Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Oct. 3 as the second nominee of the party-list group Ahon Mahirap.
Ahon Mahirap is vying to get a party-list seat in the May 12, 2025 national and local elections. Its first nominee is content creator Wilbert Tolentino.
Pateros Mayor Miguel Ponce III (Photo from Isang Pateros on Facebook)
Ponce is in his third and last term as mayor of Pateros, and decided not to seek any elective post in the municipality. He said he knows Tolentino who is a businessman and philanthropist.
He added that he filed his COC “to pursue in Congress the advocacies of Ahon Mahirap Partylist.”
On its website, Ahon Mahirap’s mission stated, “As united advocates for a more just and equitable society, we are dedicated to alleviating the suffering caused by poverty in all its forms. Guided by our unwavering commitment to social justice, equity, and compassion, our mission is to marshal our resources, knowledge, and empathy to create tangible and sustainable change. Through our collective efforts, we strive to foster self-reliance, restore human dignity, and create a society where every Filipino thrives. This mission is not just our duty, it is our solemn promise to the people of the Philippines.”
Its vision is “a Philippines where every individual, regardless of their background and circumstance, has the opportunity to lead a life of dignity, prosperity, and fulfillment. A society where poverty is but a distant memory, and the principles of social justice, equity, and compassion are the cornerstones of our collective journey towards progress and harmony.”