The united opposition is set to name its standard bearer for the 2028 presidential election before the end of this year or in the first quarter of 2027.
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros made the statement Wednesday when asked about Vice President Sara Duterte’s early declaration of her presidential bid.
When asked about their timeline for naming their standard bearer, Hontiveros said, “Andoon kami sa proseso ng pagtakda ng sariling timeline, so free will ay ginagamit din namin.”
“‘Yun ang task, we set ourselves [announcement of standard bearer of united opposition],” she added.
Hontiveros noted that opposition groups have been regularly meeting even before Duterte’s announcement, continuing discussions on shared values and qualifications for their candidate.
“Ilang taon na rin kaming magkakasama at regular na nag-uusap bago pa man itong recent important development. Patuloy ‘yung pagle-level off namin pagkakasundo ano ang aming requirements qualifications na aming hahanapin, ‘di nagbabago ‘yun,” she said.
She clarified that the opposition is not focused on individual qualifications per se, but on common values such as anti-corruption, good governance, a stronger economy, genuine unity, and national sovereignty.
“Not qualifications perse but common value, pagnanais ng anti-corruption, good governance mas malakas na ekonomiya, tunay na pagkakaisa, pambansang soberanya,” Hontiveros added.