News Article 4: Educational/Societal Issues
MANILA, May 15 (Reuters) - Two teachers counting votes in the Philippines' violence-marred congressional elections were killed on Tuesday when armed men stormed a schoolhouse where the ballots were being tallied and set it on fire, police said.
The elections to the 275-member House of Representatives, half the 24-seat Senate and about 18,000 local government posts were held on Monday and counting was carried out overnight, in some places by candlelight.
Early exit polls showed the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was faring worse than expected in the Senate elections.
A poll by the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) showed the opposition leading in eight of the 12 Senate seats with the administration leading in two and independents in two. Opinion polls before the election had showed the opposition likely to take six seats and the administration four.
Other exit polls also showed the government faring poorly.
No exit polls for the House of Representatives were immediately available and official results will not be completed for at least a month. Arroyo's allies are expected to sweep the House and the local government elections.
About 125 people have been killed in campaign violence and during polling on Monday, although the body count is well below the 189 killed at the last election, in 2004.
Police said five gunmen stormed a schoolhouse where votes were being counted early on Tuesday, poured gasoline on ballot papers and set them on fire.
Two teachers who had taken refuge in a toilet were trapped by the flames and died, they said. The schoolhouse was in the town of Batangas, about 90 km (55 miles) south of Manila.
"The Philippines is at a crossroads as we wait for the proclamation of winners," Arroyo said in a statement after casting her ballot in the town of Lubao, north of Manila.
"There was intense rivalry during the campaign, but we should have a good heart, win or lose."
At least 75 percent of the country's 45 million voters cast their votes in Monday's election and an army of school teachers counted ballots manually overnight. In some parts of Manila, and on the southern island of Mindanao, power failures meant counting had to be done by candlelight.
The votes will be tallied at municipal, provincial and national levels over the next few weeks. Initial results for local posts could start trickling in on Thursday but for the senate, final results could take from three weeks to about a month.
The elections to the 275-member House of Representatives, half the 24-seat Senate and about 18,000 local government posts were held on Monday and counting was carried out overnight, in some places by candlelight.
Early exit polls showed the government of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was faring worse than expected in the Senate elections.
A poll by the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) showed the opposition leading in eight of the 12 Senate seats with the administration leading in two and independents in two. Opinion polls before the election had showed the opposition likely to take six seats and the administration four.
Other exit polls also showed the government faring poorly.
No exit polls for the House of Representatives were immediately available and official results will not be completed for at least a month. Arroyo's allies are expected to sweep the House and the local government elections.
About 125 people have been killed in campaign violence and during polling on Monday, although the body count is well below the 189 killed at the last election, in 2004.
Police said five gunmen stormed a schoolhouse where votes were being counted early on Tuesday, poured gasoline on ballot papers and set them on fire.
Two teachers who had taken refuge in a toilet were trapped by the flames and died, they said. The schoolhouse was in the town of Batangas, about 90 km (55 miles) south of Manila.
"The Philippines is at a crossroads as we wait for the proclamation of winners," Arroyo said in a statement after casting her ballot in the town of Lubao, north of Manila.
"There was intense rivalry during the campaign, but we should have a good heart, win or lose."
At least 75 percent of the country's 45 million voters cast their votes in Monday's election and an army of school teachers counted ballots manually overnight. In some parts of Manila, and on the southern island of Mindanao, power failures meant counting had to be done by candlelight.
The votes will be tallied at municipal, provincial and national levels over the next few weeks. Initial results for local posts could start trickling in on Thursday but for the senate, final results could take from three weeks to about a month.
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