Gordon, Fernando break into song on first day of campaign

(Updated 9:59 PM) Senator Richard Gordon reportedly hates to sing. But on Tuesday, the Bagumbayan party’s presidential bet made an exception. During the first day of the campaign for national candidates, he played to the crowd, belting out his rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine in Muntinlupa City. Whether or not the song’s lyrics represent his ambitions for the country, one thing seems apparent: Gordon – known for being a strict disciplinarian – has a soft side. The same could be said for his running mate, Bayani Fernando.
As Metro Manila’s planning body chief, Fernando incurred brickbats for what is perceived as his rough treatment of illegal street vendors. But on the same day, Fernando also broke out in song, moments before their motorcade headed to Imus, Cavite, the site of their proclamation rally. Fernando, who arrived ahead of Gordon at the team's meeting place in Muntinlupa City, sang his single “Lahat tayo'y tsuper," sending a message that a person is the sole "driver" of his life. "We need to be a creative to compensate for the lack of so much cash," said Fernando, who even distributed his CD entitled, "May BF ka na ba? (Do you already have a BF?)" Fernando also said that they could not afford to hire the services of actors and actresses, who attract crowds during campaign rallies. Besides singing, the duo, who calls themselves “Transformers," also used their "Optimus Prime chariot," a ten-wheel Isuzu truck, to attract attention. "Kailangan makita ng mga tao kung gano kamalikhain ang isip ng isang leader," said Fernando. (The people should be able to witness a leader’s creativity.) Gordon and Fernando continue to lag behind opinion surveys conducted by pollsters Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations. However, both refused to acknowledge their poor ratings, saying surveys should not be the basis of voter preference. What the country needs is not a popular leader but someone who is right-based, honest, and has a strict work ethic, Gordon said. “More than the popularity of the candidate, and despite their overspending in media advertisements, we must always consider his capability and preparedness in leading the nation," Gordon added. Historical or vote-rich? The “transformers" kicked off their campaign rally with a motorcade to Imus, Cavite, which Gordon said was the “cradle of revolution." It was in that town that the country won its first major victory against the Spanish colonizers, he said. By choosing the location, Gordon said they wanted to bring back the country's sense of patriotism. Cavite is one of the country's vote-rich provinces with 1,520,319 registered voters. About 200 cars, carrying red shirt-clad supporters from the Philippine National Red Cross, Marikina, and Olongapo, joined the event. The caravan passed through the towns of Carmona, Bulihan, General Mariano Alvarez, Paliparan, Dasmariñas and Bayan Luma before winding up at Imus Central Plaza for the proclamation rally. Platforms, not promises Fernando and Gordon also took their individual swipes at frontrunners, Nationalist party standard bearer Manuel Villar and Liberal Party vice presidential bet Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas, for claiming to be pro-poor in their advertisements. "Ano na ba ang nasabi sa tao? Walang ibang sinabi kung hindi mahirap sila, sipag at tiyaga. Na kakalungin nila ang mahihirap. Yung isa naman papadyak? Pero ano ang maliwanag na gagawin nila?" said Fernando, former chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). (These candidates say that they used to be poor and cite hard work and persistence. And that they will take care of the poor. What about the other one – will he just pedal his way through? But what is their clear platform?) Sipag at tiyaga [hard work and persistence] is Villar's slogan, while padyak [pedaling] refers to Roxas who used a pedal-driven pedicab in a political ad before agreeing to become Aquino’s running mate. Gordon further denounced Villar’s alleged multi-million spending on advertisements, saying what assurance can the Nationalista standard bearer give that he would not recoup his expenses once elected. With the election campaign on full swing, Gordon and Fernando expressed confidence that the public would eventually understand their advocacy as transformation leaders. “We have a track-record na hindi mabibili," he said. (The track record that we have cannot be bought.) - With RJAB Jr./GMANews.TV