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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Opposition making 2028 poll moves if VP Sara impeachment fails

Opposition making 2028 poll moves if VP Sara impeachment fails

Published Aug 3, 2025 11:31 am  |  Updated Aug 3, 2025 02:48 pm
For former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros is the strongest and most qualified opposition candidate who could possibly go up against Vice President Sara Duterte in the 2028 presidential elections.

(From left) Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Vice President Sara Duterte, and Senator Risa Hontiveros (Photos from House of Representatives, Senate/MANILA BULLETIN)
(From left) Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Vice President Sara Duterte, and Senator Risa Hontiveros (Photos from House of Representatives, Senate/MANILA BULLETIN)
The former senator expressed his support for Hontiveros in a recent interview on Facts First, saying he would pick her over other possible opposition candidates such as Senator Bam Aquino and former vice president and now Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo.

"Assuming wala ulit mangyari doon sa impeachment trial na yon. Kung ano man ang mangyari, baka pigilin ulit ng Korte Supreme o ma-acquit sya. Ang tanong mo kasi paano mapapanagot eh. Pupunta tayo sa 2028, di ba? Yun na yon when else fails (Assuming that nothing will happen in that impeachment trial. Whatever happens, if the Supreme Court stops it or she gets acquitted. The question is how can we hold her accountable. We’ll look at 2028, right? When all else fails, that’s all we have)," he explained.

“Anyway, 2028 na ngayon ang importante. Kaya kailangang manalo iyong kandidato na may balls, ano figuratively, na mapanagot itong mga Duterte na ito (Anyway, what’s important now is 2028. So the candidate with balls, figuratively speaking, must win so we can hold these Dutertes accountable),” Trillanes added.

Although he found Aquino and Robredo to be “good persons” who can serve the country well “under peaceful conditions,” the former senator said that he had to rule them out after Aquino joined the Senate majority bloc, which included Duterte-allied senators, and Robredo’s alleged “personal ties” with the Vice President.

“Okay siya, sige, kumbaga maganda iyong saloobin niya. Pero kaibigan niya si Sara Duterte. Remember, pinapasok nga niya sa bahay niya, hinost niya doon. So papaano mo ngayon mapapanagot si Sara kung magpi-presidente si Leni (She’s okay, she has good intentions. But she’s friends with Sara Duterte. Remember, she let her inside her house, she hosted her there. So, how can you say now that she will hold Sara Duterte accountable if she becomes president),” he pointed out, referring to Duterte’s visit to Robredo’s home last year when the former attended the Peñafrancia festival in Naga City.

Manila Bulletin sought comment from Robredo and Aquino, but they have yet to reply as of posting time.

Trillanes also claimed that both Aquino and Robredo personally expressed to him that they are against involving the International Criminal Court (ICC) in going after former president Rodrigo Duterte.

“Hindi niya gagawin iyan. And believe me, ayaw nga nila, ayaw nga nila iyong ICC. Both Bam and Leni ayaw nila ng ICC, sinabi nila sa akin iyon. Kung mananalo daw si Leni nung 2022, hindi raw nila ibibigay si Digong sa ICC (They are not going to do that. And believe me, they don’t like the ICC. Both Bam and Leni they don’t like the ICC, they told me that. If Leni won in 2022, she will not give Digong to the ICC),” he stated.

“Kaya hindi ko sila puwedeng suportahan sa 2028. In fact, kokontrahin ko kasi alam ko hindi aligned iyong agenda namin (That’s why I cannot support them in 2028. In fact, I will oppose it because I know our agenda is not aligned),” Trillanes stressed.

The former senator ran under Robredo’s ticket in the 2022 elections. Of that group, only Hontiveros emerged as a winner after trailing in the Senate Magic 12.

Related Tags

Antonio Trillanes VP Sara Duterte 2028 presidential elections Risa Hontiveros impeachment
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