Trillanes posts bail to kick off VP campaign

Senator Antonio Trillanes. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

SEN. ANTONIO Trillanes IV on Tuesday kicked off his campaign for the vice presidency by going to the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) to post bail for a libel case filed against him by suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay.

Trillanes, who arrived at about 4 a.m. from a trip to the United States, stopped for a radio interview and then headed straight to the Makati RTC Branch 142 to post the P10,000 bail.

“I will face all the accusations that they will throw at me,” Trillanes told members of the media after he posted bail at the sala of Judge Dina Teves.

Binay filed the charges in April last year, claiming that Trillanes had “publicly and maliciously” accused him of bribery, graft, corruption and plunder during media interviews and in published articles on the alleged overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall Building II.

Asked how he felt about starting his campaign with a court appearance, the senator said his first campaign day was not wasted because he was “made relevant” by his opponent in politics.

“I can surely catch up with other vice presidential hopefuls,” he said, adding that today he is heading for General Santos City, where he said he finished strongly in past elections.

He said his wife is from General Santos and that they wanted to “consolidate and harness” their strength in that city.

Trillanes said the libel case was just part of the “dirty tactics” of Vice President Jejomar Binay to harass and scare his political rivals.

“He is not even President yet. If he wins, he will continue to use his office and position to go against his political detractors,” he said. With a report from Jeannette I. Andrade