Risa Hontiveros: The best senator of the country

I conducted a survey among my more than 1,000 students in four universities where I am teaching as to the most outstanding senators of the Republic. Senator Risa Hontiveros came out as the runaway winner. The second place went to Sonny Angara, followed by Mizg Zubiri, Grace Poe, JV Ejercito and Chiz Escudero who tied with Joel Villanueva. The lowest five places went to Lito Lapid, Robinhood Padilla, Bong Revilla, Mark Villar, and Bong Go.

Ana Theresia Navarro Hontiveros was born on February 24, 1966 in Manila. Her parents were from Panay and she was raised in Merville Park, Parañaque. She is the elder sister of Pia who is a TV journalist. Like her, Risa was a stage child actress who, at age 14, played the role of one of the Von Trapp children along with Lea Salonga, Monique Wilson, and Raymond Lauchengco in the Philippine version of “The Sound of Music” by Repertory Philippines. In those younger years, Risa was also involved in the activists' campaign against the Bataan Nuclear Plant. She graduated Cum Laude from Ateneo with a degree of Bachelor of Arts. She entered politics during the time of GMA and Risa actively helped in denouncing the "Hello, Garci" controversy. She was the third nominee of Akbayan in the congressional elections in 2004.

In 2010, Risa's party. Akbayan coalesced with PNoy's Liberal Party, and she ran and lost in the senatorial elections. She ran again in 2013 and she lost again, getting the number 17 slot where only 12 were deemed elected. But in 2016, she was finally elected under President PNoy's Team of Senadong Matuwid. In November 2016, Senator Risa led the massive rally that protested the burial of President Marcos Sr. in the Libingan ng mga Bayani. In the Senate, she is the most hardworking senator, always attending or presiding over committee hearings and initiating investigations in aid of legislation. She authored a number of bills on human rights, health, women's and children's rights and other pro-people, pro-women, and pro-poor legislations.

In 2022, Risa was reelected running under the banner of Leni Robredo-Kiko Pangilinan LP team. She was also adopted by the LEAD Team of Leody de Guzman. She was the 11th of the 12 winning senators that year. There are only two minority senators and so Koko Pimentel is the minority leader and Risa the assistant minority leader. She chairs the Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality. She investigated so many controversies including the Bamban, Tarlac, POGO controversy where a number of shenanigans have been unearthed. Earlier, it was her investigation that led to the filing of cases against a cult leader in Surigao del Sur for alleged trafficking of children.

Senator Risa is courageous, competent, conscientious, and committed. There is no other member of the Philippine Senate who can hold a candle when it comes to accomplishments and official stand on the country's most important issues. With due respect, she works harder than both the former and the current majority leaders Joel Villanueva and Francis Tolentino. She is more aggressive, focused, and relentless than the minority leader himself, Koko Pimentel. Senator Risa leads her staff to continue to research, to follow up on all cases ranging from those involving Quiboloy and Alice Guo.

Senator Risa always comes to both the plenary sessions and committee hearings well-prepared. This is the kind of legislator who should be awarded as the most outstanding senator of the republic. Unlike some actors who just come and go some sessions and do not even participate in the deliberation, Sen. Risa always declares her position very clearly and unequivocally. She has complete data wherever she takes the floor. She is also accessible to the media, both print and broadcast. She works more than 12 hours a day and is very focused, dedicated, and conscientious.

Instead of electing actors who have nothing to contribute to lawmaking, or members of family dynasties who bring into the august body their petty politics and parochial biases, we need to elect legislators like Sen. Risa, men and women like Leila de Lima, Bam Aquino, Richard Gordon, and Chel Diokno. This country can move forward with solons who are knowledgeable, without any dynasty or business empire to protect and men and women who have probity, wisdom, love of country, and independence of mind.