Director Lino Cayetano said he was not leaving showbiz despite running for Congress in Taguig-Pateros District in 2025.

"I am not leaving showbiz because I want to champion the industry. And I also want to clarify na walang makakapigil sa akin (sa pagtakbo sa Congress). I will not be disqualified," said Lino during a recent pocket interview at Rein Entertainment in Quezon City.

Lino, 46, also lamented moves from rivals he believes do not want him to run for Congress.

"Someone doesn't want me to run for Congress. I will fight the disqualification case until umabot siya ng Supreme Court," he said.

Lino discussed the disqualification issue after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied his and his wife Fille Cainglet-Cayetano's request to transfer residency from the second district of Taguig to the first district of Taguig-Pateros.

“Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit pinagbabawalan ako ng ilang mga tao na tumakbo sa unang distrito.

"Kaya ho ako napunta sa Fort Bonifacio, Alan (Cayetano) and (Mayor) Lani (Cayetano) asked me to run for barangay captain to help Lani.

“Kasi nung nanalo si Lani, wala siyang kakampi. And they needed isang matibay na kakampi na ipagtatanggol siya. So I left showbiz.

“It was the height of my career. Kasi, I was doing Noah with Piolo (Pascual) and, at the time, Zaijian (Jaranilla), who had just finished May Bukas Pa.

“Nagpaalam ako sa ABS-CBN because my family asked me to move to District 2 para tumakbo ng barangay captain and eventually congressman," said Lino, youngr brother of Senators Allan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano.

Lino is confident that his residency transfer is legal.

“So all I’m doing now is going back to the first district, which is legal. Nung mayor ako, meron kaming residence na kinuha near city hall, and that’s in the first district.

“So lahat po yun legal. When I was mayor, I was mayor of the entire Taguig. Not just one or not just two.

“So, hindi siya legal issue, mas political issue siya. Ginagawa siyang paraan para huwag akong makatakbo sa eleksyon.

“Pero yun nga, I’m confident and my lawyers are confident na we will win the appeal, and if we don’t, meron pang mga next step. Sabi ko nga, until umabot ng Korte Suprema," Lino added.

Lino mentioned that disqualification is a lengthy process and not something that can happen easily.

“Confident ako na habang humahaba yung proseso, mas nagiging public siya, mas mahirap akong isahan. Mas mahirap akong durugin," he also said.

Lino also mentioned that his brother Alan Peter and his wife Lani both ran for congress in separate districts of Taguig during the 2019 midterm elections.

“Ang pinakamatibay nga na rason diyan, e, last elections, si Alan and si Lani, nagrehistro sila sa dalawang hiwalay na distrito.

“So kung ang mag-asawa, puwedeng magrehistro sa dalawang hiwalay na distrito, at ang sabi ng Comelec doon, OK lang daw iyon.

“Walang rason na kami nung wife ko na hindi papayagan na magrehistro sa isang bahay na more than two years na naming inuupahan," Lino added.