Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo looks likely to defeat movie star Mr Fernando Poe Jr in national elections, according to the first exit poll.
After polls closed at 8 a.m. Irish time this morning, independent radio network dzRH showed Ms Arroyo leading Mr Poe, the strongest of her four rivals, by six to eight percentage points - roughly in line with surveys just before the election.
The winner will lead this largely Roman Catholic nation of 82 million people for the next six years, facing challenges from corruption and insurgencies to dire poverty, huge debts and a weak economy.
The official results will take a month, although a count by an independent watchdog should give a clearer picture later today and an accurate prediction within a week.
At least 20 people were killed in the past two days, pushing the death toll in election-related violence above 100 since mid-December.
Bombs exploded in several areas of the archipelago, where thousands of powerful local posts were also up for grabs.
"I am praying for peace and unity in our country," Ms Arroyo, a close ally in the US-led war on terror, said after voting in her home province of Pampanga.