Antonio Trillanes: The Cinderella Candidate
This is The Philippine Senate equivalent of Cinderella. A Trillanes win was something that not everyone expected, including myself. But he came through the home stretch of the election campaign and made a surge. Call it destiny, but I prefer to call it the voice of the people. A voice that is ringing loud and clear that a change is needed, and that this Administration has failed.
This Cinderella certainly did not disappoint his supporters. Despite limited funds, no access to the public, and pending charges against him with regards to The Oakwood Mutiny, he was able to forge ahead because of public support.
This is as much a victory to a grassroots movement as it is a victory for Trillanes. This is the result when people come together and run a campaign that is driven not by money, but by the drive of his supporters. This is the best type of campaign to run, since it is focused on volunteers and supporters, resulting in low overhead cost, but effective because it is run by self motivated individuals willing to sacrifice their time for the good of the candidate.
How many candidates can say that? This election season you saw candidates shelling out some big bucks for the television ads as well as other campaign materials.
But in the grassroots movement that we saw with Antonio Trillanes, we had media, bloggers, ordinary citizens, as well as the support of many powerful individuals, who all contributed to the success of the Antonio Trillanes candidacy.
But of course, one big motivation for this success was definitely an open defiance and an almost bitterness towards the current administration and the corrupt departments of the current government for which Trillanes is fighting against.
In fact, Trillanes’ whole platform of fighting corruption and cleaning house is exactly the kind of campaign that suited this military man and soon to be Senator.
But, I must admit, I was one of the individuals who doubted his possibility of his win, and doing a case by case analysis of each candidate, Trillanes was not even one of my favorite candidates because of how he handled the Oakwood Mutiny. I don’t deny his patriotism, only his actions in trying to achieve change.
No matter how you feel, we can only hope that Senator Antonio Trillanes will be able to serve our country unhindered by the current charges being leveled against him.
We’ve had many other so-called reformers that have come and gone, but let’s hope that this time, maybe the boot does fit, and he truly is the Cinderella candidate that was meant to win after all.
Can Mr. Trillanes explain to the Filipino people first before he assumes office at senate (if he will be lucky enough)why he has 12 vans registerered under his name?
And if he has done it with a rank of Lt Senior Grade in the Navy, How many more vehicles will he registered under his name with his title as “Honorable Senator”???
Mark thank God you said it and I didn’t. I’ve heard of this rumor, I’m not sure if it’s true though. But even if he doesn’t have those cars or vans, he’s just going to be another Honasan in the making. Trying to make living messing around with the government and staging coup plots again and again. To these military guys, it’s just like playing in their own backyard.
Trillanes is a puppet. not a leader. selfish like Honasan.
In case he forgot what he answered during the Senate Inquiry when asked by then Sen. Noli De Castro, I’ll help him remember.
“Nanay ko ang May-ari ng mga Vans. Sa akin ipinangalan kasi naka-financing pa. para hindi mahatak kung madefault sa payment” (Its my mother who owns the vehicles mortgaged to a financing company and was registered under my name. so that if we will default in payment, the financing company will not be able to get the vehicles)
Sen De Castro followed up; “Sino ka para hindi mahatak ng financing kung hindi ka makabayad?”
Mr. Trillanes just show a disgusted face!
Is this the ‘messiah’ who will reform the AFP? I might as well resign being an Army Captain than to be reformed by a crook!
Look, I understand this situation clearly, and the fact that we could not hear a full answer to that question is just one reason I was tentative of Trillanes’ running for senate. In case you did not read a previous post regarding Trillanes, here’s a quote…
This is what I talk about in an earlier article as well, regarding the climbing of the political ladder. When you reach the position of Senator, can you honestly say that you have not had one incident of misdeed?
Since, Trillanes is poised to win, let’s see if he can prove our readers, including maybe myself, if he can indeed rule honestly and cleanly.
But let me remind everyone, that it has been around 4 years since the Oakwood Mutiny, and even more years since Estrada’s fall from office, yet we still have to see any of the trials against these political detainees end.
The truth behind the Oakwood Mutiny is still not fully clear.
And yet, we forget the true matter of that Mutiny, and that is the reform of the military.
@Michael,
YOu are a military man yourself, can you corroborate any of the claims that the Mutineers stated: namely, the handing of weapons to enemies of the state?
