Rosmar withdraws from Manila councilor race

Metro Manila, Philippines - Content creator and entrepreneur Rosemarie Tan Pamulaklakin, popularly known as Rosmar, has officially backed out from her bid for Manila's first district councilor.

Pamulaklakin withdrew her certificate of candidacy on Thursday, Jan. 30, according to a document shared by the Commission on Elections.

The vlogger also made her announcement in a Facebook post.

“Hindi man matuloy ang pagtakbo ko pangako ko sa mga taong nangangailangan. Pag takbo ko lang ang ititigil ko pero hindi ang pag tulong sa mga tao [sic],” Pamulaklakin said in her post, which was accompanied by a photo of her holding the official statement of withdrawal.

[Translation: Although my candidacy will no longer push through, my commitment to helping those in need remains. I may be stopping my candidacy, but my support for the people will continue.]

Pamulaklakin said she was encouraged to run after someone told her “mas marami daw akong budget sa pagtulong kapag nakaposisyon ako [I will have more budget for helping once I'm in a position of power].”

However, she expressed feeling bad that she couldn’t provide ayuda or aid to those asking for help during the campaign, as it would be considered vote-buying.

She also lamented the claims that she had political motives in helping the less fortunate.

“Marami akong natutunan sa pag file ko. Hindi porket alam mong kaya mo ay kailangan mo ng tumakbo. Mas masarap pa rin sa pakiramdam tumulong ng galing sa puso. Pag tulong na walang kapalit,” she said.

[Translation: I've learned a lot from filing my candidacy. Just because you know you can, doesn’t mean you have to run. It still feels better to help from the heart - helping without expecting anything in return.]

Pamulaklakin was one of the content creators seeking to venture into politics, filing for various positions in the May midterm elections.