Philippines' Arroyo losing her lead over matinee idol

[dArKeR]

REUTERS , MANILA
Saturday, May 22, 2004,Page 5

The political temperature rose in the Philippines yesterday as President Gloria Macapagal Arro-yo's lead over an action-movie hero shrank and the slow vote count fanned accusations of cheating and fears of destabilization.

Police deployed a 1,000-strong anti-riot force yesterday around the Malacanang presidential complex, ready to break up protests by supporters of Arroyo's rivals in the May 10 elections. An unofficial tally by the independent watchdog, National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), showed Arroyo's lead over matinee idol Fernando Poe shrinking to just 4 percent as of Friday -- 41 percent to 37 percent, with the remainder split among three other candidates.

Arroyo was leading Poe by 14 percent on Monday.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2004/05/22/2003156501

The PI is so corrupt it is impossible for Poe to win unless he gets 1 million more votes. Otherwise Arroyo will have that amount in fake ballots.

And by the way, when Bush visited the PI and read his speech he declared the PI the Democracy for all the world to follow. And not one Media Whore stood up and stated that the PI is one of the most corrupt countries on Earth.