By Junex Doronio
WITH THE POSSIBLE presidential run of Senator Risa Hontiveros as the standard bearer of “third force” composed of centrist and moderate left political forces in 2028, self-styled political analyst Ronald Llamas has loomed as her running mate.
This possibility surfaced with the noticeable frequent guestings of Llamas in various podcast interviews.
Reliable sources said Llamas has been the consistent “admirer” of Hontiveros ever since 1986 when the first Marcos administration was toppled down in what is known as EDSA People Power Revolution after 20 years in power.
Their closeness triggered rumors that they were just more than friends or “comrades-in-arms” pursuing the social democratic (socdem) ideals.
In 2013, Llamas was once again rumored to be the boyfriend of Hontiveros but the widow senator denied this “chismis” (gossip).
“I am not seeing him. We never went out. We have been friends and colleagues for decades since I graduated from college. Magkasama kami sa Coalition for Peace,” Hontiveros said then.
Llamas’ “admiration” for Hontiveros can be gleaned in his June 30, 2022 interview with IPS (International Politics and Society) magazine which is based in the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s office in Brussels, Belgium.
IPS asked Llamas: “With Senator Risa Hontiveros, your party holds the only oppositional seat in the senate. What does it mean for your party Akbayan?”
He replied: “Risa Hontiveros will not only be the leader of the opposition in the Senate but in the whole country. The positive thing about being the lone opposition senator in the Senate is that you get to sit in all the committees. This gives her a platform from which to articulate her grievances and her vision.”
Llamas stressed: “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.”
(ai/mmm)
