Joseph "Erap" Estrada...Guilty!

Former Philippine president Joseph Estrada was sentenced to life in prison today after an anti-graft court found him guilty of plunder and barred him from holding public office again.

The courthouse was hushed as the 70-year-old movie star, who was ousted from office in an army-backed revolt in 2001, was sentenced. His son Jinggoy, a senator, was found not guilty of plunder.

"I thought the role of justice would prevail here but really it's a kangaroo court," Estrada, wearing a traditional Filipino dress shirt and his trademark wristband, told reporters.

Outside, about 300 supporters shook their heads in disbelief but remained peaceful. Their numbers were far below the thousands predicted.

Estrada hugged his tearful wife and daughter before being whisked away to his villa. He will stay there until further orders.

His lawyer said the infamous former playboy president would not try to delay his imprisonment.

"He has not intention of seeking special treatment. He's ready to move to Muntinlupa [prison] today," Rene Saguisag said.

The peso strengthened to 46.85 against the dollar from its close of yesterday's 47.12. It had fallen more than 1 per cent this week amid uncertainty over the verdict and the country's reaction to it.

The stock exchange was up 0.28 per cent, breaking a two-day losing streak.

Estrada has previously said he would appeal if convicted, initially at the anti-graft court itself. The case will also come up for automatic review at the Supreme Court.

Estrada was impeached for corruption in 2000 and was thrown out of office after the impeachment trial collapsed in the Senate.

But he remains a figurehead for opposition groups and, fearing a repeat of 2001 when pro-Estrada mobs tried to storm the presidential palace, half of the capital's 15,000 police have been deployed in potential troublespots.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was Estrada's vice-president and was propelled to power on the strength of the charges against him, had been advised to stay inside the palace, which has been fortified with barbed wire and army trucks.

Estrada was charged with plunder, made up of four counts of corruption, involving diversion of funds amounting to about four billion pesos ($102 million).

He was also charged with perjury but was found not guilty.

The plunder charges included taking commissions in the purchase of shares by government insurance funds, pay-offs from gambling lords, diverting tobacco taxes for personal use and maintaining a bank account under a false name.

The perjury charge related to misrepresentation on earned income.

Estrada, hero of the downtrodden during years as a matinee idol, had called the charges trumped up and said he was hounded out of office by a coalition of the elite, including senior army officers, corporate leaders and Catholic bishops.

He is one of the most colourful characters in the rambunctious world of Philippine politics.

Born Joseph Ejercito to a well-to-do Manila family, he dropped out of school as a teenager, was thrown out of home by his father and took the name Estrada from a telephone book.

He shot to movie stardom at 24 and in 1998 was elected president by a record margin.

His win was viewed as a turning point in national politics because Estrada was not a member of one of the traditional dynasties.

But his term in office was marked by reports of policy decisions taken after late night drinking bouts, millions of pesos won or lost in gambling sessions and innumerable tales of mistresses and their lavish lifestyles.

Estrada has never denied that he was fond of wine or women, but has said that was part of his movie star life, and that he gave it all up when he became president.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald