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Nationalist People's Coalition

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Nationalist People's Coalition
LeaderEduardo Cojuangco Jr.
PresidentFrisco San Juan
ChairmanFaustino Dy Jr.
SpokespersonMichael John Duavit
Founded1991
HeadquartersPasig City
IdeologyNationalism
Populism
Political positionCentre
International affiliationNone
ColorsRed, White, Green
Website
[1]

The Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC is a political party in the Philippines.

History

The Party was founded in 1991 after some members of the Nacionalista Party led by then Rizal Governor Isidro Rodriguez bolted from the Nacionalista Party after some disagreements with Nacionalista party leader then Vice President Salvador Laurel in preparation for the 1992 Presidential elections. Members of the civil society including the business sector who called themselves as "Friends of Danding" invited business tycoon Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco to run as President and Senator Joseph Estrada as Vice President. Cojuangco lost the Presidential race, finishing third while Estrada taking away the Vice Presidency by landslide.[1]

NPC was a member of the Estrada-era Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino or LAMMP, the political vehicle of then Vice President Joseph Estrada in the 1998 Presidential elections. [2] Both the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Partido ng Masang Pilipino and NPC were members of LAMMP.

NPC bolted the now-defunct LAMMP after Estrada was ousted by a military-backed civilian uprising in January 2001.[2] When Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the Presidency, her "People Power Coalition," led by the Lakas-CMD party, became the dominant group in Congress.[3] The 75-member Lakas party led the "Sunshine Coalition," which also included the 61-member Nationalist People’s Coalition, some members of the Liberal Party, and several other minor parties. [3] The LDP party led the 20-member opposition bloc. [3]

In 2004, the LDP and NPC sought a reunification to push the presidential bid of businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco. Cojuangco, the NPC chair, was fielded as NPC's standard bearer in the 2004 elections, but withdrew.

Results for the 2004 elections show that NPC had 0 seats for the Senate while for the House of Representatives, NPC had 53 seats. [4]

In the 13th Congress of the Philippines, the ruling Lakas-CMD party led by Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. renewed its partnership with the Nationalist People's Coalition even as an alternative coalition of administration-affiliated parties was shaping up. [5]

In Background Note: Philippines, under Government and Political Relations, the U.S. Department of State writes: "Members of the Congress tend to have weak party loyalties and change party affiliation easily. There is no clear majority in the Senate, which changed its President in 2006." [3]

1995 Senatorial Slate

The NPC formed a full 12-man Senatorial slate for the May 8, 1995 Midterm Legislative and Local elections, as it became a full-fledged opposition party against the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos. They ran against the administration-backed Lakas-Laban Coalition.

Candidate Party Occupation
Rosemarie Arenas Nationalist People's Coalition businesswoman and socialite
Gaudencio Beduya Nationalist People's Coalition former Representative from Cebu
Anna Dominique Coseteng Nationalist People's Coalition Senator from Metro Manila
Amanda T. Cruz Nationalist People's Coalition businesswoman
Ramon Fernandez Nationalist People's Coalition professional basketball player
Gregorio Honasan Independent former military colonel
Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. Kilusang Bagong Lipunan Representative from Ilocos Norte and son of former President Ferdinand Marcos
Adelisa A. Raymundo Nationalist People's Coalition former Sectoral Representative from the Labor sector
Manuel C. Roxas Nationalist People's Coalition lawyer
Miriam Defensor-Santiago People's Reform Party lawyer and 1992 PRP Presidential nominee (lost to Fidel V. Ramos)
Almarin C. Tillah Nationalist People's Coalition Chairman of the Bangsamoro National Congress
Arturo Tolentino Nationalist People's Coalition Senator from Metro Manila

Results

The party only got 3 out of 12 possible seats in the Senate namely: (in order of votes received)

  • Miriam Defensor-Santiago
  • Gregorio Honasan
  • Anna Dominique Coseteng

The NPC Today

Just like the Liberal Party, the NPC is fragmented into two factions: one supportive of the incumbent administration, while the other supportive of the opposition. This dates way back on the 2004 elections where a majority of NPC members (including Danding Cojuangco himself) supported the candidacy of President Arroyo (the titular head of the Lakas-CMD and Kampi parties), while several NPC die-hards stuck with the late presidentiable Fernando Poe Jr., with Escudero leading them. In the 14 May 2007 election, the party won 26 seats [6].

Pro-Administration Members

Pro-Opposition members

Quote

  • "A political party that does not touch and improve the lives of the people has no reason to exist." - Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco

References

  1. ^ NPC Party History NPC website Retrieved 17 December, 2006.
  2. ^ a b Angara party roots for Danding Manila Standard Today Retrieved 8 December, 2006.
  3. ^ a b c d Background Note: Philippines U.S. Department of State Retrieved 9 December, 2006.
  4. ^ Introduction: PhilippinesCIA -The World Fact Book Retrieved 10 December, 2006.
  5. ^ Lakas, NPC renew coalition in House Philippine Daily Inquirer Retrieved December, 2006.
  6. ^ See Philippine general election, 2007.
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