Nine die as Filipinos choose president

Filipinos voted for president today amid high security and reports of scattered violence in a race pitting an incumbent who strongly backs the US war on terror against a film star whose best friend lost the job in disgrace three years ago.

The final pre-election opinion polls showed President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo pulling ahead of actor Fernando Poe Jr., but the surveys also indicated as many as one-quarter of the nation’s 43 million voters were undecided.

Gun and grenade attacks killed nine people before the polls opened, authorities said, and there were reports of abductions, a fire and election law violations.

No major incidents were reported during the voting, although some people complained they were turned away because their names were not on voter lists.

When the polls closed after eight hours, some precincts reported long queues of people still trying to vote.

Filipinos also cast ballots for vice president, Senate and House members and local officials.

With ballots counted by hand, officials said it could take a month before final results are announced.

One pollster planned to release results of an exit poll Tuesday.

Arroyo’s administration and Poe’s camp have accused each other of plots to steal the election, either by cheating or violence.

About 230,000 troops and police took up positions before the polls opened, which was a national holiday. Last month, police said they broke up a terror cell, foiling what authorities described as plans to carry out bombings in the capital.

Arroyo curtailed the last week of her campaign schedule, citing a possible assassination plot.

Poe’s friend and colleague, former President Joseph Estrada, is on trial for corruption after being forced from office by mass protests in January 2001. Estrada was replaced halfway through his term by Arroyo, his vice president and political foe.