Marcos Leads as Assembly Counts Votes

President Ferdinand E. Marcos took an early and commanding lead over challenger Corazon Aquino today as the Marcos-controlled National Assembly began counting votes almost a week after the presidential election.

As the tally began, Aquino spokesman Rene Saguisag said that an opposition political coordinator was killed today and that his son was missing and feared dead in the northern Tarlac province town of Moncado.

Saguisag said Arsenio Cainglet, 43, was gunned down outside his home by four men who fled. Police later found a body near Cainglet’s home but were unable to make a positive identification because the face was blown away, he said.

There was no official confirmation of the slaying, which came while Aquino was participating in a funeral procession through the streets of Manila for Evelio Javier, a key supporter murdered Tuesday in the central province of Antique.

At least 130 people have died in election-related violence since the campaign began in December.

Assembly Counting Votes

The National Assembly, called the Batasan Pambansa, where Marcos’ New Society Movement holds a two-thirds majority, counted votes from the Feb. 7 presidential election for several hours before adjourning at 11:12 p.m. until Friday.

The tally was slowed by repeated objections by the opposition, which found fault with nearly all of the 58 certified election sheets that were tallied on the first day.

With returns counted from 58 of the nation’s 140 provinces, cities and election districts, Marcos led Aquino by 919,204 votes. The official count showed Marcos with 6.403 million votes, or 53.9%, and Aquino with 5.484 million, or 46.1%.

Marcos’ lead grew steadily throughout the count, giving him commanding control by the time the Assembly recessed.

Apparently confident of victory, the 20-year ruler interrupted the nationally televised vote count to deliver a speech in which he called for calm and urged his supporters “to take the first step” toward reconciliation.

Aquino Reiterates Claim

But Aquino, the widow of slain opposition leader Benigno S. Aquino Jr., issued a statement repeating her claim of victory, which originally came only hours after the voting ended.

Aquino, 53, who accuses Marcos of ordering the Aug. 21, 1983, slaying of her husband, again called on Marcos to step down until the election was decided.

“Although I again urge my opponent to concede, I recognize his reluctance to do so,” she said. “Therefore, I propose that in the national interest my opponent step down . . . until this matter is settled.”

Aquino has based her victory claims on an unofficial count by an independent poll-watching group, the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections, or Namfrel, whose latest figures show her leading by 626,317 votes with 66.2% of precincts counted.

Meeting of Bishops

But the government’s Commission on Elections shows Marcos winning by 595,992 votes with 61% of the 86,036 precincts counted.