Rodrigo Duterte takes early lead in Philippine presidential vote
Rodrigo Duterte, a candidate of the PDP-Laban political party, is taking an early lead in the presidential election in the Philippines, according to the local media’s unofficial statistics.
Manila (VNA) – Rodrigo Duterte, a candidate of the PDP-Laban poliꦛtical party, is taking an early lead in the presidential electꦓion in the Philippines, according to the local media’s unofficial statistics.
The 71-year-old Mayor of Davao had 1.31 million votes, nearly double his nearest rival - Senator Grace Poe with 757,000 votes. Administration candidate Manuel Mar Roxas trailed closely in third.
Earlier, Duterte who has promised to tackle crime and corruption received the most support of voters in an opinion poll.
The poll, conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) from May 1-3, showed that 33 percent of respondents picked Duterte as the country’s next President. Senator Grace Poe and Mar Roxas came second and third with 22 percent and 20 percent, respectively.
More than half of 100 million Filipinos registered to vote in the election. Apart from selecting a new President to replace Benigno Aquino whose term will end in June, voters also cast ballots for the vice-president, 300 lawmakers and about 18,000 local government officials.-VNA
The Philippines will hold a presidential election on May 9 to seek a candidate to succeed outgoing President Benigno Aquino who will conclude his term of office in June.
Islamic gunmen in the southern Philippines issued a new warning on May 4, threatening to kill three hostages just over a week after they beheaded a Canadian captive.
Polling stations across the Philippines opened at 6 AM on May 9 for millions of Filipinos to cast their votes selecting a new President and other congressional and local positions.
Filipinos police said seven people were shot dead and one injured when a convoy of vehicles was ambushed on May 9 just a few hours before polls opened for the Philippines’ national election.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
A polling station in Manila (Source: VNA)
