- Title: PHILIPPINES: Phillippines presidential candidates wind up campaigns
- Date: 9th May 2010
- Summary: CONFETTI OVER ESTRADA AND HIS RUNNING MATES
- Embargoed: 24th May 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Philippines
- Country: Philippines
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA7N8GMSZM1REWZYQJJHSUOYYQ5
- Story Text: Presidential candidates in the Philippines hold grand final rallies ahead of May 10 polls.
With speeches, songs and fireworks, contenders for the presidency of the Philippines wrapped up their campaigns, with Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino the clear favourite to win Monday's (May 10) vote as an opinion poll gave him a 22-point lead.
The candidates held rallies in the capital on Friday (May 7) night, gathering tens of thousands of supporters to drum up votes in the race to replace unpopular President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The common mantra of the candidates is to fight corruption, something the Arroyo regime has been dogged with since she was elected in 2004 amid allegations of vote-rigging.
"In front of God, in remembrance of my parents, trust that I will not stop until we are on the right path that we have long aspired for," Aquino told his supporters.
Aquino was propelled to his presidential candidacy by a wave of public emotion after the death of his mother Cory, the people power heroine revered for restoring democracy after Ferdinand Marcos's dictatorship.
Noynoy's supporters, a sea of yellow, formed the "L" sign with their hands, a throwback to the people power days. Yellow was his mother's trademark colour when she ran for president against Marcos, and "L" which stands for "Laban" ("fight" in Filipino) was Cory's popular slogan.
Aquino draws large support from the upwardly mobile, including students, professionals and businessmen who say they are hungry for a government they can trust again.
"He is a model of what we can have under real democracy which is not corrupt. A democracy which is based on true social values of honesty, courage," said Aquino supporter and university professor Cristina Monteil.
But translating notional support into actual votes requires money and efficient organisation, and Aquino's main rivals -- former president Joseph "Erap" Estrada, lawmaker Manuel "Manny" Villar and former defence chief Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro -- may have an edge here, meaning the result could be closer than polls suggest.
Estrada remains immensely popular despite a jail sentence for plunder, with his supporters saying he was wrongly convicted.
He said a second shot at the presidency would be his final performance.
"Allow me to continue what I started so that I can repay my debt of gratitude to you, my poor fellow countrymen," Estrada told his supporters, mostly urban and rural poor folk who idolized him when he was a film star.
Billionaire lawmaker Manuel "Manny" Villar has also capitalised on the poverty theme. His catchy campaign jingle which depicts his somewhat controversial rags-to-riches life story, has become a popular tune especially among poor voters. His claim is that he understands the hard life and can teach the poor to follow his example.
But his candidacy suffered from accusations that he used his senate position to benefit his real estate business, and he has slid to third place and narrowly trails Estrada.
"His campaign jingle says he is for the poor. I think he will fulfill his promise when he becomes president. He will help the poor, like us," Rita Amancio, a mother of four and a staunch Villar supporter.
Aquino has a much weaker political organisation than either Villar who has formed a coalition, or Teodoro who is backed by the well-entrenched administration party, but this week's endorsement by a large church group, Iglesia Ni Cristo, could offset that.
Fifty million Filipinos will vote on Monday for a new president, vice president, 12 senators, 287 congressmen, and 18,000 provincial and community officials.
A decisive win on May 10 offering a smooth transition and a strong government will boost sentiment and raise hopes of swift action to shore up the Philippines' precarious fiscal position.
But technical problems with voting machines and a history of disputed results are casting shadows over the democratic process.
The discovery of a problem with new voting machines has been an unwelcome reminder of the risks to the election. Security forces are on alert for expected poll-related violence.
Problems on election day, particularly if a large number of voters are affected, could raise fears of long delays in forming a government and heighten risk perception among investors.
A strong mandate would raise expectations the new government would be better able to tackle the large fiscal deficit, a persistent problem, and also to combat entrenched corruption -- something the leading candidates have all pledged to do.
"The country could either move on in a much faster pace, a much greater development for a much brighter future. Or we slide back another 10 or 20 years," said political analyst Earl Parreno.
But the recall of more than 76,000 memory chips in voting machines being used for the first time heightened fears of a technological breakdown that could lead to a disputed result.
The machine provider, Smartmatic, and the elections commission have said the cards can be replaced and election can proceed.
With the three-month campaign period over, logistics officials are racing to transport voting papers, machines and other equipment to polling centres in remote areas so that doors can open for early morning voters at 7:00 a.m. (2300 GMT Sunday).
Voting is due to finish by 6:00 p.m. (1000 GMT) and vote-counting will begin, with the results from some areas expected soon after.
The Election Commission is expected to have a final tally within 48 hours of the closing of the polls, but a winner won't officially declared until June 30, when the current terms end. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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