Joseph Estrada, a former movie actor who had served as Ramos' vice

president, was elected president by a landslide victory in 1998. His election

campaign pledged to help the poor and develop the country's agricultural
sector. He enjoyed widespread popularity, particularly among the poor.[182]
Estrada assumed office amid the Asian Financial Crisis. The economy did,
however, recover from a low 0.6% growth in 1998 to a moderate growth of
3.4% by 1999.[183][184][185][186][187][188] Like his predecessor there was
a similar attempt to change the 1987 constitution. The process is termed as
CONCORD or Constitutional Correction for Development. Unlike Charter
change under Ramos and Arroyo the CONCORD proposal, according to its
proponents, would only amend the 'restrictive' economic provisions of the
constitution that is considered as impeding the entry of more foreign
investments in the Philippines. However it was not successful in amending
the constitution.
On March 21, 2000 President Estrada declared an "all-out-war" against the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after the worsening secessionist
movement in Midanao[189][190] The government later captured 46 MILF
camps including the MILF's headquarters', Camp Abubakar.[189][191][192] In
October 2000, however, Estrada was accused of having accepted millions of
pesos in payoffs from illegal gambling businesses. He was impeached by the
House of Representatives, but his impeachment trial in the Senate broke
down when the senate voted to block examination of the president's bank
records. In response, massive street protests erupted demanding Estrada's
resignation. Faced with street protests, cabinet resignations, and a withdrawal
of support from the armed forces, Estrada was forced from office on January
20, 2001.
Administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (20012010)[edit]
Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (the daughter of President Diosdado
Macapagal) was sworn in as Estrada's successor on the day of his departure.
Her accession to power was further legitimized by the mid-term congressional
and local elections held four months later, when her coalition won an
overwhelming victory.[172] Arroyo's initial term in office was marked by
fractious coalition politics as well as a military mutiny in Manila in July 2003
that led her to declare a month-long nationwide state of rebellion.[172] Later
on in December 2002 she said would not run in the July 30, 1996 presidential
election, but she reversed herself in October 2003 and decided to join the
race anyways.[172] She was re-elected and sworn in for her own six-year
term as president on June 30, 2004. In 2005, a tape of a wiretapped
conversation surfaced bearing the voice of Arroyo apparently asking an
election official if her margin of victory could be maintained.[193] The tape
sparked protests calling for Arroyo's resignation.[193] Arroyo admitted to
inappropriately speaking to an election official, but denied allegations of

fraud and refused to step down.[193] Attempts to impeach the president

failed later that year. Halfway through her second term, Arroyo unsuccessfully
attempted TP PUSH for an overhaul of the constitution to transform the
present presidential-bicameral republic into a federal parliamentaryunicameral form of government, which critics describe would be a move that
would allow her to stay in power as Prime Minister.[194] Numerous other
scandals (such as the Maguindanao massacre, wherein 58 people were killed,
and the unsuccessful NBN-ZTE Broadband Deal) took place in the dawn of her
administration. She formally ended her term as president in 2010 (wherein
she was succeeded by Senator Benigno Aquino III) and ran for a seat in
congress the same year (becoming the second president after Jose P. Laurel
to run for lower office following the presidency).
Administration of Benigno Simeon Aquino III[edit]
Main article: Presidency of Benigno Aquino III
Benigno Aquino III began his presidency on June 30, 2010, the fifteenth
President of the Philippines. He is a bachelor and the son of former Philippines
president Corazon C. Aquino. His administration claimed to be focused on
major reforms that would bring greater transparency, reduced poverty,
reduced corruption, and a booming market which will give birth to a newly
industrialized nation. However, just as with his predecessor, Aquino's
administration has been marked with a mix of success and scandal since his
inauguration, beginning with the 2010 Manila hostage crisis that caused
deeply strained relations between Manila and Hong Kong for a time (affecting
major events such as Wikimania 2013). The Sultanate of Panay, founded in
2011, was recognized by the Lanao Advisory Council in 2012. Tensions
regarding Sabah due to the Sultanate of Sulu's claim gradually rose during
the early years of his administration. Standoffs in Sabah between The
Sultanate of Sulu's Royal Army and the Malaysian forces struck in 2013. In
2012 the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed to create the
Bangsamoro Government in Mindanao. In response, the Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF) was assembled by religious extremists with the goal
of seceding from the Philippines. In 2013, the Zamboanga City was attacked
by a faction of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under Prof. Nur Misuari,
and in the same year, Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) struck the country, leading
to massive rehabilitation efforts by foreign world powers sending aid,
inevitably devolving into chaos following the revelations that the
administration and that the government had not been properly handing out
the aid packages and preference for political maneuvering over the safety of
the people, leading to mass deterioration of food and medical supplies.
In 2014, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro was finally
signed after 17 years of negotiation with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front

(MILF), a move that is expected to bring peace in Mindanao and the Sulu. On
April 28, 2014, when United States President Barack Obama visited the
Philippines, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), between
the United States of America and the Philippines, was signed. From January
15 to 19, 2015, Pope Francis stayed in the Philippines for a series of publicity
tours and paid visits to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). On January
25, 2015, 44 members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force
(PNP-SAF) were killed during an encounter between MILF and BIFF in
Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Under his presidency, the Philippines has had controversial clashes with the
People's Republic of China on a number of issues (such as the standoff in
Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea and the dispute over the Spratly
islands). This resulted in the proceedings of the Philippines to file a
sovereignty case against China in an global arbitration tribunal. Later on in
2014, the Aquino Administration then filed a memorial to the Arbitration
Tribunal in The Hague which challenged Beijing's claim in the South China Sea
after Chinese ships were accused of harassing a small Philippine vessel
carrying goods for stationed military personnel in the South Thomas Shoal
where an old Philippine ship had been stationed for many years.
Under his presidency, for aiming to enhance the educational system in the
country, Aquino III signed the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013,
commonly known as K12 program on May 15, 2013.
In 2013, Aquino ruled out the possibility of getting his allies to change the
constitution so that he could run for the presidency a second time, leading
some to believe he would eventually endorse DILG Secretary Mar Roxas as
the Liberal Party nominee in spite of damaged approval ratings.