Bam Aquino said efforts to unite the opposition for 2028 must go beyond election math and begin immediately, stressing that cooperation cannot wait for campaign season as the country faces mounting problems.
Aquino said a united opposition matters for the 2028 national and local elections, but he warned against limiting unity talks to poll strategy alone. He said different groups must start working together now, not just those who attended recent meetings. “It’s important that there are moves like these for 2028. It’s important that different groups come together, not just the people who were in that meeting. We really need to work together, not only for the next election but starting now,” he said.
He added that the urgency goes beyond politics and into governance. “The problems the country is facing are very serious, and even just the issues discussed in the hearings are already overwhelming. The problems in education alone are daunting. We shouldn’t wait until the next elections before helping one another. We should start working together now for the country,” Aquino said.
Aquino’s remarks followed a recent lunch with former vice president Leni Robredo and other figures associated with the liberal opposition. He said the gathering was not a strategy session but a chance to reconnect after a long period apart. “It was honestly more like a reunion. We hadn’t seen each other in a long time, so it was really good that we were able to get together. And, of course, we talked about what’s happening in our country and in our different advocacies, and it was nice to see everybody as well,” he said.
Pressed on whether the opposition already has a frontrunner for 2028, Aquino declined to give a direct answer. He said many people want Senator Risa Hontiveros to run, but emphasized that any decision rests with the individual concerned. Aquino said it is important to personally ask the former vice president about her plans before drawing conclusions.
Aquino said unity must be grounded in shared work and advocacy, not just electoral alliances, arguing that sustained cooperation starting now is what will shape the opposition’s strength by 2028.
