Tag: Magdalo

A Christmas tribute to Trillanes

Published by Ellen on September 6, 2018

This article was first published on Dec. 23, 2010

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV holds his first press conference in the Senate after his release from a 7-year detention.

I was ambivalent when I first saw Antonio Trillanes IV on television. But there he was, a very young man, taking a clear and unequivocal stand against evil in government. My ambivalence may have something to do with four years of brainwashing called law school.

Like military cadets, we were brainwashed to think that the Constitution was supreme and that change had to be through constitutional means. Never mind that as a freshman at the UP College of Law in 1986, we had no Constitution to study but for a two-page document known as the freedom constitution. Never mind too that we started our law studies with a brand new extra-constitutional regime that was the regime of Corazon Cojuanco-Aquino.

Perhaps, the ambivalence may have been due to the many coups staged against Mrs. Aquino, a regime that I was willing to die for. There too is the fact that as a high school activist, I once told a group of PMAers who hitched a ride with my family in Baguio that I hoped that they would not end up being fascists.

Magdalo sees greater challenges with Arroyo back in power

Published by Ellen on July 30, 2018

15 years ago at the Oakwood Hotel in Makati.(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Related article:
https://ph.news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-inbox/magdalo-10-years-oakwood-224739924.html

When Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Rep. Gary Alejano and some 100 officers and soldiers were preparing to mark the 15th year of the life-changing decision they made when they went out to denounce the corruption in the dubious presidency of Gloria Arroyo, little did they know that she would be installed as Speaker of the House, third in the line of succession to the presidency.

The irony was not lost on the officers and soldiers who spent seven years of their lives in detention for what they did on July 27, 2003.

“Critics of the Magdalo point to the fact that we once broke the military chain of command, and in the process found ourselves in the crosshairs of the State. We faced the consequences of the stand we made fifteen years ago, and we accepted the fate that the Arroyo regime imposed upon us”, said Ashley Acedillo, who was then a 26-year old first lieutenant in the Philippine Air Force.

Magdalo: No affiliation with Maute

Published by Ellen on May 28, 2017

Update May 31, 2017:

Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV
“During the security briefing, I asked Sec. Lorenzana based on their intel reports, if I or the Magdalo group is linked in any way with the Maute? He answered, ‘No, Mr. Senator. Na receive din namin ang information na galing daw kay Abe Purugganan. Hindi totoo yun. Hindi namin pinansin yun.'”

Rep. Gary C. Alejano when he filed impeachment complaint against President Duterte last March.

Rep. Gary C. Alejano of the Magdalo Party-list denounced as malicious and irresponsible the reports being spread by a former undersecretary in the Arroyo administration linking their organization to the Maute Group whose terrorist campaign in Marawi City President Duterte said compelled him to declare Martial Law in Mindanao on May 23.

“This is the height of irresponsibility of those involved in spreading this fake and malicious information especially in this trying times when our brothers and sisters in Marawi need all the support from the Filipino people. I categorically deny that Magdalo is involved in any terroristic acts or is affiliated with any terrorist groups. The intelligence community could affirm this as we have constant engagements with them,” Alejano, speaking for the group, said in a statement.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, one of the officials of the political organization, said “it is obviously a black propaganda, a very vicious one.” He said he will address the issue after a scheduled briefing by military officials for senators on Monday.

Alejano to Duterte: ‘May I borrow your jetski?’

Published by Ellen on March 21, 2017

Pres. Duterte takes a swipe at critics before Filipino community in Myanmar, March 19, 2017. Malacanang photo by Marcelino Pascua.

Not surprisingly, President Duterte resorted to incoherent rant when asked about the plan of Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano to file a supplemental impeachment complaint to include developments in Scarborough Shoal and Benham Rise.
This happened in a press conference in Myanmar Monday where Duterte was on a state visit.

Duterte said, “Well for what? If he (Alejano) wants to fight with China, he can lead. I would be glad to send him as the first batch of delegation of Filipinos who want to take the Spratly Islands and all of those they occupied now. Sige. Siya ang mauna.(Go ahead. He should go first). It would be a slaughter for the Filipinos to do that.
‘Yung kanyang tapang-tapangan, huwag munang. (His acting brave, don’t) Do not compare me with you. You are all cowards. Alam ninyo nakita ‘yung kagitingan ninyo noong nag-mutiny kaya mga walang hiya kayo. (You know we have seen your “bravery” when you staged a mutiny. You are shameless.)”

He continued fulminating more about the protest actions that Alejano together with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and the Magdalo group did against Gloria Arroyo when they were young military officers in July 2003 (Oakwood mutiny) and in November 2007 (Manila Pen siege) which were irrelevant to the question about China’s activities in Scarborough Shoal and Benham Rise.

Game changers: SC decision on Poe and AMLC report on Binay

Published by Ellen on March 17, 2016

Next week’s surveys should give us a clearer picture of the sentiments of the Filipino voters.

By then, we would know whose campaign is struggling from collapsing and whose campaign is pulling away.

