MANILA, Philippines—Magdalo lawyer Christopher “Kit” Belmonte is planning to run anew for representative in Quezon City after the Court of Appeals quashed a warrant ordering his arrest for his alleged involvement in the bombing of former Batangas Gov. Armando Sanchez’s vehicle in 2006.

Belmonte said on Saturday that he filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) on Friday after receiving word that the arrest warrant had been quashed.

“I plan to run as an independent (in Quezon City’s second district) instead of joining other parties,” he told reporters.

Belmonte spoke at a gathering of supporters at Batasan Hills National High School in Quezon City, Saturday, making his first public appearance since coming out of hiding.

His lawyer, Phillip Sawali, said: “My client filed his CoC without fanfare because we wanted to avoid a repeat of the past where even Malacañang tried to stop his candidacy.” Julie M. Aurelio