Ramos predicts victory in polls

Ramos predicts victory in polls

MANILA (Reuter): President Fidel Ramos predicted yesterday overwhelming victory for his candidates in elections to the Philippine Senate next week, saying the recent hanging in Singapore of a Filipina would not affect the outcome.

Ramos told reporters his Lakas-Laban coalition party should scoop 10 of the 12 seats at stake in the 24-member Senate and said the chances of his party picking up another seat going into the last days of the campaign looked promising.

"That is good enough for me," Ramos said when asked how he felt about a survey that forecast his party would get 10 of the 12 senatorial slots in the May 8 polls.

Ramos added that fallout from the hanging in Singapore of a Philippine maid would not influence the polls.

The execution of Flor Contemplacion, who was convicted of murder, sparked an emotional outburst against the Manila government for failing to save her from the gallows.

"We were able to deal with these issues quite effectively," Ramos said. "We were on top in managing the crisis. We were not derailed, we were not obscured."

Filipinos will vote on Monday for 12 of the 24 Senate seats, all 200 members of the House of Representatives and thousands of local positions.

Ramos said the election is a referendum on his administration and its success in securing political stability, which has fueled a strong economic rebound.

Ramos is halfway through the single six-year term the constitution allows.

Economists have said both the results of the election and the manner and atmosphere in which it is conducted will be watched closely by foreign investors.

The country's gross national product (GNP) expanded by more than five percent in calendar 1994 compared to growth of a little over two percent in 1993 and a flat growth rate during 1990-1992.

"I have not backed down from my case that these coming elections should be considered a referendum on the Ramos administration," he said.

Ramos said a victory in the elections is vital for the government to secure an overhaul of the income-tax structure and approve revisions to corporate tax.

While the lower house of Congress is controlled by followers of Ramos, the Senate has often balked at some of his proposals. Securing control of the Senate is necessary for the Philippine leader to gain passage of his economic measures.

Ramos said what was at stake in the elections was the preservation of the momentum generated for Philippine economic growth and implementation of his social reform agenda.

"Both of these very important programs are already well past the take-off stage," he said.