Aquino favourite in Philippines poll

VOTERS IN the Philippines go to the polls today with Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, the son of the revered pro-democracy dynasty, looking a clear favourite to become president after opinion polls gave him a lead of about 20 points over his nearest rivals.

However, politics in the Philippines’ fragile democracy are famously unpredictable, and some poll-watchers say he may lose some ground on the day because he does not have the same national party machine as his rivals, who are better placed to get their supporters out to vote.

Former president Joseph Estrada, who was removed from power by an army-backed popular uprising in 2001 and later convicted of plunder before being pardoned by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has gained some ground on Senator Manny Villar.

The initial aim is for a safe and relatively bloodless poll – elections can be violent events in the Philippines. In November, 57 people were killed in Mindanao in the country’s worst incident of election violence.

There have been hundreds of arrests for breaches of rules banning firearms in public – the Philippines is one of the most heavily armed countries in the world – and police estimate that about 27 people were killed during three months of campaigning.

About 50 million Filipinos will cast their vote for one of nine presidential candidates, a vice-president and other government officials to fill nearly 18,000 national and local posts.

Mr Aquino is the son of Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, whose assassination in 1983 by former dictator Ferdinand Marcos propelled his mother Corazon into power and toppled the Marcos regime.

He campaigned on a platform of encouraging stability and promises to end years of corruption, poverty and violence.

His chief rivals include the former movie star Mr Estrada, and Senator Villar, who is the country’s wealthiest politicians and had been leading the race early on. But the Aquino name carries a lot of weight in the Philippines and Mr Aquino has made up lost ground.