Cardiologist and social media influencer Dr. Willie Ong has endorsed former senator Bam Aquino for the May 2025 midterm polls, likening the senatorial candidate to his lifelong passion to heal.
Doc Willie Ong raises the hand of senatorial candidate Bam Aquino as he endorses his comeback bid in Senate. (Bam Aquino Media Bureau)
Ong withdrew his senatorial candidacy after he was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer last year.
“Sinusuportahan ko ang kandidatura ni Senator Bam Aquino dahil sa kaniyang adbokasiya para sa libreng edukasyon (I support the candidacy of Senator Bam Aquino because of his advocacy for free education),” he said.
“Taos sa puso ko ang habambuhay na misyon ko na maging doktor para sa lahat ng Pilipino, at ganoon din si Senator Bam Aquino sa pagiging Senador para sa lahat ng Pilipino (My mission in life is to be a doctor for all Filipinos, and Senator Bam Aquino is the same for wanting to become a Senator for all Filipinos),” he added.
Photos and videos showed Ong and wife Dr. Liza Ong raising Aquino’s hands and flashing the “5” hand sign for his ballot number.
The former senator and his wife, Timi, visited Ong in his office in Pasay City.
Ong ran for vice president in 2022 alongside former Manila mayor Isko Moreno. He filed his Certificate for Candidacy (COC) for senator in October 2024, but officially withdrew from the race in February 2025.
He has reportedly completed six cycles of chemotherapy and will now be focused on immunotherapy and targeted therapy.