REELECTED Sen. Risa Hontiveros yesterday said leading the opposition would be “very challenging” under the administration of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. because of the current political climate in the country.
Hontiveros is the lone opposition senator to be elected in the May 9 elections, getting 15.4 million votes in the Senate race.
“It would be very challenging not just for any leader, but for the whole opposition. All of us in the opposition will really have to take stock of things again to think about, ask, listen, and talk with each other,” Hontiveros told CNN Philippines in an interview Tuesday.
She said the opposition will also need to get the pulse of the people as to what issues to focus on and address in the incoming administration as she stressed the need to “rebuild and build unities” with and among the people.
Hontiveros, who took her oath of office on Monday before outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo, said the opposition have a lot of unfinished business to accomplish.
“We have an accumulation of hurdles in the past decades and in the past few years. Some of them we attempted to clear, some we were able to clear, but there’s still a lot of unfinished business, still a lot of loose ends not tied up,” she said.
Asked what the hurdles are, Hontiveros mentioned emergence of the country from the economic problems due to the COVID-19 pandemic, accountability for corruption among public officials, and maritime territorial dispute with China, among others.
At the same time, Hontiveros, who accepted the mantle of the leadership of the opposition from Robredo, assured the public that they would not simply oppose the Marcos administration but would also present alternative plans and policies to address the issues that confront the country.
