Ion Perez withdraws bid for councilor seat in Concepcion, Tarlac for 2025 polls

Ion Perez has dropped his bid for a councilor seat in Concepcion, Tarlac for the 2025 midterm elections. 

The It’s Showtime host announced his decision on his TikTok account on Monday, Nov. 4. 

"Sa mga kalugar ko diyan sa Concepcion, una po maraming salamat sa tiwala at suporta niyo na ibinigay sa akin. Pinapaalam ko lang po na hindi na po ako tatakbo o tutuloy bilang konsehal ng Concepcion,” Ion said. 

@perezion27

Metung amanu bilang pasasalamat.

♬ original sound - Perezion27

According to Ion, he wanted to better prepare himself for the job before seeking a seat in public office. "Dahil gusto ko po munang ihanda ang sarili ko para hindi mapahiya sa inyo at mapaglingkuran kayo nang tama," he said.

"Muli po, maraming maraming salamat sa inyong tiwala. Paumanhin po," he added.

Social media users expressed their support for the TV host in the comments section of his post.

“Thank you for choosing the right choice, Ion!” a TikTok user commented. 

“Good decision! You can help your kababayans even without being in politics,” another one commented. 

“It takes great humility to make such decision,” an Internet user wrote. 

Ion was among the celebrities who filed their respective certificates of candidacy on Oct. 1 for the 2025 midterm elections. Other familiar faces, including Marco Gumabao, Rosmar Tan, Deo Balbuena a.k.a "Diwata," and Marjorie Barretto, are still vying for a seat in public office in next year's polls. 

He rose to fame when he joined It’s Showtime in 2018 as “Kuya Escort” in “Miss Q&A” segment. He is now among the main hosts of the noontime show, alongside his wife Vice Ganda as well as Anne Curtis, Karylle, and Jhong Hilario, among others.