Hontiveros ‘preparing very hard’ for single presidential bet in 2028

ILOILO CITY — Sen. Risa Hontiveros said she is preparing  for a possible presidential run in 2028, but stressed that the opposition should ultimately rally behind a single candidate with the strongest chance of winning.

Speaking at a press conference here on Friday, Aug. 21, Hontiveros said she was strengthening her organization and political standing while assessing whether she could emerge as the opposition’s strongest standard-bearer.

READ: ‘Risa Na’ drive starts in Bacolod for Hontiveros’ 2028 presidential bid

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“I am preparing very hard. Working very hard,” Hontiveros said when asked how far she was in deciding whether to seek the presidency.

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She said the goal was not simply to secure her own candidacy but to identify the strongest possible candidate for the 2028 elections.

“I always say, just one. That’s why I’m preparing, I’m strengthening myself,” she said.

Hontiveros said that if political indicators eventually showed that she was the opposition’s most viable choice, she would seek the support of her party and allied groups.

“If it turns out that I am the strongest, that I can be elected from our party, then I will talk to the members, the allies in our party,” she said.

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She added that she would present the indicators supporting her candidacy and make the case for the coalition to unite behind her.

“It’s important that [we have] just one. Let’s unite around the strongest one, so that we have a fighting chance,” Hontiveros said.

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The senator also thanked supporters in Iloilo who had earlier publicly encouraged her to run for president.

“I am very, very appreciative of your support and encouragement,” she said.

Her remarks were among her clearest yet on preparations for a possible presidential campaign, although she stopped short of formally declaring her candidacy.

Hontiveros has previously said the opposition should field a common candidate in 2028 rather than fragment its votes among several contenders.

Early surveys, however, show the senator still facing a steep challenge in the surveys of presidential preferences currently dominated by Vice President Sara Duterte.

In Pulse Asia’s July 2026 nationwide survey, Duterte remained ahead in all of the hypothetical presidential matchups tested. In a direct contest between Duterte and Hontiveros, 60 percent chose Duterte while 21 percent preferred Hontiveros. In a three-way race involving Duterte, Sen. Erwin Tulfo and Hontiveros, Duterte obtained 56 percent, Tulfo 16 percent and Hontiveros 13 percent.

The same Pulse Asia survey also showed high public interest in the elections even with nearly two years remaining before Filipinos choose the successor to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.. Some 89 percent of Filipino adults said they were interested in the May 2028 polls, including 59 percent who said they were “truly interested.”

Other recent surveys have similarly placed Hontiveros behind Duterte and other prospective presidential contenders when respondents were presented with a broader field.

A July survey by Momentum Research Inc. placed Duterte at 44.2 percent, followed by Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo at 23.8 percent and Sen. Raffy Tulfo at 12.2 percent. Hontiveros received 2.4 percent.

Meanwhile, a WR Numero survey conducted in June placed Duterte at 39.4 percent, Robredo at 20.9 percent and Tulfo at 14.2 percent, with Hontiveros receiving 2.1 percent.

Despite the early numbers, Hontiveros indicated that the choice of a candidate should depend on political strength closer to the elections and on the ability of opposition forces to consolidate behind one standard-bearer.

She said the eventual candidate should be able to present Filipinos with a credible alternative and a vision of the country’s future.

“We can make the best offer to our countrymen, to our fellow citizens,” she said, referring to “the future we dream about” and “the future that we want to create.”

Hontiveros was here to address around 200 young people attending Youth Converge 2026 at PHINMA University of Iloilo, an event organized by SAKDAG Philippines to promote youth leadership, civic engagement and nation-building.

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“I’m preparing and hoping and praying that I will be the one,” she said. /jpv