Rissa Hontiveros charms the press

RISA HONTIVEROS, Akbayan representative who's now running for the senate, easily charmed the press with her winning ways. A noted student activist at the Ateneo who became a community organizer for farmers and fishermen, she'd later shine as a TV journalist hosting "Firing Line" with the late Teddy Benigno, "Magandang Umaga" with Korina Sanchez, and "Street Pulse" with Butch Abad. She's also a former theatre actress best known for "The Sound of Music". When prodded by the press to sing, she did her own endearing version of "Something Good" and "Sana Maulit Muli", a capella. One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of 2001 for her Peace Advocacy as Sec-Gen. of Coalition for Peace, she was even nominated for the Nobel Prize.

A widow, she lost her husband, Col. Frank Baraquel, to heart attrack five years ago and she's now raising her four children (three teeners Kiko, Issa and Ianna, and 8 year old Sinta) by herself, doing an admirable balancing act as mom (she herself takes her kids to school and they go out to bond every weekend) and as a public servant. She's pretty and looks younger than her age, 44, and although she has suitors, she doesn't see the need to remarry.

If ever her life would be filmed, she'd like Iza Calzado to portray her. "I just saw her in 'Working Girls' and she's great. And I love Eugene Domingo in that movie, tawa ko nang tawa sa kanya."

Risa laughed when informed that the film's PR is also her PR, Shirley Pizarro. "I didn't know that, ha. I really love watching local films at napaiyak din ako ni Vilma Santos in 'In My Life'. Sa Hollywood, my faves are the romantic films 'Out of Africa' and 'The English Patient'."

When she appeared in ABS-CBN's Harapan with other senatoriables, she impressed viewers and was the landslide winner in the online voting. Everyone agrees she's a perfect example of beauty and brains who'll surely be a great asset to the senate.