Trillanes gearing up for presidential run

MANILA, Philippines — After declaring his intention to run for higher office, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday said he was among four presidential contenders being considered by the Nacionalista Party  (NP) headed by former Senator Manny Villar.

“Apat po yung tinitingnan ng Nacionalista Party–andyan na po si Senator Manny Villar, si Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Senator Bongbong Marcos, and myself,” Trillanes said in an interview at the Senate when asked  about the  NP’s possible  standard-bearer  in 2016.

Unlike Villar  and Marcos, Trillanes said he and Cayetano had publicly announced their  desire to  seek a higher  post.  Cayetano indicated his intention to run for president while Trillanes , in a television interview last May, simply announced that he  was eyeing a higher post.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

But during Tuesday’s interview, Trillanes said he was preparing for both presidential and vice presidential positions.

“I should be prepared for both,” he said, saying he started  preparing  for his run  since the second  quarter of the year.

Trillanes said his preparations included providing solutions to problems  confronting  the country, such as the economy, insurgency, terrorism, syndicated crime, and transnational crimes.

“We’re in the middle of formulating the economic  plan and hopefully by the middle of next year ready na ‘yan,” said Trillanes.

Asked  why he would like to run for president, Trillanes  said: “Well, I want  to serve my country. Nakikita natin yung problema ng bansa and I’d like to believe that we have  the prescriptions to solve this problem and in the end , we just offer ourselves to the people. Bahala na silang maghusga kung sino ang gusto nilang  mamuno sa kanilang bansa.”

Trillanes believes he has an edge over Vice President Jejomar Binay, who openly declared  his presidential  bid in 2016.

“Well, hindi naman tayo kurakot so I believe that should be the primary consideration,”  said  Trillanes.

But he said he would leave  his faith  to the NP, which he said  would decide   in the middle of 2015 whether or not to field its own standard-bearer in 2016.

Trillanes did not discount the  possibility of sliding down to a party mate and running  with a standard-bearer of the administration’s  Liberal  Party should the NP fail to field  its  own  bet.

“The initial plan  is to field our own candidate but we’re not ruling out anything. Siguro  the only thing we will rule out is joining forces with Vice President Binay,”  he said.

It was Trillanes who initiated the Senate probe against  Binay over the  alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall 2  parking building and other  alleged irregularities  when  the latter was still the  mayor of Makati City.

Binay has repeatedly denied the allegations.

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