Richard Gordon and Bayani Fernando are proud of their ticket. Fernando believes they are game changers. Gordon says that they want to change the mindset of people.

“For a change, we’re not going to elect legislators who have done nothing; who have shown nothing.”

Bayani’s last option

Their path to glory together did not have an auspicious beginning. There were no plans to run together, as both men initially intended to run for President. Bayani claims that he did his best to run as the standard bearer of his party Lakas.

“I really did my best. To the last moment to I decide to run as President. As everyone knows, I’ve lost my party. The merger of the Lakas-Kampi actually became a flag of convenience, or a party of convenience. Actually that one we’ve lost all reason to ask anyone for loyalty.”

Fernando believes that if Lakas had remained solid, he would have had a better chance at being chosen as standard-bearer.

“ I was more loyal, like no one can dispute that I was more loyal than the other [standard bearer Gilbert Teodoro]. But we have set aside loyalty. As far as I know, Lakas is practically done.”

The party, says Fernando, as good as erased itself. He started hunting for a vice-president, and went to Dick Gordon to convince the senator to run as his vice president.

“Kasi si Dick Gordon na lang ang natitira eh. Si Dick Gordon na lang ang natitira. Lahat may vice presidents na sila.” [Because Dick Gordon was the only one left. Everyone had vice presidents.]

Gordon’s winning campaign

Gordon says he had been a longtime friend of Fernando.

“And he said he wanted to run for President, I said I too want to run for President.

“And he said, ‘I have a helicopter; I have an airplane. We could be ready.’

“Well I said, ‘I have more experience than you do. I have more of a track record than you do. I know foreign policy, because I was vice chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy. We will be needing that.’ And I said that I’ve been around the block.

“It was a little harder to convince Marides [Fernando’s wife].”

Fernando says that he Gordon began enumerating all his qualifications for the job.

“He was able to out talk me.”

Why Bayani is Dick’s man

Gordon admires many things about Bayani Fernando. He said he admired the man’s forthright and straightforward manner. He said he admired what Fernando had done for Marikina. Most of all, Dick Gordon admired Bayani Fernando’s admiration for Dick Gordon.

“In spite of his visage, he’s very humble. You know, I’ve heard him say, ‘I learned this from Dick Gordon.’ He would say that on TV and radio. That impressed me because in this country, we always try to bring down other people.”

The ineptitude of Aquino, Villar and Estrada

“To my mind, I said, we have the best record, we may not have all the resources but the resources that we have is the most important. That is leadership, results, integrity.”

Gordon believes their tandem is better than that of their opponents. Both he and Fernando had made successes of their own cities, Subic and Marikina, unlike other presidential candidates.

He was referring to presidential candidate Senator Benigno Aquino III: “Look at all the people running against us. Look at Tarlac, in spite of all of people out there from the same families. They have not changed Tarlac.

He was also referring to presidential candidate and former House Speaker Senator Manny Villar: “Look at the other people, like in Las Pinas. It’s so crowded and all that, and yet what was their record? Speaker? Senate president? What is the record?

“People have got to look at the record of people who are running.

Gordon was also referring to presidential candidate former president Joseph Estrada.

“We have a president who is running again, who was ousted, and yet they’re challenging our people again to elect him.”

Perfect match: Bayani and Dick

Fernando feels that his team-up with Gordon is a perfect match, given all their similarities.

He dictates them, one by one.

1. Gordon’s father was mayor. Fernando’s father was mayor.
2. Gordon was mayor. Fernando was mayor.
3. Gordon’s wife was mayor. Fernando’s wife was mayor.
4. Gordon was a cabinet secretary. Fernando was a cabinet secretary.
5. Gordon became administrator of a development authority, Subic Bay. Fernando became administrator of a development authority, the MMDA.

However, Fernando admits Gordon has the advantage, and thus deserves the presidency.

1. Gordon was a member of the Constitutional Convention.
2. Gordon became a senator.
3. Gordon has 33 years of public service. Fernando only has 17 and a half.

Therefore, “He’s better than I.”

On the issues: not so perfect

On the VFA

Both Gordon and Fernando agree that there is a need for the maintenance of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

“In no uncertain terms,” says Gordon, “I support the VFA .I don’t know why we have an inferiority complex with America. We have 3 million people out there and we have a leverage if we have a relationship with them. And besides, look at our air force. It’s become so decrepit, it’s all air with no force and we need the support of our allies.”

On the Mindanao insurgency

They take different approaches on the Mindanao insurgency. Gordon wants to develop Mindanao and eliminate the root cause of the insurgency.

“I am not just for peace. I am for progress in Mindanao.”

Fernando wants to take a hard line.

“Somehow, siguro, tigasan na natin.”

On the Reproductive Health Bill

It is regarding the Reproductive Health Bill that the perfect match clearly does not fit.

Gordon feels the reproductive health bill can be fine-tuned, and that although he is Catholic, he believes that people should have the right to choose which methods to use for contraception—with the exception of abortion.

Fernando says he stands by the precepts of his Roman Catholic religion. He also says the population has reached its peak already so the RH bill is too late and unnecessary.

“Go for natural methods.”

On homosexuality, representation, and the partly effeminate members of Congress

The tandem seem to agree on the issue of homosexuality. Gordon feels homosexuals have no choice, and he respects that. Fernando claims to be liberal, and says he looks at homosexuals as co-equals.

However, Fernando also feels that homosexuals do not need representation in Congress, as is the demand of party list group “Ang Ladlad.”

“A big part of the population or a big part of that congress—you’ll never know. Many of those seated in the congress now are maybe homosexual—or at least partly effeminate.”

On Gordon’s dynasty

Fernando says Gordon is the team’s big brother. After he wins for president, Fernando is promised that he will be next in line.

For Gordon, there must be continuity in governance.

“After I am President, after that exposure, [Fernando] can be President. Then we’ll have to look for somebody else who will continue.”