Manila — Senator Risa Hontiveros, widely regarded as the de facto leader of the Philippine opposition, has said she is open to running for president or vice president in the 2028 national elections—but only if she is chosen by a united opposition or emerging “third force.” The statement places her squarely at the centre of early manoeuvring for the country’s next leadership contest, even as formal campaigning remains years away.
Hontiveros’s remarks, made across several public appearances in 2024 and 2025, reflect an opposition recalibrating after successive electoral defeats. Rather than announcing an outright bid, she has framed her openness as contingent on consensus—an approach aimed at avoiding the splintered slates that have long undermined challengers to the ruling Marcos-Duterte alliance.
An Opening, Not a Declaration
Speaking at an academic forum at the Harvard Yenching Institute on October 14, 2025, Hontiveros was unambiguous about her willingness to step forward if asked.
“Yes, I’m open… If the opposition sides with me, I’m open,” she said, according to remarks cited in the research report.
The line marked a shift in tone rather than position. In earlier interviews, including a July 2, 2024 appearance on television, Hontiveros stressed she was “not yet considering running” for the presidency. What she was considering—“100 percent,” she said—was ensuring that the opposition fields candidates for president, vice president and a full national slate.
The careful phrasing underscores her strategy: keep personal ambition secondary to coalition-building, while leaving the door open to leadership if unity demands it.
From Lone Survivor to Opposition Standard-Bearer
Hontiveros’s standing within opposition ranks owes much to her electoral resilience. First elected to the Senate in 2016, she became, in 2022, the only opposition candidate from the Team Robredo–Pangilinan alliance to win a Senate seat.
That outcome cemented her role as the opposition’s most visible national figure—less a party boss than a load-bearing pillar. As one opposition strategist privately described it at the time, she was “the last bridge still standing” after a political earthquake.
Since then, Hontiveros has worked to rebuild—from supporting the KiBam ticket ahead of the 2025 midterm elections to laying the groundwork for a full opposition slate in 2028.
The Long Road to 2028
The next Philippine presidential election is scheduled for May 8, 2028, under constitutional rules that limit presidents to a single six-year term. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is therefore barred from seeking re-election, opening the field for successors.
On the administration side, Vice President Sara Duterte is widely seen as a front-runner, with ruling coalitions already mobilising around alliances such as Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas. The implicit question for the opposition is whether it can rally behind a single figure—or risk repeating past divisions.
Hontiveros has increasingly positioned herself as a possible answer. In May 2025, she told interviewers she was open to being the “standard-bearer for the third force in the 2028 presidential race.”
Still, no formal candidacy has been declared, and any decision rests on negotiations that are only beginning.
Issues That Resonate Beyond the Capital
While leadership questions dominate headlines, Hontiveros has continued to anchor her political relevance in policy advocacy. She is closely associated with campaigns on anti-corruption, youth safety in public spaces, and contentious social reforms such as divorce legislation.
For ordinary Filipinos—the masa—these debates translate into everyday concerns: workplace security, family stability, and the integrity of public institutions. Her criticism of foreign influence, including Chinese involvement in energy projects, also feeds into broader anxieties about economic sovereignty.
Youth activists, particularly in universities and online spaces, have emerged as one of her most reliable support bases, viewing her as a rare national figure willing to engage with their concerns.
A Coalition Test for the Opposition
The real story, however, may not be Hontiveros’s personal openness but what it reveals about the opposition’s state of play. Unity remains aspirational rather than assured.
Fragmentation has long plagued liberal and progressive blocs in the Philippines. Building a single ticket—let alone agreeing on a presidential nominee—will test old rivalries and ideological differences.
Hontiveros has acknowledged as much, saying in 2024, “Yun yung tinatarabaho ko the last two years… para sa ating mga kababayan. Yun yung maa-assure ko sayo 100 percent.” She was referring to the slow, often invisible work of coalition-building.
Whether that effort culminates in her own candidacy remains uncertain.
The Stakes Ahead
For now, Hontiveros’s message is measured: openness without entitlement, ambition tempered by process. It is a posture designed to reassure allies and deter rivals, while keeping public expectations in check.
As the Philippines moves through the 2025 midterms and toward the 2028 general elections, her role may evolve—from organiser to contender, from bridge-builder to standard-bearer. Much will depend on whether the opposition can speak with one voice.
Until then, Hontiveros remains where she has been since 2022: at the centre of opposition politics, holding space rather than claiming it—waiting to see if unity calls her name.
