The defiant former president of the Philippines Joseph Estrada again refused to enter a plea yesterday after being arraigned by the country's main anti-corruption court on charges of economic plunder.
His lawyers failed to get the proceedings stopped on the grounds that the accusations were unconstitutional.
"Upon the advice of my lawyers, I am not entering a plea," he said. He said he did not recognise the court's authority.
The three judges automatically entered a plea of not guilty to the charges that Mr Estrada illegally embezzled more than $79 million during his 31 months in power that ended amid massive street protests and a political coup in January.
State prosecutors are accusing Mr Estrada of taking bribes from illegal gambling syndicates, siphoning off excise taxes meant for tobacco farmers and receiving commissions from stock market transactions.
Mr Estrada (64) appeared in court with his son, the former mayor Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, and former aide Edward Serapio, who are among eight people accused of plundering state coffers. The whereabouts of the other five accused is not known.
Wearing national dress and a bracelet bearing the presidential seal, the one-time champion of the poor was also accompanied by his wife, the newly elected senator Loi Ejercito Estrada.
The defendants could face the death penalty for the offence but few analysts believe that will happen, and the proceedings are expected to take years to conclude. Hours before yesterday afternoon's proceedings were due to begin lawyers filed a motion with the supreme court stating that the trial was unconstitutional because the law was ambiguous.
Mr Estrada was one of the senators who voted in 1991 to pass the plunder law.
The supreme court refused to make a judgment on the motion, which allowed the lower court to proceed with the case, the hearing for which began about two hours late.