Rowegie Abanto

Sens. Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan. Photo courtesy of Senator Risa Hontiveros/Facebook

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752118214712483368497_1205700760922020_7710700305463977000_n.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Sens. Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan. <em>Photo courtesy of Senator Risa Hontiveros/Facebook</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Sen. Kiko Pangilinan on Thursday indicated that there is no final decision yet on his political alignment in the Senate, amid talk that he and Sen. Bam Aquino are joining the majority bloc led by Senate President Chiz Escudero. </p><p>Pangilinan and Aquino, allies of Sen. Risa Hontiveros and whom she campaigned for during the 2025 national elections, are reportedly joining the Senate majority group when the 20th Congress opens on July 28 to get their preferred committee chairmanships — agriculture and education, respectively — and push their advocacies.</p><p>Some supporters have expressed disappointment, especially since the move <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgE3d2n0L1A">could effectively leave Hontiveros alone in the minority bloc</a>. Others say they trust the returning senators&#x27; decision will be for the greater good.</p><p>In a statement released Thursday morning on <a href="https://x.com/kikopangilinan/status/1943095226748539004">social media</a>, Pangilinan said he was talking to and would continue discussing the matter with Hontiveros and Aquino.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/17/its-official-bam-aquino-is-returning-to-senate-1706">It&#x27;s official: Bam Aquino is returning to Senate</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/18/kiko-pangilinan-takes-oath-before-justice-leonen-1857">Kiko Pangilinan takes oath before Justice Leonen</a></div><p>Pangilinan, who ranked 5th in a race of 12 in the senatorial polls, prefaced his statement by saying he believed that the &quot;biggest fight&quot; of the country is the one  against hunger, corruption, and poverty. </p><p>He said this was the fight he would &quot;never abandon&quot; and expressed confidence that he and Hontiveros and Aquino were united to fight hunger.</p><p>Aquino meanwhile has yet to comment on the matter.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH &#x27;ALL PARTIES&#x27;</strong></div><p>Pangilinan, who was a target of disinformation in the recent polls, said he was aware of &quot;rumblings regarding political alignments&quot; on social media, including remarks from critics who said he would be &quot;selling out to the enemy&quot; should he &quot;pursue a certain path.&quot;</p><p>While they are &quot;free to say what they wish,&quot; said Pangilinan, &quot;I did publicly express a willingness to work with all parties along principled boundaries to bring down high food prices and hunger.&quot;</p><p>He pointed out that when he filed his candidacy for senator in October, he said that &quot;walang kulay ang gutom&quot; (hunger has no color) and that he was &quot;willing to set aside partisan politics so both the legislative and executive branches can work together effectively to deliver solutions.&quot;</p><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAFz86TOfDIfqXIe&amp;cid=ABcAGLPvh6hP7NC1"></script><p>&quot;I believe what I ought to do, amidst all the chatter, the brickbats, is to focus on what I said I would do and simply walk the walk,&quot; he said.</p><p>Despite reports of her &quot;closest&quot; colleagues in the Senate joining the majority bloc, Hontiveros said Thursday she did not feel a sense of betrayal and that she would continue working with them &quot;in any and all capacity&quot; on their common advocacies.</p><p>She told ANC that she would focus on strengthening the opposition not just inside the Senate but also beyond its halls.</p><p>Hontiveros also raised the possibility of not joining either the minority or majority bloc and instead serving as an independent senator.</p><p>&quot;Each of us is responsible and accountable for our decisions,&quot; she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/9/hontiveros-shrugs-off-reports-kiko-bam-will-join-senate-majority-1438">Hontiveros shrugs off reports Kiko, Bam will join Senate majority</a></div>

<p>Sen. Kiko Pangilinan on Thursday indicated that there was still no final decision yet regarding his political alignment in the Senate, amid talk that he and Sen. Bam Aquino were shifting to the majority bloc.</p>

Sen. Kiko Pangilinan on Thursday indicated that there was still no final decision yet regarding his political alignment in the Senate, amid talk that he and Sen. Bam Aquino were shifting to the majority bloc.

Pangilinan says still talking with Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros on Senate alignments

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Pangilinan says still talking with Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros on Senate alignments

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 10, 2025 12:25 PM PHT

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