Fernando Leaves Ruling Party; Prepares For 2010 Philippine Presidential Run

November 20, 2009 6:07 p.m. EST

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando left the ruling party on Friday, saying he was included in the coalition's slate of senatorial candidates without his knowledge. A divisive figure who has sought to improve the nation's primary administrative district using pink fences, a ban on shirtless men and tougher enforcement of traffic laws, Fernando is poised to make his presidential candidacy official.

In a statement, Fernando said, "I have not been given prior notice by the party nor have I expressed interest in joining their list of senatorial candidates. I am running for president; it is not my aspiration to become a senator."

"I do not believe in the party anymore," he added. "Parang hindi na karapat-dapat na ako ay magpatuloy bilang isang miyembro. Nalulusaw na ang partido [It seems that I should no longer continue being a member. The party is disintegrating]. I do not consider myself a member of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD party anymore."

Fernando said he had been "a serving and loyal member" since 1992, and accused the coalition of tricking the public into thinking he is running for a different post. He said he should be considered resigned from his chairmanship as soon as he files his certificate of candidacy.

The 62-year-old early this week said he would step down from the MMDA "soon" to run for president despite the fact that his party chose to support a different candidate for 2010. The presidency is all about governance so what we need is someone with executive abilities, especially someone who is an engineer since governance is about engineering," he said, referring to his mechanical engineering background.

Filing of certificates of candidacy with the Commission on Elections began on Friday, and will last until Nov. 30.

The Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition on Thursday made official its ticket for next year: former Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro and actor Edu Manzano.

Fernandez first gained national attention after his record as a mayor for three terms transformed a municipality on the eastern border of Manila into a bustling city that became a model for other jurisdictions. His career however, has remained far from the politics of foreign policy or issues of national importance such as terrorism in Mindanao.

Apart from Teodoro, a Harvard Law School graduate and son of one of the nation's richest men, Fernandez is up against several high-profile officials with imposing credentials.

Leading in the latest survey is the Liberal Party's Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, a former congressman and the only son of the late former President Corazon Aquino, bolstered by his running mate, Senator Mar Roxas, husband of a popular broadcast journalist and the grandson of Manuel Roxas, the nation's first president.

Manny Villar, the richest member of the Senate, is running under the Nacionalista Party. Villar, an accountant by training who grew up inpoor district and amassed his personal fortune developing real estate for low and middle-income families, has as his running mate Senator Loren Legarda, the 2004 opposition party vice presidential candidate and a top vote-getter in all two of the Senate races she has entered.

There is also Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero, a former congressman popular among young voters, who has yet to announce if he will run but unexpectedly left the Nationalist People's Coalition last month. The 40-year-old is a lawyer who was key in the impeachment efforts against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2005.