PHILIPPINES ESTRADA LAWYERS APPEAL IMPEACHMENT

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(28 Nov 2000) English/Nat • • A team of lawyers for embattled Philippine President Joseph Estrada appeared before the Senate in Manila Tuesday, appealing the impeachment trial be quashed. • • While outside the courtroom hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets calling for the President's resignation over allegations he took money for illegal gambling operations. • • The Philippine Senate heard arguments Tuesday by lawyers of President Joseph Estrada that impeachment charges accusing him of corruption should be dismissed on technical grounds. • • Estrada has refused to resign over allegations he received millions of dollars in payoffs from illegal gambling and kickbacks from tobacco taxes. • • He repeated on Monday that he did not receive a single centavo from illegal gambling and was ready to face trial. • • He said he was confident he would be cleared of all charges that have been unfairly levelled against him. • • Estrada's lawyers, however, submitted a motion last week to dismiss the impeachment charges, arguing that the House of Representatives did not follow proper procedures in sending the complaint to the Senate for a trial. • • The House held no vote on the charges. • • Rep. Manuel Villar, who was then House speaker, ruled that a vote was unnecessary because more than the required one-third of its members had earlier signed a petition endorsing impeachment. • • Villar, who had earlier resigned from the ruling LAMP party, made the ruling to ensure that the charges would be transmitted to the Senate before the House voted, as expected, to replace him as speaker. • • Estrada's lawyer Estelito Mendoza told the Senate on Tuesday the articles of impeachment did not qualify. • • He stressed the house took no action on the complaint. • • SOUNDBITE: (English) • The case if impeachment before the Senate, was not promoted to the Senate by the House of Representatives..(motion to quash) • SUPER CAPTION: Estelito Mendoza, Estrada's Lawyer • • Opposition lawmakers accused Estrada and his lawyers of delaying the trial. • • While outside the court house protesters, holding banners and anti-Estrada T-shirts, shouted Erap Resign . • • Thousands of police and military have been placed on alert in Manila and other Philippine cities this week for a series of protests by groups demanding that Estrada resign instead of awaiting the outcome of his impeachment trial, due to begin next week. • • The groups say a lengthy trial would prolong the country's political crisis and worsen its already ailing economy. • • But as his lawyers battled for the impeachment to be abandoned, the president continued his daily duties. • • SOUNDBITE: (Tagalog) • I will give priority to those I consider heroes...teachers, soldiers, policemen and overseas Filipino workers, until I step down in the year 2004. I want to make this clear. • SUPER CAPTION: Joseph Estrada, Philippine President • • Estrada was in a suburb of the capital handing out government money to security personnel injured in the line of duty. • • Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork • Twitter: / ap_archive • Facebook: / aparchives • Instagram: / apnews • • • You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...

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