Ousted Philippine President Joseph Estrada is to be prosecuted for economic plunder, a crime punishable by death, a spokesman for newly installed President Gloria Arroyo said, on Saturday in Manila. "There are plunder cases filed" in a special graft court against the former president,” said Alex Magno, a spokesman for Arroyo's transition team.

The Philippines' new government, on Sunday moved swiftly to restore international confidence and vowed to let the law take its course in the case of former President Joseph Estrada. "I think we have to hit the ground running. There's so much work to be done," new President Gloria Arroyo said as she acknowledged the huge problems left over from her disgraced predecessor.

Evidence that fallen Philippine leader Joseph Estrada committed large-scale corruption will be referred to the justice department in the next few days, Manila's impeachment manager has said, on Sunday. House of Representatives member Feliciano Belmonte, chief of the 11-man prosecution panel, said all evidence gathered during Estrada's corruption trial at the Senate would be sent to the justice department and the office of the ombudsman. Bureau Report