Presidential and vice presidential elections were held in the Philippines on May 11, 1992. This was the first general election held under the 1987 Constitution and after the EDSA People Power Revolution. An estimated 80,000 candidates ran for 17,000 posts from the presidency down to municipal councilors.

The new constitution limited the president to a single six-year term with no possibility of reelection, even if nonsuccessive. Although some of President Corazon Aquino's advisers suggested that she could run for a second term, as she was sworn in before the 1987 Constitution took effect, Aquino did not run again.

In the presidential election, retired general Fidel Ramos of Lakas–NUCD narrowly defeated populist candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago of the People's Reform Party. Ramos also got the lowest plurality in the Philippine electoral history, and beat the previous election for the closest margin of victory, percentage-wise (this record would later be beaten by the 2004 election).

Santiago led the canvassing of votes for the first five days but then was overtaken by Ramos in a few days. Santiago cried fraud and filed an electoral protest citing power outages as evidence. Various media personnel became witnesses to the fraud made in the election, where the phrase, 'Miriam won in the election, but lost in the counting' became popular. However, her protest was eventually dismissed by the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

The 1992 election was the second time both president and vice president came from different parties. Movie actor and Senator Joseph Estrada, running with presidential candidate Eduardo Cojuanco, won a six-year term as vice-president.

Under the transitory provisions of the Constitution, 24 senators were elected in this election. The first 12 senators who garnered the highest votes would have six-year terms while the next 12 senators would have three-year terms. Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) received a large share in the Senate race. Television personality and Quezon City vice mayor Vicente Sotto III (also known as Tito Sotto) received the highest number of votes.

Candidates Presidential candidatePrevious position PartyVice presidential candidatePrevious position PartyDanding CojuangcoFormer Member of the House of Representatives from Tarlac's 1st congressional district (1969–1972)Nationalist People's CoalitionJoseph EstradaSenator (1987–1992)Nationalist People's CoalitionMiriam Defensor SantiagoFormer Secretary of Agrarian Reform (1989–1990)People's Reform PartyRamon Magsaysay Jr.Former Member of the House of Representatives from Zambales's at-large congressional district (1965–1969)People's Reform PartySalvador LaurelVice PresidentNacionalista PartyEva Estrada KalawFormer Mambabatas Pambansa from Manila (1984–1986)Nacionalista PartyImelda MarcosFormer First Lady (1965–1986)Kilusang Bagong LipunanVicente MagsaysayFormer Governor of Zambales (1978–1986)Kilusang Bagong LipunanRamon Mitra Jr.Speaker of the House of RepresentativesLaban ng Demokratikong PilipinoMarcelo FernanFormer Chief Justice (1988–1991)Laban ng Demokratikong PilipinoFidel V. RamosFormer Secretary of National Defense (1988–1991)Lakas–NUCDLito OsmeñaGovernor of Cebu (1988–1992)Lakas–NUCDJovito SalongaFormer Senate President (1987–1992)Liberal PartyNene PimentelSenator (1987–1992)PDP–Laban

Debates A debate was held between presidential candidates Salvador Laurel and Ramon Mitra Jr. on the ABS-CBN television program Magandang Gabi... Bayan on March 7, 1992. It was considered an especially heated debate between the two candidates, with the Manila Standard noting the "barbs, insults, and witticisms" exchanged during the program.

On March 15, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) began its series of six presidential and vice-presidential debates held over the next six Sundays, with the first debate held among presidential candidates Fidel V. Ramos, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and Jovito Salonga, moderated by Dong Puno and broadcast live on GMA Network. Estrada, then a presidential candidate, was scheduled to participate in the debate but had to withdraw due to a prior commitment.

The second COMELEC-sponsored presidential debate was held on March 22 among Laurel, Mitra, and Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., moderated by Puno and broadcast live on RPN. The debate was also broadcast live on radio through the government-owned Radyo ng Bayan, but was interrupted 45 minutes into the debate when the station switched instead to a broadcast of a Lakas-NUCD rally in Dumaguete led by President Aquino.

The first vice-presidential debate as set by COMELEC was held on March 29 among Marcelo Fernan, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., and Vicente Magsaysay, moderated by Mario C. Garcia and broadcast live on the government-owned PTV.

Results

For President

Breakdown Region Ramos Santiago Cojuangco Mitra Marcos Salonga Laurel Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %Ilocos Region 526,653 36.84 74,084 5.18 376,465 26.33 67,009 4.69 355,550 24.87 22,960 1.61 7,006 0.49Cordillera Administrative Region 76,643 18.10 66,348 15.67 76,224 18.00 65,969 15.58 45,133 10.66 3,702 0.87Cagayan Valley 110,237 13.20 46,378 5.55 91,970 11.01 241,125 28.88 56,447 6.76 6,083 0.73Central Luzon 692,515 27.57 519,769 20.69 216,944 8.64 135,022 5.38 178,896 7.12 13,951 0.56National Capital Region 679,171 20.54 990,288 29.94 572,301 17.30 193,398 5.85 379,846 11.48 438,048 13.24 54,273 1.64Southern Tagalog 442,563 13.93 579,563 18.24 517,724 16.30 538,869 16.96 173,389 5.46 344,803 10.85 483,262 15.21Bicol Region 285,370 21.49 177,202 13.35 227,718 17.15 21,336 1.61 273,478 20.60 52,275 3.52Western Visayas 326,701 16.04 1,240,002 60.88 253,649 12.45 134,834 6.62 20,130 0.99 50,954 2.50 10,581 0.52Central Visayas 618,520 35.25 168,240 9.59 244,732 13.95 545,245 31.07 54,063 3.08 88,068 5.02 35,841 2.04Eastern Visayas 254,258 22.91 49,021 4.42 87,285 7.86 192,090 17.31 173,478 15.63 7,735 0.70Western Mindanao 225,268 30.18 114,861 15.39 145,368 19.48 150,098 20.11 31,125 4.17 65,781 8.81 13,799 1.85Northern Mindanao 351,575 27.71 86,290 6.80 169,334 13.35 233,657 18.42 180,130 14.20 228,109 17.98 19,680 1.55Southern Mindanao 363,059 23.51 192,283 12.45 223,966 14.50 272,978 17.68 231,106 14.97 233,169 15.10 27,512 1.78Central Mindanao 119,335 20.99 124,506 21.90 74,134 13.04 91,188 16.04 84,547 14.87 82,291 11.65 10,205 1.79ARMM 152,118 25.31 38,197 6.36 109,470 18.22 17,754 2.95 38,009 6.32 21,372 3.56Absentee voters1,81923.191,14114.55 1722.191,05113.401551.983043.88Total 5,342,521 23.584,468,17319.724,116,37618.173,316,66114.642,338,29410.322,302,12410.16770,0463.40

For Vice President

See also Commission on Elections Politics of the Philippines Philippine elections President of the Philippines 9th Congress of the Philippines 1992 Philippine general election

References

External links The Philippine Presidency Project Official website of the Commission on Elections Official website of the House of Representatives

Further reading