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Nationalist People's Coalition

Conservative political party in the Philippines From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nationalist People's Coalition
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For the Dutch political organization, see Nationalist People's Movement.

The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) is a conservative political party in the Philippines which was founded in 1992 by presidential candidate Danding Cojuangco.

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History

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Formation

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Nationalist People's Coalition logo in 1992

In 1990, amid political and economic uncertainty in the aftermath of the 1986 People Power Revolution, members of civil society and business groups invited businessman Danding Cojuangco, a former associate of deposed President Ferdinand Marcos, to lead a national coalition for the 1992 national elections. Cojuangco's supporters, who called themselves Friends of Danding, began organizing because of limited time before the polls.

Cojuangco expressed interest in running under the Nacionalista Party where he had long-standing ties, provided the nomination process was fair. Two other national figures were also seeking the party nomination, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and Vice President Salvador Laurel who was the party president. Internal disputes arose between Laurel and former Rizal Governor Isidro Rodriguez over the nomination rules. With the issues unresolved and the party divided, Cojuangco's backers formed a new party, Partido Pilipino, led by Jerry Barican, Antonio Gatmaitan, and Butch Valdes. The Commission on Elections officially registered the party on February 5, 1991.

Nacionalista eventually split into the Laurel and Rodriguez wings, with the latter supporting Cojuangco. A court ruling in favor of the Laurel wing prompted Cojuangco's allies to consolidate under a broader umbrella group, the Nationalist People's Coalition. This coalition included the Rodriguez wing, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), Partido Pilipino and its regional parties such as Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija, sectoral groups, and independent politicians.

Ramos years: 1992–1998

1992 election

In the 1992 elections, Cojuangco ran for president under the NPC banner with Senator Joseph Estrada, whose Partido ng Masang Pilipino coalesced with NPC, for vice president. Other NPC candidates for various races ran under affiliated parties. Cojuangco placed third, being defeated by Marcos' cousin Fidel Ramos, while Estrada won the vice presidential race in a landslide. After the elections, Partido Pilipino was renamed as the Nationalist People's Coalition, formalizing the group into a political party with leadership transferred to newly-elected NPC officers.[10] Also, NPC joined the Lakas-led Rainbow Coalition, a House caucus coalition formed with multiple parties, including Lakas,[11] and won 5 Senats seats (which 4 of them are half-termers placing between 13–24) which Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP, then known as Laban) dominated.

1995 elections: A party and an opposition coalition

NPC became a party and the official opposition against Lakas–Laban Coalition, led by Ramos and Ed Angara of Laban. NPC drafted including half-termers Nikki Coseteng and Arturo Tolentino, tapped Congressman Bongbong Marcos of KBL, former military mutineer Gringo Honasan and Miriam Defensor Santiago of PRP.[12] It was then rumored that then-Senate President Ernesto Maceda already conceded to President Ramos days before the election day, as the latter also claimed.[13] Only Santiago, Honasan, and Coseteng managed to win.

Estrada years: 1998–2001

1998 elections: Erap's Victory and the rise of Bright Boys

The NPC was a member of the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino (LAMMP) together with Angara's LDP, Estrada's PMP, and Pimentel's PDP–Laban. LAMMP served as the political vehicle of vice president Joseph Estrada in the 1998 presidential elections.[14] Also, in the House elections, some youngesters who will be serve in the future as either senators or cabinet members are elected such as Chiz Escudero (became Senator), and Gilbert Teodoro (founder's nephew, and future Defense Secretary), and Ace Durano of Cebu which Estrada dubbed as the Bright Boys.[15]

2000: Estrada Impeachment

After Speaker Manny Villar (LAMMP) successfully pushed impeachment on the house plenary, the pro-Estrada group kicked Villar out of speakership and they tapped Arnulfo Fuentebella as replacement. Fuentebella's speakership tenure is the only instance a current NPC member held the said position. It left the LAMMP after Estrada was removed from power in January 2001.[14]

Arroyo years: 2001–2010

2001

When Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assumed the presidency in January 2001, her People Power Coalition (led by the Lakas) became the dominant group in Congress.[16] The 75-member Lakas party led the "Sunshine Coalition," which included the 61-member NPC, members of the Liberal Party, and several other minor parties.[16] The Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) party led the 20-member opposition bloc.[16] In the Senate race, being not having candidate, NPC junked 5 opposition candidates from Pwersa ng Masa namely Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado, former DSWD Usec Jamby Madrigal, Muslim leader Ombra Tamano, former Sen. Santanina Rasul and former Information Undersecretary Reuben Canoy.[17]

2003

Main article: Brat Pack (House of Representatives of the Philippines)

In 2003, NPC stalwarts led by Escudero, and Teodoro filed an impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Hilario Davide for allegedly misusing judiciary funds for acquiring luxury cars and homes, but even though the said impeachment complaint successfully gained votes of signatures enough for its succession,[18] Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional, and the House killed the impeachment.[19] With the failure of impeachment in the House, rumors speculated that the coalition will go to abolishment, as pro-impeachment congressmen, mainly from the NPC disappointed in the failure of impeachment.[20] The rumors spread, also saying that there is a faction that are lacking of satisfaction on de Venecia and will challenge his speakership.[20][21] NPC later prompted to quit in the coalition for the 2004 elections,[22] and later rumored to join the opposition.[23]

