MANILA — As the 2025 midterm election nears, former senator Bam Aquino on Tuesday said he was ready to return to politics.

Aquino was a senator from 2013 to 2019. In the 2019 midterm polls, he failed to win his re-election bid under the "Otso Diretso" slate, placing 14th overall with 14,144,923 votes.

Aquino did not run for an elective position during the 2022 national elections and instead served as then-presidential candidate Leni Robredo's campaign manager.

"Naghahanda na kami at handa na rin akong bumalik sa larangan ng politika. Handa akong maging boses ng walang boses sa Senado," Aquino told ANC when asked if he would enter politics again.

(We are preparing, and I am ready to get back to politics.)

When asked about why he considered running again, Aquino said many issues plaguing Filipinos "were not given much attention" such as the rising prices of goods, low wages, and the education "crisis."

"They are very complicated issues, hindi sila madadaling i-resolve, marami kang kailangang banggain para makamit mo 'yung mga kailangan mong makamit para sa taumbayan," Aquino said.

(They are very complicated issues, they are not easy to resolve, and you have to go through a lot to achieve what you need to achieve for the people.)

"At kailangan natin ng mga tao na handang magtrabaho, handang panindigan yung mga walang boses handang bumangga kung kailangang bumangga. And I’d like to think kaya natin ‘yan," he said.

(And we need people who are ready to work, ready to stand up for those who have no voice, ready to crash if need be. And I'd like to think we can do that.)

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AQUINO TO LEAD COUNTRY'S 'YOUNGEST POLITICAL PARTY'

Aquino also announced that he assumed the chairmanship of Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP), said to be the country's youngest political party.

Run by volunteers, the KANP will present itself as an "alternative" ahead of the 2025 elections, it said in a statement Tuesday.

"As we enter another pivotal chapter in our country's political history, KANP will present itself as a viable alternative for Filipinos weary of traditional politics and politicians," Aquino said in the statement.

In the ANC interview, Aquino said the KNP was formed when they were preparing for Robredo to run for president.

"After 2019 umalis na ako sa Liberal Party. But because I was a private citizen, di na namin siya nilabas sa publiko. And in 2021, when we were preparing for VP Leni to run, at the time nabuo 'yung KNP," he said.

(After 2019 I left the Liberal Party. But because I was a private citizen, we did not disclose it to the public. And in 2021, when we were preparing for VP Leni to run, at the time the KNP was formed.)

The KANP is ready to endorse "like-minded potential candidates and form alliances with political parties with similar principles in preparation for the midterm elections in 2025," it also said.

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