MANILA, Philippines?Gilbert Teodoro Jr. held up a red handkerchief from a Black Nazarene devotee and shared an inspiring story, and the multitudes in green at the Rizal Track and Field Stadium in Manila fell into a hush Friday night.

In his miting de avance, the administration candidate aired a plea to the voters to elect the "best candidate'' that could make the country proud before the world, and reminded everyone he ran a clean campaign.

But he devoted most of his speech paying tribute to his staunch allies, volunteers, supporters who stuck with him in his uphill bid for the presidency, and the countless nameless people who believed in his cause.

"Thank you for those who supported us, whether rich or...'' he paused, and then shared a story.

"I can't forget an informal settler who gifted me with this handkerchief that he had wiped off the Nazarene. He said this was the only thing he could offer,'' he said before an exuberant crowd that suddenly grew silent.

That might well have been the best story of his campaign that saw students mobbing him on campuses, kids touching his shirt with sheer awe, and mammoth crowds turning up in his rallies despite being written off as a goner.

Close to the vote, the former defense chief still lagged behind Sen. Benigno Aquino III, deposed President Joseph Estrada and Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. in the surveys.

In Friday night's rally, the crowd filled the track and field grounds and the bleachers, and was estimated by Teodoro's spokesperson Mike Toledo at 135,000.

Teodoro's mother, former Tarlac Rep. Merceditas Cojuangco-Teodoro later said: "Overwhelming. We see victory.'' She said she would continue to pray for her son "to continue on the right path.''

In his biggest rally yet, attended by some celebrities, Teodoro appealed to the electorate to go beyond surveys, and seize the "golden opportunity'' to elect the "best candidate.''

"We will not settle for second best. We deserved the best, no other. Because the Filipino has no equal,'' he added, with a big crowd of allies and supporters, including his wife Tarlac Rep. Monica Prieto-Teodoro and son Jaime Gilberto, standing behind him.

Teodoro stressed that the vote would be a test of the Filipinos' "political maturity'' and reminded the electorate that the international community was keeping close tabs on it.

"They're watching not only if we will have clean elections, or employ the right processes, but more importantly, what will be the results of the elections,'' he said.

Then he posed these questions: "Have the Filipinos chosen somebody who can hold the reins of government with 7,000 islands and with myriad problems? Have we chosen a leader who can unite, or will divide?''

The vote would be a "golden opportunity'' to journey away from the rotten political system, and toward progress and peace, he said.

"The opportunity is in your hands,'' he said. "And the process doesn't stop with the elections because there are big steps that we have to take for us to change,'' he said.

Vice presidential candidate Edu Manzano, and senatorial candidates Silvestre Bello III, Ramon Guico, Raul Lambino, Rey Langit and Lito Lapid also turned up at the rally, minus Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr.

It was only the second public appearance of the national candidates who barnstormed Metro Manila and the countryside separately since their Feb. 9 proclamation rally in Antipolo City, Rizal. Their campaign has been beset with defections and meager resources.

President Macapagal-Arroyo skipped the event. Former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who is seeking a congressional post like his boss, was among the VIPs at the rally.

In most of the 90 days that he criss-crossed the archipelago to share his platform and programs, Teodoro said he ran a positive campaign guided by the principles of honor and dignity.

"We focused on the honor and dignity of each Filipino as a human being and a gift from God. How did we do that? We talked to him closely, and presented our platform and clear roadmap. Because each Filipino has a right to decide and think for himself,'' he said.

His pitch rising, he added: "Not once did we think of using the masses as instruments that we can play with. Not once did we declare victory, although only 1,500 have been asked in surveys. We didn't dredge up the worst of our countryman's character, nor used words that destroy rather than heal.''

The crowd chanted: "Sulong Gibo, Sulong Gibo (Forward Gibo, forward Gibo).''

Teodoro flew to the rally site by helicopter, but showed up an hour later after Manzano, and the senatorial candidates had delivered their brief speeches.

After being introduced by Manzano, the candidate strode to the stage mounted with huge tarps of him and Manzano, and a wide screen, and decked with baloons in green and white, to drum rolls, fireworks and chants.

In his speech, Manzano apologized to a girl, named Kimberly, whom he accidentally hit in the head with his watch, as he jostled through the thick crowd to get to the stage.

The rally was not without its celebrity component.

Luis "Lucky'' Manzano showed up, and introduced his dad, Edu. Gian Magdangal dished out a song. The rest, including Angelu de Leon, Miriam Quiambao, Ruffa Gutierrez and her mother, Anabelle Rama, mingled with the crowd, content to just listen to the speeches.