Philippines VP ready to fill Estrada's shoes

WEB EXCLUSIVE Maria Ressa on the Philippines' political institutions on trial

(CNN) -- If Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo succeeds Joseph Estrada as the Philippines president, she won't be the first member of her family to hold that post. Her father, the late Diosdado Macapagal, was the Philippines' fifth president.

Macapagal won election in 1961 and lost his re-election bid four years later to Ferdinand Marcos.

The 53-year-old Arroyo, who won her first political race in 1992 when she was elected to the Philippine Senate, launched her political career in the administration of Corazon Aquino, who became president when the 1986 "People Power" revolution booted Marcos from office.

Arroyo has said that the twin associations of her father and "Cory" Aquino are her guidestones.

"I will follow my father's footsteps by doing what is right, and God will take care of the rest," she told AsiaWeek magazine. "My father is my role model. My living role model is Cory Aquino. I am prepared," she said in referring to the presidency.

ALSO Text of Estrada statement   VIDEO Thousands turned out to protest and to demand Estrada's resignation Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) GALLERY Scenes of protest across the Philippines PROFILES Key players in the Estrada impeachment case RESOURCES Follow a timeline showing President Estrada's recent political crisis MESSAGE BOARD Estrada trial

Arroyo appears to have widespread support for that possibility.

Arroyo was a classmate of U.S. President Bill Clinton at Georgetown University before earning an economics Ph.D. from the University of the Philippines. In her bid for senate re-election in 1995, Arroyo took more than 16 million votes -- more than any other senatorial winner. And in 1998, she topped her nearest opponent in the vice presidential election by 7 million votes.

Arroyo began her political career as Aquino's assistant secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, later rising to the rank of Undersecretary in the Department. She also served as executive director of the Garments and Textile Export Board.

Estrada appointed her to his cabinet, naming the vice president his secretary of Social Welfare and Development.

But Arroyo resigned from Estrada's government to lead the opposition in October when the president was implicated in scandal.

At other times in her career, Arroyo has taught economics at the University of the Philippines and hosted a television show catering to farmers.

Philippine opposition calls for chain of protest against Estrada
January 17, 2001
Key Philippines impeachment testimony may be thrown out
January 15, 2001
Estrada accuser testifies Philippine president received illegal funds
January 3, 2001
Philippine presidential impeachment witness alleges cover-up
January 2, 2001
Estrada's impeachment trial resumes under tight security
January 1, 2001
Bank executive testifies Philippine president used false name
December 22, 2000

President Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN)
Philippine House of Representatives

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.