Estrada, Joseph

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biography of Estrada, Josep

Jose Marcelo Ejercito
Erap Filipino Ronald Reagan
19 April 1937, Manila, Philippines
5' 8"

- 'Laarni Enriquez' (? - ?); 2 children

- 'Dr Luisa Pimentel Ejercito' (1959 - present)

- Elected President of the Philippines in 1998. He is the 13th president of the republic from June 30, 1998 to January 20, 2001.

- Ousted on January 20 2001 as Philippine President in a bloodless people's revolt that came to be known as Edsa II. The revolution was sparked by the accusation of his close buddy, Ilocos Sur governor 'Chavit Singson' (qv) on October of 2000 that he was receiving bribe money from illegal gambling.

- Impeached on November of 2000 by the Philippine Congress, led by then-House Speaker Manuel 'Manny' Villar who was later elected as a Philippine Senator, for corruption and bribery. Estrada's trial in the Senate was marred on January 16 2001 when pro-administration senators blocked the presentation of key piece of evidence, leading to protests in Manila and other major cities that led to the fall of his government.

- On April 2001 (three months after vacating the Malacanang), Estrada was arrested and imprisoned along with his eldest son and then-San Juan Mayor Jinggoy for several counts of perjury and plunder. This detention triggered a series of protests that culminated in two events, the so-called (and much debated) Edsa III and the failed May 1 rebellion, where Estrada's supporters stormed Malacañang in a bid to oust current Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and bring Estrada back to power.

- Wife Dr. Loi Ejercito was elected as a senator of the Philippines

- His white band on his left wrist is used to cover a bad scar from a fight.

- Best friends of 'Fernando Poe Jr.' (qv)

- Is known for his deliberate bad English, and a book entitled "ERAPtion" emphasizing that was published.

- Was expelled from Ateneo de Manila University for defending a classmate being bullied by a foreigner. He later enrolled in an engineering course at Mapua Institute of Technology, eventually dropping out to pursue acting.

- His nickname, Erap, is an inverted Filipino term, pare, which means pal.

- Usually impersonated by Willy Nepomuceno, one of the most talented mimics in the Philippines.

- Used to work as an ambulance driver before trying his hand on acting.

- As an actor with no prior political experience, Estrada entered politics in 1967 by running for mayor of San Juan, a small town in Metro Manila. He ended up losing his bid for mayor to Dr. Braulio Sto. Domingo in 1968. He was only proclaimed mayor in 1969, after winning an electoral protest against Sto. Domingo.

- Took up Engineering at Ateneo de Manila. He was expelled.

- Has one child with live-in partner actress Guia Gomez and two children with live-in partner 'Laarni Enriquez' (qv).

- Father of 'Jinggoy Estrada' (qv). Jinggoy ((married to Precy Vitug), also became a San Juan town mayor and was elected senator in 2004, becoming the third Ejercito to became a Philippine senator following the father and mother, Dr. Loi Ejercito).

- Became a mayor of San Juan town in Metro Manila, Philippines in 1969; a senator in 1986, a vice president in 1992 and the 13th Philippine president in 1998.

- The first actor to be inducted in the FAMAS Best Actor Hall of Fame of the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences in 1982. He also became a Hall of Fame awardee as a producer. He is the only person to achieve such double feat, so far.

- His birthplace, Tondo, is one of the poorest parts of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

- A son of Emilio Ejército, Sr. (1898-1977), a small-scale government contractor, and the former María Marcelo (1905-present), a housewife.

- Brothers: Antonio Ejercito (1932-2005) and 'George Estregan' (qv) (born Emilio Ejercito, Jr.) (1928-1999).

- His family was displeased with his dropping out of college and his involvement in a street gang that they forbade him from using his family name. He adopted the surname "Estrada" (Spanish for 'road') as a last name.

- He played the lead role in more than 100 movies, and was producer of over 70 films.

- He often played heroes of the downtrodden classes, which gained him the admiration of a lot of the nation's many unschooled and impoverished citizens. This later proved advantageous to his political career.

- Wife, Luisa "Loi" Pimentel, is a physician by profession before entering politics after his ouster from the presidency.

- Daughter Jackie is married to ABS-CBN heir Beaver Lopez. During his presidency, Estrada had accused ABS-CBN of bias reporting against him.

- Son Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito, making his name in Philippine politics by following his father's footsteps, is the current town mayor of San Juan.

- Uncle of 'Jorge Estregan' (qv), son of 'George Estregan' (qv). The young Estregan is also into showbiz and politics. He is currently the mayor of Pagsanjan, Laguna.

- When 'Corazon Aquino' (qv) assumed the presidency in 1986, all officials of the local government suspected of malfeasance and anomalies were removed and replaced by appointed officers-in-charge. Estrada was then removed from his position as mayor. The following year, he ran and won a seat in the Senate under his own party, Partido ng Masang Pilipino.

- Uncle of 'Gary Estrada (I)' (qv), son of 'George Estregan' (qv), who carries his family name.

- Children (with Luisa Pimentel): 'Jinggoy Estrada' (qv), Jackie Estrada, and 'Jude Estrada' (qv). He also had a child from an out-of-wedlock relationship, Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito (from socialite Guia Gomez).

- "Ang kaibigan, walang iwanan." (Translated as "Friends don't ever desert each other.")

- (September 2007) After a trial that lasted six years, Estrada was convicted of taking bribes and kickbacks while he was president of the Philippines. He was sentenced to life in prison, and ordered to forfeit a mansion and more than 15 million dollars.