Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said on Monday that he will only run for presidency should Vice President Leni Robredo opt not to do so in the 2022 elections.
Trillanes clarified, however, that there was "never an offer" from the newly-formed 1Sambayan coalition for him to run for a specific post.
"I said that the opposition was solidly behind and united behind the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo for president. So any scenario of the Vice President withdrawing her candidacy is the only condition that I’d entertain entering the presidential derby," he said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel, recalling a meeting with the convenors of the opposition coalition last January.
As for running for vice presidency, he said: "How the convenors said or presented the whole process is it’s going to be the prerogative of the presidential candidate, so it’s up in the air because they have not started the first process which is for the selection of the presidential candidate."
The 1Sambayan, led by former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, has been in talks with potential candidates in coming up with a "united" opposition slate for the next year's polls.
The group is initially considering Robredo, Trillanes, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, and Senators Nancy Binay and Grace Poe.
But Trillanes said they believe that Robredo is "definitely highly qualified" and "is most winnable candidate" for presidency in the opposition.
"Of course I cannot speak for her, I know she has her own decision-making process, but we're confident that she'll get there. We're just giving her enough space," he said.
"Ultimately, it should be her decision."
In the same interview, the staunch administration critic said he encourages President Duterte and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to pursue the floated "Duterte-Duterte" tandem in the 2022 elections to see their defeat.
"In fact, ideally I would want them to be rejected in the 2022 elections. So it’s even preferable for Mr. Duterte to run for vice president, for Sara Duterte to run for president. We are looking forward to that rejection, to their rejection in 2022," Trillanes said.
Citing an "internal polling", he disagreed that the President "is still acceptable" to the public. "His numbers are significantly down and continuously declining at a very steep rate,” he claimed.
Despite the defeat of opposition candidates in the 2019 polls, he is confident that they will have a chance of winning next year. The 1Sambayan, he added, is "very deliberate" in vetting its possible bets.
"You can feel it everywhere. There is so much frustration, disappointment, and disgust with the current administration, so the clamor for change would ring louder and louder as we get closer to the 2022 elections and that is going to be the turning point," he said.