MANILA, Philippines — Ernesto Abella, a former spokesperson of President Rodrigo Duterte, is running for president in next year’s polls.
He formalized his bid on Friday as an independent candidate. According to the rules of the Commission on Elections, substitution is not allowed for independent bets.
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Abella said he would push for the participation of people in governance.
“Sa matagal nang panahon, ang nagpapagalaw ng bayan ay ang samahan ng gobyerno at malalaking negosyo. Hindi talaga kasali sa usapan ang ordinaryong mamamayan, private citizens at maliliit na negosyante,” he said.
(For the longest time, the government and the big businesses have been running the country. The ordinary citizens, private citizens, and small entrepreneurs are not included in the discussion.)
If elected as the country’s leader, he also seeks to provide children and senior citizens better access to food and healthcare services.
Abella served a Duterte’s spokesperson from 2016 to 2017 before he was replaced by former human rights lawyer Harry Roque. The chief executive was allegedly dissatisfied with how the soft-speaking Abella, a pastor by profession, handled several issues hounding his administration.
After his stint in Malacañang, he served as an undersecretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs.