On May 10, over 50 million Filipinos are projected to cast their votes to elect the 15th president of the Philippines, a position held for the past nine years by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.  Until recently, survey results indicated Senators Benigno Aquino III of the Liberal Party and Manuel Villar, Jr. of the Nacionalista Party were in a tight contest, but two weeks from the elections, ex-president and movie star Joseph Estrada, of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, gained ground to reach a statistical tie with Villar for second place.