MANILA, Philippines -- Ex-Navy Lieutenant Antonio Trillanes IV said he would ask the court handling his coup d'etat case to allow him to temporarily leave detention a week before the May 14 midterm elections so that he could personally campaign.
"It is important that I deliver my message personally to the people," Trillanes told INQUIRER.net in an interview at his detention cell in the Philippine Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio on Monday.
The official campaign period for national and local candidates ends on May 12, two days before Election Day.
Asked when he wanted to leave his cell, Trillanes said: "On the last week of the campaign."
Trillanes is among 31 junior officers and enlisted men who have been charged with coup d'etatMakati regional trial court over their alleged participation in a shortlived mutiny in July 2003. before Branch 148 of the
Last week, the former officer was allowed to grant media interviews from his cell on the condition that a copy of the questions to be asked would be submitted to the court and that a three-day notice before the interview be sent to his custodians.
"Our campaign received a shot in the arm because of this media access. We hope to break the top 12 at the end of the month," said Trillanes, who placed 21st in the March survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the parent company of INQUIRER.net.
Trillanes said he has spent "close to P5 million" for the campaign, with the money coming from supporters and relatives, who recently staged two fund-raising events.
Asked how much he intended to spend for this Senate bid, Trillanes said: "As much as there is money available."
"My campaign is based on a proxy machinery to conduct the campaign on my behalf. Right now, they are going around the countryside to increase awareness and introduce the people to my legislative agenda and my background," he said.
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