MANILA -- Lakas-Kampi-CMD has added another candidate to its senatorial slate five hours before the deadline of filing of certificate of candidacies Tuesday night.

Cabinet Secretary Silvestro Bello III has joined the senatorial race and will be the fifth and last senatorial candidate of the administration party.

The four others include Rey Langit, Bong Revilla, Ramon Guico and Lito Lapid. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Juan Ponce Enrile, meanwhile, are also part of their slate as guest candidates, according to Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.

Bello said he had to thoroughly think about his candidacy because his wife, Gina, urged him to run for congressman in the first district of Isabela.

"I think I have the credential to go into the Senate," said Bello.

The Cabinet secretary said that he will work for peace and justice for his campaign.

"You can never get progress until there is peace and you can never get peace until you get justice, said Bello.

Bello also ran in the 1992 elections under the ticket of the late former President Corazon Aquino but was not able to secure a slot.

Remonde accompanied Bello at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) head office in Intramuros, Manila to simply show his support for his best friend.

"He's my best friend in the Cabinet and of course I want to support him because he is our representative in the Cabinet," said Remonde.

Remonde also shared his reaction on a press rally held Monday at Mendiola organized by various media groups where he was booed by the crowd.

He said it wasn't journalists who welcomed him with negativity as some militant groups also went to the rally.

"I didn't expect that that kind of situation will happen but that did not come from the media and instead from militant groups," said Remonde.

In fact, some reporters from Cebu where he started writing sent him letters of support because of the incident. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)