Arroyo wins close Philippine election
| • | Former Philippines president urges solid mandate |
Associated Press
MANILA, Philippines — President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo won a narrow victory over her movie star rival in the May 10 vote, national election officials said yesterday, although her foe claimed massive fraud and warned of a "people power" revolt.
Associated Press
Arroyo put the military on full alert to prevent the vote count from being influenced by "mob rule," her spokesman said.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo put the military on full alert to prevent the vote count from being influenced by "mob rule."
Elections officials said the count showed Arroyo with 39.5 percent of the vote to Fernando Poe Jr.'s 36.6 percent. The margin of Arroyo's lead was more than 900,000 votes, the officials said.
Two areas — Sarangani province and Cotabato city — remain to be counted, but they do not represent enough votes to affect the outcome, the officials said.
Arroyo also was leading Poe by more than 730,000 votes in a government-sanctioned, but unofficial, "quick count" by an election watchdog. It has tallied more than 60 percent of 216,000 election precincts.
Under the constitution, Congress must tally the votes for president from regional and provincial vote totals and then proclaim the winner.
