RP vote count drags on, no clear winners<\/p>\n
MANILA (Agencies): Vote counting in the Philippines dragged
\ninto a third day amid tight security on Thursday with no clear
\nwinner emerging in the race for control of the Senate.<\/p>\n
With an estimated 28.60 percent of votes counted, President
\nGloria Macapagal Arroyo's hopes of a crushing victory in Monday's
\nlegislative and local elections looked like being frustrated by
\nsupporters of her detained predecessor Joseph Estrada.<\/p>\n
Partial, unofficial results made available by NAMFREL, a
\nprivate poll counting body, showed Arroyo's People Power
\nCoalition on course to win eight of the 13 Senate seats on offer.<\/p>\n
Estrada's Power of the Masses party was on course to win four
\nseats with an independent candidate likely to take the last.
\nArroyo needs nine to ensure a solid majority in the 24-seat
\nhouse.<\/p>\n
Voting itself was comparatively peaceful, but senior military
\nofficials on Wednesday said about 100 people have been killed in
\npolitical violence since campaigning began in January.<\/p>\n
However, Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday
\ncontested the death toll, saying some cases were not election-
\nrelated killings. Their records show 76 deaths.<\/p>\n
Even after the elections, the police force remained on alert
\nto prevent violence and thwart any attempts to sabotage
\ncanvassing of votes, a process under which local votes are
\ntabulated in what are called certificates of canvass and then
\nsent to provincial or regional headquarters to be tallied.<\/p>\n
\"The president is closely monitoring the elections. For
\ninstance, if there are even slight reports of fraud, she has been
\nasking her political leaders and allies to check it out,\"
\nPresidential spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao said<\/p>\n
Senate results will not be released until all certificates of
\ncanvass from all provinces have been tallied. Because of
\ndifferent population in provinces, it is difficult to forecast
\nthe results of the senatorial race until more than 80 percent of
\nvotes have been counted.<\/p>\n
Philippine stocks bobbed in a tight range to close softer as
\npolitical jitters kept investors sidelined. The benchmark stock
\nindex closed down 0.6 percent on Thursday at 1,453.03 points on a
\nsmall turnover.<\/p>\n
\"The market shows it is in favor of eight winners from the
\nadministration, anything lower than that is considered
\nunfavorable,\" said Joan Bueno-Eala, fund manager at Bank of the
\nPhilippine Islands (BPI) Trust.<\/p>\n
For the second day in a row, the government Commission on
\nElections (Comelec) said the official count had been delayed.<\/p>\n
Rebellion<\/p>\n
In a further development, the Philippine government on
\nThursday vowed to pursue rebellion charges against opposition
\npoliticians even if they win in the senatorial elections.<\/p>\n
Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said the immunity from arrest
\naccorded to members of the Senate \"will not be applicable\" if
\nthey are charged with rebellion.<\/p>\n
He noted that the privilege is limited to crimes carrying a
\npenalty of up to six years. Rebellion is punishable by life
\nimprisonment.<\/p>\n
At least two opposition candidates accused of leading a failed
\nrebellion against President Arroyo are among the potential
\nwinners in the race for 13 seats in the 24-member Senate.<\/p>\n
Perez said charges of rebellion will be filed against Senator
\nGregorio Honasan, who is seeking re-election, and former police
\nchief Panfilo Lacson, even if they win.<\/p>\n
\"If we find enough evidence against them, we will file charges
\neven if they are already senators,\" Perez said in a radio
\ninterview.<\/p>\n
Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Juan Ponce Enrile,
\nseeking re-election, have also been linked to the rebellion. It
\nwas not yet clear if they will make it back to the Senate.<\/p>\n
Enrile has already been charged with rebellion, but was freed
\non bail a week before the May 14 elections.<\/p>\n
Honasan and Lacson went into hiding after the alleged
\nrebellion failed. They resurfaced two days before the voting
\nafter Arroyo promised that they would not be arrested.<\/p>\n
Tens of thousands of loyalists of jailed former president
\nrioted outside the Malacanang presidential palace on May 1,
\nleaving four people dead and more than 100 others injured.<\/p>",
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