A total 50 provincial governors Tuesday agreed to close ranks and circle the wagon carrying presidential candidate Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. to head off further defections and rally local leaders to campaign strongly for the party’s standard-bearer.

At least 34 of the governors attended a hastily called caucus in Pasig City to form the Provincial Governors of the Philippines (PGP) and signed a manifesto reiterating their “unwavering support” for Teodoro.

However, Agusan del Sur Gov. Edward Adolf Plaza told reporters that they are bound more than the manifesto in pushing for Teodoro’s victory in the presidential race.

“We need more than palabra de honor among governors. In our group, we have decided to have word of honor that will not back out against Gibo Teodoro,” said Plaza, who was elected finance officer of the group.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who earlier committed her One Cebu party to Teodoro, was elected president of the group while former Lakas-Kampi-CMD president, Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez of Saranggani, was voted vice president.

Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda, PGP secretary general, said 50 governors have declared their loyalty to Lakas-Kampi-CMD although Plaza stressed that Teodoro also enjoys the backing of non-party members among governors.

It is not a loyalty check, it is just circling the wagons,” Salceda said. “We are under vicious attack.”

Salceda said the Villaroyo yarn being peddled by the opposition and the defection of at least three colleagues in the League of Governors had prompted him to ask allies among governors to meet Tuesday.

The governors met at the Discovery Suites in Pasig City which is just a short distance from where senior Lakas-Kampi-CMD held their own powwow.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo dropped by the Discovery Suites where she received a copy of the manifesto.

“We remain steadfast in our conviction that Gibo Teodoro is the most qualified among all the presidential candidates to lead the nation towards greater economic prosperity and social progress in the next six years,” the manifesto said.

The PGP added: “We commit to work hard for the overwhelming electoral majorities for Gibo Teodoro in our jurisdictions.”

The group also expressed its support to the newly designated leadership of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, including party chairman, Deputy Speaker Ma. Amelita Villarosa; Francis Javier Manglapus, president; and Raymundo Roquero, secretary general.

Salceda said 50 of 51 governors who signed a manifesto of loyalty to Lakas-Kampi-CMD and Teodoro’s presidential bid have pledged to attend the hastily called meeting and renew their commitment for Teodoro and the party’s national candidates.

Earlier, Governors Leo Ocampos of Misamis Oriental; Elray Villafuerte of Camarines Sur and Jose Zubiri of Bukidnon, together with former Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson, resigned from the administration party and joined the campaign of opposition presidential bets.

Salceda aired the strong belief that Teodoro’s allies among governors will not give up on him despite the strong recruitment bid being attempted by the Nacionalista and Liberal parties.

The pro-Teodoro governors have also agreed to discuss new strategies that would create a bandwagon effect in the provinces until it reaches urban centers like Metro Manila.

“Nobody has won the presidency without a 15-percent vote share in Metro Manila,” Salceda explained. “We will make him win in our turf. I will make him win in Albay,” said Salceda, who came to the meeting a day after organizing a campaign rally for Teodoro that was attended by over 50,000 Bicol folk.

Asked if funding issues will also be discussed, Salceda replied that all other parties are experiencing problems in sourcing funds and other logistical support for their local candidates.

Meanwhile, Lakas-Kampi-CMD senatorial candidates Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III and Mayor Ramon Guico denied reports about funding problem in the party.

Both senatorial bets termed as “a malicious canard” a report alleging that newly-appointed party chairman Villarosa was blaming the party's senatorial campaign manager, Prospero Pichay, for a current shortage in funding for their campaigns. Joining them in Pichay's defense were broadcaster Rey Langit and lawyer Raul Lambino, who likewise deplored the malicious story regarding the party finances.

Bello and Guico said Pichay had been transparent regarding the amount of funding given by the party for their six-man Senate slate's expenses.

“We are expressing our common and unequivocal faith in Butch Pichay. He has not held back on the funding allocated for our campaign by the party, and he has even gone to the extent of advancing his own funds just to ensure that our campaigns continue chugging along until the party can bring in the second tranche for the homestretch,” said Lambino.

Pichay said President Arroyo had instructed the party members to intensify the campaign for Teodoro.

“The President’s instruction was to campaign for Gibo and make him win on May 10,” Pichay said. (With a report from Aris Ilagan)