Philippine vote tally kicks off

From staff and wires reports

MANILA, Philippines -- A clear trend in the Philippine's national elections is expected as early as Sunday in spite of a two-day tally delay.

An official count started Friday, four days after the polls, and cited "heated arguments" between candidates' lawyers and election officials over the authenticity of signatures and counted votes.

In the latest unofficial tally, eight candidates from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's coalition hung on to their lead in the senatorial race, with one independent candidate lingering at the top spot.

Private polling group, the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), has been authorized to conduct an unofficial tally and has already counted about 42 percent of votes, as of early Friday morning.

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Four candidates, coalition partners with deposed president Joseph Estrada's party, continued to remain in the "Magic 13" slots for the Senate, worrying investors that the ruling party's lead may take a bad turn.

An opposition majority in the Senate could delay or even block Arroyo's proposed reforms.

Among the favored opposition candidates are Estrada's wife Loi Ejercito, his former executive secretary, and two senators running for re-election who are suspected of a failed Labor Day coup plot against Arroyo.

Votes tallied at local level showed some central Philippine provinces favoring Arroyo candidates, but some provinces particularly in southern Mindanao pointed to an opposition landslide.

"It's too early to make a call," said Namfrel secretary general Guillermo Luz. "There are still too many votes out there that have not been tabulated that will affect the margins."

Luz added that "80 percent" of the votes need to be counted before a reliable trend could be declared.

Proxy war

This year's national election is seen as a proxy war between President Arroyo and the deposed Estrada.

Arroyo's coalition needs to win nine of the contested Senate seats to gain a committed majority in the Senate.

A wave of so-called "People Power" protests spurred by corruption charges forced Estrada to step down in January and swept Arroyo, his former vice president, into power.

Estrada was jailed in late April on a plunder charge but is now undergoing medical check-ups at a military hospital where he cast his vote Monday. He faces trial later this month.

Half of the 24-member Senate is elected to a six-year term every three years.

But this year 13 seats are up for grabs, since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed one senator as her vice president.

Reuters contributed to this report.