Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said she is in talks with Senators-elect Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan to consolidate an opposition bloc in the 20th Congress, calling it a rare opportunity to rebuild a unified counterforce after their crushing loss in the 2022 elections.
“Aside from Senator Kiko, Senator Bam, and myself, there may be other colleagues who will vie not only for the Senate presidency but also for the minority bloc,” she revealed in a press conference.
“Whatever the final organization of the Senate may be, what’s important to me is that one pole, one post, one center of gravity remains that will continue to provide checks and balances, and continue to fiscalize,” Hontiveros added.
The senator said informal discussions are underway with Aquino and Pangilinan, both former members of the Senate and long-time political allies.
But she added that all three are still navigating internal decision-making processes within their own parties and support bases.
“For me, in order to stay consistent with the past nine years, and to remain consistent in the years ahead—in 2028, 2034, and 2040—it’s important not to join the majority, especially since I’m not an ally of the administration,” she said.
Asked whether she has made overtures to other potential allies, Hontiveros said she remains open to working with any senator on shared advocacies such as women’s rights, anti-POGO legislation, and equitable access to utilities, but drew a firm line when it comes to the emerging Duterte bloc in the Senate.
“I have no plans to join a Duterte bloc,” she said flatly.
Recent statements from members of the Duterte camp suggest they are also preparing to form a minority bloc.
Hontiveros, however, rejected the idea that such a group could be considered a legitimate opposition, especially given their close ties to the previous administration.
“That’s their prerogative. But even if they end up being the official minority, there’s still space for a truly independent bloc that fiscalizes both the current and former administrations,” she assured.
While talk of the 2028 elections remains premature, Hontiveros acknowledged that the political opposition is entering a critical window.
“I believe in that scene from ‘Field of Dreams:’ ‘If you build it, they will come,’” she said, referencing a 1989 American baseball movie.
“There are certain unities presumed among the forces that came together in this campaign and helped our parties and senators succeed. Maybe in the next nine months, it will be a helpful process for us to articulate exactly what those unities are,” the senator added.
Hontiveros said the lessons of the 2022 elections, particularly the challenges faced by former Vice President Leni Robredo’s campaign, are being taken into account.
At the same time, the midterm success of Aquino and Pangilinan offers new data and momentum for strategizing ahead of the next presidential race.
“We’ll be conducting an evaluation process of our performance in the 2025 midterm elections, so we can better internalize it and embed it into the institutional memory of the opposition in the Philippines. And so, we can learn from it and apply those lessons to future electoral contests,” she said.