Riza Hontiveros
Ana Theresia "Risa" Navarro Hontiveros–Baraquel (born February 24, 1966) is a Filipino politician, community leader, and journalist serving as a Senator since 2016. She previously served as a party-list representative for Akbayan from 2004 to 2010.
In the Senate, Hontiveros sponsored the SOGIE Equality Bill and was an opposition figure to President Rodrigo Duterte, particularly on his controversial war on drugs. She is the de facto leader of the opposition to the administration of President Bongbong Marcos, following the end of Vice President Leni Robredo's term.
Since 2024, Hontiveros also co-hosts the radio program Oras at Bayan on Veritas 846.
Early life
Ana Theresia Navarro Hontiveros was born on February 24, 1966, in Manila, to a Panay Visayan lawyer and a Caviteño-Mindoreño Tagalog executive secretary. Raised in Merville, Parañaque, she grew up in a household that encouraged outspoken yet respectful dialogue.
Hontiveros belongs to prominent Filipino families. Her paternal lineage includes Jose Hontiveros, a former senator and associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, while her aunts and uncles include National Artists Hontiveros Avellana and Lamberto V. Avellana, Jesuit priest and liturgical music pioneer Eduardo Hontiveros, and Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) founder Nita Hontiveros-Lichauco. Her siblings include journalists Pia Hontiveros-Pagkalinawan and sustainability executive Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, while her extended family includes notable figures such as singer Leah Navarro, Cebu City Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros, and musician Barbie Almalbis.
She attended St. Scholastica's College, where she joined the glee club and participated in musical theater, including Repertory Philippines' The Sound of Music. Encouraged by her mother, she became socially aware at a young age, attending a Nuclear Free Philippines Coalition Symposium and organizing a campaign against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.
In college at the Ateneo de Manila University, Hontiveros became active in the student council, advocating for peace and justice for marginalized communities. While studying, she worked as a journalist and became pen pals with Philippine Military Academy cadet Francisco Baraquel Jr., who later became her husband. Hontiveros graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social sciences in 1987.
After graduation, Hontiveros pursued careers in journalism and teaching. She worked for networks IBC and GMA Network, co-anchoring programs like Firing Line and Headline Trese. She also served as Secretary-General of the Coalition for Peace, advocating for peace zones and leading discussions on socio-economic reforms in peace talks with the National Democratic Front. For her work, she received the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Award for Peace and Advocacy in 2001 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005.
