News In Brief

Election of opposition figure voided by Philippine panel

The elections commission said Thursday it had voided the election of Assemblyman Aquilino Pimentel, the National Assembly's assistant minority floor leader, on charges he cheated in May's elections. The commission said he failed to refute charges of fraud filed by ruling party candidate Pedro Roa. Mr. Pimentel, one of the country's rising opposition leaders, had been jailed by the government on subversion charges for 10 months before the elections. He was released and allowed to run in response to public demand.

Meanwhile, the widow and brother of opposition leader Benigno Aquino led about 6,000 antigovernment marchers yesterday in protest against the findings of an official report into his murder 14 months ago. Corazon Aquino and her brother-in-law Agapito said the report should have implicated President Ferdinand Marcos.