MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will no longer reprint the ballots for the 2025 midterm elections despite the withdrawal of AGRI party-list’s Rep. Wilbert Lee from the Senate race.
According to Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia, they will just consider as “stray” the votes that Lee will acquire during the upcoming elections on May 12.
Lee announced on Monday that he was withdrawing from the 2025 Senate race as his political machinery was not enough to pull off a national campaign and that he ran out of time to reach voters.
“Sa pag-iikot ko sa bansa, napagtanto ko na hindi pa talaga sapat ang makinarya na meron tayo ngayon para maabot ang lahat ng ating kababayan upang mapakilala at maipalam ang ating ipinaglalaban na adbokasiya,” Lee said.
“Naging malinaw po ito para sa akin na kailangan pa ng mas mahabang panahon para mapatibay ang pakikipag-ugnayan natin sa kapwa nating Pilipino at maging sapat ang kahandaan at makinarya para sa matagumpay na kampanya,” he added.
Lee said his decision to quit from the Senate race had nothing to do with health conditions and he will continue to fight for his advocacies of free medicine and healthcare.
“Ako lang po nag-withdraw sa pagiging senador. Pagpapatuloy po nila ang adbokasiyang nasimulan natin,” Lee said.
Lee, who was the first to file his certificate of candidacy for senator last October 2024, said he will again reconsider running for a national post in the 2028 national elections./PN
