ILOILO City – Defeated re-electionist Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon has ruled out a political comeback, but said he remains emotionally unshaken by his loss in the recent midterm elections, and is ready to continue serving the public outside of politics.
Ganzon, who lost to Vice Mayor-elect Love-Love Baronda by 11,111 votes, said in a post-election interview that he accepts the result without bitterness.
“To be honest with you, I’m not affected. I’m emotionally stable,” said Ganzon. “At my age, I’ve been through a lot. What I’m proud of is that my integrity remains intact — I was never involved in corruption, I never accepted bribes.”
The 2025 polls marked the end of Ganzon’s bid for a final term in office. Despite the loss, he emphasized that his concern for the poor remains undiminished.
“I feel for the poor because they need someone to help and support them. Even before, I helped people without expecting anything in return,” he said.
When asked whether he would consider running for office again, the veteran politician was firm in his answer: “Not in politics anymore. I can still do public service without being in politics. I’ve been a missionary. When you’re a missionary, you help without expecting anything in return — you do it for the Lord.”
He also offered advice to his successor, encouraging Baronda to fulfill her promises, particularly to students and job hires.
“She should prove what she said during the campaign. Increasing the salaries of job hires? I already did that. I hope she is guided by the right values,” said the son of the late senator Rodolfo “Roding” Ganzon./PN
