The Philippine Senate could take a month or more to reach a verdict on Estrada's guilt or innocence.
Public sentiment is key to the outcome.
May. For them, accurately judging the public mood will be critical. So far, the public is split between those who think Estrada should go now, and those who believe he's no saint but doesn't deserve ejection from office. The president's own supporters, gathered outside the Senate building as the trial got under way, carried a forgiving demand on their banners. Punish the sin, not the sinner. So, prosecutors must seek to pin down the dry and dusty paper trail that proves the president took kickbacks, but also convince those watching the live television broadcasts of the trial that his crimes were sensational enough to ensure overwhelming public disapproval.