Willie Revillame: I’m ready to run for senator

Willie Revillame

Television host Willie Revillame has declared his readiness to run for senator in the 2025 midterm elections, saying he wants to serve his fellow Filipinos, especially the poor and marginalized.

Revillame made this announcement during Sunday’s prayer rally in Davao City, where he was welcomed by thousands of Duterte supporters.

He said he was previously invited by former President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go to join their senatorial slate in 2022, but he had to turn them down because of his contractual obligations for his TV show “Wowowin.”

“Two years ago, after the COVID-19 pandemic, Sen. Bong Go and our beloved former President Rodrigo Duterte called me to Malacañang and asked me to run for senator. At that time, I was busy with ‘Wowowin,’ my program on GMA. I said I have a contract and I’m not ready yet,” Revillame said.

According to him, he is now prepared to face the challenge and he hopes to bring positive change to the country. He said he believed that public servants should not be driven by politics, but by service and love.

Public servants

“Politicians serving the country should not be called politicians. They should be called public servants. Because when politics gets involved, there are fights and ego clashes,” Revillame said.

He added: “It’s nice to be in a country where it’s not about fights and the color you choose. It’s about unity and love … No matter what your decision for me is, I think I’m ready.”

Revillame began his career in the late 1980s as a cohost of GMA Network’s “Lunch Date” with Randy Santiago. He also recorded songs and acted in movies.

He moved to ABS-CBN in 1998 and hosted several noontime shows, such as “Magandang Tanghali Bayan” and “Wowowee.” He later moved to TV5 and continued to host variety programs like “Willing Willie” and “Wowowillie.”