Ernesto Abella, President Rodrigo Duterte's former spokesperson, filed his candidacy for president on Friday, the registration deadline for those seeking national posts.
Abella left his post as undersecretary at the Department of Foreign Affairs to run for president as an independent.
"Sa matagal nang panahon, ang nagpapagalaw ng bayan ay ang samahan ng gobyerno at malalaking negosyo. Hindi po talaga kasali sa usapan ang ordinaryong mamamayan, private citizens, at maliliit na negosyante," he said.
Part of his platform is free food and healthcare for the first 1,000 days of children as he looks to support the next generation of leaders, Abella said.
Abella, a former minister, was Duterte's spokesperson for over a year before he was replaced by Harry Roque in October 2017.
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