Hanoi hopes for RP stability

Hanoi hopes for RP stability

HANOI (AFP): Vietnam on Monday called for political and economic stability in the Philippines after a bloodless uprising ousted Joseph Estrada.

"We sincerely hope the Philippines government, under the leadership of Gloria Arroyo, will stabilize the political situation, and restore and develop the Philippine economy," foreign ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh said in a statement.

Arroyo was installed as the new president of the Philippines on Saturday after Estrada was toppled from power when top officials resigned and the military withdrew its support amid popular outrage over the suppression of crucial evidence at his corruption trial in the Senate.

Hanoi made no statement on whether Estrada should face corruption charges, saying it was an internal matter for the Philippines -- a fellow member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.