Renowned cardiologist and health advocate Dr. Willie Ong has announced his return to politics, declaring his candidacy for senator in the upcoming May 2025 elections, despite currently undergoing treatment for cancer.
In a Facebook Live session on Monday, Ong revealed that his wife, Dr. Anna Liza Ramoso, will file his certificate of candidacy (COC) on his behalf. The filing is scheduled for October 2, 2024.
"Magpa-file po ako for senator. I’ll be filing for senator on October 2, Wednesday. Nagawa ko na ‘yung papeles, na-notarize ko na. Si Doc Liza…siya magpa-file ng sa akin pero ako ang tatakbo," he said.
Ong, who plans to run as an independent candidate, emphasized his commitment to running a clean campaign and intends to rely heavily on social media to reach voters.
"I’ll do it the cleanest way. Hindi tayo connected sa admin, Duterte, opposition. Ako lang mag-isa, no one else. If they help me, thank you. Pag hindi, thank you. Wala akong utang, wala akong hinihigi…Walang kapalit," said Ong.
Earlier this month, Ong revealed that he is battling cancer. He shared that doctors discovered a 16 x 13 x 12 cm sarcoma in his abdomen, located behind his heart and in front of his spine.
Dr. Ong has garnered a substantial following on social media, where he regularly shares health and wellness advice.
As of this writing, he has 9.7 million YouTube subscribers and 17 million Facebook followers.
In the 2022 elections, Ong served as the running mate of former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno under the Aksyon Demokratiko party.
Ong also ran for the Senate in 2019 but was unsuccessful.
