Philippine President Estrada Impeached!: How the President of the World's 13th most Populous Country Stumbles over his Mistresses, a Chinese Conspiracy and the Garbage of his Capital

Joseph Ejercito Estrada was a controversial figure long before he went into Philippine politics. He was not only famous for his many mistresses and children born out of wedlock, but also because of his drinking and gambling. That you can become the 13th President of the world's 13th largest country, measured in population size, with such a personal record is a miracle in itself. As president he stumbled from problem to problem and finally found himself facing impeachment charges filed by the Philippine House of Representatives. During the trial evidence piled up especially regarding the activities of his Chinese-Filipino gambling friends. Were they trying to turn the Philippines in a new Asian Las Vegas to replace Macau in due time? In an apparent attempt to defuse the critical situation for the president eleven out of twenty one senators decided to put a stop to more revealing evidence. They misjudged the situation and the Philippine people went again to the streets of Manila and demanded the ousting of their president. After only three days of protesting they succeeded and Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was sworn in as new president. Can the fragile Philippine economy survive such sudden and drastic changes? What about the country's weak political institutions? It seems that only a drastic or draconian turn-around can change the fate of Asia's only Christian nation from further sliding down the ladder into economic oblivion.