Philippine Senate Opens Impeachment Trial Against PresidentThe Philippine Senate held an opening ceremony Monday afternoon to kick off its impeachment trial against President Joseph Estrada over an illegal gambling scandal.The opening ceremony, which started at around 3 p.m., is witnessing the convening of the senate as a tribunal for President Estrada's historic impeachment trial. At the opening ceremony, Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, who was invited to serve as presiding officer of the tribunal,took oath from Senate President Pimentel. Then, Pimentel and the other 21 senators took oath one by one from the chief justice. The same scenario will be replayed between 11 house representatives, who serve as prosecutors, and the presiding officer. Also at the ceremony, the congressmen prosecutors handed formally to the senate chief the articles of impeachment, in which President Estrada is accused of bribery, corruption and graft, betrayal of public trust and violation of the country's constitution. Last week, the House of Representatives delivered to the senate the articles of impeachment against Estrada, charging him with pocketing millions of dollars in illegal gambling payoffs and tax kickbacks. The senate also plans to issue a summons to Estrada Monday, instructing him to answer impeachment allegations in 10 days. A trial of the president -- the first in Philippine history -- is expected to start early next month. A two-thirds vote of the 22-member senate on any of the four impeachment charges would immediately remove Estrada from office. |
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