Fact Check: Hontiveros Presidential Bid Quote Card Confirmed as Fake

The wave of misinformation surrounding Senator Risa Hontiveros’ potential presidential run has prompted the lawmaker to issue a direct denial after a fabricated quote card went viral on social media.

A Facebook post claiming that Senator Hontiveros had announced her presidential candidacy for 2028 “due to public clamor” has been debunked as false. The post, shared by user Lorna Rulona Cubio Sucre, gained significant traction online with over 38,000 reactions, 23,000 comments, and 602 shares before being flagged for misinformation.

The viral quote card featured an image of Hontiveros alongside fabricated statements suggesting she would run for president out of “conscience” due to public pressure. The caption accompanying the post read, “Ganon ba? Ok, good luck sa 2028 puhon” (Really? Okay, good luck in 2028).

Taking to her official Facebook account on January 27, Hontiveros categorically denied making such statements and urged the public to report both the misleading post and the account responsible for spreading it.

Fact-checkers have confirmed that the image used in the fabricated quote card was taken from a January 21 Kapihan sa Senado press conference. During this event, Hontiveros focused on pressing national issues including Chinese harassment in the West Philippine Sea and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee’s investigation into alleged flood control corruption. At no point during the conference did she discuss presidential ambitions.

The fabricated content appears to be exploiting Hontiveros’ earlier comments from May when she stated she was “open to all possibilities” when asked about potentially becoming the opposition’s standard-bearer in the 2028 presidential elections. She reiterated this noncommittal stance during a talk at Harvard University in October 2025.

Political analysts note that premature campaigning and misinformation about potential candidates tend to intensify as election cycles approach. As one of the more prominent opposition figures in the Senate, Hontiveros has become a frequent target of political disinformation campaigns.

“This pattern of fabricating statements from public figures is particularly concerning as we move closer to another election cycle,” said a political communications expert who requested anonymity. “These falsified quote cards are designed to either damage reputations or create confusion about politicians’ actual positions.”

The incident highlights the ongoing challenge of combating political misinformation on social media platforms in the Philippines, where Facebook remains a dominant source of news and information for many citizens. Recent studies have shown that fabricated political content can spread up to six times faster than factual information on social media networks.

The proliferation of such content underscores the importance of media literacy and fact-checking initiatives, particularly as the country begins preparations for the 2028 electoral cycle.

Citizens are encouraged to verify information from official sources and report suspicious content to help combat the spread of misinformation online.