Leader Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. Chairman Faustino Dy Jr. Secretary-General Mark Mendoza | President Giorgidi B. Aggabao Spokesperson Mark Enverga Founded 1992 | |
The Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC is a conservative political party in the Philippines, founded in 1992 by then presidential candidate Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr.
Contents
History
The Party was founded in 1992 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, a former associate of longterm authoritarian president Ferdinand Marcos, 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.
NPC was a member of the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino (LAMMP), the political vehicle of then Vice President Joseph Estrada in the 1998 presidential elections.
NPC left the now-defunct LAMMP after Estrada was removed from power in January 2001. When Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed the Presidency, her People Power Coalition, led by the Lakas-CMD party, became the dominant group in Congress. 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. The LDP party led the 20-member opposition bloc.
In 2004, the LDP and NPC both backed businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco as a potential presidential candidate in the 2004 elections. Cojuangco, the NPC chair, was fielded as NPC's standard bearer, 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.
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."
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.
Results
The party only got 3 out of 12 possible seats in the Senate namely: (in order of votes received)
The NPC Today
In the 14 May 2007 election, the party won 26 seats.
Members
Notable Former Members
As the build-up to the 2010 presidential elections progresses, there are talks that Escudero has been given the nod of the party leaders as its standard-bearer, with Legarda being his running-mate, although the latter said that she won't settle for any other position than the presidency. Escudero further stressed that he will not entertain any possible alliance with the Arroyo administration forces, thus beleaguering the NPC's status as one of the coalition partners of the Arroyo administration, as he is hell-bent in transforming the supposedly largely pro-administration NPC into an opposition party.
However, all these will remain in the backseat as Escudero announced his sudden resignation from the party, and at the same time asked the public for more time to decide on whether he would pursue his thrice-postponed presidential bid.
Candidates for Philippine general elections, 2010
Candidates for Philippine general elections, 2013
Senatorial Slate (2)
Candidates for Philippine general elections, 2016
President
*Supported either Gloria Macapagal Arroyo or Fernando Poe, Jr. who won and lost respectively
**Supported either Benigno Aquino III or Manny Villar who won and lost respectively
***Other members including NPC founder Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. are supporting Jejomar Binay's presidential campaign.
Vice President
*Supported either Noli de Castro or Loren Legarda who won and lost respectively
**Other members including NPC founder Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. are supporting Bongbong Marcos's vice-presidential campaign.
Current Composition
This is the Current member of NPC in the 16th Congress