Chavit Singson officially withdraws from 2025 Senate race

Former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson on Thursday has officially withdrawn his candidacy for senator in the upcoming May 12 polls.

Singson personally went to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office to file his certificate of withdrawal.

“Tinamaan ako ng pneumonia this year, dalawang beses ako tinamaan sa lungs. Ayaw ko na hintayin yung pangatlo,” he told reporters. 

(I was diagnosed with pneumonia twice this year and I don’t want to be infected for the third time.) 

He told the media that he was hit with pneumonia twice recently and does not want to take the risk of being infected for the third time.

Singson first announced his intention to withdraw from the Senate race over the weekend.

LOOK: Former Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Chavit Singson, opisyal nang binawi ang kandidatura sa pagka-senador sa Eleksyon 2025. | via @VargasMannysen pic.twitter.com/H3S2m5DJ94

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) January 16, 2025

After getting an endorsement from former President Rodrigo Duterte, Singson said in August last year that he would give the Senate another try this time.

Singson first sought a Senate seat in 2007. He lost.

Singson joined the Nationalist People's Coalition in 2021 while serving as Narvacan, Ilocos Sur mayor, but he did not run for any public post in the 2022 national elections.

With Singson’s withdrawal from the polls, his name will no longer be included also in the new ballots that would be printed after the Supreme Court earlier issued a temporary restraining order against the disqualification of another senatorial aspirant.

Hence, six million ballots that were already printed are subject to disposal.

“Talaga pong sayang yung 6 milyon na balota. Kaya lang po talagang parte ng proseso, basta ang commitment ng Comelec, kahit nagkaganito, ay matutuloy ang halalan natin sa May 12,” said Comelec chairperson George Garcia in Dano Tingcungco’s report in 24 Oras. 

(The six million ballots that were already printed were obviously wasted. But it’s part of the process and the Comelec remains committed that the elections on May 12 will still push through.)
— Vince Angelo Ferreras/RSJ/RF, GMA Integrated News