With just 0.3 percent of the votes counted, Estrada had 21,071 votes, or 29.8 percent of the total, according to the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections.

The body has been accredited by election authorities to conduct a ``quick count'' of official returns, expected to take about two weeks. The official tally can take four-to-six weeks.

The early count was tentative, however, and weighted towards areas expected to favour one of the minor candidates, 59-year-old Emilio Osmena.

It placed Osmena in second place with 15,941 votes, or 22.5 per cent, followed by De Venecia with just 6,248, or 8.8 per cent. De Venecia is backed bythe administration of President Fidel Ramos who must step down on June 30 at the end of his six-year term.

An unofficial count of votes actually cast, by Philippines media giant ABS-CBN, gave Estrada 343,131 votes and placed De Venecia in fifth place with 113,568.

Major exit polls were more in line with surveys taken in the run-up to Monday's elections.

Estrada garnered 34.6 per cent of the vote according to an exit poll of 41, 840 voters conducted around the country by DZRH radio station with Channel Nine television.

De Venecia had 16.8 per cent, it said, adding that the margin of error was two to three per cent. An exit poll by AMA Computer College of 7,763 voters gave Estrada 30 per cent and De Venecia 17 per cent. It forecast Estrada's share would rise as data from northern areas rolled in.

However the ruling Lakas (Strength) party, citing an exit poll taken by a group it commissioned, said De Venecia led Estrada 27 per cent to 26 per cent.