MANILA, Philippines?Some senatorial candidates of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD are grumbling over the administration party?s apparent lack funds, two months before the May 10 national elections.

Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III and lawyer Raul Lambino pointed to the dearth of television and newspaper advertisements, and campaign posters for the candidates.

?We?re being out-postered by the opposition,? Bello rued in a phone interview, referring to the more popular reelectionist senators and congressmen topping the polls for senatorial candidates.

?We?re out-advertised. It?s as if we?re not running,? said Lambino, who initially denounced the Lakas-Kampi coalition then turned around and joined the slate as a substitute candidate.

The two candidates are faring poorly in surveys.

Party secretary-general Francis Manglapus admitted the difficulty of raising funds from traditional sources, such as businessmen, because of the big number of senatorial candidates.

?This is the first time in a long time that you have so many candidates running for senator,? he said by phone.

?But there are funds, and they will come shortly,? he added.

He said the party had to exercise prudence in the allocation of funds among the national and local candidates, who comprise the machinery of the party.

?It?s a question of allocating resources accordingly. We have a high overhead cost because of all the candidates we have to support down to the mayors,? he said when asked if the party was running short of funds.