A congressional committee Wednesday declared former Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos the winner in the presidential election, but it left unresolved indications of possible vote fraud.
The committee, which completed its count late Tuesday, will forward its report to the full Congress. Congress officially proclaims the successor to President Corazon Aquino, whose term ends June 30.Supporters of Miriam Defensor Santiago, who ran a close second, said they would ask the Supreme Court to order an investigation of what they say are suspicious returns.
These include allegations that Santiago won in the province of Romblon, but her votes were credited to Ramos.
In Pampanga province, an Aquino stronghold, erasures on official tally sheets allegedly indicate Ramos' votes were increased by more than 10,000.
Similar cases were cited in other provinces. Ramos' supporters argued that the erasures were "corrections" and that there was no legal basis for indicating fraud.
Ramos, supported by Aquino, led the seven-way race on May 11 with 5.3 million votes, or about 23 percent, followed by Santiago with 4.5 million, or about 20 percent, and businessman Eduardo Cojuangco with 4.1 million, or 18 percent, according to preliminary tallies.
Sen. Wigberto Tanada, co-chairman of the committee, said the review supported that outcome.
Homobono Adaza, lawyer for Santiago's Peoples Reform Party, complained that the committee simply totaled figures and did not investigate cases where tally sheets showed erasures or other irregularities.
Santiago, a former judge and anti-graft crusader, has accused the Aquino government of rigging the election for Ramos.
Aquino took office six years ago after charges of widespread election fraud triggered mass protests that drove President Ferdinand Marcos into exile.
Ramos would take office with the smallest mandate in Philippine history, faced with daunting economic and social problems.
Ramos' vice president, elected separately, is expected to be Sen. Joseph Estrada, who ran with Cojuangco.