FOR the longest time, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has been dubiously consistent – consistently involved in destabilization plots, demolition jobs, and using his previous government positions to make one helluva fortune that only people close to him knew.
Ironically though, the man who describes himself as a patriot is not even close to being a Filipino. For one, Filipinos are known for their virtues.
And with all certainty, Trillanes doesn’t have any of those. But for some 6.5 million voters aged 25 and below, they must be wondering who the hell Trillanes really is. Trillanes is not a hero as he says he is because genuine heroes would not engage in something that will destroy the country – just like he did over 20 years ago when he tried to snatch control over the government via the infamous Oakwood Mutiny.
While the power grab failed – miserably at that, Trillanes somehow succeeded in making a name for himself, which he capitalized when ran for public office.
Known for a penchant for the underdogs, Filipinos were swayed to elect Trillanes on his first crack into politics via deceptive narratives which had him as the aggrieved party.
It was then that he learned the wicked side of politics, something that his so-called military elders like former Senators President Juan Ponce Enrile, Gringo Honasan and Panfilo Lacson would perhaps agree with.
Afterall, all three of them fell prey to Trillanes’ backstabbing.
Interestingly, Trillanes’ demolition jobs don’t come cheap. No less than former President Rodrigo Duterte once branded Trillanes as Senator “Retainer” for being the go-to guy of the yellow mob in destroying somebody else’s reputation using spurious documents.
As a senator, Trillanes went beyond conducting “investigations in aid of legislation” even as the former President accused him of enterprising congressional inquiries, which Duterte referred to as “investigation in aid of collection.”
If I remember it right, it was also Trillanes who conducted back-channel talks with China over the West Philippine Sea issue for which his mentor – then Senate President Enrile confronted him.
There are many controversies hounding Trillanes but what struck me most was his timing.
He usually takes the center stage by pulling off rhetoric everytime an election is fast approaching. Well, maybe Trillanes is right.
He needs all the publicity he can get out of blubbering since he has openly admitted gunning for the Caloocan mayoralty post in the 2025 midterm election.
