Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday, June 30 said she will not join the majority bloc when the Senate President is elected in the upcoming opening of the 20th Congress in July 28.

“I will not join the majority again. I haven't been part of the majority in almost nine years. And tingin ko (And I think), consistent sa pagiging miyembro ko ng minority (consistent with my being part of the minority). Either manatili sa minority or magbuo ng isang independent bloc o maging (I will remain in the minority or we will create an independent bloc or I will be) independent,” Hontiveros said during a press conference at the Senate.

“Hindi lang dahil sa nakaraan, pero dahil din sa kinabukasan. Gusto ko talagang magsalamin kami o magsalamin ako dito sa loob ng Senado, dun sa mas malakas na oposisyon na gusto kong buuin namin, tulungan naming buuin sa labas ng Senado (Not just because of the past, but also because of the future. I really want us to reflect or I will reflect here inside the Senate, a stronger opposition that I want us to build, to help build, outside the Senate),” she said.

Hontiveros said that while would have wanted to be minority leader, many of her colleagues have already formed a bloc. 

“Well, gusto ko man, ngayon pa lang may bloke na ng mga kasama kong senador na mas marami na ang bilang. Mas marami sa isa at mas marami pa sa tatlo. So, tingnan na lang po natin paano mag-unfold yung pag-organisa ng Senado ng 20th Congress sa umaga ng 29th sa opening of session (Well, I would like to, but just now there is a bloc of my fellow senators who are more numerous. More than one and more than three. So, let's just see how the organization of the Senate of the 20th Congress will unfold on the morning of the 29th at the opening of session),” Hontiveros said.

“At yun din yung mga scenarios na kinoconsider namin ni Sen. Kiko at Sen. Bam (And those are also the scenarios that Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, Sen. Bam Aquino and I are considering),” she said.

Nevertheless, Hontiveros said she appreciates Sen. Vicente Sotto III—who is supposedly running against Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero for the Senate leadership—for apparently respecting her position.

“Hindi na niya ako kinakausap tungkol sa pagsali sa majority kung siya ay lalaban sa SP kasi alam nila na mananatili ako either sa minority or magiging ibang bloke pa which right now I call independent (He's no longer asking me about joining the majority if he runs for SP because they know I'll either stay in the minority or become another bloc, which right now I call independent),” she said.

“Kasi kahit nung panahon ni Sen Tito, di ba naging minority ako. So na-appreciate ko yung appreciation din nila tungkol sa posisyon ko (Because even during Sen. Tito's time, I was part of the minority. So I appreciated their appreciation for my position),” Hontiveros said.