Introduction

Perhaps the most noticeable characteristic of major political parties in the Philippines is the fact that they maintain an “indistinguishable” ideology from one another. Perhaps because of this, party loyalty barely exists; politicians, either move to another party or even form their own, once they feel that they are unable to get what they want.

NPC Party Building and National Development

As mentioned above, the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) was formed to support the candidacy of Eduardo M. Cojuangco, Jr. for president in 1992. In effect party members gravitated towards the party as a result of the personality of its founder, “Boss Danding” Cojuangco.

When Mr. Cojuangco lost in his bid for the presidency, some 37 NPC members won sits in the Lower House and 2 in the Senate and some seats in the local government (Governors and Mayors). However, rather than being absorbed by the majority party so as to gain political favor from the majority party, these members continued their affiliation with NPC. Thus, NPC’s existence continued.

In the elections of 1995 (which was not a presidential election), 20 members won in the Lower House. In the senate, it is interesting to note, with NPC having two senators in its roster, NPC’s Ernesto Maceda was able to wrest the Senate Presidency! (This just shows the author’s observation that Philippine parties lack the structures to keep individual ambition subordinated to party and constituent’s interest.)

During the 1998 national elections, the NPC leadership decided to coalesce with other political parties (LDP or Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino and PMP or Partido ng Masang Pilipino) to form LAMMP with Joseph Estrada as the presidential standard bearer. With the victory of Pres. Estrada, NPC through LAMMP, had a majority in the lower house. It had more than 15 governors and numerous mayors. Many of NPC’s key members were also appointed to various government positions.

With the ouster of Pres. Estrada in January 2001, the coalition party of LAMMP was dissolved. NPC members participated in the election 2001 winning 58 seats in the Lower House, 20 Governorship and around 21 City mayoralty positions. The NPC members in congress came to an agreement with the LAKAS party to form a working arrangement in the House of Representatives.

When Mr. Cojuangco decided not to run for president in last May’s election, many NPC members and supporters were greatly disappointed. With the decision of the NPC leadership not to officially support any presidential candidate and allowing its members to choose their own presidential candidate to support, NPC was seen to be weakening as a political party.

However, the results of the May 2004 election proved otherwise. Some 49 members won in Lower House, 18 members won as governors and 18 members as city mayors. Admittedly though, NPC now faces a dilemma in the house; majority of its members decided to form a coalition with the majority party, while a handful decided to join the opposition with an NPC member as the minority leader, and 2 members claimed independent stance.

As can be gleaned from the party’s history, NPC’s impact in national development in the past has not gone beyond its support of the majority party’s basic target in governance. Hopefully, however, things will change.

With the experience during the Estrada Presidency, NPC’s Chairman, Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. decided to immediately “institutionalize” the party as he believed that for the party to continue to exist it must not be beholden to his person. A new NPC party constitution and by-laws were prepared and was subsequently ratified by the general membership in 2001. A reorganization of the party was made soon after.

This reorganization is still ongoing. The party has, since 2001, maintained its own office and secretariat (which is not common among the major political parties whose secretariat are usually part of the offices of their party leaders and set up separate offices only during elections). The Party institute which will be the main vehicle that will disseminate the NPC’s distinct ideology to its members and prospective members. The party, in essence, is in the process of building a cadre of politicians who would have the national interest at heart.

Let me end with a quote from our founder, Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Jr., that expresses NPC’s basic mission:“A POLITICAL PARTY THAT DOES NOT TOUCH UPON AND IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE PEOPLE HAS NO REASON TO EXIST.”