MANILA -- President Joseph "Erap" Estrada is in the battle of his political life as his lawyers fight corruption charges in an impeachment trial.
His actions may be assailed at dinner tables and debated in bodegas throughout this Southeast Asian archipelago, but he can rest assured that in an Ermita district brothel called the Speedy Music Lounge, he has the full support of the barmaid, two hookers, the crone on a stool by the door and a fat guy named Cesar Villacorta who serves as the establishment's "tour guide."
"All the past presidents did the same thing," he said. "All are corrupt: [Fidel] Ramos, [Ferdinand] Marcos. So Estrada is not guilty. Estrada is a former movie actor -- you know that? Like Ronald Reagan."