Surveys give aging former action hero Vice President Joseph Estrada a clear lead over his rivals ahead of the May 11 presidential elections.

Estrada, a college drop-out who admits to fathering a number of illegitimate children and of having been a heavy drinker and gambler, has long been ridiculed by the literati who depict him as a buffoon who hobnobs with shady characters. Although he has served as town mayor, senator and as head of a presidential committee against organized crime, his performance is dismissed as mediocre.

However, many Filipinos are captivated by his image as a man of the people, forged while playing scores of Robin Hood-like tough guys from the 1950s to the 1970s. Newspaper columnist Emil Jurado, who once taught Estrada English, said the ``mass constituency romanticises their idols and no amount of dirt andgarbage strewn along his path will change their perception that (he)... is their hero.''

Asked about his main advantage, Estrada said, ``I have been a movie star and can take advantage of name recall.'' He is not the only one to use a showbiz career to seek public office. In past years, several movie stars, slapstick comedians and professional basketball heroes have become senators, Congressmen, governors and mayors. Even politicians have taken a leaf out of their books, doing cameos in films and TV shows and having campaign posters make them look like movie stars.

Estrada said, ``I want to uplift the living standard of millions of Filipinos who are living below the poverty line. I want to champion their cause.'' He added, ``I'm quite sure I can do that because of the fact that I have the mass support of the people.''

He has spoken of sending corrupt officials to jail, forcing the rich to pay taxes and paying more attention to agriculture. Asked how he would react to a crisis like the recentconfrontation between the International Monetary Fund and the Indonesian government, Estrada only said, ``I would negotiate in the interest of our people. I can't compromise our people to anyone.''He has said in interviews that he plans to follow the policies of incumbent President Fidel Ramos, who is largely credited with jump-starting the stalled economy. Estrada sent four of his top aides to the United States this week to assure Manila's main trade partner and major investor that Ramos' economic reform policies would be pursued. But when speaking to partisan crowds, Estrada blames Ramos for the economic slowdown caused by the regional currency crisis.

Ramos, who is backing House Speaker Jose de Venecia as the administration candidate, admitted, ``I worry about my Vice President. That's why I am campaigning very hard for the administration ticket,'' he said, carefully avoiding openly lambasting Estrada.

On the campaign trail, the overweight, glassy-eyed Estrada hardly looks like a Celluloid heartthrobbut the crowds eagerly await his appearance. To reinforce his showbiz image, Estrada is often accompanied at campaign rallies by other movie stars.

Estrada recently unveiled a list of 30 ``advisers,'' top businessmen and bankers, who he says will help him run the country. His critics point out that the need to rope in so many advisers is proof that he has no ideas of his own and will be easily manipulated.