By Joyce P. Pañares, Rio N. Araja and Jaime Pilapil

As far as Bayani Fernando is concerned, he is the man to beat in the 2010 elections even as he hardly rates in recent surveys of potential presidential candidates.

The chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority says he is more qualified than Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. who, like Fernando, is seeking the ruling party’s endorsement to be its standard-bearer in the 2010 polls.

“The presidency is a management job. One must have the training in local government and a good knowledge of local governance to be able to become a good president,” said Fernando, who made known his presidential ambition as early as last year.

Last Wednesday, Teodoro said he would run for president if President Arroyo and the ruling Lakas coalition would endorse his candidacy.

Malacañang reacted by saying that Teodoro should first build up his popularity and make a good showing in survey. That advise might also apply to Fernando who has yet to make it even to the top five of popularity surveys.

Teodoro’s qualifications are impressive but winnability remains the major criterion for choosing the administration standard-bearer, said Gabriel Claudio, presidential adviser on political affairs.

“Now that he has declared his intentions, we have to see how quickly he is able to grab public attention and register well in the national opinion surveys,” Claudio said of Teodoro.

Both Fernando and Teodoro are on the short list of presidential timbers drawn up by a Lakas committee headed by Claudio.

But both also did not land on the top four of recent surveys, which showed Vice President Noli “Kabayan” de Castro clearly ahead even as he had lost some points.

A surprise performer was Senator Francis Escudero of the Nationalist People’s Coalition who ranked second to De Castro in the latest Pulse Asia survey.

Senators Manuel Villar and Loren Legarda, meanwhile, topped another survey conducted last month by the Pulso ng Pilipino. Fernando had 6 percent, slightly ahead of other presidential aspirants like Senator Richard Gordon (4 percent) and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay (2 percent). Teodoro had a 1- percent rating, tied with Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and televangelist Eddie Villanueva.

Despite his low rating, Teodoro has a supporter in Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita who says he won’t be surprised if the low-key defense chief appears on the political radar screen soon.

“He is a top-notcher in the Bar exam of 1989 and he has the wherewithal to aspire for higher position,” Ermita said.