Anyone who wants to run for president next year should put achieving peace in the agenda, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said on Wednesday, June 2.
Speaking at the 1Sambayan’s virtual Townhall event “Talakayang Bayan: Kapayapaan, Makakamit Ka Pa Ba?,” Trillanes, who is now a professor, stressed that the next administration should address what others before it have failed to do.
In particular, he said that his own Magdalo Party will come after President Duterte for the “extrajudicial killings, abductions, assassinations, murders, and crimes against humanity” that happened during his term.
“At paparusahan natin ang mga nagkasala (And we are going to punish those who are guilty),” Trillanes said, citing his Magdalo group led the filing of the case before the International Criminal Court against Duterte and other high-ranking officials to make them accountable.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/13/trillanes-jail-time-for-duterte-and-cohorts-after-term-ends-in-2022/
The former senator added that the next administration should recognize that government forces have abused their power, and that the security forces have to be reoriented about their duties to the people.
He also stressed the need to investigate the crimes involving security forces, as well as repeal the Anti-Terror Law that brands activists and critics of the government as communists and insurgents.
“Kailangan ding maamend ang Anti-Terror Law para hindi masupil ang legitimate dissent na kailangan sa isang demokrasya. At hindi rito ito magamit na instrumento para mang-abuso ng karapatang pantao (We also need to amend the Anti-Terror Law so as not to curtail legitimate dissent which is needed in a democracy. And so it will not be used as an instrument to abuse human rights),” Trillanes said.
Addressing social injustice and economic inequality that have been present in the country “noong unang tayong nagkamalay bilang isang pambansa (since we grow into consciousness as a country)” is another important step that the next president should take.
Above all, the former senator highlighted the need for peace talks because “purely military solutions” will not work to achieve lasting peace in the country.
This, he added, has been proven since the Martial Law days of the Marcos dictatorship until the Duterte administration.
Trillanes, however, recognized that the government and military also have “negative experiences” with talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA), and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
“Matindi na ang duda sa bawat panig. Subalit sa pagpasok ng bagong gobyerno sa 2022, may pagkakataong buuin muli ang tiwala sa isa’t-isa kasi ang tanging tiwala lang ang elemento na magkakabit-kabit ng iba pang elemento para magtagumpay ang peace talks (Doubts on each other are high. But with the entry of a new government this 2022, we will have a chance again to build our trust to each other because only trust can bridge the other elements of successful peace talks),” he said.
Trillanes added that it will be up to the Filipinos to discern who among the candidates will pursue to build lasting peace in the country.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2021/03/22/trillanes-to-seek-presidency-in-2022-if-robredo-wont/
The former senator has been open about his plans to seek the presidency in 2022, even offering his name to opposition coalition 1Sambayan earlier. However, he said he will not run if Vice President Leni Robredo will decide to become the coalition’s standard-bearer.