Rivals in today's battle for the Philippine presidency appealed for a clean fight yesterday as security forces were deployed across the country to avert disruption to polling.
The runaway leader in opinion polls, Joseph Estrada, said after a breakfast with four other candidates at the presidential palace: 'Only cheating will make me lose.' Mr Estrada said the confidence of incumbent Fidel Ramos' protege, House Speaker Jose de Venecia, despite his low poll ratings, was 'worrying'.
Polls show Mr Estrada, who is Vice-President, will win 33 per cent of the vote to Mr de Venecia's 15 per cent.
Mr de Venecia sought to brush off accusations that the ruling party would resort to cheating or intimidation in the presidential, legislative and municipal polls.
'I'd rather not be president if I were to be associated with any wrongdoing,' he said.
One of his campaign strategists, Jose Almonte, said Mr de Venecia's camp would not resort to anything illegal, just 'clean dirty tricks'.