Doctor-vlogger Willie Ong on Thursday announced he is withdrawing his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator in the May polls, citing health reasons.
In a Facebook post, Ong said this is to focus more on taking care of his health as he is currently undergoing treatment in Singapore for his "cancer sarcoma."
"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," he wrote.
"Our advocacy to help the poor Filipinos continues even in my private capacity.
Thank you for your understanding. God bless you all," he added.
Ong's COC for senator was filed by his wife, Dr. Liza Ong, on 3 October. He was running under Aksyon Demoktratiko.
He first ran as a senator in 2019 but failed to get in the top 12, finishing 18th in the polls with 7.5 million votes.
In 2022, he served as the running mate of then Manila mayor Isko Moreno who ran for president, while Ong ran for vice president.
This makes Ong the fourth senatorial hopeful who withdrew COC, following AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee, former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson, and internet personality Norman Mangusin, better known as Francis Leo Marcos.
Ong rose to prominence for giving medical advice through Facebook and YouTube.