Rep. Wilbert Lee’s supporters brave rains on first day of COC filing

The rain does not stop the supporters of Agri Party-list Wilbert Lee from expressing their support for the incumbent congressman who just filed his certificate of candidacy for senator on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. —Photo by Dianne Sampang/Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the inclement weather, supporters of Agri Party-list Rep. Wilbert Lee stood in the rain wearing red and white as they staged a program on Tuesday morning for the first day of filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2025 midterm elections.

Different sectors such as the urban poor, fisherfolk, youth, and LGBTQIA+ community expressed their support for the incumbent congressman.

“Kami pong mga kabataan sa inyong harapan ay nakikiusap po sa inyo na tulungan po natin si Manoy Wilbert Lee dahil para po sa kinabukasan naming mga kabataan ang kanyang ipinaglalaban kagaya po ng murang pagkain,” said Michael Bartola from the youth sector.

(We, the youth, appeal to you to help Manoy Wilbert Lee because he fights for our future and for affordable prices for basic goods like food.)

READ: Tensions flare at House as Lee grabs mic from Daza during budget talks

“Sa pamamagitan po ng murang pagkain, mababawasan po ang gastusin sa bahay. Sa pamamagitan po ng pagbawas sa gastos natin sa bahay, marami pa po tayong maaaring pagkagastusan kagaya ng pag-aaral naming kabataan,” Bartola added.

(Through affordable food, our expenses at home will lessen. Through fewer expenses, we will have more money to spend on other necessities like our education.)

READ: Rep. Wilbert Lee first to file Senate candidacy

Help more people

Patricia Flores, Lee’s supporter, believes that the aspiring senator will help more people once he secures a Senate seat.

“Isa po kami sa nagtutulungan under the Lee family. And we believe na aside sa public sector na natutulungan niya, of course, marami pa siyang pwedeng maitulong kapag nasa Senado na siya,” Flores said.

(We are one of those helping under the Lee family. And we believe that aside from the public sector that he is helping, of course, he can help more once he is already in the Senate.)

After filing his COC, Lee met his supporters outside the tent to thank them. The incumbent congressman shared his plans once elected in the Senate.

“Ang layunin po natin, murang pagkain para sa hapagkainan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino, magkakaroon ng trabaho, sapat na kita para sa lahat, at higit sa lahat, libreng gamot at libreng pagkakagamot,” Lee said in an ambush interview.

(Our goal is affordable food for every Filipino family, decent jobs and sufficient wage for all, and most importantly, free medicines and medications.)

Lee also said that the excess fund of Philhealth should be allocated to healthcare services.

“Nakita naman po ninyo kung paano ipinaglaban yung pera na dapat ay sa kalusugan na andyan po nakadeposito lang sa Philhealth [Philippine Health Insurance]. Napakalaking pera nito, hindi katanggap-tanggap na ito ay nandyan, nakadeposito, habang araw-araw, oras-oras, minu-minuto, may mga kababayan tayong namamatay,” Lee added.

(We’ve seen how we fought for the funds that should be for healthcare but are instead deposited to Philhealth. This is a huge amount of money, it is not acceptable that it is just there, deposited while there are many people dying every day.)

Lee was the first senatorial aspirant to lodge his COC at around 8 a.m. at the Manila Hotel Tent. He won a House seat in 2022 representing the fisherfolks and farmers.