Hontiveros’ goal: Get Senate minority leadership or form independent bloc
Senator Risa Hontiveros
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Risa Hontiveros has openly declared her interest to become the next Senate minority leader in the next 20th Congress.
Hontiveros and outgoing Sen Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III are the only minority members in the current 19th Congress.
So when asked on Wednesday at the Kapihan sa Senado if she would be interested to become the next minority leader, Hontiveros answered in the affirmative.
“Of course. That’s the goal of any minority bloc from an outgoing Congress — especially if they’ve succeeded in getting additional allied senators elected — to still be able to form the minority in the next Congress,” she said.
actively campaigned for Senators-elect Bam Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan in the recently concluded May elections.
“But as in everything in organizing the Senate, it’s a matter of numbers,” she explained.
Hontiveros noted the practice in Congress wherein the losing candidate for the Senate presidency, who gets the second highest vote, automatically becomes the minority leader.
If that happens and she does not become a minority leader, Hontiveros still has a Plan B – join or lead an independent bloc in the upper chamber.
Although she has yet to discuss her plans with Aquino and Pangilinan, she is hoping that they would be together either in the minority or in an independent bloc.
Hontiveros ruled out the possibility of joining either the so-called Duterte bloc or the majority group in the upper chamber.
“I have no plans to join a Duterte bloc,” Hontiveros said.
Senator Risa Hontiveros (Picture from her office)
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa earlier identified him and four others— incumbent Senators Robin Padilla, Christopher “Bong” Go and Imee Marcos, and Senator-elect Rodante Marcoleta — as the Duterte bloc.
All five are known supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is now detained at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.
The former leader is facing trial there for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with his administration’s war on illegal drugs.
Hontiveros does not also see herself joining the majority group. She said this position is just consistent with her stand for almost a decade.
“For me, in order to remain consistent with the past nine years — and to stay even more consistent in the years ahead, up to 2028, 2034 and 2040 — it’s important to continue not joining the majority, especially since I am not an ally of the administration,” she pointed out.
“It’s also important to provide an alternative pole or center of gravity for the opposition and other independent forces, including those outside the Senate,” the senator concluded./apl
(NOTE: The English translations in the article were AI-generated.)
