Senator Risa Hontiveros has expressed willingness to consider a presidential run in 2028, signaling a potential bid from the opposition bloc, though she emphasized that her focus for now is on building unity among progressive and independent forces.
Speaking during the Kapihan sa Senado forum on Wednesday, Hontiveros said she’s keeping her options open. “I am not saying no, I am open to all possibilities,” she told reporters. She added that she’s encouraging her fellow opposition members to adopt the same mindset, “for the sake of the opposition as well as the masses.”
While the senator did not confirm any specific plans, she affirmed that a reformist or progressive candidate will eventually emerge to challenge whoever is endorsed by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s camp or the current administration under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“I have no idea who these people might be because that would be a part of the selection process, which I hope we would be able to design after nine months of unifying our forces,” Hontiveros explained.
She noted that definitive answers about her candidacy will come “somewhere down the road,” once a cohesive plan is in place. For now, she said the main goal is to consolidate the opposition and build the “strongest possible slate in 2028.”
