MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros is no longer treating a possible 2028 presidential run as a distant political scenario.
The opposition senator says she is now actively preparing herself to become her political camp’s strongest possible candidate for the next presidential election—but she is stopping short of formally declaring that she will run.
Speaking to reporters on August 22, Hontiveros said she was “preparing very hard” and “working very hard” in hopes of emerging as the candidate her allies believe has the best chance of winning in 2028.
Her latest remarks represent one of her clearest signals yet that a presidential campaign is being seriously considered.
But there is a crucial condition.
Hontiveros said she believes her political allies should ultimately rally behind one candidate, even if that person turns out to be someone other than her.
“If it turns out that I am the strongest possible candidate from our ranks, then I will talk to our allies,” she said in Filipino and English, according to reports on her remarks.
She stressed that unity would be essential if her camp wants what she described as a “fighting chance” in the presidential election.
Hontiveros Has Been Moving Closer to a Decision
The senator’s latest statement did not emerge in isolation.
In June, during a visit to Cebu, Hontiveros acknowledged that she was “seriously considering” running for president and was already preparing for the possibility.
At the time, she said opposition forces needed to identify the “strongest, best, most attractive and hopeful” option they could present to Filipino voters.
She also indicated that the broader democratic opposition hoped to settle on a standard-bearer by the end of 2026 or, at the latest, during the first quarter of 2027.
That timetable is significant.
Rather than waiting until shortly before the filing of candidacies, Hontiveros and her allies appear to be discussing consolidation well ahead of the 2028 election.
She Is Willing to Step Aside
Perhaps the most politically significant part of Hontiveros’ position is that she has repeatedly avoided portraying herself as the automatic opposition nominee.
In an August interview, she said she would support another candidate if that person proved to have a stronger chance of winning.
Her message has essentially been: prepare to run, but be prepared to give way.
That strategy could become important in preventing the fragmentation of voters opposed to the country’s other major political blocs.
Earlier in February, Hontiveros similarly said she was open to whatever role a united opposition might assign her—including running for president or vice president.
That statement came after she met with several prominent opposition figures, including former Vice President and current Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno and former senator Leila de Lima.
Hontiveros clarified at the time that no individual presidential candidate had been formally selected during those discussions.
The Race Already Has a Declared Heavyweight
Hontiveros’ deliberations are unfolding against a major political reality: Vice President Sara Duterte has already formally announced that she intends to run for president in 2028.
Duterte made the declaration on February 18, saying unequivocally that she would seek the presidency.
Her announcement transformed what had previously been months of speculation into an actual declared political intention and effectively gave potential rivals an early benchmark for preparing their own campaigns.
Duterte also enters the early race with substantial support in opinion polling.
A Pulse Asia survey conducted from June 28 to July 3 and again on July 6 found Duterte receiving 49 percent support in one six-way hypothetical presidential contest.
Former Vice President Leni Robredo followed with 26 percent, while Senator Raffy Tulfo received 14 percent.
The results are not a prediction of the 2028 outcome—the election remains nearly two years away and candidate lineups can change considerably—but they illustrate the scale of the challenge facing any opposition challenger.
Where Does Hontiveros Fit?
Hontiveros’ potential candidacy would offer voters a politician whose national profile has grown largely through legislative investigations and policy battles.
She has been one of the Senate’s most prominent figures in investigations involving Philippine offshore gaming operators, including inquiries that helped expose alleged criminal networks connected to illegal POGO operations.
She also chaired the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, which handled major investigations into alleged abuses involving POGOs and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
That record has helped establish Hontiveros as one of the most recognizable politicians outside the Duterte and Marcos political camps.
Grassroots supporters have also started organizing around the possibility of her candidacy.
In July, supporters launched the “Risa Na!” movement in Cebu, part of an effort encouraging her to seek the presidency and consolidate groups supportive of a potential Hontiveros campaign.
Even then, however, the senator had made no formal declaration.
The Opposition’s Bigger Problem: Finding One Candidate
Hontiveros’ challenge may therefore involve something more complicated than simply deciding whether she wants to become president.
The opposition first needs to decide who can realistically compete nationwide.
That calculation could involve polling, regional support, political machinery, coalition-building capability and the willingness of other major personalities to either run or stand aside.
Hontiveros appears determined to avoid a scenario in which multiple candidates from the same broad political constituency divide the vote.
Her repeated insistence on choosing just one standard-bearer suggests that coalition-building may become as important as campaigning itself.
And that could produce difficult negotiations.
If Hontiveros emerges as the strongest contender, she says she is prepared to ask her allies to unite behind her.
If someone else proves stronger, she says the coalition should support that person instead.
No Formal Declaration Yet
That distinction is important because social media posts have already circulated falsely claiming that Hontiveros has made statements she never made about the 2028 election.
VERA Files has debunked multiple fabricated quote cards involving her potential presidential run, including claims that she had promised not to run under certain circumstances and that she described a possible contest against Sara Duterte as an “easy fight.”
No credible record supports those statements.
As of August 23, 2026, the most accurate description of Hontiveros’ position is therefore straightforward:
She is seriously preparing for the possibility of running for president—but she has not formally declared her candidacy.
And the biggest decision may not ultimately be hers alone.
Her political camp still has to determine who gives it the strongest chance of winning.
For Hontiveros, the next phase of the 2028 race may therefore be less about announcing her ambition—and more about proving that she should be the one candidate everyone else is willing to follow.
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