Thousands join protest to force Philippine president to resign

The nationwide protests, launched by labour and business groups, started at dawn as workers and students carrying megaphones went around public markets in metropolitan Manila to urge people to join the strike.

Classes in most schools were suspended, more than 500 factories shut down and streets were half-empty as transport groups joined the nationwide day of protest.

Stock brokers, wearing black arm bands, also joined the strike and left their trading booths at the two floors of Philippine Stock Exchange thirty minutes before the market closed at noon.

Traders from the Ayala floor in the financial district of Makati chanted "Erap resign", referring to the president by his popular nickname, as they walked out amid cheers and applause.

In the nearby commercial district of Ortigas, protesters gathered in front of a makeshift stage outside the Tektite tower housing the stock exchange. One banner on the stage read, "Erap is bad for business."

"We will not stop until Estrada is ousted," said Crispin Beltran, chairman of the May One Movement, one of the labour organisations that joined the protest. "If Congress will not remove the president, then the people will oust him and his rotten government."

Estrada was impeached by the House of Representatives on Monday, paving the way for his trial at the Senate for bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust and violations of the constitution.

The 63-year-old former movie action star is the first Filipino leader to be impeached. The impeachment and mounting calls for Estrada's resignation stem from accusations by a former friend that the president collected more than 8 million dollars in illegal gambling payoffs and pocketed 2.6 million dollars in provincial tobacco taxes.

Estrada has denied the allegations and vowed to clear his name during the impeachment trial. Opposition Congressman Sergio Apostol, who will lead the House's 11-member prosecution panel, urged Filipinos to closely watch the impeachment trial to avoid any attempts to manipulate the outcome of the process.

"We cannot let our guards down," he said. "We are expecting a fierce battle in the Senate in our effort to remove Estrada from office." Organisers said the nationwide protest was a "big success". In the northern provinces of Tarlac, Pampanga and Bulacan, more than 80 per cent of public transport was paralysed.

In the central city of Cebu, many business establishments were closed, while attendance was low in offices that were open. More than 80 per cent of transportation was crippled, while many schools suspended classes.

Up to 70 percent of public transport was at a standstill in the southern cities of General Santos and Cotabato. In some areas in Davao province, almost 100 per cent of transportation was also paralysed.

Philippine security forces were on red alert for any possible outbreak of violence during the protest actions. "The policy is maximum tolerance but we cannot allow violence and anarchy on the streets," Philippine National Police General Panfilo Lacson said. "We cannot have a mob rule."

(la/dpa)