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Opposition still gathering strength for midterm, presidential polls — Hontiveros

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ABS-CBN News

<p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">MANILA — Sen. Risa Hontiveros, the highest-ranking elected official in the traditional political opposition, says she is working on forming a credible opposition slate for the 2028 presidential elections.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">The traditional opposition, represented by the Liberal Party and Akbayan party since the 2016 elections, has fared poorly in past polls. </p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Hontiveros, reelected to a second term in 2022, said she is not considering running for higher office herself but told ANC’s “Headstart” that she is “100% considering” fielding a full slate “across the line” in 2028.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“Patuloy kaming magpapalakas, para by 2027, puwede kaming mag-usap (kung sino ang papatakbuhin),” she said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">(We will continue to gather strength so we will be able to discuss potential candidates by 2027.)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/28/hontiveros-rejects-joint-2025-slate-with-marcos-admin-due-to-historical-issues-1336">RELATED: Hontiveros rejects joint 2025 slate with Marcos admin due to &#x27;historical issues&#x27;</a></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Hontiveros said that she expects that the opposition will be able to gather more people closer to the next presidential elections.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">“[B]y then we should be in that position of strength na seseryosihn hindi lang ng admin pero seseryosohin ng ating mga kababayan at ng ating mga botante,” she said.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">(By then, we should be in that position of strength that the administration and the voters will take us seriously.)</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Vice President Sara Duterte’s resignation from the Cabinet of President Ferdinanrd Marcos Jr. has sparked talk of a new political opposition but the vice president has rejected the label.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">The Makabayan Bloc, with three seats at the House of Representatives, represents a separate opposition bloc, although it has worked with traditional parties in the past.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal;min-height:15px"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">Hontiveros said the 2028 opposition slate she is working to form “will be something different and something better para sa ating mga kababayan.”</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><p style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal">She said the opposition will announce the candidates they will field and support in the 2025 midterm elections.</p><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><br/></div><div style="margin-bottom:0px;line-height:normal"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/14/bam-aquino-leaves-liberal-party-to-lead-katipunan-ng-nagkakaisang-pilipino-2233">READ: Bam Aquino leaves Liberal Party to lead Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/79M7hJUdBEU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Hontiveros said that she expects that the opposition will be able to gather more people closer to the next presidential elections.</p>

Hontiveros said that she expects that the opposition will be able to gather more people closer to the next presidential elections.