Philippine leader ‘to tackle poverty’

THE Philippine Congress proclaimed Benigno Aquino III the country’s new president yesterday amid high hopes he will fulfil his campaign promise to eliminate corruption and poverty and restore trust in government.

A joint session by the Senate and House of Representatives voted to formalise the landslide victory of the son of the country’s revered democracy icons – Benigno Aquino Jr and former President Corazon Aquino – after the Philippines’ first national automated elections last month.

Aquino will take his oath as the country’s 15th president on June 30, succeeding Gloria Macapagal Arroyo whose nine-year rule has been wracked by four coup attempts by mutinous troops, and opposition impeachment bids over allegations of election fraud, corruption scandals and human rights abuses.