Senatorial candidate Willie Revillame has announced that his long-time friend Randy Santiago will take over as the host of his hit game show, Wil To Win.
The decision comes as Willie prepares to take a break from the program to focus on his senatorial campaign.
In an emotional statement during the show, Willie asked his loyal viewers to continue supporting the program even in his absence.
“Even if I’ll be away, we will continue the program to bring joy. I hope you won’t abandon it” (“Mawawala man ako ay itutuloy po natin ang programa para ho makapagbigay ng saya. Sana naman ho, e, huwag ninyong iiwan.”), he said.
He emphasized the importance of the audience to the show, saying, “This program was made for you, so you’re the star. You’ll play, and you’ll win” (“Kasi ginawa itong programa na ’to para sa inyo, so kayo ang bida. Kayo ang maglalaro, kayo ang mananalo.”).
Willie introduced Randy Santiago as the new host, reminiscing about their long history and sharing how Randy helped him get his start in the industry.
“So, who will join my co-hosts? Who will replace me? There’s no one else—to my countrymen, the person who discovered me on Lunch Date” (“So, sino ba ang makakasama ng mga co-host ko? Sino ang papalit sa yo, Willie? E, wala naman iba, siya lang ang nakasama ko. Mga kababayan, ang taong nag-discover sa akin sa ‘Lunch Date’.”), Willie said.
“This person is so kind, has no enemies, and has a great personality. None other than the one who never changes—Mr. Randy Santiago!” (“Ang taong napakabait, walang kaaway. Ang ganda ng pagkatao ng taong ito. Walang iba ho, ang hindi nagbabago, Mr. Randy Santiago!”), he added.
Willie assured fans that he will remain as the host until February 10, after which Randy will officially take over the reins. February 11 marks the official start of the senatorial campaign season, as indicated in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) calendar.
The announcement comes as Revillame makes his entry into the senatorial race, where he is currently ranked in the 10th to 12th spot in the latest survey by Oculum Research and Analytics.
The survey, conducted from December 16 to 22, 2024, placed Erwin Tulfo at the top with 70.8% voter preference, followed by Tito Sotto and Ben Tulfo. Revillame garnered 36.2%, a respectable position among the contenders, with the election dynamics expected to evolve as the campaign season progresses.
Wil To Win airs Monday to Friday at 5:00 PM on TV5.
