Manila - Protesters took to the streets of the Philippine capital yesterday demanding the resignation of President Joseph Estrada, hours after a Senate impeachment court all but acquitted him of corruption and bribery.
The senators, acting as judges, voted 11 to 10 not to open crucial bank records alleged to show the amount of wealth amassed by Mr Estrada in office, bringing prosecution accusations that it was a "shameless vote of acquittal".
The vote was a stunning victory for the President and prompted some senator-judges who voted to unseal the documents either to storm out of court or to burst into tears. The prosecutors announced they were resigning en masse in protest.
The country's senior Catholic prelate, Cardinal Jaime Sin, told about 10,000 demonstrators that he feared the Senate vote would bring violence.