Trillanes will run as senator in Robredo's slate; LP leaders call on VP after announcement


Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday, October 7, announced that he will be running under Vice President Leni Robredo’s slate for the 2022 polls as he and the vice president’s Liberal Party (LP) partymates visited her after she announced her presidential bid.

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV visits Vice President Leni Robredo at her Quezon City office after announcing her 2022 presidential bid on October 7, 2021. (Antonio Trillanes /Facebook)

Trillanes ran but lost to Robredo in the 2016 vice presidential race. But since then, the former senator has been a staunch supporter of the vice president, even withdrawing his own plans to run as president for Robredo.

“I am so honored to run as Senator under the slate of our next President Leni Robredo,” he posted on Facebook with hashtag #LabanLeni2022.

Trillanes got the highest number of votes in the internal survey of opposition coalition 1Sambayan, but the group said it is up to Robredo to choose who her running mate will be.

1Sambayan lead convenor and retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, on the other hand, said that the former senator will lead the opposition’s Senate slate.

Robredo declared her presidential bid for 2022 on Thursday, Oct. 7, at the Quezon City Reception House after weeks of discernment and unity talks with other presidential candidates.

READ: ‘Buong-buo ang loob ko’: Robredo announces bid for presidency

Also at the event were Liberal Party stalwarts Senator Frank Drilon and former Senator Bam Aquino, who will reportedly be Robredo’s campaign manager.

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros, who is running as a guest candidate of LP, was also in attendance.

Meanwhile, senatorial aspirant and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno said that Robredo’s 2022 presidential bid has given him hope.

“Nabuhayan tayo ng pag-asa sa pag-declare ni VP Leni Robredo ng pagtakbo niya bilang pangulo (We are given hope in VP Leni Robredo’s declaration to run as president),” he said in a statement posted on Facebook.

“Tama si VP: kailangan nating talunin yung luma at bulok na klase ng pulitika, at ipalit ang matino at mahusay na pamumuno. Kasama ako ni VP sa laban niya para sa mga Pilipino (VP is correct: we need to defeat the old and rotten politics, and replace it with good and competent leadership. I am one with VP in her fight for the Filipinos),” Diokno, who on Oct. 7 also filed his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) as senator, added.

READ: Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno files Senate COC

The human rights lawyer and founder of the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) will also be a guest candidate of the Liberal Party (LP), which Robredo chairs.