Arroyo urges calm during tally

The opposition said they expected a "people power" demonstration against the government if the election results were tainted by fraud and cheating.

The latest results from independent poll watchdog NAMFREL, which traditionally gives an accurate picture of the official tally, showed Poe leading Arroyo by 9 percentage points. It had counted less than 2 percent of total ballots.

For the official count, teachers tally votes by hand before ballot boxes make a long journey to regional and national centers, leaving ample scope for bribery and box switching.