Risa Hontiveros: I hope I'll make it this time

MANILA -- Former Akbayan party-list Representative Risa Hontiveros hopes she will finally make it in the Top 12 winning senators in the coming 2013 midterm elections as she formalized her candidacy Friday morning.

Hontiveros ran for senator in the 2010 elections, also under the ticket of then presidential candidate President Benigno Aquino III, but placed only 13th.

Hontiveros got 9.1 million votes, one million less than her fellow Liberal Party (LP) candidate, Senator Teofisto TG Guingona III.

"I hope campaigning is sweeter the second time around. We learned our lessons in 2010 so I hope we will make it this time. I hope yung mga tamang nagawa naming noon ay pupunan yung pagkukulang naming noon by preparing earlier and even reaching out to a wider network," she told reporters.

The former Akbayan congresswoman trusts the endorsement of President Aquino will work its magic on her candidacy and the LP-led slate which she calls a "reform bloc".

If she wins, Hontiveros said she will continue to fight for womens rights, including their right to family planning, which is under the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

Hontiveros also defended the Akbayan party-list, who was sought to be disqualified by the Anakbayan youth group.

Calling Akbayan the biggest joke in the party-list system, the youth group noted that Akbayan is overrepresented in the Aquino government with its members holding various positions, including Commission on Human Rights chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales, former Akbayan president and the party-list groups first representative in the 11th Congress.

Aquino also appointed former Akbayan officials Ronald Llamas as presidential political affairs adviser, Joel Rocamora as head of National Anti-Poverty Commission, and Precival Cendena as National Youth Commission commissioner.

"Hindi masasabi overrepresented ang marginalized at underrepresented sectors," Hontiveros said. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)