Trillanes to decide on Caloocan mayoral run in March

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV will announce in March if he is running for mayor in Caloocan in next year’s midterm elections.

“We will make a decision by March. I will announce my final decision. I will say that our decision for mayor of Caloocan City is 98 percent,” he said at yesterday’s Kapihan sa QC forum.

He expressed his commitment to combat corruption within the city government and emphasized his refusal to team up with incumbent local officials.

“They were given 14 years to focus on Caloocan but they neglected their responsibilities,” Trillanes said in Filipino.

He said he has received invitations to run for the Senate but declined in favor of focusing on his mayoral aspirations.

When asked if anyone was stopping him from running for mayor, Trillanes said no one is actively hindering his candidacy.

However, he alleged that Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan’s clan is reportedly pressuring local leaders to block his entry into communities.

“The Malapitans are finding ways to prevent me from running. But the more they do that, the more determined I become,” Trillanes said.

He said these tactics would not be effective and compared their actions to challenges he faced when he stood against Philippine presidents.

Trillanes added that he is inclined to test the waters as a local executive because he believes that he can better serve people as mayor instead of as a congressman or senator.

The city's public information office has yet to reply to The STAR’s request for Malapitan’s comment on Trillanes’ claims.