MANILA, Philippines—Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., Richard “Dick” Gordon and Ana Consuelo “Jamby” Madrigal Tuesday filed their candidacy papers for president in the May elections, joining a field of 80 aspirants. Only half a dozen of them are regarded as serious contenders.

Each of the three had something solid to offer as they trooped to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office on the final day for filing certificates of candidacy for some 6,000 municipal, city, provincial and national contests.

Teodoro, standard-bearer of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-Christian Muslim Democrats party, fended off suggestions by reporters that his anointment by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was the “kiss of death.”

“No,” said Teodoro, 45, until last month the country’s defense secretary.

“I feel that I have proven to the Filipino people what I’m made of, what our platforms stand for,” said the former Tarlac representative, bar topnotcher and Harvard-educated lawyer.

“The people should discern on that basis,” he added.

Outstanding mayors

Senator Gordon, 64, was accompanied by his running mate, the recently resigned chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Bayani Fernando, 63.

Both candidates are regarded as outstanding mayors, Gordon of Olongapo City who was also chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority and is chair of the Philippine National Red Cross, and Fernando of Marikina City.

“You need proven leadership and we can do that because we’ve been there. And when you get Gordon and Fernando, you buy one, you take four mayors,” Gordon said, pointing out that his wife, Kate, was also a former mayor of Olongapo while Bayani’s wife, Maridez, is the current mayor of Marikina.

‘It’s up to God’

Senator Madrigal, 51, is running as an independent. She said her candidacy is all about “principled politics.”

“I wasn’t tempted by corruption in a trapo (traditional politics) system. In the six years I was in the Senate, I voted out of conviction and not out of convenience. Many say they love the Philippines, but they vote for treaties that destroy our sovereignty,” she said.

Asked about her chances, Madrigal said: “It’s up to God. I will take the chance that God gives me, but I’m not here just to win. I’m here to fight for a platform. I’m here not for personal ambition but to fight and show the people that there are platforms that will give them a better life.”

The mood on the final day of submission of candidacy papers was a bit more subdued. The candidates who trooped to the Comelec office in Manila in the previous days had more crowds, noisier brass bands and more glitzy parades outside.

80 presidential hopefuls

As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, six hours before the Comelec officially closed its doors to those seeking public office, the number of presidential candidates had reached 80. Vice presidential aspirants numbered 15, and senatorial candidates 138.

Former Manila Rep. Mark Jimenez beat the midnight deadline by filing his paper for the presidential derby at 7:30 p.m. The founder of the Hulog ng Langit group had been jailed in the United States for illegal election campaign contributions to the Democratic Party.

The other serious presidential aspirants who had earlier filed their candidacies were Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal Party, ousted President Joseph Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino-United Opposition, Sen. Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party and JC de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran.

None of these parties has been able to file a full senatorial slate, underlining the dearth of quality candidates for the 12 seats at stake in the upper chamber.

Teodoro showed up at the Comelec office with his running mate, actor and TV game show host Edu Manzano, and Ramon Juico, one of only four senatorial candidates of the administration coalition. Juico is mayor of Binalonan, Pangasinan, and president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines.

The administration coalition’s other senatorial candidates are Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Lito Lapid, both movie actors, and broadcaster Rey Langit. They filed their certificates separately.

Arroyo has her own worries

At a brief news conference later, Teodoro dismissed suggestions that his candidacy was being hobbled by Ms Arroyo.

“She’s a candidate for Congress,” said Teodoro wearing a green shirt. “We are focused on a national campaign. This will not affect our campaign throughout the country.”

“She has her own campaign to worry about and we have our own campaign to worry about,” added Manzano, 54, former chief of the Optical Media Board.

Teodoro and Manzano attended Mass at the nearby Manila Cathedral and proceeded to the Comelec office escorted by his green-clad supporters waving banners and chanting their names.

MVP backing?

Gordon claimed that he had the backing of influential businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan, whose name was earlier floated as Gordon’s possible running mate.

“He decided to be a businessman,” Gordon said, when asked about those previous reports.

“When you get as big as he is—he has so many businesses—he’d rather (stay a businessman) because they might make it hard on him,” Gordon said.

But the senator quickly added: “He’s my classmate and my classmates all support me.”

Fernando, who had tried but failed to become the standard-bearer of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition, said he decided to slide down and become Gordon’s running mate only on Monday night. He said he had no regrets about leaving Lakas.

“I have found the person who shares my beliefs,” Fernando said. “I went to see Senator Gordon one day to convince him to run with me but what happened was, I was the one who was convinced (to run as Vice President),” he said.

‘We complement each other’

“We complement each other. What he can’t finish, I’ll try to finish. Look, Senator Gordon is a good-looking man but I’m taller,” Fernando added.

Gordon said that he and Fernando would be running under his Bagumbayan-Volunteers for a New Philippines (VNP) party, which is accredited by the Comelec. He added that the VNP had enough funds to run a nationwide campaign.

“We are not lacking in funds. We don’t have much money but we also don’t lack funds.”

“And we know where those who boasted about their wealth took us. We ended up nowhere,” Gordon said.

When asked about their senatorial slate, Gordon sounded sarcastic: “We don’t need to get senators because I saw in the Senate everyone is brilliant. That’s the problem with us Filipinos. We are all brilliant.”

Wealth, pedigree not enough

Gordon also took a shot at his aspirants who have “wealth” and pedigree.”

“You can’t hide behind birthright and pedigree because they are not enough to be president and money has never been enough,” he added.

Gordon dismissed suggestions that his own family might be divided because his nephew, JC de los Reyes, is also running for president under Ang Kapatiran.

“No. Every child should have ambition and he should be able to decide for himself. I commend him. He’s passionate as I am passionate,” Gordon said.

“I embrace him, love him dearly. I can tell you I’m proud of him,” he added. With reports from Philip C. Tubeza, Allison W. Lopez, Christine O. Avendaño and Jerome Aning