Senator Antonio Trillanes as "walkout kid"

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will perennially be known as the "walkout kid". In all his political life, Trillanes walked out four times. 

The first one, when, after threatening to blow themselves up in a posh residence up Ayala, Trillanes IV led his rag-tag team out of there and into the arms of his supposed enemies--the generals of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. That was his first walk-out, and the public loved it, because everyone was up in arms against the Arroyo regime.

The second walkout was when he again led a bunch of Magdalos out of a Makati courtroom. He then, again, went to a 5-star hotel and holed himself up together with members of the working press and an ageing former Vice President. The scene would have led to a bigger mass action had Trillanes waited for several days more before, he, again, walked out of that hotel and into the arms of an ex SAF NCRPO chief. Again, that "historic" walk-out earned him the public's approbation (The public just loves walkouts). That "walkout" was his third.

Then, this one.

The first three were expressions of disgusts against a discredited regime. This next one, however, is different. Instead of earning the people's nod, this latest walkout exposed who Trillanes really is---to paraphrase JPE, a "coward".

I heard this tag from a friend way back in 2003, when Trillanes IV and his group posturing as "rebels", executed what is now known as "Oakwood mutiny". This guy, who happens to be one of the most idealistic leaders in the armed forces in his time, told me straight forward never to believe in this group because they are all "cowards".

For me, it was a tactical retreat and surely it was. Not so, said my friend. " Had it been our group, we would have holed it up there for a couple of days more. This group does not have the balls", I remember my friend telling me about these "Magdalos". Probably my friend knew more than what I know at that time. 

History has been kind to Trillanes inspite of the numerous political debacles in his career. Like Honasan, Trillanes postured himself as a hero, only to be unmasked as a "fraud", according to Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

In their duel yesterday before millions of Filipino eyes, the public caught Trillanes red in the face as if he's hiding something. It was the first time I saw Trillanes showing some fear. Why was he afraid of JPE? What is he afraid of?

Is he afraid of what he really did in China? Foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario said Trillanes "muddled the issue up" instead of doing good. 

Meanwhile, JPE practically accused Trillanes of being a "traitor", basing his observations on the notes of Philippine ambassador Sonia Brady.

Trillanes met Chinese officials sixteen times. We don't exactly know what he did, but basing on the hints that Enrile gave, Trillanes reportedly gave away the Scarborough shoal.

Trillanes tried to parry the blows of the sharp Senate president, but Enrile's verbal barbs were sharper than a two-edge sword. 

What qualified Trillanes to negotiate for and on behalf of the Philippine government? What are his interests? Why is he so interested in repairing China-RP relations?

Trillanes accused Enrile of being a "war freak", forgetting that in the past, he vowed to "bomb" the Arroyo regime to smithereens.

Really now, I would accept being accused of being a "war freak" instead of being accused of cowardice and of "selling out the sovereignty" of the Philippines.

Was it true that Trillanes really "walked out" of his "nationalist" shell and donned a Mao cap instead? 

That's the fourth walk-out.