B.F.F.

I thought I know a lot about former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani F. Fernando. He is called B.F. for short. He hastened to complete his initials as B.F.F., which he jokingly said stands for “Best Friends Forever.”

The public image of Fernando is that of a tough and unbending government official in enforcing MMDA ordinances and other laws no matter who gets hurt. However, the MMDA’s campaigns he led against Metro Manila squatters and sidewalk vendors have made him the most unpopular — if not most hated — administration official, next per-haps to President Arroyo.

Behind a tough-talking Fernando is a man with a heart for rule of law that he equally applies to all, especially against any abuses and excesses by those who use their power to exploit the poor. That is why, he feels sad that the good intentions of his political will were misunderstood or worse, twisted by his bitter critics.

I learned more about Fernando when we had this heart-to-heart talk with the ex-MMDA chief who was our featured guest on Monday in the vice presidential forum of The STAR — dubbed as “One heartbeat away.” His wife, outgoing Marikina City Mayor Marides Fernando later joined us but had to leave early for another appointment.

Fernando is the vice presidential running mate of Sen. Richard Gordon under the Bagumbayan Party. The Gordon-Fernando tandem have called their team as the “Transform-ers” to best describe themselves. The term refers to their accomplishments in transforming the cities of Olongapo and Marikina where Gordon and Fernando used to be may-ors, respectively.

Fernando first became mayor of the then municipality of Marikina in 1992. He was re-elected and served for three consecutive terms. He made waves for his accomplishments in turning the former municipality of Marikina into a bustling city that it is now. The President appointed him MMDA chairman in February 2002.

He admitted he is not the kind of politician in the molds of his vice presidential rivals like Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay who was the MMDA chairman during the ad-ministration of former President Joseph Estrada. Fernando described himself as more of a “builder,” not because he is a mechanical engineer engaged in construction business while he was still in the private sector.

“I want to be remembered not as a builder of roads, schoolrooms and other infrastructure facilities. I want to be remembered as a builder of character,” Fernando stated in his campaign handout “Metro Guapo” projects he did as MMDA chairman.

When he first entered politics, Fernando joined the erstwhile Lakas-NUCD (National Union of Christian Democrats), which is now called the Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats). He considers himself as one of the Lakas originals until he left after he failed to get his partymates to vote for him as its presidential standard bearer for the ad-ministration.

Long before he declared his presidential bid, Fernando started trying to endear himself to the people by “singing” in public in an obvious attempt to soften his public persona. Joined by his fellow Cabinet members — then Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes and the then Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina — they formed a singing trio called “Three Tenors.” They went around the country and performed in benefit concerts for projects to help soldiers and policemen.

Even as he let his hair down, Fernando has not softened up from his strong political campaign at MMDA to implement “Metro Guapo” projects aimed at transforming Metro Manila as investors’ destination and a safe place for people to live in a highly urbanized metropolis.

Fernando went hammer and tongs against illegal signages, over-extended structures that cut into pedestrian lanes, illegally parked vehicles, and other illegal activities that im-pede the free flow of traffic and those that pose danger to the public.

Overhead walkways, public urinals for men along the busy roads, bus fences — all painted in Fernando’s signature color pink — sprouted all over Metro Manila. Before he resigned from the Cabinet, he has transformed two abandoned public buildings into “Gwapotel,” or workers’ inn that served as a low-cost temporary sleeping and bathing fa-cilities for those who live outside Metro Manila but work in the metropolis.

It was only during Fernando’s stewardship of the MMDA that we have seen this government agency fully perform its function as front-line in public service. Major infrastruc-ture projects did not only spruce up Metro Manila but likewise has improved traffic management, especially along the busiest road networks like EDSA.

But while he stringed up successes in his “Metro Guapo” projects, his political stock did not rise with it, especially among his Lakas peers. Obviously, Fernando was unpopu-lar to even among his Lakas partymates. They frowned upon Fernando’s presidential plan when he first declared his availability to be drafted as the administration party’s presidential timber.

Fernando’s Lakas partymates, after merging with President Arroyo’s KAMPI party, chose instead his former fellow Cabinet member, former Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro despite his belated declaration to run in the presidential race. Teodoro joined Lakas after he bolted out from his uncle Danding Cojuangco’s Nationalist People’s Coa-lition (NPC).

After being picked to become the “anointed” presidential candidate of Mrs. Arroyo, Teodoro subsequently was elected chairman of the merged Lakas-CMD-Kampi. He chose former Optical Media Board chairman, actor Edu Manzano as his vice presidential running mate.

Spurned by his Lakas partymates, Fernando quietly licked his wound. He found Gordon as a better ally to run with and joined the latter’s Bagumbayan Party. Lately, however, there were talks among Lakas leaders on getting back Fernando to their ranks and made trial balloons in media about the possible team up of a Teodoro-Fernando instead.

Apparently, there was no love lost between Fernando and Teodoro as both declared they won’t abandon their respective presidential partners. Speaking in our forum that day when the reported Teodoro-Fernando team-up came up, the former MMDA chairman noted wryly that could not possibly happen now at this late stage. As far as he and Gordon are concerned, they are now the B.F.F. as he gave a hearty chuckle.