Magdalo set to declare choice for president
October 24, 2009
Erstwhile military reform group Magdalo, which has now transformed itself into a nationwide socio-political movement, is set to announce its choice for president tomorrow, Sunday.
“The decision to support the chosen candidate came as a result of our extensive consultations with Party members,” Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Magdalo Party Chairman, said in a statement.
He said the announcement will be made in the group’s convention at the University Hotel in UP Diliman in Quezon City tomorrow, Oct. 25.
“The next president should be capable of standing up for our countrymen to promote their interests and protect their rights. He should be a reformist determined to institute the needed change in our country, especially in government,” Trillanes said.
He added that the Magdalo’s supported candidate was chosen according to the following criteria: CHARACTER, VISION, LEADERSHIP, and must be a member of the political opposition.
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Danilo Lim and Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin, along with four other Magdalo leaders, will also be formally endorsed by the group during the convention. Both Lim and Querubin have already launched their bids for the Philippine Senate, bolstered by the decidedly successful candidacy of Sen. Trillanes in 2007.
Three of the group’s leaders will be running for congressional seats in their respective districts.
Former Air Force Lieutenant Francisco Ashley Acedillo, national spokesman for Magdalo, will be running in the first district of Cebu City, while fellow Magdalo soldiers former Lt. Senior Grade James Layug, and Captain Dante Langkit are eyeing congressional seats in Taguig City and Kalinga, respectively.
Captain Gary Alejano, meanwhile, will be running for mayor in Sipalay City , Negros Occidental.
Magdalo’s petition for accreditation as a political party is still pending at the Commission on Elections.
“The Comelec Second Division has already heard the petition for registration of the group and is expected to come up with a decision in the coming weeks,” Trillanes said. ###