2004 elections

In 2003, the LDP and NPC backed businessman Danding Cojuangco as a potential presidential candidate in that year's elections.[14] Cojuangco, the NPC chair, withdrew from the campaign. But before the end of the year, NPC was sending 'mixed signals' that possibly confuse the public whether they will stay on the administration camp or jump into the opposition.[24] Although the NPC had no seats in the Senate, the party had 53 seats in the House of Representatives after the election.[25]

After Cojuangco withdrawn from the presidential elections, the NPC was divided— with Danding, and his sons Charlie and Mark, and nephew Gilbert Teodoro hails for supporting incumbent while the other group led by Escudero, former Senate President Ernesto Maceda, and Darlene Custodio supported Fernando Poe Jr.'s campaign. Escudero, who became Poe's spokesman berated and protested against widespread cheating while in congressional canvassing.[26]

2005

In mid-2005, led by its House Leader Chiz Escudero, his anti-Arroyo NPC colleagues launched an impeachment complaint against incumbent President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was apologizing for being busted for calling an election commissioner to ensure her win.[27] Ultimately, Lakas-led House crushed the impeachment 158–51.[28]

2007

With Escudero and newly-sworn member Loren Legarda joining Geniuine Opposition (GO), LDP stalwarts Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino Oreta left their party and joined the NPC, but the latter two become ticket candidates of administration's TEAM Unity. Sotto claimed that some GO supporters and politicians defecting to the NPC.[29] Escudero and Legarda managed to win, but Sotto and Aquino-Oreta lost.

Escudero and Teodoro's ambition for 2010

Two of its former House stalwarts, Senator Chiz Escudero and Defense Secretary Teodoro left NPC for their presidential ambitions.[30] Teodoro joined Lakas–Kampi and launched his presidential campaign there, while Escudero planned also to run for presidency, but later withdrawn his bid and launched NoyBi. NPC, led by its new chairman Faustino Dy Jr.,[31] forged a coalition with Manny Villar's Nacionalista to support the latter's presidential campaign with selection of Loren Legarda as running mate.

Aquino years: 2010–2016

2010: with Manny Villar

After Manny Villar of Nacionalista officially launched his campaign for presidency, his party and NPC launched a coalition building, with Legarda and Escudero are considered to be his running-mate,[32] with the selection of the former.

2013

With Tito Sotto's chairmanship assumption, NPC forged an alliance with the administration's Team PNoy. But Sotto sided with Jejomar Binay's UNA, with Congressman Jack Enrile as one of its senatorial candidates.

2022–present: Bongbong Marcos years

2022 elections: Divided on presidentiables

After Cojuangco's death in 2020,[33] NPC supported the vice presidential campaign of its chairman Sotto. But, in the preferences of presidential candidates, majority of them supported either Bongbong Marcos, or Panfilo Lacson's campaign, which was Sotto's running mate.[34]

2025 elections: Sotto vs. Escudero in Senate Presidency

After the victory of Tito Sotto in senate elections of the same year, him and Chiz Escudero, are rumored to battle for senate presidency. One of their members in the Senate JV Ejercito proposed the two to make a gentlemen's agreement, with Escudero stay and Sotto will be the next seated.[35][36][37] With majority of NPC Senate members voted to retain Escudero as Senate President, Legarda joined Sotto in the minority.[38]

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1995 election

The NPC fielded a 12-person Senatorial slate in the 1995 elections as an opposition party to the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos. They ran against the administration-backed Lakas–Laban Coalition.

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Candidates

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2007 election

In the 2007 elections, the party won 26 seats:

2010

2010 presidential elections

Loren Legarda – Vice-presidential candidate from the Nacionalista Party and LDP (lost)

Senate:

2013

Senate:

2016

Senate:

2019

Senate:

2022

Vice President: Tito Sotto (lost)

Senate:

2025

Senate:

Electoral performance

Presidential and vice presidential elections

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Legislative elections

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Notes

  1. [n 1]
    NPC faction led by Chiz Escudero endorsed Fernando Poe Jr. for president, while Cojuangco–Teodoro–Yap wing supported Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
  2. [n 2]
    NPC endorsed Loren Legarda for president.
  3. [n 3]
    Legarda's running mate was Manny Villar, a Nacionalista.
  4. [n 4]
    NPC endorsed Grace Poe for president.
  5. [n 5]
    NPC endorsed Chiz Escudero (Independent) for vice president.
  6. [n 6]
    There are no official Presidential standard bearer even Sotto has running mate (Ping Lacson) who is independent.
  7. [n 7]
    Contested in an electoral alliance with LDP and PMP as LAMMP. Seat total consists of 55 LAMMP representatives and 9 NPC representatives elected outside the LAMMP alliance.
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19th Congress

Senate

House of Representatives

District Representatives

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Current party officials

Party leadership history

Main article: List of members of the Nationalist People's Coalition

Chairman

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See also

References

External links

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