Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats
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The Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, also more popularly known as simply Lakas or Lakas-CMD is the current ruling political party in the Philippines. It is known for being conservative, and its ideology is very similar to that of the Republican Party of the United States and the Canadian Conservative Party.
There are no results available of the last elections for the House of Representatives, but according to the website of the House, the party holds 79 out of 235 seats. The party was at the 2004 elections a member of the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4, Coalition of Truth and Experience for Tomorrow), the coalition that supported president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who won the 2004 presidential elections. After the elections, some legislators joined the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino, also a K-4 partner.
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Lakas was formed in December 1991 for the 1992 Presidential elections as retired General and Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos and Cebu Governor Emilio Mario R. Osmeña were running for President and Vice-President respectively.
The party was formed out of two parties: Ramos's Partido Lakas ng Tao (People Power Party) and the National Union of Christian Democrats (NUCD) of Raul Manglapus. As they coalesced, the party became known as Lakas ng Tao-National Union of Christian Democrats, with Lakas ng Tao usually just shortened to "Lakas" and abbreviated as Lakas-NUCD.
In 1994, it formed a coalition government with the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Democratic Filipinos) for the 1995 legislative elections. This coalition, dubbed the "Lakas-Laban Coalition", won a majority in both Houses of Congress. In the 1997 Lakas National Convention, the party nominated House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. of Pangasinan after a close nominal fight with then Defense Secretary Renato de Villa as its nominee to the presidency against oppositionist Vice President Joseph Estrada in the 1998 elections. By this time, it was joined by the Union of Muslim Democrats of the Philippines (UMDP) to form Lakas ng EDSA - National Union of Christian Democrats- Union of Muslim Democrats of the Philippines (Lakas-NUCD-UMDP).
Secretary de Villa eventually bolted the party and formed Partido ng Demokratikong Reporma-Lapiang Manggagawa (Democratic Reform Party) for the 1998 presidential elections. Lakas also nominated then-Senator Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga as its candidate as Vice-President. De Venecia lost to Vice-President Estrada by a wide majority, while Arroyo took the vice presidency in the same manner while Kampi is in hiatus.
In the 2004 elections, the name changed again to the current Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, or Lakas-CMD. However, the meaning of Lakas in the party name is usually now referred to as "Lakas ng EDSA" which means "The Strength of EDSA" than the original Lakas ng Tao which means "The Strength of the People." This is also the name that it used when it ran in 2004 elections under the K-4 coalition. President Arroyo, who succeeded the deposed President Joseph Estrada, was the Lakas-KAMPI Coalition candidate for president in the 2001 election, eventually winning over her opponents primarily Fernando Poe, Jr. and Senator Panfilo Lacson.
Now the 60 seat-Lakas-CMD party joined forces with 80 seat-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) to form the House Majority Rainbow Coalition.
[edit] 1998 Senatorial Slate
Lakas put up a full senatorial slate during the May 11, 1998 national elections, as it propels the machinery of its candidates House Speaker Jose de Venecia and Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the presidency and vice presidency respectively against the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino (Struggle of Patriotic Filipino Masses) coalition of the opposition led by Vice President Joseph Estrada and Senator Edgardo Angara.
| Name | Occupation |
|---|---|
| Lisandro Abadia | former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines |
| Rolando Andaya | Representative from Camarines Sur |
| Robert Z. Barbers | former Secretary of Interior and Local Government |
| Renato L. "Compañero" Cayetano | Lawyer, former Presidential Legal Adviser, TV and radio personality |
| Roberto de Ocampo | former Secretary of Finance |
| Ricardo T. Gloria | former Secretary of Education, Culture and Sports |
| Teofisto Guingona Jr. | former Secretary of Justice |
| Loren Legarda-Leviste | Journalist, TV personality |
| Roberto M. Pagdanganan | Governor of Bulacan and 1998 Lakas Presidential Candidate (nomination lost to Jose de Venecia, Jr.) |
| Hernando B. Perez | Representative from Batangas |
| Santanina Rasul | former Senator from Tawi-Tawi |
| Ramon Revilla Sr. | Senator from Cavite |
[edit] Results
The Lakas slate gained 5 out of 12 possible seats in the Senate namely: (in order of votes received)
- Loren Legarda
- Renato Cayetano
- Robert Barbers
- Ramon Revilla Sr.
- Teofisto Guingona Jr.
[edit] Lakas-led Political Coalitions
- TEAM Unity, the name of the pro-Arroyo coalition in the 2007 midterm elections.
- Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4, Coalition of Truth and Experience for Tomorrow), the name of the pro-Arroyo coalition in the 2004 national elections.
- People Power Coalition, the name of pro-Arroyo coalition in the 2001 midterm elections.
- Lakas-Laban Coalition, the name of the pro-Ramos coalition in the 1995 midterm elections.
[edit] Recent events
At the onset of 2006, Lakas was torn by factional rivalry between supporters of President Arroyo and supporters of former President Fidel V. Ramos. Issues include transitory provisions in a proposed Constitution to scrap mid-term elections (or "no-el") set for 2007 and calls for her to step down in time for the elections, which is related to the "no-el" controversy.
The party held its Annual Party Directorate Meeting on January 14, 2006 to discuss these matters.
Also, Lakas-CMD, together with its coalition partner Kampi, are leading the move to amend the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
In the 14 May 2007 election, the party won 70 seats [1].
[edit] Notable members
- Fidel V. Ramos (12th President of the Philippines; Chairman Emeritus)
- Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 14th President of the Philippines (Chairman); (Also the chairperson emeritus of her mother party Kampi)
- Jose de Venecia Jr. House of Representatives Speaker (Current Party President)
- Vilma Santos Governor of Batangas
- Noli de Castro, current Vice President of the Philippines (Ran with Mrs. Arroyo in the 2004 elections but according to him he remains independent although for identification and alliance purposes he is with Lakas-CMD)
tl:Lakas-CMD
