- Original name:
- Joseph Ejercito
- Born:
- April 19, 1937, Manila, Philippines (age 89)
- Title / Office:
- mayor (2013-2019), Manila
- president (1998-2001), Philippines
Joseph Estrada
-
Who is Joseph Estrada?
Joseph Estrada (born April 19, 1937) is a Filipino actor and politician who became president of the Philippines from 1998–2001 and later mayor of Manila from 2013–19.
Estrada, the son of a government engineer, initially studied at the Mapua Institute of Technology before pursuing a career as a film actor. He adopted the screen name Erap Estrada after his parents forbade him to use his family name. Estrada starred in over 100 movies, typically as a hero who defends the poor against corruption. He also produced around 75 films.
Estrada entered politics in 1968, serving as mayor of San Juan until 1986. In 1992, he was elected to the Senate and then ran for vice president. In 1998, despite significant opposition, Estrada successfully ran for president. However, his presidency was cut short by a corruption scandal in 2000, leading to his ouster in 2001.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
When did Joseph Estrada become president of the Philippines?
Joseph Estrada became president of the Philippines on May 29, 1998. Although his candidacy faced opposition from powerful businessmen and the Roman Catholic Church, Estrada captured nearly 40 percent of the vote, defeating his nearest rival.
Estrada's presidency was short-lived, as he faced impeachment in November 2000 on charges of bribery, graft, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the constitution. In January 2001, he was ousted from office amidst mass protests.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What was Joseph Estrada known for before becoming president?
Before becoming president of the Philippines, Joseph Estrada was known as a popular Filipino actor. Under the screen name Erap Estrada, he starred in over 100 movies, often portraying a tough guy defending the poor against corruption. Estrada also produced around 75 films.
Estrada entered politics in 1968, serving as mayor of San Juan until 1986. In 1969, he was elected to the Senate. He became vice president in 1992, running on the National People’s Coalition ticket.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What were some goals or projects during his presidency?
Joseph Estrada's presidency (1998–2001) saw a mix of economic strategies and challenges. While he maintained economic growth and political stability initially, his administration faced criticism for not fulfilling promises to reduce poverty and further open the economy to private enterprise. His tenure was cut short due to impeachment in November 2000, facing charges of bribery, graft, corruption, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the constitution.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Why was Joseph Estrada removed from office as president?
Joseph Estrada's presidency was cut short due to a corruption scandal that erupted in October 2000. He was accused of accepting millions of dollars in bribes, leading to an impeachment trial in November. The trial was abandoned after some senators blocked the admission of evidence, triggering mass protests. On January 20, 2001, Estrada was ousted from office, and his vice president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, took over as president. Subsequently, Estrada was arrested, detained, and put on trial before the Sandiganbayan for plunder, but he was later pardoned by Arroyo.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has Joseph Estrada influenced Philippine politics after his presidency?
After his presidency, Joseph Estrada remained a notable figure in Philippine politics. Despite a conviction for plunder and a subsequent pardon, Estrada ran for president again in 2010 but was unsuccessful.
In 2013, Estrada was elected mayor of Manila and held the position until 2019. His policies as mayor included raising property taxes to address the city's debt.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Joseph Estrada (born April 19, 1937, Manila, Philippines) is a Filipino actor and politician who served as president of the Philippines (1998–2001) and later mayor of Manila (2013–19).
The son of a government engineer, Estrada entered the Mapua Institute of Technology with the intention of following in his father’s footsteps, but he eventually dropped out to become a film actor. Forbidden by his parents to use the family name, he adopted the screen name Erap Estrada. He played the lead in more than 100 movies, usually portraying a swashbuckling tough guy who defends the poor against the corrupt establishment. He also produced some 75 films.
In 1968 Estrada entered politics, successfully running for the mayorship of the Manila suburb of San Juan, a post he retained until 1986. In 1969 he was elected to the Senate. In 1992 he ran for vice president on the National People’s Coalition ticket. Although the party’s presidential candidate, Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr., lost the election to Fidel Ramos, Estrada won the vice presidential contest.
In 1998 Estrada ran for president, though his candidacy faced significant opposition. Ramos, who was constitutionally barred from running for a second term, endorsed House Speaker José de Venecia, and many of the country’s powerful businessmen opposed Estrada’s populist proposals. The Roman Catholic Church denied Estrada its support because he had admitted to having fathered four children by women other than his wife. However, he did have the support of Imelda Marcos, the widow of former president Ferdinand Marcos and then a member of Congress, and he enjoyed a devoted following among the country’s poor. Estrada managed to capture nearly 40 percent of the vote, handily defeating his nearest rival, de Venecia, who garnered only 15.9 percent. The margin of victory was the largest in a free election in the history of the Philippines, and Estrada was officially declared president by Congress on May 29, 1998.
Estrada’s tenure as president was short-lived, however, as a corruption scandal erupted in October 2000 when a fellow politician claimed that Estrada had accepted millions of dollars worth of bribes. In November the Philippine Senate began an impeachment trial, but it was abandoned after some senators blocked the admission of evidence. On January 20, 2001, Estrada was ousted amid mass protests, and his vice president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, ascended to the presidency. Later that year Estrada was brought to trial on charges of plunder (large-scale corruption) and accused of having procured more than $80 million through bribes and corrupt dealings. Estrada denied the accusations, calling them politically motivated, and he remained relatively popular in the Philippines despite the charges. In September 2007 he was convicted of plundering and sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison. The following month, however, Estrada was pardoned by Arroyo. In October 2009 he announced his candidacy for president, but he was defeated in the May 2010 elections by Benigno S. Aquino III (son of Benigno Aquino, Jr., and Corazon Aquino).
In 2013 Estrada ran for mayor of Manila and defeated the incumbent, Alfredo Lim. After taking office later that year, he faced a number of issues, notably the city’s debt and inability to pay for basic services. In order to raise revenue, he sharply raised property taxes. Estrada faced a serious challenge from Lim in the 2016 race but narrowly won reelection. He ran for a third term in 2019 but was defeated.