Former Philippine President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada has tested positive for COVID-19, his son Jinggoy Estrada confirmed in a television interview today.
He said the 83-year-old former chief executive was rushed to the hospital after feeling weak last night.
According to Sen. Jinggoy, the former president could have possibly caught the virus from those who visited him at their house.
Although now in good condition, the Estrada family is still asking for prayers for the 83-year-old former president’s eventual recovery.
Estrada was elected the 13th president of the country in 1998 but served for only two years. He was ousted in 2001 in the wake of massive anti-corruption protests while in the middle of an impeachment trial.
In 2007, an anti-graft court convicted him of plunder and sentenced him to life imprisonment or a jail term of up to 40 years. His successor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo later pardoned him.
In 2010, Erap Estrada ran again for the position of president against Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino but was unsuccessful. He later became the Mayor of Manila for two terms from 2013 to 2019.
