AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee (left), former Manila mayor Isko Moreno (Rep. Lee's office)

AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert “Manoy” T. Lee has joined forces with former Manila mayor Francisco "isko Moreno" Domagoso in the attempt to fulfill his ambition to become senator. 

Lee announced on Friday, Sept. 20 his plan to run for senator in the upcoming 2025 mid-term elections as he took his oath as a member of the Aksyon Demokratiko. 

Aksyon Demokratiko was founded by his fellow Bicolano, the late former senator Raul Roco. Moreno, a presidential candidate during the 2022 national elections, sits as party president. 

Lee took his oath at the Sheraton Hotel Manila Bay with Moreno, a popular actor before his tenure as mayor. Also present was party chairman, Ernest Ramel Jr. 

The Sorsogon native sees joining Aksyon as an opportunity to widen his platform in pushing his core advocacies on food security, job creation, and quality and compassionate healthcare in the country. 

“I want to use my experience in business and government to help more people nationwide," he said. 

A staunch agriculture advocate, Lee has been pushing for lowered food prices through genuine support to agriculture. 

He is persistently batting for the enactment of “Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act”, “Cheaper Rice Act”, “Post-harvest Facilities Support Act”, and “Kadiwa Agri-Food Terminal Act”, among others. 

Lee also successfully led the 30 percent increase in Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) benefits, which was implemented last Feb. 14. 

Currently, he is pushing for another 50 percent increase in PhilHealth benefits, and--if funds would suffice--an eventual decrease in members’ monthly contribution. 

He is also fighting for the inclusion of costly diagnostic tests in PhilHealth urgent care packages such as the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) scan.