MANILA (2nd UPDATE) - UniTeam senatorial bet Rodante "Dante" Marcoleta said on Wednesday he has withdrawn from the 2022 national elections.

In a statement, Marcoleta cited his "poor showing" in pre-election surveys made by various opinion pollsters as the reason for his pulling out of the race.

"The fighter in me should also be brave enough to read the writings on the wall. Let's call a spade a spade," he said.

Marcoleta, who is running under PDP-Laban (Cusi wing faction), has not placed in the winning circle of senatorial bets in all pre-election surveys.

He is in the 24-30th rank in the March survey of Pulse Asia.

• Raffy Tulfo is still top senatorial choice in March Pulse Asia survey

Comelec Commissioner George Garcia confirmed the development, saying the lawmaker came to see him on April 21 in his office to file his withdrawal.

COMELEC Comm. George Garcia confirms the withdrawal of Senatorial Candidate Rodante Marcoleta:
Confirmed and considered stray lahat ng boto nya. Details po sa press briefing bukas ng 1pm

— RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News (@RG_Cruz12479) April 27, 2022

“Pumunta po sya sa office ko dala ang withdrawal and I referred him to the law department,” Garcia said.

(He went to my office with his withdrawal form and I referred him to the law department.)

“Confirmed and considered stray lahat ng boto nya," he added.

(It's confirmed that he has withdrawn and any votes for him will be considered stray votes.)

Vic Rodriguez, spokesman of UniTeam standard bearer former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., said their camp respects the decision of Marcoleta.

“Although it is with sadness that we receive the news that Deputy House Speaker Rodante Marcoleta is withdrawing from the senatorial race, we opt to follow that there must be a higher reason behind it," Rodriguez said in a statement.

"At this point, we submit to serendipity, that everything happens form the point of view of destiny, believing that in the end, Rep. Marcoleta might be serving a different, yet a higher purpose,” he added.

Marcoleta is the SAGIP Party List Representative in Congress.

Losers in the election are usually banned from being appointed to the government for a year after the election.

Garcia said this rule may not apply to Marcoleta.

“Technically, the rule is not applicable to him kasi walang election so to speak as far as he is concerned," the poll official said.

The Comelec commissioner added Marcoleta would still have to file his Statement of Contributions and Expenses. All candidates are required to do so within a month after election day.

President Rodrigo Duterte has endorsed Marcoleta's senatorial bid, citing his role in the denial of ABS-CBN of a new broadcast franchise in 2020. The lawmaker has relentlessly pursued the investigation of alleged misdeeds of the network despite being rebutted by various government agencies.

In his statement, Marcoleta thanked Duterte for his support, together with the efforts of PDP-Laban and the People's Reform Party who also adopted him lately as its senatorial candidate.

He also thanked the UniTeam for including him in its senatorial slate.

"I will be indebted forever to several people who chipped in their resources, time and tons of hard work into my memorable campaign," he said.

There were 64 senatorial candidates in the May 9 elections, until Marcoleta's withdrawal.

news.abs-cbn.com is the official news website of ABS-CBN Corp.

• READ: Duterte endorses some senatorial candidates from PDP-Laban, UniTeam
• READ: Will ABS-CBN franchise vote figure in 2022 elections? Expert weighs in

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