Philippine President-elect Benigno Aquino (C) is proclaimed by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (L) and Speaker of the House Prospero Nograles (R) as the winner of the May 10 presidential elections during a ceremony at the House of Representatives in Manila on June 9, 2010.
Benigno Aquino was proclaimed the next president of the Philippines amid joyous celebrations on Wednesday, but he struck a sombre tone as he warned the impoverished nation was in crisis.
The 50-year-old bachelor achieved one of the most emphatic election wins in the Southeast Asian nation's history last month after promising to tackle the endemic graft and pervasive poverty that have long afflicted the country.
Amid wild cheers and applause from a gallery packed with supporters wearing his family's trademark yellow, parliament proclaimed Aquino the next president with over 15.2 million votes, or nearly 42 percent, of the total.
However the son of two democracy heroes immediately sought to focus on the problems facing the sprawling archipelago of more than 90 million people, which has for decades lagged behind its fast-developing Asian neighbours.
"I am a little anxious, a little eager to solve the problems that are besetting our countrymen," Aquino told reporters in his first public remarks shortly after the proclamation.
"I can't say (I feel) totally joy at this time."
Aquino, who will take over from the highly unpopular President Gloria Arroyo on June 30, said a fast-growing budget deficit was one of the most pressing issues.
"Immediately, I have a crisis to deal with," Aquino said of the deficit, which he forecast would hit 400 billion pesos (8.5 billion dollars) this year.
"We have many problems that we have inherited, contrary to the propaganda of our predecessors."
Aquino crushed his rivals largely on his promise of clean government, following nine years of rule under Arroyo that has been tarnished by allegations of massive corruption and vote rigging.
He also drew on the enormous public support for his late parents, who remain revered for their efforts in ending the 20-year dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.
His father, Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, was shot dead in 1983 at Manila airport as he returned from US exile to lead the democracy movement against Marcos.
His mother, Corazon Aquino, took over from her slain husband and led the "People Power" revolution that eventually toppled Marcos in 1986.
She then served as president for six years, a reign that is looked back upon by many Filipinos as one of the least corrupt in modern Philippine history.
Her death from cancer last August triggered a massive outpouring of support for the family that turned the son from a low-key senator to presidential front-runner.
Former president Joseph Estrada finished well behind Aquino in second place with nearly 9.5 million votes.
The 73-year-old Estrada held the record for the biggest election win when he triumphed in the 1998 elections with 39 percent of the total vote.
The former action-movie star was ousted three years later, half-way through his term, amid allegations of corruption for which he was later convicted.
"I sincerely offer my congratulations to my good friend and worthy opponent," Estrada said in a speech read by his son before the parliament minutes before Aquino was proclaimed.
Parliament also proclaimed Jejomar Binay, who was Estrada's running mate, as the nation's next vice president.
Aquino's Liberal Party could be hamstrung in its efforts to implement reforms after its choice for the vice presidency, Mar Roxas, lost.
However, Binay insisted on Wednesday he would not be a destabilising force.
"I am a team player and I am willing to work with the president. Whatever is asked of me (I will do)," Binay told AFP.
The Liberal Party will also not have a majority in either house of parliament.
Arroyo's Lakas Kampi CMD coalition will remain powerful in parliament, and the outgoing president won a seat in the lower house, where she could lead opposition to Aquino.
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