and bring it up to the senate so I can face the trial and end this whole thing," he said.

Senators will now sit as jurors to decide his fate.

Weeks or months

A trial might take weeks, or even months, to complete and no timetable has yet been set.

In another development, the Senate reorganised its leadership on Monday, electing an Estrada ally, Aquilino Pimentel, as its president.

Imelda Marcos gives the President her support

Mr Pimentel said: "The eyes of the people are upon us to see if our democratic institutions are working."

He reminded his colleagues in his acceptance speech that "the charges against the president are just that at the moment" and "remain to be proven."

Mr Estrada is the fourth president in the country's turbulent political history to have been threatened with impeachment.

But the proceedings against three previous presidents, including Ferdinand Marcos, were all thrown out before they got to the senate stage.