Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel

Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel (born Ana Theresia Hontiveros), is a Filipino activist, journalist, and politician who is serving her second term as the party-list representative of the Akbayan Citizens' Action Party to the Philippines' House of Representatives since 2004. Having served as a journalist for ten years before venturing into politics, she is a recipient of the Kapisanan ng Mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas' Golden Dove Award for Best Female Newscaster. She is the older sister of Journalist and Television Host Pia Hontiveros.

She has raised her profile in the UK, by making a formal complaint about a popular satirical British TV show Harry & Paul. A purportedly "racist" sketch depicts a wealthy southerner (played by Harry Enfield) who keeps a poor lethargic northerner (played by Paul Whitehouse) as a pet. The northerner is encouraged to mount the southerner's Filipina maid. Hontiveros described the September episode of Harry & Paul as "revolting and disgusting"; however, this is only one of a series of politically subversive sketches during the show's run in which Whitehouse's character is treated as a pet of some sort.

Political and Activist Affiliations

In Hontiveros-Baraquel's career as a politician and activist, she has been affiliated with a number of organizations and movements, including the following:

• Coalition for Peace (served as Secretary-General from 1988 to 1992)
• National Peace Conference (serving on its Governing Council since 1990).
• Government Panel for Peace Talks with the National Democratic Front (chairing the Panel's Reciprocal Working Committee on Socio-Economic Reforms from August 1998 to June 1999)
• Pandayan para sa Sosyalistang Pilipinas (Pandayan/Forge for a Socialist Philippines), a democratic socialist political organization (re-elected as Chairperson In August 2001)
• Pilipina, a socialist feminist organization
• Amnesty International Pilipinas (member of the Board of Directors)
• Institute for Politics and Governance
• Akbayan-Citizens Action Party (Executive Committee member)

Current Committee Memberships

Hontiveros-Baraquel currently serves as a member for the House Minority of the following Committees of the 14th Congress:

• Appropriations
• Ethics and Privileges
• Foreign Affairs
• Good Government and Public Accountability
• Health
• Higher and Technical Education
• Human Rights
• Natural Resources
• Peace, Reconciliation and Unity
• People Participation
• Rules
• Trade and Industry
• Women and Gender Equality

Sources

• Marcelo, Pepper (September 1-15, 2006). "Risa Hontiveros Baraquel: Not Your Typical Politico". Planet Philippines. Buzzword Media Corporation. http://www.workspresso.com/20070601%20edition/archives/2006/sep1-15-06/current/features_current/feature2.html. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
• "Hontiveros-Baraquel, Risa". Member Information - 14th Congress. http://www.congress.gov.ph/memberssearch.php?congress=14&id=baraquel. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
• "Rep. Risa Hontiveros". AKBAYAN: Ibangon Dangal ng Pilipino (Party Website). Akbayan Citizens' Action Party. http://www.akbayan.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=89. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
• "Women Leaders (Philippines)". Resources, publications, and papers of the Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics. Center for Asia Pacific Women in Politics. October 16, 2002. http://www.capwip.org/resources/leaders/phil.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-14. 
• "Personal Information, BARAQUEL, Risa Hontiveros". I-Site: The Information Site on Philippine Politics and Government. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism. http://i-site.ph/Databases/Congress/13thHouse/personal/baraquel-personal.html. Retrieved 2008-02-14.