PHILIPPINES
Parliamentary Chamber: Kapulungan Mga Kinatawan

ELECTIONS HELD IN 2001

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Chamber:
  Kapulungan Mga Kinatawan


Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):

  14 May 2001


Purpose of elections:

  Elections were held for all the seats in the House of Representatives on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.


Background and outcome of elections:

  Voters went to the polls on 14 May 2001 in national, regional, and local elections. Some 17,000 municipal, provincial and congressional posts, including 13 senatorial seats, were filled in an election seen as a proxy war between President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former President Joseph Estrada, impeached by the House of Representatives on 13 November 2000 on corruption charges. In January 2001, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court had declared that the office of president was vacant and forced Mr Estrada out of office. Vice-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had been sworn in as president on 20 January 2001. Analysts said a peaceful and credible conduct of the polls would further cloak Arroyo with a mantle of legitimacy.

The elections took place two weeks after the worst riots in 15 years hit Manila during an alleged bid by supporters of jailed ex-president Joseph Estrada to seize power from his successor, Gloria Arroyo. Security forces were placed on high alert to thwart an alleged plot to disrupt the polls, as the number of people killed in pre-election violence rose to 50, one of whom, Jesus Sibya, was a candidate for mayor of San Joaquin town in Iloilo province. The army was sent to guard the offices of the independent Commission on Elections after police said they had uncovered plans by unnamed groups to launch attacks ahead of elections. There was also an explosion at a political rally held for candidates of the Liberal Party, part of the ruling People Power Coalition.

The most closely watched race was the one for the 13 seats at stake in the 24-seat Senate, with the wife of ousted President Estrada and several members of his cabinet in the running. The results announced by the independent Commission on Elections (Comelec) showed that pro-administration candidates would control the Philippine Senate with an 8 to 5 victory over allies of jailed ex-President Joseph Estrada. Mrs Loi Ejercito, Mr Estrada's wife, won one of the 13 seats at stake. In the House of Representatives, Mrs. Arroyo's People Power Coalition obtained 60 per cent of the seats.

On 23 July 2001, the Senate elected Mr Franklin Drilon (PPC) as its President with 13 votes against 11 for former Senate President Mr Aquilino Pimentel. In the House of Representatives, Mr Jose de Venecia was elected Speaker.

STATISTICS
Round no 1 (14 May 2001): Elections results  
Number of registered electors 34 176 376
Voters 27 709 510 (81.08%)

Round no 1: Distribution of seats  
Political Group Total
LAKAS - National Union of Christian Democrats (NUCD) - Parti démocratique uni musulman (UMPD) 87
Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) 62
Liberal Party (LP) 20
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) 18
Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) 4
BAYAN 3
AKYSON 2
REPORMA (PDR) - Lapiang manggagawa (LM) 2
ALAYON 2
Independents 8
Others 6

Comments:
  8 seats are currently vacant.

Distribution of seats according to sex:  
Men: 176
Women: 38
Percent of women: 17.12

Distribution of seats according to age:  
21 to 30 years 7
31 to 40 years 34
41 to 50 years 54
51 to 60 years 67
61 to 70 years 47
Over 70 years 5


Distribution of seats according to profession:

 
Legal professions 78
Business/Trade/Industry 68
Civil servants (incl. former) 21
Medical professions 11
University Professors 7
Engineers 5
Farmers 5
Journalists/writers/publishers 4
Military 4
Accountants 2
Economists 2
Social workers 2
Anthropologists 1
Consultants 1
Computer experts 1
Others 2


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Copyright © 2001 Inter-Parliamentary Union