According to British media reports, the voting process for the Philippine national and local elections, held every six years, began on the 10th.
It is reported that this general election will determine the President and Vice President of the Philippines, as well as 18,000 local and national government officials.
There are over 50 million registered voters in the Philippines, and they were able to head to polling stations starting at 7:00 AM local time on the 10th. Voting concluded at 6:00 PM local time on the 10th.
This general election marks the first time the Philippines has utilized an automated voting system. As soon as the polling stations opened, voters participated enthusiastically, with long queues forming in front of some locations.
Early on the morning of the 10th, incumbent Philippine President Arroyo went to a polling station to cast her vote; she is running for a seat in the House of Representatives. Analysts suggest that Arroyo intends to become the Speaker of the House.
Furthermore, reports indicate that Senator Benigno Aquino III, son of the late Philippine democracy icon Corazon Aquino, is a leading presidential candidate. Two major polls show Aquino III leading his main opponent by at least 20 percentage points.
During the campaign, candidates pledged to combat corruption and reduce poverty, which were key areas of focus for voters; additionally, how to effectively reduce the fiscal deficit was also a major priority.
