Wilbert T. Lee

Wilbert "Manoy" Te Lee (born October 12, 1970) is a Filipino politician who has served as the representative for AGRI Partylist since 2022. He was a candidate in the 2025 Philippine Senate election and was noted for his significant campaign expenses. He withdrew his bid in February 2025.

A graduate of the University of Santo Tomas, Lee was the chair of the LKY Group of Companies before his election to Congress. During his tenure, he authored and led the passage of the New Agrarian Emancipation Act in 2023.

Early life and education Wilbert Te Lee was born on October 12, 1970. He is the son of Sorsogon-based businessman Lee King Yek. He studied at the University of Santo Tomas, graduating in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Early career Lee's journey as a businessman began in 1965 when his father, Lee King Yek, first opened a Goodluck Store, a retail store, in Sorsogon.

While expanding the LKY Group of Companies, Lee also established the LKY Foundation, which provides medical assistance to children fighting leukemia and other terminal illnesses. The Foundation also rescues abandoned cats and dogs.

House of Representatives In 2022, Lee ran as the representative for the Agri-Agra na Reporma para sa Magsasaka ng Pilipinas Movement (AGRI Party-List) and won. During his tenure, he sat on 24 Congressional committees and authored 124 bills and resolutions.

In his first year in Congress, he principally authored the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, a law that freed more than 600,000 farmers from debt. He is also the author of the Philippine Salt Industry Development Act, which aims to generate thousands of new jobs in the agricultural sector.

Lee also filed House Bill No. 9011, which seeks to build fishing shelters or ports at nine maritime spots within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone amidst worsening tensions with China.

2025 Philippine Senate bid In 2024, Lee announced that he would run for senator in 2025 under Aksyon Demokratiko, a party founded by another Bicolano, Raul Roco. In September 2024, he formally joined the party.

In February 2025, Lee withdrew his candidacy for the Senate, citing insufficient political machinery.

Television Lee, along with co-hosts Gelli de Belen, Patricia Tumulak, and Sherilyn Reyes-Tan, has featured in the GMA Network public service morning show, Si Manoy ang Ninong Ko, which premiered on March 3, 2024. The show features the hosts learning about the struggles of two beneficiaries per episode.

Personal life Lee has been married to former AGRI Party-List representative Delphine Gan Lee for over thirty years. They have four children.

Electoral history