Aquino leads Philippines race on promise of change

Sen Benigno Aquino III whose father was assassinated while opposing a dictatorship and whose mother led the people power revolt that restored freedoms was leading the nine-candidate presidential race with 40.58 per cent of the votes from about 57 per cent of the precincts,while his closest rival,ousted President Joseph Estrada,had 25.72 per cent. There is no runoff in the Philippines and whoever has the most votes is declared winner.

Aquinos sudden political rise bolstered hopes among his supporters for a clean leadership after nine years of a scandal-tainted administration that was rocked by coup attempts and protests.

He campaigned on a strong anti-graft platform,promised to start prosecuting corrupt officials within weeks of his election and restore integrity to Congress and the judiciary.

It was only after former President Corazon Aquino died of cancer last August that her son,a quiet 50-year-old lawmaker and bachelor,decided to run,spurred by the massive outpouring of national grief for the leader who ousted longtime dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the 1986 people power revolt and restored democracy to the Philippines.

Aquinos closest political lieutenant,former Education Secretary Florencio Abad,said he rode on the crest of a national yearning for an honest leader after corruption scandals under outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

This means he really has to deal with the problem of corruption and deal with the people identified with nine years of corruption,Abad said.