By Junex Doronio
SEEING SOME YOUNG STUDENTS interested in getting involved in pushing for meaningful societal changes, potential opposition presidential bet in 2028 Senator Risa Hontiveros has impressed upon the visiting youth at the Senate that “public service is no walk in the park.”
Despite the challenges, the lone opposition survivor in the 2022 senatorial race told the National Youth Congress delegates during a recent visit to the Senate that the journey is worth taking.
“My dear students, serving the nation, and serving others is difficult – but it is worth the blood, sweat and tears. We have a beautiful country and amazing people – and these are worthy of our energies, our creativity, and our idealism,” Hontiveros said.
The democratic socialist (demsoc) lawmaker garnered over 15.2 million votes in the May 9, 2022 polls that catapulted her to the 11th spot among the 12 senatorial candidates to become part of the 19th Congress.
She expressed hope that the Senate visit would be a game-changer for the youth in pursuing public service and advocacy.
“I hope that today’s event will leave you with a new appreciation for public service and advocacy, if not a new purpose as a citizen and youth leader,” said Hontiveros who chairs the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality.
She recalled that during her younger days in high school at St. Scholastica’s College Manila, she attended a forum on advocating a nuclear-free country and it opened her eyes “to pollution, the dangers of nuclear power, corruption, greed and the need to stand up to these ills and challenges.”
Political analyst Ronald Llamas, who was once rumored to be the boyfriend of the widow senator, said Hontiveros is now the rightful leader of the opposition.
“(Former) Vice-President Robredo has transferred the leadership of the opposition to Risa Hontiveros, so she is now in a strategic position to harness the energies of the pink wave and create a new opposition with Akbayan Party as the lead,” Llamas stressed.
Hontiveros has flatly denied the rumors of having romantic links with Llamas, a reputed Christian Socialist who is more identified with the demsoc and social democratic (socdem) groups.
Some political observers told Maharlika NuMedia that a coalition of centrist and moderate left political forces may likely put up a Hontiveros-Llamas tandem for the 2028 presidential elections to challenge the probable administration teams of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez with either Senator Raffy Tulfo or ACT-CIS party-list Representative Erwin Tulfo as running mate and Vice President Sara Duterte with Senator Imee Marcos.
(AI/MNM)
