SAN JOSE CITY, Philippines?"Masarap. Kung alam ko lang, noon pa sana ako nagpakasal (It's nice. Had I known it, I would have gotten married long ago)."

Those words came from a smiling Sen. Manuel Roxas II, the vice presidential bet of the Liberty Party, when asked about his marriage to television host Korina Sanchez.

He arrived here on Saturday, a day after he and his wife returned from their honeymoon, to address a rally of the Pinoy Power, a multi-sectoral group supporting the Noynoy Aquino-Mar Roxas tandem.

In a serious tone, he told about 1,200 people at the Knights of Columbus clubhouse here that the 2010 elections were not just an exercise or a transaction but a "marriage for a hopeful and a more beautiful future."

"We need a leader who will bind us for a future that will translate to us in real terms our dream for a better life, better education, better health, cheap medicines, and good and honest governance," Roxas said in Filipino.

He vouched for Aquino's integrity and spoke in large part about what the son of the late President Corazon Aquino can do for the country. Aquino had a bum stomach and could not attend the rally, Roxas said.

Roxas said the people can expect to be rewarded should they decide "to get married in the future with a team that is honest and cares for the welfare of the country and people."

Meanwhile, in Palayan City, also in Nueva Ecija province, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, the standard bearer of the administration's Lakas CMD-Kampi party, wowed his audience with his discourse about who should be the next leader of the country.

"He should not only have the opportunity to serve but he must be a deserving leader who has good foresight," Teodoro said in his speech at the launching of the "Unang Sigaw Partido ng Pagbabago," a local party headed by Gov. Aurelio Umali.

Teodoro said the country must now be led toward becoming a leader in Asia.

He said the country's stabilization, commerce and industry, social welfare, health, education and other concerns should be addressed by the next leader.

"In the face of big problems, what is needed is a deserving leader who must be given the opportunity to lead and serve," he said.