MANILA, Philippines?Administration standard-bearer Gilbert Teodoro, his running mate Edu Manzano, and senatorial candidates Silvestre Bello III and Raul Lambino Friday appeared together in a rare group sortie in Valenzuela City.

Teodoro, Bello and Lambino each gave a pep talk during an uproarious student forum at the Our Lady of Fatima University campus in Valenzuela City. Manzano caught up with them at the tail-end at the forum.

?We?re halfway there already. I guess this is a sign that we?re here for the long haul. We?ve committed to the party; we?ve committed to the people. Gibo and and I said we?ll finish this election,? Manzano later said in an interview as he waved at the crowd from the back of a truck during a motorcade from the campus to the city interiors.

Grumblings about funds

Their rare appearance together came on the heels of grumblings in Manzano?s camp and among the senatorial candidates about Lakas Kampi-CMD funds not trickling down to their level.

Since the Feb. 9 kick-off of the campaign, Teodoro, Manzano and the six senatorial candidates have mostly barnstormed Metro Manila and the countryside on their own.

Teodoro, Manzano and some of the senatorial candidates also barnstormed Butuan City in Agusan del Norte last Thursday, and had dinner with President Macapagal-Arroyo at the birthday celebration of Rep. Jose Aquino II.

Lambino conceded that campaigning alone has its advantages, like covering more areas to campaign for the presidential team, but has a big downside to it: the perception that ?we?re disunited.?

Teodoro said the public would see more of them campaigning together once the campaign period for local officials kicks off March 26, but said the senatorial candidates would be campaigning in two teams to cover more ground.

Not awash in funds

?Our schedules jibed today. But when local campaign kicks in, we will be campaigning together. The senators will still have two teams,? he told reporters after the forum.

But the issue of funds will not simply go away.

?There is fund, but that?s a precious and limited resource. We?re not awash in funds. We should use this judiciously,? said Teodoro, who claimed he had received funds from the party.

The forum at the Fatima University was generally boisterous, with female students shrieking at the sight of TV personality Jolo Revilla and jostling for the chance to give him a buss, and more so, at Manzano who came in last at around 11:30 a.m.

The young Revilla campaigned for his father, reelectionist Sen. Ramon ?Bong? Revilla Jr., and so did Patrick Guico for his father, Mayor Ramon Guico of Binalonan, Pangasinan. The party?s two other senatorial candidates are Sen. Lito Lapid and broadcaster Rey Langit.