It was yet another turning point in the country’s democracy.
It all began in December 2000 with the historic impeachment trial of then-President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, who is the first and only chief executive to date to face such after being accused of his involvement in the illegal numbers game called jueteng.
The impeachment trial went on during that month and was carried over to the following year, with the senators sitting as senator-judges.
But a divisive second envelop, which contained pieces of evidence, was voted on and led to 11 senators—mostly aligned with the administration then—voting to not open it, with 10 others in favor.
That incident, coupled with the infamous live broadcast of the late Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta from the Senate floor, led to anti-Estrada bringing their fight to the streets and returning to EDSA, the same thoroughfare that became witness to the historic ousting of the Ferdinand Marcos in 1986.
After three straight nights of hundreds of thousands of protesters descending onto the historic EDSA Shrine in Ortigas, Quezon City, as well as the detectors from the cabinet and members of the Armed Forces, Joseph Estrada resigned from his post, just a day after he called on a snap Presidential election (in a bid to appease protestors).
His decision to leave the Malacañan Palace happened hours after then-Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was administered her oath as the new President of the country.
Three months later, the older Estrada, along with his son, Jinggoy Estrada, were arrested for plunder. The former President would later be found guilty of the crime, but was given pardon by Arroyo in 2007.
Three years later, in the 2010 elections, he made headlines after becoming the first ex-President to attempt a run for the same position anew. Erap ultimately lost to then-Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
