Manila: Senator Benigno Aquino is set to be proclaimed the Philippines' 15th president this week after parliament ends its official tally of last month's elections, legislators said on Monday.
Aquino, the 50-year-old son of much-loved democracy heroes, won the May 10 poll in a landslide after campaigning on a promise of clean government, but he has had to wait for parliament to ratify his victory.
Both houses of parliament, which have jointly convened as a national canvassing body, are expected to tally the remaining 1.4 million votes on Monday, lower house Speaker Prospero Nograles said.
"We will finish the counting today," Nograles said before convening the day's session.
Senate majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the canvassing committee could release the final vote count on Monday night, then officially proclaim the winner by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, in a radio interview, said there is a strong possibility that the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) will announce the country's 15th president and vice-president on Wednesday.
"Once the NBOC finishes with their job, it is likely that we will be able to proclaim the new president," Enrile said in an interview aired by radio station dzBB.
The NBOC is made up mainly of the senate president, speaker of the house (Davao City Representative Prospero Nograles) as well as other select members of the Senate and House of Representatives.
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Before Monday's session, Aquino had garnered 14.6 million votes, 5.5 million ahead of his nearest rival, former president Joseph Estrada.
In the race for vice-president, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay of Estrada's Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP of Force of the Filipino Masses party), continued to lead against Aquino III's vice-presidential running mate, Mar Roxas.
Aquino told reporters after ending a week-long vacation on Sunday that he was preparing for big challenges once he took over from outgoing president Gloria Arroyo on June 30 and began his six-year term.
"There are so many things needed to be done... I think the first two years are going to be really important," said Aquino, a longtime critic of Arroyo, according to press reports.
With input from agencies
