Philippine military on high alert ahead of Estrada verdict |
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Published
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Tue, 11 Sep 2007 05:56
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MANILA (Thomson Financial) - The Philippine military on Tuesday went on high alert to thwart violence that could explode as a court prepared to hand down its verdict on former leader Joseph Estrada.Military chief General Hermogenes Esperon said 'augmentation forces' were assembled in military bases around Manila and would quickly respond to help police control Estrada supporters if they launch street protests on Wednesday.'Our mission here is to be on a support role to the Philippine National Police who will be deploying in areas where there will be expected demonstrations,' Esperon said.He said pro-Estrada forces may become unruly if the former movie star-turned-president is found guilty on charges of massive corruption.'We are on alert so that we can uphold and enforce the decision of our courts,' Esperon said.Some 6,000 police and reserve forces have begun deploying in areas in Manila, including around the premises of the Sandiganbayan court which will hand down the verdict Wednesday.Estrada was ousted in a popular uprising in 2001 due to a corruption scandal and is accused of stealing over 80 million dollars mainly through tax kickbacks and payoffs from illegal gambling barons.Despite his downfall, he remains popular among the country's poor who have often staged huge rallies on his behalf.afp/msjg/msCOPYRIGHTCopyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News.
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Philippines awaits corruption verdict on ex-president Estrada 