Because in the end, Trillanes or no Trillanes, the reforms are yet to be seen.
Does any of our current leaders have the capacity to reform the military?
To me there is a distinction between Trillanes and Honasan, and that is that Honasan is the stronger of the two. But both Trillanes and Honasan have used violence as their means to an end. Despite Trillanes and his cohorts to make the Oakwoood Mutiny a case of protest, the fact is that they were armed. The fact that Trillanes did not want to resign so he could air his grievences only points to the fact that he is weak, and that he had no solid evidence. Trillanes was used and he deserves his detention. He can point the finger at the military, but refuses to acknowledge his own misgivings.
@Hindiakopinoy,
You have to remember as well that post Oakwood Mutiny, many allegations of corruption in the military were substantiated including, but not limited to, Major General Garcia who was found to have racked up over $1 million, despite a salary of less than $1000 a month.
In my opinion, Trillanes was definitely wrong in the way he handled the situation of the Oakwood Mutiny, but you can’t deny many of the allegations leveled at the military either, which should be the main focus..
Will Trillanes prove to be the spark needed for military reform? Maybe the coming months will give us the information we need…
I personally admit that the AFP is not “crook-free” but let us not forget that these crooks are comparatively small in number compared to the majority of dedicated, loyal, and courageous military servicemen.
Giving firearms to the enemy, although i do not know of personally, maybe true. but one thing I can be sure is that it is not systematic as in affecting the entire AFP. Meaning, it is more of a personality factor. only some scrupulous Officers and Enlisted Men which has access to Logistics connive in exchange for some fortune.
Lastly, among the Core Leaders of Magdalo, Trillanes is the only ‘pure’ Navyman. What I mean in citing this is that compared to Capts Maestrecampo, Gambala, Lt San Juan, his personal sacrifice in the service is minute compared to the Scout Rangers, Marines, Navy SWAGs, and Air Force Pilots whose lives and limbs are always on the firing line.
Trillanes, in his entire military service, enjoyed the comforts of air-conditioned room in his navy ship, eat in air-conditioned ‘Wardroom” and savor the beauty of the places where they dock.
In Oakwood, Trillanes have been seen in company of politicians that went there for reasons I do not want to comment. But if we equate the soldiers and politicians, its just like comparing ‘Arms” and “Golds”
Aside from the ‘Vans” those factors were the very main reason why I am disgusted.
Just expressing my thoughts…
hay naku..diba nga guys ilang beses nang nagkarun ng peacetalks….me nangyari bah ha?…eh kung thru rally yan db sinasaktan lang ng mga tauhan ni Gloria?…eh sino bang kawawa if walang panlaban yong masa…diba yung mga nagsisipaglaban sa daan na walang bitbit kundi mga streamers.etc..Dapat lang yan sa kanila nuh…ayaw nga bumaba sa mabuting paraan si Gloria…eh di idaan sa dahas…eh ayaw parin kasi maraming koneksyon…THINK of it naman guys bago kau mag bigay jan ng walang kwentang lines kay TRILLANES…
Eto pah..diba pag dinaan sa legal process…nawawala rin yung issue kc nga tinatabunan ng iba namang isyu…basta nalang naglaho na parang bula…na hindi nalalaman ng masa kung ano ng nangyari dun.
EH kung idaan sa dahas lahat ma alarma…
Isa akong babae pero kung dapat idaan sa dahas sige gawin….hindi naman yan si erap na kayang daanin sa mabuting pakiusapan eh…..kapal ng mukha nyan hindi nahiya…kababaeng tao…mandaraya…hindi nga yan welcome dito sa amin…taga dito pa naman yang si gloria…binabato yan kamatis nung nagpunta yan dito…mas welcome pa si erap keysa sa kanya nuh…hindi nga yan nakapag caravan eh….si erap halos dumugin ng masa nun dito…SEE…kahit sariling bayan nya…SINUSUKA sya…
Dapat lang mareporma na ang administrasyon….para mging bagong sistema na…
Kaya yan pumupuntang ibang bansa ngaun…cguro nanghihingi na yan ng tulong….takot na yang ma empeach….kc majority gn GO eh…hala…takot si glo….heheeheheheeheheh