An officer of the Magdalo group of soldiers told the Inquirer the other day that the group may decide by next week which presidential candidate to support. One of the group’s leaders is detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
The Magdalo officer said discussions were going on with the camps of Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel Villar. Environmentalist Nicanor Perlas separately said he was also talking with the group.
The Magdalo officer requested anonymity, saying he did not want to preempt any decision the group would make as it was still consulting the members of its grassroots organization called Samahang Magdalo.
“The group is still fine-tuning some things before formally making an announcement,” the officer said.
Critical issues
Referring to the Villar and Aquino camps, the officer said: “There are talks (with them) ... There are still critical issues to be discussed.”
“Nothing is final yet. There are deal breakers that might come along,” he said.
While the source declined to elaborate, the officer said that amnesty for the detained Magdalo soldiers was among the “critical issues” being discussed with the standard-bearers of the Liberal and Nacionalista parties.
300,000 votes
The officer said his group had 55,000 card-bearing members and 350 chapters nationwide and could deliver 300,000 votes to a candidate.
He said Aquino and Villar were seen as “basically even” by Samahang Magdalo members.
“If our criteria is who is potentially the better leader, then he would be the one chosen by our individual members,” the officer said.
Asked who that would be, the officer said: “Villar.”
Pols initiated talks
A Makati court has granted bail to Trillanes, 16 Magdalo soldiers and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim in connection with rebellion charges arising from the 2007 Peninsula Manila takeover during which they called for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Trillanes remains detained because of a pending case in a military court in connection with the 2003 Oakwood mutiny.
Lim is also still detained. He faces separate military cases arising from the Peninsula Manila hotel takeover and the 2006 Marine standoff.
The Magdalo soldiers are also still detained for alleged Articles of War violations in connection with the Peninsula takeover.
The Magdalo officer said it was the Villar and Aquino camps that initiated the talks with the group. Last October, the group endorsed Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero for president but the latter backed out of the race.
The officer said his group was discussing a new choice for president believing it “should take part on who should be the best leader to steer the country out of its critical state.”
Five visits of Villar
An emissary of Aquino on Tuesday visited the group at Camp Crame national police headquarters, where Trillanes and his co-accused are detained, while Villar has visited them at least five times, the officer said.
He said his group was not concerned about rumors that Ms Arroyo was secretly endorsing Villar.
“If ‘Villaroyo’ is true,” the officer said, referring to the tag given Villar by his rivals, “why would the guy (Villar) talk to them (Magdalo group)?”
NP spokesperson and senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla confirmed “there are talks” with the Magdalo group, adding that Villar and Trillanes “are friends who always treated each other with respect.”
“It would be a plus for Senator Villar if he is endorsed by (Trillanes) but I don’t know yet if he will,” Remulla said, adding he did not want to preempt anything.
Edwin Lacierda, a spokesperson for Aquino, said the Tarlac senator decided to seek the Magdalo’s support after Escudero quit the presidential race.
“If you remember, they came out with ads supporting Chiz. Noynoy was their next choice after Chiz. So after Chiz withdrew, Noynoy decided to approach them,” Lacierda said.
“There’s nothing improper with that. So far, there is still no feedback ... there is still no endorsement,” he added.
Members will decide
Perlas, who also visited Trillanes the other day in his detention cell, told reporters that “some of Trillanes’ supporters on the ground are with me now.”
“They advised me to talk with Trillanes to discuss about the support of the [whole] Magdalo group,” Perlas said. “Trillanes said he cannot make any decision for the group. Instead, it would be decided by Magdalo’s provincial chapters.”
If elected president, Perlas said he would immediately order the release of the detained soldiers. With reports from Marlon Ramos and Philip C. Tubeza
The Magdalo officer said discussions were going on with the camps of Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manuel Villar. Environmentalist Nicanor Perlas separately said he was also talking with the group.
The Magdalo officer requested anonymity, saying he did not want to preempt any decision the group would make as it was still consulting the members of its grassroots organization called Samahang Magdalo.
“The group is still fine-tuning some things before formally making an announcement,” the officer said.
Critical issues
Referring to the Villar and Aquino camps, the officer said: “There are talks (with them) ... There are still critical issues to be discussed.”
“Nothing is final yet. There are deal breakers that might come along,” he said.
While the source declined to elaborate, the officer said that amnesty for the detained Magdalo soldiers was among the “critical issues” being discussed with the standard-bearers of the Liberal and Nacionalista parties.
300,000 votes
The officer said his group had 55,000 card-bearing members and 350 chapters nationwide and could deliver 300,000 votes to a candidate.
He said Aquino and Villar were seen as “basically even” by Samahang Magdalo members.
“If our criteria is who is potentially the better leader, then he would be the one chosen by our individual members,” the officer said.
Asked who that would be, the officer said: “Villar.”
Pols initiated talks
A Makati court has granted bail to Trillanes, 16 Magdalo soldiers and Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim in connection with rebellion charges arising from the 2007 Peninsula Manila takeover during which they called for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Trillanes remains detained because of a pending case in a military court in connection with the 2003 Oakwood mutiny.
Lim is also still detained. He faces separate military cases arising from the Peninsula Manila hotel takeover and the 2006 Marine standoff.
The Magdalo soldiers are also still detained for alleged Articles of War violations in connection with the Peninsula takeover.
The Magdalo officer said it was the Villar and Aquino camps that initiated the talks with the group. Last October, the group endorsed Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero for president but the latter backed out of the race.
The officer said his group was discussing a new choice for president believing it “should take part on who should be the best leader to steer the country out of its critical state.”
Five visits of Villar
An emissary of Aquino on Tuesday visited the group at Camp Crame national police headquarters, where Trillanes and his co-accused are detained, while Villar has visited them at least five times, the officer said.
He said his group was not concerned about rumors that Ms Arroyo was secretly endorsing Villar.
“If ‘Villaroyo’ is true,” the officer said, referring to the tag given Villar by his rivals, “why would the guy (Villar) talk to them (Magdalo group)?”
NP spokesperson and senatorial candidate Gilbert Remulla confirmed “there are talks” with the Magdalo group, adding that Villar and Trillanes “are friends who always treated each other with respect.”
“It would be a plus for Senator Villar if he is endorsed by (Trillanes) but I don’t know yet if he will,” Remulla said, adding he did not want to preempt anything.
Edwin Lacierda, a spokesperson for Aquino, said the Tarlac senator decided to seek the Magdalo’s support after Escudero quit the presidential race.
“If you remember, they came out with ads supporting Chiz. Noynoy was their next choice after Chiz. So after Chiz withdrew, Noynoy decided to approach them,” Lacierda said.
“There’s nothing improper with that. So far, there is still no feedback ... there is still no endorsement,” he added.
Members will decide
Perlas, who also visited Trillanes the other day in his detention cell, told reporters that “some of Trillanes’ supporters on the ground are with me now.”
“They advised me to talk with Trillanes to discuss about the support of the [whole] Magdalo group,” Perlas said. “Trillanes said he cannot make any decision for the group. Instead, it would be decided by Magdalo’s provincial chapters.”
If elected president, Perlas said he would immediately order the release of the detained soldiers. With reports from Marlon Ramos and Philip C. Tubeza
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