Dapat na umanong maglatag ngayon pa lang ng kani-kanilang plataporma ang mga kandidato sa Halalan 2022, kabilang ang tungkol sa West Philippine Sea, upang makapagsimula na sa pagsala ang mga botante, ayon kay dating Senador Antonio Trillanes IV.

Sa isang forum na inorganisa ng National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea nitong Sabado, sinabi ni Trillanes na kailangan ang maagang paglatag ng plataporma ng mga kandidato upang malaman na ng mga botante kung karapatdapat silang iboto.

“I agree that the different candidates should be outlining their platforms of government to the whole nation even this early,” sabi ni Trillanes na kakandidato muli sa pagka-senador sa paparating na halalan.

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Ngunit, ang problema aniya, hindi ito hinihingi ng publiko kaya isinasantabi rin ng mga kandidato.

“The problem with Philippine campaign politics is that the electorate does not demand it. So our elections are normally centered on several issues and, unfortunately, platforms of government is not one of them," sabi niya.

"So, it’s high time that movement such as yours would spearhead this movement of extracting from these candidates their own platforms of government. Of course, the media should do that as well."

"But, knowing the candidates, they believe that it is optional for them because they know their constituents don’t really demand for it and are not asking for it. So they have that luxury to wait until probably during the campaign period,” dagdag niya.

Ayon kay Trillanes, dapat maging bahagi ng plataporma ng mga kandidato ang post-COVID economic recovery plan, anti-corruption at governance reforms, educational at health care reforms, at ang national security concerns, una na ang isyu sa West Philippine Sea.

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Dapat umanong maging mapagmatyag ang mga botante sa mga kandidatong pro-China.

“We shouldn’t vote for pro-China candidates, plain and simple. We will have to ask them first what is their position about the ruling of the arbitral tribunal. If they will say that they will continue to follow the policy position of the Duterte Administration, which is to set it aside, then that should be a deal breaker for the voters. It is as simple as that,” ani Trillanes, na isa sa mga kritiko ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte.

Dapat din umanong malaman ng mga botante kung totoo ang sinasabi ng mga kandidato, lalo na sa mga binibitawan nitong posisyon sa isyu ng West Philippine Sea.

Inihalimbawa ni Trillanes ang naging pangako noon ni Duterte na sasakay sa jetski patungo sa West Philippine Sea upang ipaglaban umano ang soberenya ng bansa.

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“Filipinos believed the promises of Duterte during his campaign that he would ride the jetski to assert sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. Well, now, that is the challenge because since 2016. And that was the first time that it was done that a presidential candidate can brazenly lie in front of the people and without blinking can actually say that they would ride the jetski just to highlight his patriotic desire to defend what is ours,” ani Trillanes.

“If openly, they are saying, or for that matter, if they haven’t expressed dissenting opinions about the issue in relation to the statements of the administration, then most likely, they are for it or for the continuation of the government policy. Now, some of the candidates have already articulated that they are basically pro-China. So you would not need to analyze further."

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"And there is also a candidate, particularly Vice President Leni Robredo, who publicly declared that should she be the President, she would pursue or assert the ruling of the arbitral tribunal. So we will just have to study those previous statements,” sabi ni Trillanes na kabilang sa senatorial slate ni Robredo.

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Binatikos din ni Trillanes ang pakikipag-pulong ni dating Senador at presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos sa mga opisyal ng Chinese Embassy.

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“It was already featured in one of the news articles that Bongbong Marcos had a meeting with the Chinese officials in the Chinese embassy. And in fact, that piece of news was released by Beijing and the Chinese Embassy and not Bongbong Marcos. So they were practically saying that we have already dealt with this particular candidate because I think Bongbong Marcos was very sensitive about the potential backlash of such a meeting, that’s why he didn’t announce it,” aniya.

Dati na nang nasabi ni Marcos na tama ang polisiya ni Duterte ng pakikipagkaibigan sa Tsina.

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Nagbabala si Trillanes sa posibleng pakikialam ng China sa halalan sa 2022. Aniya, maaaring pondohan ng China ang kandidato na magsusulong ng interes nito sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas.

“Ngayon, 'yung China naman, titingnan natin yung mga potential interventions nila would be yung direct interventions through, let’s say, electronic cheating. Ano lang po ito, we are talking about mga possibilities. One, cheating, yung electronically. Pangalawa, yung through the troll farms. So yung influence ng social media, yung TikTok kanila iyan eh, tapos may mga troll farms din sila, even sa Facebook, so puwede silang tumulong that way. Pangatlo is financially, puwede silang magbigay ng pondo sa mga kandidato na sumusuporta sa mga polisiya nila,” aniya.

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Naniniwala si Trillanes na maaaring gawin ng China ang lahat upang pumabor sa kanila ang resulta ng halalan sa susunod na taon. Kaya pinapayuhan niya ang mga botante na maging mapagmatyag.

“Meron talagang pangamba. Mayroong danger na talagang magsa-succeed sila doon sa kanilang mga desire to influence in their favor itong outcome ng ating elections. Pero ang sinasabi ko lang, while there are dangers, kaya kailangan po nating maging vigilant at hindi naman automatic na mangyayari kung ano man ang gusto nilang mangyari. Kaya kailangan nating tindigan po yung mga ganyang pagkilos nila,” giit niya.

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