Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday said she is not hurt by the possibility that fellow opposition lawmakers, Senators Bam Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, might join the Senate majority bloc.

In a brief interview with reporters, Hontiveros responded to reports that Aquino and Pangilinan — whom she personally supported and campaigned for during the May elections — may be leaving the minority bloc to align with the current Senate leadership.

“I’m not hurt. As I said, what matters is that I will continue to stand firm. If each of us has our own strategy, then so do I,” she told reporters in Filipino on the sidelines of her filing of cyber-libel cases against a former Senate witness and political vloggers.

“What’s important is that I remain focused on the goals of the opposition, both inside and outside the Senate,” she added.

Earlier, Senator Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Jinggoy Estrada floated that Aquino and Pangilinan have decided to join the Senate Majority bloc and intend to support the leadership of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

However, Hontiveros said she is not yet certain whether the two returning senators would indeed join the majority bloc. Aquino and Pangilinan have yet to confirm their reported shift to the majority bloc.

In a separate interview, former Senate President Franklin Drilon said Aquino and Pangilinan’s supposed decision to join the majority bloc does not mean they are abandoning the opposition.

“They didn’t switch directions. Bam campaigned on the platform of education. Kiko campaigned on the platform of food security,” Drilon said.

“That's precisely what they are pursuing by getting into the majority bloc to head the committees on which they stood as an issue when they were campaigning," he added.