Trillanes declares VP bid, endorses Poe as president
Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV on Saturday formally declared that he would run for vice president in the 2016 elections.
Trillanes made the announcement during his Magdalo group’s general membership meeting at Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City.
“Mga kasama ko sa Magdalo, mga kababayan, sa inyong pasya, ako po ay tatakbo bilang bise presidente ng ating bayan sa susunod na halalan,” Trillanes said.
Trillanes, now serving his second term as senator, said his decision would be a big challenge to widen the scope of his service to the Filipino people.
“Isa itong mabigat na laban dahil ang ating mga kalaban, ‘yung ibang mga kandidato, dahil ang ating kalaban ay mga kilalang pangalan sa larangan ng pulitika at sila ay may pera,” Trillanes said.
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Trillanes will run without the official backing of Nacionalista Party (NP) as other members are also eyeing the same post. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who had expressed his intention to run with the undecided Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, announced his vice presidential bid on Tuesday.
His fellow senator and NP stalwart Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is also tipped to seek the vice presidency in next year’s polls. Marcos, who has also talked to Duterte, is being eyed by United Nationalist Alliance to be the running mate of Vice President Jejomar Binay, but the senator has yet to formally declare his plans.
Trillanes previously expressed his intention to seek the vice presidency in various fora.
In solidarity with members of the Magdalo group, Sen. Antonio Trillanes shakes hands with Sen. Grace Poe’s son Brian Llamanzares as he declares his vice presidential bid and expresses support for Poe’s candidacy. YUJI VINCENT GONZALES/INQUIRER.net
READ: Cayetano, Trillanes, Marcos for VP? It’s a ‘free zone’ for NP, says Villar
In a party resolution read by Trillanes, the bloc’s ex-officio chair, Magdalo also formally endorsed the presidential bid of Sen. Grace Poe.
Magdalo members shouted “Poe-Trillanes” in unison after the declaration.
Poe’s son Brian Llamanzares personally accepted the endorsement on his mother’s behalf.
“Nagpapasalamat ako dahil binigyan ninyo kami ng aking ina ng pagkakataon na makibahagi at makiisa sa inyo. Sa pagkakaalam ko po ang pangalan ng partido n’yo ay maging mas progresibo ang Inang Bayan sa paraan ng tunay na social justice,” Llamanzares said.
In a taped video message, Poe thanked Trillanes and his group for their trust and support, saying she was one with Magdalo in curbing corruption and promoting transparency in government.
“Maraming salamat mula sa kaibuturan ng aking puso para sa inyong pagtitiwala at suporta. Matagal na po ninyong napatunayan ang inyong pagmamahal sa bayan,” Poe said.
“Isa po kayong huwaran sa ating lipunan at isa pong karangalan ang magkaroon ng mga katulad ninyo na nakikipaglaban kasama ko para tuluyan na nating makamit ang tunay na pagbabago,” she added.
Trillanes previously said Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Poe’s running mate in next year’s polls, was the man to beat for the vice president post. Yuji Vincent Gonzales/IDL/RC
