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Philippines president warns to pro-Estrada demonstrators
Manila, June 19: Philippines President Gloria Arroyo issued a stern warning today to supporters of her detained predecessor Joseph Estrada, who have launched street protests calling for the impeachment of supreme court justices he blames for his ouster.
Manila, June 19: Philippines President Gloria Arroyo issued a stern warning today to supporters of her detained predecessor Joseph Estrada, who have launched street protests
calling for the impeachment of supreme court justices he blames for his ouster.
The warning followed a rash of rowdy pro-Estrada protests
around the Supreme Court building and outside the homes of
Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide and several other
members of the 15-seat tribunal.
Police have since been deployed to secure the areas.
"The government shall not tolerate any attempt to bring this case from the purview of the court, where it rightfully belongs, to the court room of the streets," Arroyo said in a statement.
"I am forsworn to uphold the constitution and I must warn those who are destabilizing it that they will face the full force of the law, " she added.
Estrada allies have filed an impeachment complaint in Congress against Davide and seven other Supreme Court justices.
He has also asked a lower court trying him for corruption to put Arroyo and these Supreme Court justices on the witness stand as part of a legal strategy to get himself acquitted from the criminal charges, which nominally carry the death penalty.
Estrada, detained at a military hospital since May 2001, contends that the supreme court's actions had given the fig leaf of legitimacy to a January 2001 military coup that cut short his six-year presidency.
Bureau Report
Police have since been deployed to secure the areas.
"The government shall not tolerate any attempt to bring this case from the purview of the court, where it rightfully belongs, to the court room of the streets," Arroyo said in a statement.
"I am forsworn to uphold the constitution and I must warn those who are destabilizing it that they will face the full force of the law, " she added.
Estrada allies have filed an impeachment complaint in Congress against Davide and seven other Supreme Court justices.
He has also asked a lower court trying him for corruption to put Arroyo and these Supreme Court justices on the witness stand as part of a legal strategy to get himself acquitted from the criminal charges, which nominally carry the death penalty.
Estrada, detained at a military hospital since May 2001, contends that the supreme court's actions had given the fig leaf of legitimacy to a January 2001 military coup that cut short his six-year presidency.
Bureau Report