Ramos allies keep lead in senatorial elections<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): Special congressional and local elections were
\nheld in two predominantly-Moslem provinces in the southern
\nPhilippines on Saturday as allies of President Fidel Ramos
\nmaintain their lead in the slow count of senatorial votes.<\/p>\n
Spokesmen of the (Comelec) said special polls were being held
\nin Sulu and Maguindanao after the elections there on May 8 were
\ndeclared void due to cheating and fighting between rival Moslem
\npolitical factions.<\/p>\n
The results of the two special elections as well as the vote
\ntally from a third Moslem province, Lanao del Sur, will only be
\nbrought to the capital for inclusion in the national count next
\nweek, delaying the final tally of votes even further.<\/p>\n
With votes from 98 percent of the country's electoral
\nprecincts counted, pro-administration candidates are still
\nholding nine of the 12 senate seats being contested.<\/p>\n
Only three opposition senatorial candidates, anti-graft
\ncrusader Miriam Santiago, rightist military coup-plotter Gregorio
\nHonasan and feminist Dominique Coseteng, were still in the
\nwinning frame at the seventh, eighth and twelfth positions
\nrespectively.<\/p>\n
Comelec spokesmen said they hope to finish the slow manual
\ncount within the month and to proclaim the winners a day or two
\nlater.<\/p>\n
Comelec had admitted that they were doing a recheck of the
\nvote tally after discrepancies were found in several of the
\ncertificates of canvass turned in but so far, they had not
\ndiscovered any signs of massive cheating.<\/p>\n
Ramos has hailed the results of the elections, saying that the
\napparent victory of many of his allies in the congressional race
\nhas given him a new mandate.<\/p>\n
However, many of the losing candidates have filed protests
\nover alleged cheating.<\/p>\n
One involves a protest filed by pro-Ramos senatorial candidate
\nAquilino Pimentel against fellow administration bet Juan Ponce
\nEnrile.<\/p>\n
Pimentel, who is fourteenth in the race, is charging Enrile,
\nwho is tenth, of having cheated so that votes cast for Pimentel
\nwere counted in his favor.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ramos-allies-keep-lead-in-senatorial-elections-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}