MANILA — Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros said she is actively working to unify the political opposition in preparation for building the “strongest, most winnable” lineup of candidates for the 2028 national and local elections.
In a media interview on Wednesday, Hontiveros said her goal is to rally various opposition blocs around a competitive slate.
“My plans now are focused on unifying the opposition so we can rally around the strongest, most popular, and most winnable possible slate for 2028,” she said.
Hontiveros, who will be term-limited by 2028, said she is open to seeking higher office, including a presidential or vice-presidential bid, but emphasized that all opposition figures should likewise keep their options open to help build a formidable ticket.
She stressed the need for a broader coalition that goes beyond the “Kakampink” base.
“These are the forces I’m working with to unify the opposition and beyond. It can’t be just the Kakampinks; we need a wider alliance to fight and to win,” she said.
The discussion around potential 2028 candidates intensified after Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan urged supporters in a November 21 Facebook post to persuade Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo to reconsider running for president again.
Pangilinan said that amid the chaos caused by the flood control corruption scandal, the country needs honest leadership.
He added he would prefer a campaign to convince Robredo to return to the presidential race rather than calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resign.
Robredo and Pangilinan previously ran as a tandem in the 2022 elections but were defeated. Both returned to public office in 2025, with Robredo becoming Naga City’s first female mayor and Pangilinan winning a Senate seat.
When Robredo filed her candidacy for the Naga mayoralty last year, she said it would be “unfair” to use the position as a mere “jump-off point” for higher office, stressing she intended to focus solely on serving her constituents.