Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Senator Risa Hontiveros leads a Senate hearing on March 4, 2025, in Pasay City, probing the cancellation of Alice Guo’s passport. She questions officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Bureau of Immigration about Guo’s whereabouts and possible lapses in monitoring her movements. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Risa

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/175738219826520250304-hontiveros-risa-guo-senate-hearing-MT-3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator Risa Hontiveros leads a Senate hearing on March 4, 2025, in Pasay City, probing the cancellation of Alice Guo’s passport. She questions officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Bureau of Immigration about Guo’s whereabouts and possible lapses in monitoring her movements. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATE)</strong> — Sen. Risa Hontiveros declined to chair the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, described as the &quot;most powerful&quot; panel in the chamber, according to newly-installed Senate President Vicente &quot;Tito&quot; Sotto III.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/sotto-replaces-escudero-as-senate-president-1544">Sotto replaces Escudero as Senate President</a></div><p>In an interview with ANC&#x27;s Headstart, Sotto revealed that Hontiveros was one of the contenders to helm the Blue Ribbon committee following the leadership revamp that saw the ouster of Sen. Francis Escudero as the Senate chief.</p><p>&quot;Yes indeed we&#x27;ve asked her... We asked if she was interested and she herself said no. You better ask her why,&quot; Sotto said.</p><div><br/></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/F2Vqar0nuug?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Hontiveros&#x27; name was floated as a possible Blue Ribbon chair, with many in social media citing her previous investigations on POGOs, Alice Guo, Apollo Quiboloy, among others.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/26/-this-is-for-you-senate-ends-pogo-probe-with-tribute-to-its-victims-1343">&#x27;This is for you&#x27;: Senate ends POGO probe with tribute to its victims</a></div><p>Sen. Ping Lacson was eventually picked to replace Sen. Rodante Marcoleta as the Blue Ribbon chair.</p><p>According to Sotto, even Hontiveros preferred Lacson in the post.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHO ARE THE CONTENDERS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Sotto said four senators were in contention to lead the Blue Ribbon, which he described as the &quot;most powerful&quot; committee in the Senate.</p><p>&quot;[It&#x27;s a] very crucial and very important committee, it is the most powerful committee. It&#x27;s the only committee in the Senate that can call a hearing motu proprio without a resolution, a bill, without a privilege speech, whatever. That&#x27;s how powerful the chair of Blue Ribbon Committee is,&quot; Sotto said.</p><p>Aside from Hontiveros and Lacson, Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Pia Cayetano were &quot;seriously&quot; considered for the post.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/8/senate-panel-cites-ex-dpwh-exec-in-contempt-over-casino-grilling-1247">Senate Blue Ribbon panel cites ex-DPWH exec in contempt over casino grilling</a></div><p>&quot;Most of them, especially Risa, said Sen. Lacson would definitely fit the bill, so to speak,&quot; Sotto shared.</p><p>Sotto said Lacson has the &quot;investigative prowess, background, experience&quot; to lead the Blue Ribbon. </p><p>Lacson was also elected as the Senate President Pro Tempore.</p><p>The Blue Ribbon committee is currently investigating the controversial flood control projects in the country marred by corruption. </p><p>In his first speech as the new Senate president, Sotto said he wants to make the Senate more cooperative, but also independent.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>OTHER COMMITTEES</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>In a separate interview, Hontiveros said the new Senate leadership will soon be announcing movements in the committee chairmanships of the chamber.</p><p>&quot;Magpapatuloy mamaya yung pag-elect ng mga bagong chairpersons. So hopefully magkakaroon ako ng dagdag na komite,&quot; Hontiveros told DZMM.</p><p>While she is already chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women, Hontiveros also hopes to take on the Committee on Health, currently under Sen. Bong Go.</p><p>&quot;I hope so. Tingnan po natin mamaya. It ain&#x27;t over till the fat lady sings. Intayin po natin yung eleksyon mamayang hapon po sa session.&quot; </p><div><strong>—With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS </strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><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/Dy_rYJEYBGM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><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/uc3IbLqprtI?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>"Yes indeed we've asked her... We asked if she was interested and she herself said no. You better ask her why," Senate President Tito Sotto said.</p>
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"Yes indeed we've asked her... We asked if she was interested and she herself said no. You better ask her why," Senate President Tito Sotto said.

Hontiveros declined Blue Ribbon chairmanship: Sotto

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Hontiveros declined Blue Ribbon chairmanship: Sotto

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 09, 2025 09:45 AM PHT

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Updated September 09, 2025 04:23 PM PHT

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Senate

Blue Ribbon

Risa Hontiveros

Tito Sotto

politics

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