Ion Perez drops bid to become a councilor of Concepcion, Tarlac

Ion Perez takes back his candidacyto become a councilor of Tarlac province’s Concepcion town. The “It’s Showtime” host said he wanted to first make sure that he is prepared for the job of a public servant before joining the race for government office. Images: Screengrab from TikTok/@perezion27, Facebook/Tarlac Forum

Ion Perez has withdrawn his bid to become a councilor of Tarlac province’s Concepcion town.

Perez made the announcement – a month after filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) – via his TikTok account on Monday, November 4, while apologizing to his supporters for his decision.

“Sa mga kalugar ko diyan sa Concepcion, una po, maraming salamat sa tiwala at suporta niyo na ibinigay sa akin. Pinapaalam ko lang po na hindi na po ako tatakbo o tutuloy bilang konsehal ng Concepcion,” Perez said.

(To my constituents in Concepcion, first of all, thank you for the trust and support you’ve given to me. I want to inform you that I will no longer run for councilor in Concepcion.)

@perezion27Metung amanu bilang pasasalamat.♬ original sound – Perezion27

The “It’s Showtime” host said he wanted to first make sure that he is prepared for the job of a public servant before joining the race for government office.

“Gusto ko po munang ihanda ang sarili ko para hindi mapahiya [sa inyo] at mapaglingkuran kayo nang tama. Muli po, maraming maraming salamat sa inyong tiwala. Paumanhin po (I want to prepare myself so I won’t embarrass myself in front of you. I want to serve you properly. Again, thank you very much for your trust. I’m sorry),” Perez said.

Perez is one of the many celebrities who filed their COCs for the upcoming May 2025 midterm elections. Marco Gumabao, content creator Rosmar Tan, and Marjorie Barretto, among others, are vying for different public posts via next year’s polls.

Perez started his hosting career in “It’s Showtime” as a “Kuya Escort” in the program’s “Miss Q&A” segment in 2018, before being appointed to main host two years later.