Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said she is not closing her doors to a potential presidential bid in the 2028 national elections, though she emphasized that her current priority is consolidating the opposition.
Speaking during the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Hontiveros was asked directly if she is considering a run for the country’s highest office three years from now.
“I’m not saying no. I’m open to all possibilities. At yun yung hinihingi ko din sa lahat na mga kasama sa oposisyon or independent bloc na maging bukas kami sa lahat ng possibilities at sa isa’t isa, alang-alang sa oposisyon at alang-alang sa ating mga kababayan,” she said.
The senator stressed that while discussions around the 2028 polls are inevitable, the immediate challenge is to unite the opposition forces, especially those who rallied behind Akbayan and senators-elect Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Bam Aquino in the recently concluded 2025 midterm elections.
“’Yung natural competition about it naturally will come somewhere up the road pa. Pero ang priority ko sa ngayon, at sinasabi ko yun sa lahat ng mga kasama at ka-alyado, lalo na itong unang siyam na buwan after the election, pag-isahin talaga. Hamigin. I-consolidate to a greater degree than we were able to do after 2022. Mag-consolidate kami,” she explained.
With Aquino and Pangilinan returning to the Senate, Hontiveros sees their presence as crucial in establishing a strong center of gravity within the opposition bloc that can serve as a counterbalance to the administration.
She also acknowledged the diversity within the group, saying that while they share similar democratic values, their approaches and decisions on certain issues may still differ.
“Kami lahat ng mga senador dito, we have our own decision-making process, we have our own pananaw. At nagre-respetuhan kami dyan kahit at lalo na sa loob ng tinatawag kong oposisyon…ang optimal senaryo ko ay magsama-sama kami either sa minority or sa independent bloc, sa loob at sa labas ng Senado,” she added.
Hontiveros, who will be completing her second term by 2028, remains one of the most visible and vocal figures in the opposition. While no official plans have been laid out yet, her openness to a presidential run signals early movement in the positioning of political figures for the next national elections.