The World : Philippine Vote Date OKd

The Philippine National Assembly approved a bill that calls for early presidential elections Feb. 7 and a revival of the vice presidency 13 years after it was scrapped by President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The vote was 77 to 41. The president’s ruling party crushed repeated attempts by the opposition to delay the balloting and synchronize it with May 5 polls for provincial and town officials. Opposition assembly members said they will contest the constitutionality of the measure before the Supreme Court.