Trillanes: People not ready for my presidency - ABS CBN News

MANILA - Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said on Thursday he is not seeking the presidency in 2016 because the people are not ready for it.

Instead, he is eyeing the vice presidency.

“I believe it is a function of the readiness of the people to have somebody like me to run this country,” he told reporters in a briefing. “Hindi natin ipipilit ‘yon (We won’t force it).”

The senator clarified, however, that his decision to run for vice president is personal and does not have the blessing of the Nacionalista Party yet.

He said the party, which is currently in a coalition with the ruling Liberal Party, would likely decide on its lineup for the 2016 polls in the middle of this year.

In a new survey by Pulse Asia, Trillanes ranked eighth in a list of possible presidential contenders with a rating of only 2 percent.

While saying his numbers are irrelevant as he is not running for president, Trillanes cautioned the public against believing too much in surveys, particularly when asked about Vice President Jejomar Binay’s lead in the presidential race.

“We’re already working on the assumption na biblical truth ‘yong nilabas ng Pulse Asia (We’re already working on the assumption that the Pulse Asia results are biblical truth),” he said.

“May mga iba kasing puwedeng lutuin o kalikutin (Some parts of it can be rigged or manipulated).”

One of Binay's most vocal critics, Trillanes is leading a Senate probe into various corruption allegations against the Vice President and his family, from benefitting from overpriced infrastructure projects to having hidden wealth.

Source: Top Stories - Google News