The credits may soon be rolling at the end of the final performance - as president of the Philippines - of former film star Joseph Estrada.
A mass rally today in Manila is expected to show that President Estrada's hold on power is slipping fast and that he faces impeachment if he does not resign over a bribery scandal.
A mammoth prayer meeting calling for President Estrada to stand down has been called by Cardinal Jaime Sin, the influential Archbishop of Manila. It will be attended by Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who resigned her cabinet post to campaign for the removal of Estrada, and former president Corazon Aquino.
This follows a day of high drama in the Philippines capital as a number of key government allies deserted the President over allegations that he took millions of dollars in bribes from gambling interests.
With four years of his term remaining, Estrada, popularly known as Erap, is desperately trying to hang on and said again last night that he would not resign. But the currency has plummeted to a record low and the economy is in deep trouble, adding to the pressure on him to quit in the national interest.
"We should follow the constitution," he told reporters. "If I resign now, as the noisy people in Makati (the country's financial district) want me to, what would prevent them from doing this to others? We are not a banana republic."
As a last desperate gambit he has offered to submit himself to a national referendum on whether he should step down, but this has got nowhere.
The possibly fatal blow to the President, elected as a champion of the poor, came when Manuel Villar, speaker of the House of Representatives, defected from the administration yesterday with more than 40 congressmen, denying the government a majority in the 218-seat legislature. Trade and Industry Minister Mar Roxas and the president's political adviser Lito Banayo were among those who deserted the embattled head of state.
The impeachment motion, which needs 73 votes, now has the written support of 118 congressmen.
However, 15 of the 22 members of the senate must vote for his removal after a trial in the upper house. To date around 10 senate members are thought to have turned against the President, including Senate President Franklin Drilon, previously a supporter.
"I have been reviewing the evidence and it's in the best interests of the country to find an immediate solution to this crisis because of the deterioration of the economic situation," Mr Drilon said. "The matter of (Estrada's) resignation is a matter of national interest."
Mr Villar also said the country's deteriorating economy was behind his decision to defect. "Every day, the political crisis is becoming worse. Every day, Filipinos are becoming deeply polarised. So we have to resolve this soon," he said.
The Philippine peso fell earlier this week to a historic low of 51.95 to the dollar and international ratings agencies Moody and Standard & Poor have revised their outlook on the Philippines from stable to negative.
If Mr Estrada is forced from office for allegedly taking bribes from gambling syndicates running an illegal numbers game, he will be succeeded by Vice-President Arroyo.