Estrada claims victory three days before RP elections<\/p>\n
MANILA (Agencies): Vice President Joseph Estrada, the main
\nopposition presidential candidate, claimed victory yesterday,
\nthree days before elections to choose a successor to President
\nFidel Ramos.<\/p>\n
\"It's all over but the counting,\" Estrada said. \"I think I
\nwill win because all the surveys show I am leading.\"<\/p>\n
The respected Social Weather Stations survey organization this
\nweek said Estrada solidified his lead with a 33 percent support
\nrating, 18 percentage points ahead of his closest rival, ruling
\nparty candidate House Speaker Jose de Venecia.<\/p>\n
Estrada has dominated the 11-candidate race since January.<\/p>\n
\"It's going to be an honest and orderly election, but we have
\nto be vigilant. We can't afford a confrontation,\" Estrada said.<\/p>\n
Estrada spoke with reporters as he arrived for an open air
\nmass for his Struggle of the Nationalist Filipino Masses party at
\nPinaglabanan Shrine, dedicated to Filipino revolutionaries who
\nwon a major battle against Spanish colonial forces a century ago
\nin suburban San Juan.<\/p>\n
The former movie heartthrob, who has admitted to womanizing,
\ngambling and heavy drinking in the past, was accompanied by
\npopular local actor Richard Gomez.<\/p>\n
About 2,000 people gathered at the shrine in San Juan,
\nEstrada's hometown. As he waded through the crowd, some women
\ntried to kiss him while others asked for his signature on their
\nshirts and campaign calendars.<\/p>\n
Some business groups worry that Estrada, a college dropout
\nwhose poor English has often been the butt of jokes, does not
\nhave the ability to sustain the country's economic growth
\nestablished under Ramos.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Estrada visited the Philippine Stock Exchange and
\ntried to quell businessmen's fears, saying his administration
\nwould be \"investor-friendly.\"<\/p>\n
In a radio interview, Estrada repeated his campaign promise of
\ndeveloping agriculture and ensuring food security, and restoring
\nlaw and order within six months in his presidency.<\/p>\n
Later yesterday, influential Cardinal Jaime Sin led an
\necumenical prayer at the Manila Cathedral attended by nuns,
\npriests, Buddhist monks, Moslem holymen and member of a tribal
\ngroup who slit the throat of a chicken as an offering for a
\npeaceful vote.<\/p>\n
After the prayers, children opened imitation ballot boxes to
\nfree white doves symbolizing peaceful elections.<\/p>\n
De Venecia, Ramos' handpicked candidate, received 15 percent
\nsupport in the SWS survey, which had a margin of error of 3
\npercentage points. He has a reputation as a wheeler-dealer, but
\nis credited with mustering congressional support for Ramos'
\neconomic reform agenda.<\/p>\n
There have been 26 deaths so far in the campaign, but it is
\nthe most peaceful in the Philippines long history of violent
\npolitical change.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the day, a helicopter carrying an opposition
\ncongressional candidate in central Leyte island was attacked by
\ngunfire when it landed after distributing political flyers.<\/p>\n
Officials earlier said two were hurt, but the Air
\nTransportation Office later said all four aboard escaped without
\ninjury.<\/p>\n
In local financial markets investors cast aside jitters about
\nthe possibility of an Estrada presidency. The Manila stock
\nmarket's main index ended nearly one percent higher at 2,209.96.
\non what was the last trading day before polling.<\/p>\n
The peso also ended higher at 39.61 to the dollar against
\nThursday's 39.86, having hit a day high of 39.30.<\/p>\n
\"People are accepting the possibility that Erap could be the
\nnext president,\" a trader in a foreign brokerage said.<\/p>\n
In his home province in northern Pangasinan, President Fidel
\nRamos, continued campaigning for de Venecia.<\/p>",
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