Ruling party leads RP polls<\/p>\n
MANILA (Agencies): Candidates loyal to President Fidel Ramos
\ncemented their commanding lead in Philippine polls, but violence
\ncontinued to rumble in the aftermath of national elections,
\nofficials said yesterday.<\/p>\n
An officially sanctioned quick count by the private National
\nMovement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) had government candidates
\nfor the Philippine Senate holding a 10-two advantage in the 12
\nseats at stake in Monday's polls.<\/p>\n
With 35 percent of the more than 170,000 precincts reporting,
\nNAMFREL said candidates backed by Ramos held the top five spots.<\/p>\n
Miriam Defensor-Santiago, a bitter critic of the president,
\nappeared to be the only sure opposition winner.<\/p>\n
The final official tally of Senate votes by the Commission on
\nElections, due to begin yesterday, was reset for today after no
\nelection results from the country's 72 provinces reached Manila
\nto be counted.<\/p>\n
Commission chief Bernardo Pardo said he expected the count to
\nbe completed within two weeks.<\/p>\n
Troops on southern Jolo island 950 kilometers south of Manila
\nlaunched a manhunt for armed followers of a local political
\nleader who opened fire on election officials and marines bringing
\nballot boxes to the island.<\/p>\n
Six marines were killed on Monday before soldiers launched an
\nassault that killed 11 of the gunmen belonging to the Tulawie
\nclan.<\/p>\n
More than 70 people have been killed nationwide since the
\nelection campaign began in February, mostly because of intense
\nrivalries among local political factions who consider public
\noffice the main means to wealth and power.<\/p>\n
In Angeles city north of Manila, several people were injured
\non Wednesday by stone-throwing supporters of a losing candidate
\nthey alleged had been cheated of victory.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the state election watchdog said yesterday it would
\nnow not formally certify an election victory by former first lady
\nImelda Marcos, who is set to win a congress seat in her eastern
\ndistrict.<\/p>\n
A division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had
\nearlier ruled that there were insufficient grounds to block
\nMarcos' proclamation as winner in Leyte island, where unofficial
\nresults showed her winning by a margin of two to one.<\/p>\n
The Comelec voted 5-2 yesterday to reverse that decision on
\nMarcos' candidacy for the 204-member House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Election winners have to be formally certified by the Comelec
\nbefore they can assume office.<\/p>\n
Marcos' opponent, an ally of President Fidel Ramos, had asked
\nthe Comelec to disqualify her because she lacked the one-year
\nresidency requirement in Leyte, having spent most of the last
\ntwelve months in Manila.<\/p>\n
But while the widow of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos was
\nheaded for victory, her son, also named Ferdinand Marcos, looked
\nset to fail in his bid for the senate.<\/p>\n
Some 35 percent of precincts results have been tallied so far.<\/p>\n
Many analysts view the Marcoses' candidacies as an attempt to
\nvindicate their name following the late dictator's ouster in a
\npopularly backed army uprising in 1986.<\/p>\n
The family has been accused of plundering up to US$5 billion
\nfrom their cash-strapped nation and a U.S. court last year found
\nthe late president guilty of massive human rights violations
\nduring his 20-year rule.<\/p>",
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