Estrada ready to meet opposition leaders seeking ouster

He did not specify when the meeting would take place but indicated that discussions would centre on the political crisis stemming from allegations that Estrada took eight million dollars in bribes from illegal gambling syndicates.

Estrada has denied the allegations and refused calls by the opposition for him to quit. The political stalemate pushed the peso to record lows last week and threatens to hit the economy.

Zamora said the meeting, to include key cabinet members, would take up the "security aspect of the economic crisis," remarking that "if this lasts much longer, even the security of the nation will be at stake."

Over the weekend, three opposition political parties united under Vice-President Arroyo to oppose Estrada. Arroyo, who quit from Estrada’s cabinet after the gambling scandal broke out in early October, and former president Aquino led a "peoples’ congress" to plot the peaceful ouster of the incumbent leader.

The President and Vice-President are elected separately in the Philippines and Estrada and Arroyo come from different parties. Referring to announcements by the opposition that they would start a civil disobedience campaign to force Estrada to step down, Estrada’s chief aide, Zamora laughed, "there is nothing new there."

This is just like a rerun of the (1998 presidential) elections whose result they could never accept, even today," Zamora said in a radio interview, remarking that "we never had any expectation that they will give any respect or trust in the president."

In the 1998 polls, Estrada emerged winner against candidates backed by Ramos, Aquino and Arroyo. Under the proposed disobedience campaign, the opposition called for a nationwide work stoppage and boycott of companies owned by perceived Estrada cronies as well as continued street protests.

Arroyo said Monday she could not give a "specific timetable" for Estrada’s ouster.

Both houses of Congress are investigating the allegations against Estrada and opposition legislators have filed an impeachment petition against him. The allegations were first made by Estrada’s former friend provincial governor Luis Singson who claimed he personally handed over the bribes to the President from operators of "jueteng," an illegal lottery scheme.

Zamora reiterated that Estrada would not resign but would merely await the results of the impeachment proceedings.

At the Senate hearing on the controversy, a woman alleged to be the auditor of illegal gambling payoffs to Estrada denied claims that she had recorded the bribes.

Yolanda Ricaforte told the senators she had worked with Estrada’s accuser, Singson, but denied she was a long time associate of Estrada or had prepared a ledger, earlier presented by Singson, detailing the illegal payoffs." I never represented President Estrada in jueteng business or any other business," Ricaforte said.

She said she had worked with Singson in various businesses and had been instructed to make huge deposits of his money in her name in several banks." I felt confused angry and afraid. I also felt betrayed because while I served Governor Singson well, he was using me to attack the president," she recalled.

Singson’s ledger is the key piece of evidence against Estrada in the Senate hearing.