Bagumbayan's Gordon-Fernando files CoC

Gordon, Fernando announce tandem in 2010 polls

Here come the "transformers."

That's how Senator Richard Gordon and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Bayani Fernando want to be called as they officially announced Tuesday their tandem for the May 2010 presidential elections.

"You can call us the transformers. We are here to transform the nation," Gordon said at a news conference held at the Senate press office in Pasay City.

Gordon and Fernando were accompanied by their respective wives, former Olongapo Mayor Kate Gordon and Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando.

The two are to file their certificates of candidacy before the Commission on Elections in Intramuros, Manila later in the day.

Gordon and Bayani will be running under the former's Bagumbayan Party which was accredited by the Comelec as a political party two months ago.

Gordon said they will not be fielding any senatorial candidates "because [they] are willing to work with everybody."

"Pareho kami ng values, pareho ng vision (We share the same values, we share the same vision)," the senator added, referring to his tandem with Fernando, who earlier sought to be the standard bearer of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD but lost the nomination to former Defense chief Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Fernando said it was him who tried to convince Gordon to be his running mate although it was the latter who eventually convinced the former to run as vice president.

Gordon said he agreed to team up with Fernando because he witnessed how the latter transformed Marikina City the same way that he transformed Olongapo City.

"BF is a great mayor of Marikina, may character talaga. We are the most experienced, we have the vision, we have the ability to transform the nation. We are the national executives of the country. We are the mayors of the Philippines," he said. - Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMANews.TV