Profiles of five candidates for RP president

Profiles of five candidates for RP president

GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO (57 years old)

President of the Philippines. Rose from vice president in January 2001 after Joseph Estrada was ousted as leader.

Approval rating: 37 percent.

Support base: Political elite, big business and middle class.

Strengths: Access to state machinery, solid work ethic, grasp of economic issues and U.S. support for her anti-terror stance.

Weaknesses: Unable to spur economy hurt by a weak peso, huge debts, corruption, poverty and rebel violence. Lacks charisma despite public relations blitz. Platform: Reinvigorate economy, weed out graft and improve higher education. Tough campaign against crime and terror groups.

FERNANDO POE JR (64)

Action movie star and film producer.

Approval rating: 30 percent.

Support base: The poor and disenchanted.

Strengths: Massive recognition. Backing of main opposition party Lakas ng Demokratikong Pilipino and supporters of Estrada.

Weaknesses: No experience and scant support from business. Reluctant to be interviewed or give specifics about policy. Close ties to Estrada, who is on trial for corruption.

Platform: Broad and vague but focused on education, peace deals with rebel groups and fighting poverty.

PANFILO LACSON (55)

Senator and former national police chief.

Approval rating: 11 percent.

Support base: Ethnic Chinese community and anti-crime groups disillusioned with government efforts to curb lawlessness.

Strengths: Tough on crime. Well-funded campaign. Zealous backers see him as the only one who can restore peace and order.

Weaknesses: Limited support from main opposition bloc. Clouds over past include accusations, some by rivals others by prosecutors, of links to kidnapping and drug syndicates and of summary executions of criminals and foes.

Platform: Relentless fight against "twin evils of corruption and criminality" as a step towards restoring investor confidence.

RAUL ROCO (62)

Lawyer and former education secretary.

Approval rating: Six percent. Trip for medical treatment in the United States pushed some support to Arroyo.

Support base: Young professionals, women and students.

Strengths: Reputation for being an education and finance expert. Preserved "clean" image during a decade in politics.

Weaknesses: Small political machine as independent candidate.

Platform: Honest government and rule of law. Free education to secondary levels. No privileges for interest groups.

EDUARDO VILLANUEVA (57)

Evangelist.

Approval rating: Four percent.

Support base: His born-again Christian group, Jesus is Lord, says it has five million members, two million of them eligible voters.

Strengths: A moral crusader seen as sincere and honest. Weaknesses: Puny political machinery.

Platform: Promises a "blessed Philippines" by bringing about national change through "genuine personal renewal".

Source: Reuters