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Posted at 9:34 a.m., Monday, May 14, 2007

Elections 'peaceful' in Philippines despite deaths

By PAUL ALEXANDER
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines — The national police chief declared Monday's midterm vote "relatively peaceful" despite eight more killings that brought the campaign season death toll to 121 in violence that has become a hallmark of elections in the Philippines.

Turnout was projected at three-quarters of registered voters. But scattered reports of vote-buying and other fraud trickled in, and balloting was postponed in several districts — especially in the south, home to the southeast Asian nation's restive Muslim minority.

"It was a picture of chaos," said Joe Dizon, a Roman Catholic priest from the election watchdog group Kontra Daya, or "Against Cheating." "There was confusion in many areas. The elections have not improved."

A total of 121 people have been killed in election violence since campaigning began four months ago, compared with 189 in the 2004 vote. Warnings that communist rebels might try to disrupt the balloting with a rash of attacks proved unfounded.

"We have noted a relatively peaceful situation nationwide, and I am confident that this will be the ultimate outcome until after the entire election process is completed," Oscar Calderon, the national police director general, told reporters.

Among those voting Monday were suspected Muslim militants and accused coup-plotters running for office, who said their participation proved they love the democracy authorities allege they wish to destroy.

"By doing this, I can prove that I'm on the good side," said Dawud Tyrone Santos, a suspected al-Qaida-linked militant who voted in his northern hometown of Anda, where he is running for councilor.

Filipinos were electing 12 out of 24 senators, all 236 House of Representatives members and nearly 17,500 governors, mayors and other local officials. Counting is by hand, so official results are weeks away.

The House of Representatives was likely to remain in the hands of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's backers, which would doom any effort to launch a third impeachment bid against her over allegations that she fixed the 2004 election. Arroyo is considered among the United States' closest allies in the war on terrorism.

The race was largely seen as a proxy for the rivalry between Arroyo and her ousted predecessor Joseph Estrada, who faces trial for corruption allegations. Estrada, a former action film star, remains popular among the poor, many of whom have been disenchanted with Arroyo, a daughter of the political elite.

"There are intense fights in all campaigns, but let us be gracious, win or lose," Arroyo said in a statement. "For the sake of the nation, we should put a closure to all chapters of conflict and battles once the nation makes its decision, and open all doors to national reconciliation and unity."

Election officials projected turnout at 75 percent of the 45 million registered voters as people took advantage of the day off, sunny skies and tight security.

Opinion polls showed the opposition certain to keep control of the Senate, where the top 12 vote-getters nationwide will win seats.

Early figures compiled by ABS-CBN television showed two pro-Arroyo candidates in the top 12, which also included two former military officers fighting charges of involvement in coup plots and the son of former President Corazon Aquino.

Arroyo's six years in power have been a mixed bag of steadying the economy while lurching from crisis to crisis, including coup plots, terrorist attacks and natural disasters. But disenchantment with Arroyo has been offset by a rising stock market and the peso reaching its strongest level against the U.S. dollar since October 2000.

Associated Press writers Jim Gomez, Oliver Teves, Teresa Cerojano and Hrvoje Hranjski contributed to this report.