MANILA, Philippines?Burying their political rivalries for a moment, 13 prospective candidates for president and vice president Sunday walked arm in arm in Taguig City for clean and honest elections next year.

The aspirants?who included survey front-runners Sen. Manuel Villar, former President Joseph Estrada, and Senators Francis ?Chiz? Escudero, Manuel ?Mar? Roxas II, and Loren Legarda?also signed sworn statements, duly notarized, declaring that they would not cheat in the elections and would observe the rule of law if elected.

?This is to avoid what happened in 2004. No more ?Hello Garci.? No more ?I am sorry,?? Estrada said, referring to the alleged vote fraud in the 2004 presidential election.

The event?dubbed ?Eleksyon 2010 Na, Tatakbo Ka Ba? (The 2010 Elections Are Here, Are You Running?)??was organized by GMA Channel 7 at Bonifacio Global City.

It also featured a fun run that gathered 5,000 Filipinos from all walks of life who ran at the break of dawn for the cause of fraud-free elections.

?It?s a good thing that the candidates came together not just in a meeting of minds but also in action, in signatures, and this was even sworn to,? Escudero said. ?Everyone promised that there should be clean and honest elections.?

?Everybody follows rules?

The event was also attended by Senators Francis Pangilinan, Richard Gordon, Jamby Madrigal, Metro Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, evangelist Eduardo ?Bro. Eddie? Villanueva, environmentalist Nicanor ?Nikki? Perlas, and Olongapo Councilor Carlos ?JC? delos Reyes of the lay Catholic political group Ang Kapatiran.

Other aspirants who were supposed to attend but did not make it to the event were Defense Secretary Gilbert ?Gibo? Teodoro and Interior Secretary Ronnie Puno. They were reportedly sick. Vice President Noli de Castro was not around, either.

?This is for the elections so that everybody will follow the rules. That it will be conducted in a very civil and gentlemanly manner, observing all the rules. No cheating,? said Commission on Elections Chair Jose Melo.

13 points

During the program proper, the prospective candidates swore before Melo and signed a sworn statement enumerating 13 points to ensure clean elections and good government, if they were elected.

The sworn statement was notarized by Taguig Vice Mayor George Elias. Former Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa, chair of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, and Federico Agcaoili, representative of the Philippine Bar Association, served as official witnesses.

?I will not use any form of cheating ? I will not use money for nefarious ends or use arms or any form of violence to ensure my win in the elections,? the one-page sworn statement said in Filipino.

?I will honor and follow the ?Rule of Law? ? I will not tolerate anyone committing shenanigans, whether they are relatives or friends,? it said.

?I will try to be an example of honesty and urge my relatives and friends to follow my example ? I will not use the national treasury or whatever property of the Philippines for my own personal interests,? the statement added.

True to their word

Villanueva said he hoped that the candidates who made the promises Sunday would remain true to their word, noting that a similar ceremony happened before the 2004 elections.

?In 2004, we even kneeled in San Agustin Church, but there was still cheating. In my case, I cannot afford to lie because I will have to answer to God and to history,? he said.

Perlas said it was important that the 2010 elections were honest because there was a growing public clamor for real and effective reforms in government.

?Most Filipinos are looking for change. That is why we really need to ensure clean elections so that the real choice of Filipinos can emerge,? he said.

Delos Reyes said that while the machinery of his group was still ?a work in progress,? he was confident that people would support him and Ang Kapatiran?s call for change.

?I guess this is a sign that elections under a presidential type of government will push through in 2010,? Binay said.

Freedom wall

Before signing their sworn statements, the 13 aspirants linked arms and joined a ?Unity Walk? for 100 meters and then wrote their upbeat messages on a ?freedom wall.?

?Walang tutulong sa Pilipino kundi kapwa Pilipino (No one will help the Filipino but his fellow Filipino),? Estrada wrote in green ink.

Villar wrote ?For Clean Elections!?; Pangilinan: ?Rock the Vote!?; Fernando: ?Let?s Get it Done!?; Gordon: ?For a Change in Man!?; Roxas: ?For the country!.?

?Tayong lahat ang magbabago sa Pilipinas (All of us will change the Philippines),? wrote Perlas.

The unity walk was also joined in by actor Dingdong Dantes and actress Marian Rivera, former National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) chair Jose Concepcion, and Sen. Pia Cayetano.

A marathon enthusiast, Cayetano earlier joined a 10-kilometer race with 2,000 others who wanted to show their support for honest elections.

Great equalizer

The race and another one for 5 kilometers, which had 3,000 participants, simultaneously began at 6 a.m. with boxing champ Nonito Donaire Jr. as one of the masters of ceremony. Binay joined the 5-km race.

?The run is also a great equalizer. You can have captains of industries running side by side with the youth, families and common ?mamamayan? all for one cause. Runners are also very passionate about their causes,? said GMA assistant vice president Leorgarda Sanchez-Matias.