AGRI party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee announced Monday he has decided to withdraw from the 2025 senatorial race, citing inadequate political machinery to keep going in the campaign trail.
In a press conference in Manila, Lee said he will instead focus on helping his party-list organization get re-elected as part of the 20th Congress to ensure continuity of their programs and advocacies.
“While going around the country, I realized that the machinery we have is not enough to reach all our citizens to introduce and inform them the advocacies I’m fighting for,” Lee said. “It became clear to me that we need more time to… build a successful campaign.”
Lee failed to crack the Top 12 in recent senatorial surveys, which has been dominated by politicians allied with the Marcos administration.
He was way behind in the rankings, gaining just two percent of voter preference, according to a January survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS). AGRI party-list is also facing a challenging campaign, as it is ranked 48th based on latest SWS survey numbers.
The Bicolano lawmaker expressed gratitude to his family, campaign team, supporters and volunteers who fought alongside him in pursuing his causes for the Filipino people.
“Thank you so much for your time, strength and dedication. It has been both a humbling and inspiring experience,” Lee said.