Decision on Estrada Monday

Decision on Estrada Monday

MANILA (Reuters): The Philippine government will decide by
Monday whether to file criminal charges against former president
Joseph Estrada for graft and economic plunder, Ombudsman Aniano
Desierto said on Saturday.

Speaking on local television, he said government lawyers were
still studying a Supreme Court decision delivered late on Friday
which ruled that Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the country's
legitimate president.

He said the lawyers would try to determine if Friday's ruling
cleared the way for charges to be filed against Estrada with the
Sandinganbayan antigraft court.

The Supreme Court declared in its ruling on Friday that
Estrada was not immune from prosecution, paving the way for the
government to proceed with charges against him.

Estrada had petitioned the court arguing that he was still the
legitimate president as he had not resigned and therefore enjoyed
immunity from prosecution.