By ELLEN TORDESILLAS
THE Samahang Magdalo Party, led by detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, will support the presidential bid of Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
The announcement was made by former Air Force Lt. Francisco Ashley Acedillo, Magdalo Party secretary general, in a press conference after the party’s first national convention attended by about 600 members at the University of the Philippines Hotel in Diliman, Quezon City.
“The decision of the group to back Senator Escudero is a product of thorough and comprehensive consultation among our members nationwide,” Acedillo said, adding that the criteria used were character, vision and leadership ability.
Acedillo said Escudero, who is expected to declare his presidential bid on Wednesday, garnered 53.7 percent of the votes over the other presidential aspirants considered by the group to be endorsed–Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and former President Estrada.
Administration presidential bet, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., was excluded from the list because he has vowed to continue with the policies of the Arroyo administration if he wins.
The group, nameless when it took over the Oakwood Hotel at the Makati Commercial Center and declared its withdrawal of support from the government of Gloria Arroyo on July 27, 2003, has adopted the name given to it by media because of the similarity of its sunburst symbol to that of the revolutionary Magdalo party of Emilio Aguinaldo.
Acedillo said the Magdalo now has 375 chapters with 40,000 members all over the country. It has applied for accreditation as a party-list group with the Commission on Elections.
Escudero said he is “honored” by the Magdalo’s support.
“I am very grateful to see that we still have a preponderance of men and women who are willing to sacrifice everything, even their life and liberty, for the greater good,” Escudero said in a statement.
“Let me take this opportunity to also declare my unqualified support for Samahang Magdalo, its leaders and the ideals and principles the group stands for.We are no different from each other as I too advocate for change. With our new found unity, it is my fervent hope that we usher in a new brand of leadership in the country. One that will be more responsive to the needs of the people. One that will put an end to a cycle of corruption and exploitation,” he added.
The Magdalo also endorsed the senatorial bid of Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Col. Ariel Querubin, who are facing charges of mutiny and are both in detention in connection with the alleged plan to withdraw support from Arroyo in February 2006.
It also endorsed the political bids of four of its members who are planning to run for local positions in the coming elections: Acedillo (to represent 2nd district, Cebu City in the House of Representatives), detained Navy Lt. Sr. Grade James Layug (2nd district of Taguig City) and detained Army Capt. Dante Langkit (lone district, Kalinga).
Detained Marines Capt. Gary Alejano will run for mayor of Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.