MANILA, Philippines ? The stretch of Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (Edsa) became the launch pad of Gilbert Teodoro's ?Green Day? initiative in which the administration?s presidential candidate and his slate signed a ?Green Covenant? for clean and honest elections at the start of the campaign for local elections Friday.

Teodoro, the standard-bearer of Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats, said the party's biggest machinery could now be felt with their allies in the local level campaigning for the entire administration slate.

A total of 12,891 of the 17,914 candidates running for local posts or 72 percent of the bets are party members, according to Ray Roquero, the party?s deputy secretary general.

Teodoro said he was banking on the party's strength to propel him and his slate to victory in the May elections.

At the headquarters of Lakas-Kampi-CMD near Connecticut Street along Edsa, Teodoro, his runningmate, actor Edu Manzano and four of the six senatorial candidates ? Silvestre Bello III, Ramon Guico, Raul Lambino, and Rey Langit ? signed a "Green Covenant" to pledge their commitment to clean and honest elections.

The covenant also commits the Lakas-Kampi candidates in the pursuit of "cool policies, clean government, healthy life, protecting the environment, consistent economic growth, hope for a brighter future, government on the go, love of country and its people."

Teodoro led a motorcade of supporters along Edsa, Makati and Manila.

He will return to his home province Tarlac to lead another rally before flying to Cebu where another gathering for him will be held at 6 p.m.

Teodoro insisted that he still has the support of majority of the local officials, led by Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia, despite the defection of the group of former mayor Alvin Garcia.