With at least 3 deaths and one local candidate abducted, you might say it has been a fairly tame election so far—-for the Philippines.
Despite more than 300 voting machines not working, whole areas being declared “failed,” and long lines making voting a 3-hour wait, officials are considering the first automated voting in the Philippines a success.
It will be if the projection of Noynoy Aquino as the landslide winner holds up.
In the Philippines, you must have an insurmountable lead to offset the potential of any last minute cheating.
With less than 40 percent of vote counted, Aquino has a 16 percent lead over second place candidate Joseph Estrada.
If it does hold, Aquino will have his work cut out for him. He will have his mandate from the people, but will he have the cooperation of the other oligarchs within the elite class.
He hasn’t had that thus far in his political career, which means this display of latter day people power could turn into a futile act.
Has the Philippines just elected the best figurehead but least effective oligarch?
