Magdalo to push for Alejano’s Senate run — Trillanes

The Magdalo group will push for Congressman Gary Alejano’s senatorial run in 2019, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV announced on Thursday.

While its executive committee is still deciding how it would participate in the upcoming elections, Trillanes said the group has initially agreed to push for Alejano’s senatorial bid.

“Syempre naniniwala kami that he (Alejano) is very much qualified to do so, may panindigan at war hero ‘yan si Congressman Alejano and his heart is in the right place, most importantly,” the senator said during the regular “Kapihan sa Senado.”

(Of course we believe Alejano is very much qualified to do so, he is very resolute and is also a war hero; most importantly, his heart is in the right place.)

“Kaya natin tinutulak si Congressman Alejano sa pagtakbo sa senador itong 2019 ay para may titindig pa rin laban sa mga pang-aabuso nito Duterte,” said Trillanes, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte.

(The reason why we are pushing Alejano to run for Senate this 2019 is so that there will be someone to stand against the abuses of Duterte.)

He said Magdalo is in talks with other groups like the Liberal Party (LP), Akbayan, and Tindig Pilipinas to form a possible coalition for the 2019 elections, which would be united against the alleged abuses of the Duterte administration.

Alejano’s name was one of the names earlier floated as part of the supposed LP slate for 2019 but the party’s president, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, immediately clarified it was not its official slate as the group might not be able to field its own ticket.

READ: LP scrambles to complete its senatorial slate for 2019 elections

Meanwhile, Trillanes vowed to continue to criticize the alleged abuses of the Duterte administration even as a private citizen as his second term in the Senate is set to expire next year.

“Ipapakita natin na hindi ko kailangang maging senador para tumindig sa’yo (We will show them that I don’t need to be a senator to stand up to you,) Mr. Duterte. I don’t need that power to stand up,” he said.

But even now, the senator said he is already preparing himself for a possibility that he would be jailed or killed.

“Given na at some point, makukulong ako, kung baga sina-psyche ko na yung sarili ko dyan. Kung tutumbahin niya ako — e ‘di ‘pag tinumba ka na kasi, wala ka ng problema, patay ka na — problema na nila yun,” Trillanes said.

(It’s a given that at some point, I will be jailed; I’m already psyching myself up to that. If he will knock me down – when you get knocked down, you won’t have problems anymore, you’re dead – then that’s their problem.)

“Ganun na ‘yung mind set ko. I’m looking at things at the worst possible scenario. Pero ang sa akin dito, kada araw na lumilipas, parating tayo sa araw na mawawala siya (Duterte) sa puwesto. ‘Yun ang pinapangambahan ni Duterte kasi ‘yung araw ng singilan ay parating na rin,” he added.

(That’s my mind set now. I’m looking at things at the worst possible scenario. But for me, every day that’s passing, we are nearing the day when President Duterte will be gone from his post. That’s what he’s afraid of because the day of reckoning will come.) /je