The latest surveys that we got this week (Pulse Asia for ABS-CBN) which put Grace Poe leading (28 percent) with just a few percentage points over Rodrigo Duterte (24 percent), who dislodged Jejomar Binay (21 percent) in the second place and Mar Roxas closely following with 20 percent, was conducted a few days before the Supreme Court declared that Poe is qualified to run for the presidency of the Philippines.

Mother Lily, Trillanes at Magdalo

Published by Ellen on May 26, 2013

Sen. Sonny Trillanes and wife, Arlene with Mother Lily.

Nakakatuwa si Mother Lily Monteverde sa kanyang “thank you lunch” noong Biyernes para kay Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV at sa Magdalo partylist at ang kanilang dalawang nominees na magiging miyembro na ng Kongreso: dating Marine Capt. Gary Alejano at Air Force Lieutenant Francisco Ashley Acedillo.

Si Trillanes kasi ang isa sa ilang kandidato para senador na inindorso ni Mother Lily. Kasama sa kanyang inindorso ang tatlong topnotchers na si Grace Poe, Loren Legarda, Alan Cayetano at Chiz Escudero.

Sabi ni Mother Lily, “Alam nyo ba kung bakit naka-mini skirt ako?” At talaga naman blooming si Mother na kamakalian lang ay napabalitang lumalaban sa lung cancer.

Trillanes: “Mla Pen happened for a higher reason that is still unfolding”

Published by Ellen on November 29, 2011

Some “survivors” of what media calls the Nov. 29, 2007 “Manila Peninsula siege” got together with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (no, not at the Manila Pen).

Yesterday’s reunion had an added significance in the sense that Trillanes, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Danny Lim and other members of the Magdalo, who dared take on Gloria Arroyo at the height of her power, are now free. Trillanes is serving his electoral mandate in the Senate and Lim is deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Customs.

And Arroyo, their jailer?

It is now being debated whether she should be granted her request for a house arrest or be confined at a government facility. She has been charged with electoral sabotage in the 2007 election, a crime punishable by a life sentence and bail is not recommended.

The honor of rebelling against a corrupt government

Published by Ellen on January 6, 2011

President Aquino’s grant of amnesty to members of the military who stood up against Gloria Arroyo’s misuse and abuse of presidential powers is a fulfillment of his promise to reshape Philippine society back to its moral state which has been misshapen so badly by Gloria Arroyo for nine years that she was in power.

How the amnesty was carried out to where it is now- the processing of applications of those who want to avail of the amnesty- is instructive of how to navigate around the various forces not only of the competing allies of the administration but also of the political opposition.

Aquino was elected overwhelmingly on the promise of reforms and a discontinuation of Arroyo’s perversion of the justice system for her interest.

But many in the government bureaucracy, having internalized Arroyo’s practice of twisting the law to suit her interest, could not comprehend the message of reform in Aquino’s electoral victory.

From the very beginning, even during the presidential campaign, Aquino was clear about his stand that Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and other Magdalo officers did not commit coup d’etat as defined in the Revised Penal Code. He also said continued detention of Magdalo soldiers was an injustice.

Trillanes applies for amnesty, has no regrets

Published by Ellen on January 5, 2011

By Ryan Chua, ABS-CBN News

“Let me be clear. We admit guilt as far as rising up against the most corrupt president this country ever had,” he said. “Proudly.” – Trillanes

Reiterating that they have no regrets about rising against the previous administration, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and other Magdalo soldiers on Wednesday formally applied for amnesty, which requires an admission of guilt.

In his application form, Trillanes signed a portion acknowledging his involvement in uprisings that entail “a violation of the 1987 Constitution, criminal laws, and the Articles of War” and recanting his statements in the past that are contrary “to this express admission of involvement/participation and guilt.”

Trillanes clarified that this does not mean admitting that what they did against the Arroyo administration was wrong.

“Ever since hindi naman kami nagpanggap na ‘yong ginawa namin ay natutal na ginagawa ng sundalo. We are man enough to admit we have broken rules in the pursuit of our cause,” he told reporters after submitting his application.

Trillanes said what they signed was just a general admission of guilt of some rules, and does not mean they’re regretting anything.

Promulgation on Oakwood ‘coup’ deferred indefinitely

Published by Ellen on December 16, 2010

after deferment of promulgation dec 16 '10 — Hopes to finally be able to perform duty in the Senate next year

Judge Oscar Pimentel of Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 today (Dec 16) deferred the promulgation on the 2003 Oakwood coup d’etat case against the Magdalo soldiers including Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

Pimentel said he is bowing to the wisdom of President Aquino’s amnesty proclamation for members of the military that rebelled against Gloria Arroyo. Amnesty Proclamation No. 75 has been concurred in by Congress.

Magdalo Spokesman Ashley Acedillo said, “We thank the Court not only for submitting to the grace of the State but more importantly, in keeping with the spirit of the season.”
From ABS-CBN:

The Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Thursday deferred the promulgation of the decision on the rebellion cases filed against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and members of the so-called Magdalo Group involved in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny.