Estrada, Joseph Ejercito << ehs TRAH dah, ZHOH sehf eh HAIR see toh >> (1937-…), served as president of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001. Widespread protests forced Estrada to leave office after corruption charges were brought against him.
Estrada was born in Manila, the Philippine capital, on April 19, 1937. His original name was Joseph Marcelo Ejercito. He was often called by his nickname, Erap, which comes from the Filipino word for friend. He studied civil engineering at the Mapua Institute of Technology but left school before earning a degree to become a motion-picture actor. He adopted Estrada as a screen name after his parents forbade him to use the family name. Over his career, he appeared in more than 100 movies, typically playing the hero in action films.
Estrada entered politics in 1967. He became mayor of San Juan in 1969 and held that position until 1986. As mayor, he oversaw the construction of numerous municipal buildings, including schools and health centers. He also established a resettlement area for some of San Juan’s squatters. Squatters are people who occupy properties without having a title or other legal authority and without paying rent.
From 1987 to 1992, Estrada served as a senator in the Philippine Congress. In the Senate, he sponsored several bills designed to protect and promote the interests of native communities and small landowners. He also spoke out against the extension of United States military bases in the Philippines.
Estrada served as vice president under Fidel Ramos from 1992 to 1998. His duties included heading the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission. In 1998, voters elected Estrada to the presidency.
In 2000, Estrada was accused of corruption. He denied the charges and refused to resign, despite widespread protests. The Philippine House of Representatives voted to impeach him—that is, remove him from office for wrongdoing—and the Senate took up the charges. Early in 2001, before the Senate reached a verdict, Estrada lost the support of many politicians. Amid continued protests, Estrada stepped down. His vice president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, then became president. Later that year, prosecutors filed criminal corruption charges against Estrada, and he was arrested and jailed. In 2007, he was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to life in prison, but was granted a pardon by President Arroyo. In 2010, Estrada made an unsuccessful run for another presidential term. In 2013, he was elected mayor of Manila. He was reelected in 2016, but lost a bid for election to a third term in 2019.
