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.