Benigno Aquino was declared the winner of the Philippine presidential election on Tuesday, nearly a month after voters went to the polls embracing his pledge to fight corruption and ease deep poverty.
Following a drawn-out vote tallying process, Parliament finally released the complete count showing the 50-year-old son of democracy heroes had won the May 10 election in a landslide.
Aquino secured just over 15.2 million votes, or nearly 42 per cent of the total number cast for the most emphatic victory in modern Philippine political history, according to the results released by legislators.
Former President Joseph Estrada finished well back in second place, although he still won nearly 9.5 million votes to achieve some personal redemption after being ousted half way through his term in office in 2001 for being corrupt.
Parliament is set to officially proclaim Mr Aquino the winner on Wednesday.
He will take over from outgoing President Gloria Arroyo, who will step down on June 30 as one of the nation’s most unpopular leaders after nearly a decade in power.
Mr Aquino achieved his historic victory on a promise to tackle the corruption and poverty that has plagued the Southeast Asian nation for decades and he said thrived under Arroyo’s rule. “I want to lead by example. We talk about corruption. I did make a public vow, I will never steal,” Aquino said in an interview a day after the elections.
Just as importantly, Mr Aquino cleverly tapped into the enormous public support for his parents, who remain revered for their efforts in ending the 20-year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
His father Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino was shot dead in 1983 at Manila airport as he returned from US exile to lead the democracy movement against Marcos.
His mother Corazon Aquino took over from her martyred husband and led the “People Power” revolution that eventually toppled Marcos in 1986. She then served as President for six years. Mr Aquino, an economics graduate and bachelor, had served for the past 12 years as a low-key member of Parliament. His critics sought to portray him as an uncharismatic leader who had accomplished little in his political career, and he admitted to not having presidential ambitions until his mother died of cancer in August last year.