PULSE ASIA SURVEY : Most Pinoys want trial for Estrada

Despite the almost daily rallies against President Estrada, most Filipinos still prefer an impeachment trial rather than a forced resignation in removing Mr. Estrada, according to a latest public opinion poll.

In a random survey of 300 Metro Manila residents – conducted daily from Nov. 16 to Dec. 2 by Pulse Asia – at least 75 percent of the respondents agreed that "constitutional processes should be followed in trying to remove" the President.

On the other hand, about one out of 10 favored a resignation ahead of the impeachment trial, while about one out of 10 was undecided.

The survey, commissioned by and exclusive to The STAR, has a margin of error of plus or minus six percentage points. It is designed to determine how Filipinos view political issues concerning the nation as the jueteng scandal drags on.

From Nov. 16 to Dec. 2, the number of respondents favoring an impeachment trial remained basically steady, ranging from a low of 74 percent to a high of 78 percent.

As for the number of those opposed, it ranged from a low nine percent to a high of 14 percent during the same period. The number of undecided ranged from 10 percent to 14 percent.

In the same poll, those who believed that Mr. Estrada should not resign outnumbered those who believed that the President should be kicked out right away.

From Nov. 16 to Dec. 2, the number of Filipinos who said Mr. Estrada should not resign ranged from 42 percent to 50 percent, while the number of those who said he should immediately resign ranged from 31 percent to 39 percent.

However, this does not mean that all of those who favored an impeachment trial automatically support Mr. Estrada, said political analyst Felipe Miranda, president of Pulse Asia.

Many of the respondents interviewed for the survey were critical of the President, Miranda said, and they preferred an impeachment trial because they wanted Mr. Estrada to answer the impeachment charges against him.

A resignation ahead of or during the impeachment trial, they pointed out, would allow Mr. Estrada to step down from the presidency without disputing the charges, Miranda said. "They want a demonstration of guilt," he said.

Many said they were also keen on Mr. Estrada taking the stand and personally disputing the charges against him, Miranda said, adding that they also expect a fair trial.

Miranda said many of the respondents also want the senators, who will sit as jurors in the historic trial, to be open-minded in the admission of evidence that will be used.

That is because they expect Mr. Estrada’s innocence or guilt to be proven beyond reasonable doubt, Miranda said.

However, in a statement, Malacañang ruled out the possibility of Mr. Estrada testifying, saying there was no need for it because his lawyers believe that the case against their client is weak.

Mr. Estrada earlier vowed to answer the charges against him "point by point" but then decided to heed his lawyers’ advice for him not to take the stand.

What the poll also means, Miranda said, is that Filipinos are not in favor of a coup in ousting Mr. Estrada.

Mr. Estrada is accused of bribery, corruption, betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution. The charges mainly stem from allegations made by estranged drinking buddy Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson that Mr. Estrada accepted over P400 million in bribes from jueteng bosses and pocketed P130 million in tobacco taxes intended for Singson’s province.

In his answer to a summons issued by the Senate, Mr. Estrada pleaded not guilty to the charges but did not refute the charges. Eleven congressmen acting as prosecutors in the trial will give their reply to Mr. Estrada’s answer this Wednesday.