Aquino victorious in Philippine presidential race
MANILA, Philippines — Benigno Aquino III, the son of Philippine democracy icons who promised to eradicate corruption and fight poverty among the country's many ills, won the May presidential election by a landslide, the congressional count that ended Tuesday showed.
A fellow opposition politician and mayor of Manila's Makati financial district, Jejomar Binay, won as vice president.
Aquino garnered more than 15 million votes — about 5.7 million ahead of his closest opponent, ousted leader Joseph Estrada, who pledged to support him. Congress will officially proclaim Aquino's victory on Wednesday.
"We have done this ... for the Filipino people," Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile told a jubilant crowd before he and House of Representatives Speaker Prospero Nograles banged the gavel to conclude several days of vote canvassing.
A 50-year-old bachelor and economics graduate, Aquino will officially become this Southeast Asian nation's 15th president on June 30. He will replace Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who ran and won a House seat after a turbulent nine-year rule.
Aquino's historic rise to power, via the country's first automated elections, has been largely attributed to his family name and strong anti-corruption campaign.
His late parents — opposition Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon Aquino — are deeply revered figures for their opposition to late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was ousted in a 1986 "people power" revolt.
Aquino's victory reflected the public's longing to fill a moral vacuum in a country plagued by corruption, poverty and violence. For many voters, it's been nearly a quarter century of disappointment since his mother led the 1986 uprising and restored democracy.
Aquino's father was shot to death in 1983 while in military custody at Manila's airport as he returned from U.S. exile to challenge Marcos.
With little legislative record to speak of, Aquino has emphasized his clean public image.
His campaign was replete with poignant symbols of the 1986 revolt — yellow ribbons, pro-democracy anthems and raised hands flashing the L-sign for "Laban," or fight in Tagalog, drawing huge crowds everywhere he barnstormed.
Close ally Florencio Abad said that by restoring trust in government and fighting graft, Aquino would likely avoid the military unrest that hounded past presidents, including his mother, who fought off seven coup attempts, and Arroyo, who survived four attempted power grabs.
Aquino has said he'll make prosecuting corrupt officials a priority, in what would be a marked departure from Arroyo's administration, which is widely accused of turning a blind eye to graft to shield her political allies.
Arroyo herself has been linked to massive corruption but has denied any wrongdoing. She is ready to face any investigation or criminal charges, according to her aides.
Aquino also will have to tackle decades-long Marxist and Muslim insurgencies, a restive military, violent crimes and political strife.
"The problems I will be inheriting are still growing to this very day and, perhaps, to the last day," Aquino told reporters Monday, adding his incoming administration has to produce results in the first two years to meet the public's high expectations.
Two groups of peasants and slum dwellers rallied in front of Aquino's suburban home Tuesday, demanding he carry out land reform, including redistribution of his family owned sugar estate, one of the country's largest.
Aquino said he has been busy assembling his Cabinet from the ranks of defectors from Arroyo's administration and loyal Aquino supporters. He has pledged to create a commission to investigate corruption allegations against Arroyo and her officials — a potential flash point early in his six-year term.
Born to one of the country's wealthiest political clans, Aquino in 1998 won a House seat, where he served three terms before being elected to the Senate in 2007.
Associated Press writer Oliver Teves contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
, the next . 
In the Philippines, the 's presidential candidate , commonly known as Noynoy, was officially elected as the next  in the 2010 . The  announced Noynoy's victory on Wednesday.

He campaigned for an end to corruption and poverty and says he'll make prosecuting corrupt officials a priority. Noynoy received more than 15 million votes, about 5.7 million ahead of his closest opponent, ousted .

Noynoy said in an interview, "I want to lead by example. We talk about corruption. I did make a public vow, I will never steal". Senate President  told a crowd after the count: "We have done this ... for the Filipino people ... This is a historic event."

He is 50 years old, a bachelor, an economics graduate, a  and is the only son of former President  and former Senator . Noynoy's father was shot while in military custody during the regime of late dictator , before his mother, Corazon Aquino, led the  that toppled Marcos in 1986. She then served as president for six years.

In the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately; the 's vice-presidential candidate  will become the country's vice-president. Noynoy is the President-elect, while Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the outgoing incumbent. He will officially become the Philippines's fifteenth president on June 30.