MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro and television host Eduardo Manzano filed their candidacies for president and vice president respectively at the Commission on Elections office in Manila.

Teodoro and Manzano will be running under the administration’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

“The filing of our CoCs [certificates of candidacy] is the first step to clinch our total victory in next year's elections. We advocate total reform and continuation of programs under the proven leadership of Lakas-Kampi. We will not state our edge over other candidates because it is up to the people to decide on the advantages and nuisances of each candidate,” said Teodoro, the 57th candidate for president in the 2010 elections.

“This is a time that Filipinos cannot experiment on who to vote. Next year's election calls for a track record of leadership. And through our experience in local governance and as Cabinet members, we aim to give the people the leadership they deserve,” said the former chief of the Optical Media Board and seventh candidate for vice president.

The party's senatorial slate includes Senators Manuel "Lito" Lapid, who filed his candidacy last week and Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. who will file his candidacy Tuesday afternoon; broadcaster Reynante "Rey" Langit, who filed his bid late Monday; and mayor of Binalonan, Pangasinan Ramon Guico Jr., who filed together with Teodoro and Manzano.

Teodoro clarified that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, which was said to have been included in Lakas-Kampi-CMD's senatorial slate was actually not running for senator but “contemplating on the possibility of running for congressman in Pangasinan.”

Teodoro denounced allegations that he had a personal misunderstanding with outgoing Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando, who is set to file his vice presidential bid as an independent. He added politics was “not worked through friendships because it is a professional endeavor.”

“We'd like to keep the team compact because this is the optimal slate for our party. We are confident the people will realize ours is a good, balanced platform that advocates reform in education, healthcare system, infrastructure to form seamless transportation and communications, business assistance to Filipino entrepreneurs, local R&D and disaster risk reduction among others,” said Teodoro.

Some critics of the Arroyo administration said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s own low ratings were pulling Teodoro down.

Teodoro, however, was unfazed even after polls showed that his cousin and another presidential contender, Senator Benigno Aquino III, was pulling ahead of the pack.

“I have proven what I am made of and people should discern on that basis. Generally, Lakas-Kampi-CMD is working for its total victory and while I admit it is a challenge to increase my ratings in the survey, we will work hard for that and the best joy is to prove the survey is wrong,” said Teodoro.

For the youth, Teodoro said he would advocate for a two-pronged approach: one is to have a college graduate in every family to equip more Filipinos with skills for better jobs and second, to increase incentives and add leadership mentoring program for those who want to work for the government.

Cebu’s ruling party, dubbed “One Cebu,” would support Teodoro's bid, said the group's president and Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who is also provincial chairperson of Lakas-Kampi-CMD. Cebu gave 1.1. million to Arroyo in the 2004 elections.

Gibo is the only son of former Social Security System (SSS) administrator Gilberto Teodoro, Sr. and former Batasang Pambansa member Mercedes Cojuangco-Teodoro. He was also cousin of Liberal Party's presidential bet, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino.

Gibo is married to incumbent Tarlac first district Representative Monica “Nikki” Prieto-Teodoro – who accompanied him during the filing. They have a son named Jaime Gilberto.

Aside from his stint in the local movie industry, Manzano ventured in local politics when he was elected vice mayor of Makati City in 1998. He was the former husband of Batangas governor Vilma Santos who bolted out of Lakas-Kampi-CMD to ally with the Liberal Party.