Estrada: Everything is under control

President Estrada left for Singapore yesterday to attend a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), getting a respite from the jueteng scandal still raging in Manila.

In a brief speech before boarding a Philippine Airlines jet for the tiny city-state, the President said "everything is under control" and that "appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure that the government will continue to discharge its functions" during his absence.

In Singapore, he said the Philippine economy is stabilizing after the initial shock of the worst political crisis to hit his administration. He said the grim picture presented by the Phi-lippine media is inaccurate.

"The Philippines remains a right choice for your business. My administration is committed to the structural reforms required of a globalizing economy," he told Singapore business leaders.

Mr. Estrada will be back tomorrow, Malacañang officials said. He was accompanied to Singapore by First Lady Luisa Ejercito and se-veral Cabinet members.

Immediately after Mr. Estrada boarded the plane for Singapore, Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora met with members of a Malacañang panel, which he heads and is tasked with running the affairs of state while the President is away, at a lounge at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Their only item on the agenda was the security situation in the country put into question by the political crisis rocking the presidency.

"So far there is nothing unusual taking place," National Security Advier Alexander Aguirre told reporters.

Reporters were asked to leave when the discussion focused on contigency measures which Malacañang would take to handle any emergency.

Upon his arrival in the Lion City, Mr. Estrada was welcomed by a supportive group of Filipinos at the Westin Stamford Hotel, where he is billeted.

Waving tiny Philippine flags, they made it clear where they stood on the jueteng scandal. "Erap kami (We are for Erap)!" they cheered.

"We express our unwavering support for our democratically elected President Estrada until his term expires or until he is allowed to enjoy the full protection of law, particularly, the right to due process," their statement said.

They also urged "our fellow countrymen to uphold and honor the Philippine Constitution and to refrain from actions aimed at forcing President Estrada to resign."

Mr. Estrada will face corruption and other charges in an impeachment trial at the Senate beginning Dec. 7.

Officials said the Philippine contingent at the ASEAN talks is expected to seek an exemption from an ASEAN free trade pact for its petrochemical industry to retain higher tariffs on imports.

Mr. Estrada will join the other ASEAN leaders in talks with their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea. He also has a scheduled meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong today.

Mr. Estrada will press ASEAN to confront the region’s social problems like AIDS, poverty, illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking and transnational crimes.

He said ASEAN must be more sensitive to issues and problems affecting the region to make the organization more attuned to the needs of the times.

"Much of the action required to correct the misperception of ASEAN as a sunset organization lies within the realm of innovations and openness in addressing regional issues among ourselves," the President said in his departure speech.

Aside from the Philippines, ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.