A foul-mouthed, crime-busting mayor many compare to Donald Trump is the man to beat in the Philippines presidential election as voters weary of poverty, corruption and uprisings in the hinterlands look for a radical change at the top.

Benigno Aquino III is today preparing to become the next Philippines president based on an almost-complete vote count in landmark elections.

LEADERS of one of the Philippines' most prominent universities yesterday urged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to resign over elections fraud allegations and hand over power to her vice-president, but rejected any attempt to remove her by force.