By Tara Yap
Senator Risa Hontiveros has expressed her willingness to be the opposition’s sole presidential candidate for the May 2028 elections.
“I am preparing very hard, working very hard … I’m strengthening myself as the strongest possible candidate,” Hontiveros said in response to a question from the Manila Bulletin during a press conference in Iloilo City.
The senator added that she would consult with allies once indicators show she is the strongest candidate.
“Importante isa lang. Let’s unite around the strongest one so we have a fighting chance,” she emphasized.
On June 13, a movement urging Hontiveros to run for president was launched in Iloilo City, attended by more than 1,500 supporters from across Western Visayas, where she has family roots.
Her grandfather, Jose Miraflores Hontiveros, once served as governor of Capiz.
Hontiveros thanked Ilonggos and other Western Visayans for their early support.
She is among the names being floated in surveys for presidential candidates, a list currently led by Vice President Sara Duterte.
Other names include former Vice President and Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo and Senator Erwin Tulfo.
