Philippine Presidential Election 2010

The Philippine presidential election of 2010 are to be held on Monday, May 10, 2010. The incumbent President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is barred from seeking re-election pursuant to the Constitution of the Philippines. Thus, the elected president will become the 15th President of the Philippines.

Incumbent Vice-President Noli de Castro was allowed to seek re-election though he could have possibly sought the presidency. As he is not standing for any election, his successor will also be the 15th Vice President of the Philippines.

This election shall also be the first time that the Commission of Elections will implement full automation of elections, pursuant to Republic Act 9369, “An Act Authorizing The Commission on Elections To Use An Automated Election System In The May 11, 1998 National or Local Elections And In Subsequent National And Local Electoral Exercises”.[1]
Candidates

On December 15, 2009, about half a month after the deadline of filing of certificate of candidacy aspirants for local and national positions, the Commission on Elections announced the official shortlist for presidential and vice-presidential candidates. From the original 99 applicants for presidential race, only nine people were admitted to join the elections. On the other hand, there are also eight people out of 20 vice presidential hopefuls were given the chance to campaign for the elections:[2]
2010

* January 10 - Dec '09 SWS-Zamora commissioned survey: Villar (33%) cuts Aquino (44%) lead.[50]
* January 14 - Perlas reinstated by COMELEC. Relatively unknown Vetellano Acosta (KBL) is also reinstated as a candidate.[51][52]
* January 14 - GMA Vice-Presidential Forum[53]
* January 20 - Estrada is allowed to run after the COMELEC threw out all three disqualification cases against him.[54]
* January 29 - DLSU and ANC 2010 Presidential Youth Forum Youth 2010: Audience members say Aquino, Gordon, Teodoro "made a favorable impression". Madrigal attends for the first time. Estrada absent.[55]
* February 8 - The Inquirer 1st Edition Presidential Debate with all candidates attending except Acosta and Estrada, with the latter citing "bias" against him.[56]
* February 9 - Official election campaign starts with campaign kickoff rallies at Antipolo (Lakas-Kampi-CMD), Calamba (NP), Imus (B-VNP), Olongapo (AK), Quiapo (PMP), Rizal Park Manila (BPP), and Tarlac (LP).[57]
* March 4 - COMELEC disqualifies Acosta.[58] His name, however, would remain in the ballot although votes that would be cast for him will be considered invalid.[59]
* March 21 - ABS-CBN and ANC Vice-Presidential Debate: Analysts and viewers say that Roxas is seen as "most credible candidate" (54%) with Binay, Fernando tie in second (13%) and Yasay (11%); Legarda fared poorly (4%). Absent was Chipeco and Manzano whose absence drew comments on social-networking sites. [60] Analysts point out also not "to belittle" the underdogs and are praised are Binay, Yasay and Sonza. [61]
* March 28 - A number of Lakas-Kampi-CMD stalwarts leave party, support Villar. LP says these defections are "completing the Villarroyo [Villar-Arroyo] puzzle". Malacañang downplays defections and denies alliance with Villar.[62]
* March 30 - Teodoro resigns as Lakas-Kampi-CMD chair to focus on campaign.[63] Party president Miguel Dominguez and secretary-general Francis Manglapus follows in less than 24 hours. Malacañang denies speculations that the resignations have something to do with rumors that Pres. Arroyo has decided to support another presidential candidate.[64]
* April 6 - Mar. '10 Pulse Asia polls: Villar (25%) falls 4 points as Aquino (37%) widens lead.[65] This came at the heels of talks that Villar is the "secret candidate" of Pres. Arroyo, a charge the he denies.[66]
* April 10 – May 10 – Overseas absentee voting begins and will continue until May 10 (Election day), two polling precincts encountered technical problems in Hong Kong.[67]
* April 28 – 30 – Local absentee voting for government officials, teachers performing election duties outside of their precincts, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) starts.[68]
* April 26 – 29 SWS, Manila Standard Today and Pulse Asia polls: Aquino leads in the presidential race as Estrada leads over Villar. Roxas leads in VP race with Binay overtaking Legarda.[69][70][71]
* April 29 – COMELEC rejects proposals of a parallel manual count aside from the official tabulation.[72]
* May 2 – Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy finally endorses Gilbert Teodoro for President.[73] and Mar Roxas for vice president
* May 3 - Manila Standard Today Presidential Survey: Aquino leads with Estrada overtaking Villar [74]
* May 5 - Iglesia ni Cristo endorses the tandem of Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas. Voting as a block, the INC has an estimated command votes of 5-8 million. [75]
* May 8 – Supreme Court junks petitions to postpone the elections.[76]
* May 10 — Election Day and COMELEC extends the voting hours until 7 pm.[77]

[edit] Estrada's participation

Joseph Estrada has stated in interviews that he would be willing to run for the opposition in the event that they are unable to unite behind a single candidate.[78][22] Rufus Rodriquez, one of Estrada's lawyers, claims that the former president is within his rights to do so because the prohibition banning re-election only applies to the incumbent president.[78] However, Fr. Joaquin Bernas and Christian Monsod, members of the constitutional commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution, have stated that the constitution clearly prohibits any elected president from seeking a second term at any point in time.[79] Romulo Macalintal, election counsel of President Arroyo, has clarified that the constitutional ban doesn't prevent Estrada from attaining the presidency in the event that he were to be elevated from the vice-presidency, for example.[80]


[edit] Opinion polls
Main article: Opinion polling in the Philippine presidential election, 2010

The Philippines has two primary opinion polling companies: Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia.
[edit] Results

The candidate in each position with the highest amount of votes is declared the winner; there is no runoff. Congress shall canvass the votes in joint public session.

When there are two or more candidates who have an equal and highest amount of votes, Congress, voting separately via majority vote, will choose among the candidates who have an equal and highest amount of votes to be the president.

The Supreme Court shall "be the sole judge of all contests relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of the President or Vice President".


2010 Philippine presidential election
v • d • e
Candidate Party Results
Votes %
Benigno Aquino III Liberal - -%
John Carlos de los Reyes Ang Kapatiran - -%
Joseph Estrada PMP - -%
Richard Gordon Bagumbayan-VNP - -%
Jamby Madrigal Independent - -%
Nicanor Perlas Independent - -%
Gilberto Teodoro Lakas Kampi CMD - -%
Eddie Villanueva Bangon Pilipinas - -%
Manuel Villar, Jr. Nacionalista - -%
Totals - 100.0%
Registered voters/turnout 50,723,733 %

2010 Philippine vice presidential election
v • d • e
Candidate Party Results
Votes %
Jejomar Binay PDP-Laban[n 1] - -%
Dominador Chipeco, Jr. Ang Kapatiran - -%
Bayani Fernando Bagumbayan-VNP - -%
Loren Legarda NPC[n 2] - -%
Edu Manzano Lakas Kampi CMD - -%
Mar Roxas Liberal - -%
Jay Sonza KBL - -%
Perfecto Yasay Bangon Pilipinas - -%
Totals - 100.0%
Registered voters/turnout 50,723,733 %

1. ^ Binay is Joseph Estrada's guest candidate for vice president.
2. ^ Legarda is Manny Villar's guest candidate for vice president.