Is BF a Trapo?

The opposition has no love for him. His own party may not even endorse him. The poor seem to hate him while the rich mostly ignore him.

Bayani Fernando, chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), is one of the few Filipino politicians known to have been doing his job with little consideration for political consequences. He has been largely credited with the transformation of Marikina City, arguably the most orderly and most internationally awarded city in Metro Manila, if not the whole of the country. Under his helm, Metro Manila had been most improved.

He has dealt with Metro Manila problems with an even hand. He has removed illegal settlements as well as drove away street vendors in many parts of the metropolis. He has also removed illegal structures even by commercial establishments. Some of his solutions are simple, but effective, like the U-turn slots, the pink urinals and the MMDA art. His time at the MMDA is the most productive, never have we seen MMDA with so many project happening all at the same time. There are the pink fences and foot bridges, there are more MMDA vehicles now and there are better equipped emergency reaction teams. In his term, and for the first time, political posters during campaign periods were greatly reduced in Metro Manila.

Ironically however, he seems to be like an ordinary politician that is bent to break his own rule for self-gain. For a time, his face marks the MRT and LRT posts in Metro Manila, with Tarpaulins supposedly advertising Order or Kaayusan. At the helm now in Marikina is his wife as mayor, a sign of dynastic rule. He seems to hug the limelight with his participation in Celebrity Duets. All marks of a traditional politician.

Listen on Sunday, 6-7PM, DZXL 558KHz in Metro Manila, as Sentro ng Katotohanan talks to Chairman Bayani Fernando in a freshly direct and incisive manner and as we try to answer the question: Is MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando a Traditional Politician, or is he an exception? Is he worth considering for 2010 or is he just another self-serving government official of the land?