Chamber:
	Senado
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	14 May 2001
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for one-half (13) of the Senate seats 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 mayoral 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 up for grabs 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)	3
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)	2
Liberal Party (LP)	1
Independents	6
Others	1

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	21
Women:	3
Percent of women:	12.50