Dr. Willie Ong has withdrawn from the 2025 Senate race after being diagnosed with cancer.
In a statement on Facebook, Ong said, “I am officially withdrawing my candidacy for the 2025 elections, so I can focus more on taking care of my health.”
“I sincerely thank all the people who supported me and prayed for me. I will continue to support good governance and the candidates who espouse the same ideals as mine. Our advocacy to help the poor Filipinos continues even in my private capacity,” he added.
Ong revealed his cancer diagnosis in September after doctors discovered a mass in his abdomen.
He is now “resting” and has returned to the Philippines after several months of treatment in Singapore, his lawyer, Gilbert Lauengco, said.
“His sarcoma has actually gotten smaller; but as we’ve always stated, the cure that he has to undergo is sometimes worse than the disease itself because it has left him in a weakened state and a very highly emotional state,” Lauengco told ANC.
“It all contributed to his decision to step out of this race. Physically, emotionally, his morale went down also,” the lawyer said.
“That’s why he made this decision. He wanted to focus all his strength, all the positiveness in his life to this particular battle, to recover from what he went through,” he added.
