By Lane Afable, News Editor
Philippine Senator Risa Hontiveros addressed an audience of world leaders and activists at the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilisation (GPM) in Barcelona, Spain, on April 17–18, 2026, where she spoke on the Philippines’ ongoing struggle to defend democratic institutions.
Hontiveros, who leads the progressive opposition party Akbayan, was among the featured speakers at the two-day summit hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via.
The GPM brought together leaders, activists, and thinkers from progressive parties and movements across all regions to reflect, exchange, and coordinate on the defining challenges of our time.
In a post from Barcelona, Hontiveros thanked Sánchez for the invitation and outlined her core message: that democracy must be felt in the daily lives of ordinary people — farmers, fisherfolk, workers, and overseas Filipino workers.
She stressed the need for trustworthy institutions that hold power to account and called on global leaders to commit to the principle that no government and no person is above accountability.
A senator since 2016 and a longtime advocate of human rights, gender equality, and access to healthcare, Hontiveros has been a prominent figure in the Philippine progressive opposition, and has been a leading voice in the Senate’s scrutiny of the Marcos administration.
Her participation places the Philippines within a broader international conversation about democratic backsliding.
The summit was framed around coordinated responses to inequality, democratic erosion, and the advance of conservative and far-right forces globally, with more than 3,000 participants from over 100 parties across five continents in attendance.
Joining Hontiveros on the speaker roster were the Presidents of Brazil, South Africa, Colombia, Uruguay, and Mexico, as well as US Democratic figures including Senator Chris Murphy and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
The Barcelona summit closed with the announcement that Mexico will host the next edition in 2027, with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s proposal receiving broad support from attending leaders.
