MANILA, Philippines?As he turned 62, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando wished that the hallowed halls of Malacañang would be the next venue for his birthday.

Fernando, a presidential aspirant, unabashedly told MMDA employees his fervent birthday wish during Friday?s celebration at their headquarters on Edsa-Guadalupe, Makati City.

"Sana ako'y mabigyan ng mabuting kalusugan at sana ay dun ako mag-birthday sa isang taon sa Malacañang (I wish I will have good health and I wish I will have my birthday next year in Malacañang)," said the stalwart Lakas party member to his workers' cheers.

Tables of food spread all throughout the MMDA office, decorated in Fernando's signature color pink, as employees lined up to get a serving. Outside were banners greeting the chairman a happy birthday.

But just around the corner, his rival for the party's anointment?Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro?was being sworn in about the same time at the Lakas-Kampi-CMD headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

"Okay lang, mag-swear in sila, pero hindi nangangahulugan na puwede sila mangandidato sa ilalim ng Lakas (It's okay, they can swear in but it does not mean they can run under Lakas). I welcome him as a member but he has to serve the party for a while," said Fernando when asked for a reaction.

Teodoro was with the Nationalist People's Coalition led by his uncle, Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco, before he formally swore in with the merged administration party Friday.

Lakas-Kampi reportedly eyed another "outsider" in Vice President Noli de Castro to possibly field as standard bearer.

Fernando, however, remained adamant and believed he would still be chosen in the end because he was the only true-blue party member who eyed the presidency.

"Ang akin eh napili na ako sapagka't ako lamang ang kapartido na tunay na naghayag ng pagkandidato. Wala naman sa Lakas, wala naman sa Kampi, yun ang aking stand sa bagay na yan (I believe I was already chosen because I'm the only party member who made his intentions known. My stand is there's no one in Lakas or Kampi but me)," he said.

Party leaders who endorsed Teodoro and De Castro, he added, did not mean that all members shared the same belief.

"Syempre hindi mawawala yun na may ilang mageendorse... Palagay ko'y hindi mamabutihin ng sinumang kapartido na siya'y isasantabi ng partido para pagbigyan ang galing sa labas (There will always be endorsements. But it would not sit well with any party member to be put aside for an outsider)," Fernando said.

The MMDA official, who is known for his unusual tactics in solving traffic, stressed that he would push through with his candidacy-even as an independent-if he is not picked by his party.

"Ako'y tutuloy. Kung anuman, ako ay tutuloy sapagka't wala nang katwiran para ako ay hindi maging standard bearer," he said.