Liberal Party (Philippines)

Liberal Party
Partido Liberal ng Pilipinas
Chairman Benigno Aquino III
President Mar Roxas
Secretary-General Joseph Emilio Abaya
Founded January 19, 1946 (1946-01-19)
Split from Nacionalista Party
Merged into Lakas ng Bayan (1978-87)
Headquarters Expo Centro, Araneta Center, EDSA Cubao, Quezon City,
Youth wing Kabataang Liberal (Young Liberals)
Ideology Liberalism, Social liberalism
International affiliation Liberal International
Alliance of Democrats, Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats
Official colors Yellow and Blue
Seats in the Senate
4 / 24
Seats in the House of Representatives
73 / 286
Provincial governorships
20 / 80
Provincial vice governorships
16 / 80
Provincial boards
158 / 756
Website
Official Website of the Liberal Party of the Philippines
Politics of Philippines
Political parties
Elections

The Liberal Party of the Philippines (Filipino: Partido Liberal ng Pilipinas) is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the Nacionalista Party. It is the current ruling party after the election victory of Benigno Aquino III as the President of the Philippines. The Liberals control the House of Representatives, while it is part of a coalition agreement in the Senate.

As such it is the second-oldest political party in the Philippines in terms of establishment, and the oldest active political party in the Philippines. The party has been led by people like Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, Diosdado Macapagal and Benigno Aquino, Jr.

Contents

History

The Liberal Party (LP) was founded on 19 January 1946 by Manuel Roxas, the first President of the Third Philippine Republic. It was formed by Pres. Roxas from what was once the “Liberal Wing” of the old Nacionalista Party. Two more Presidents of the Philippines elected into office came from the LP: Elpidio Quirino and the redoubtable Diosdado Macapagal. Two other presidents came from the ranks of the LP, being former members of the Party that choose to follow a different path and joined the Nacionalistas: Ramon Magsaysay, and Ferdinand Marcos.

During the days leading to Martial Rule, Marcos would find his old party as a potent roadblock to his quest for one-man rule. Led by Ninoy Aquino, Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga, the LP would time and again hound the would-be dictator on issues like Human Rights and the curtailment of Freedoms. Not even the declaration of Martial Law silenced the LP, and it continued to fight the dictatorship despite the costs. Many of its leaders and members would be prosecuted and even killed during this time.

In recent times, the LP was instrumental in ending more than half-a-century of US Military presence in the Philippines with its campaign in the Senate of 1991 to reject a new RP-US Bases Treaty. This ironically cost the Party dearly, losing for it the Elections of 1992. In 2000, it again showed its mettle by standing against the corruption of the Joseph Estrada Administration, actively supporting the Resign-Impeach-Oust initiatives that led to People Power II.

The Liberal Party regained new influence after its nomination of then-Senator Benigno Aquino III, the son of former President Cory Aquino, after the latter's death and the massive outpouring of sympathy for the Aquino family. Even as the party earlier nominated Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas for president, Roxas chose to be give way to Aquino and run for vice president instead. The party then, during the fierce campaign battle that followed, was able to field new members from then-ruling party Lakas Kampi CMD, in order to become the largest minority party in Congress.

Current party officials

Presidents

Term in Office Name
January 19, 1946 - April 15, 1948 President Manuel Roxas
January 19, 1946 - May 8, 1949 Senate President Jose Avelino
April 17, 1948 - December 30, 1950 President Elpidio Quirino
1950 - 1957 House Speaker Eugenio Perez
1957 - 1961 President Diosdado Macapagal
1961-April 21, 1964 Senate President Ferdinand Marcos
December 30, 1961 - December 30, 1965 President Diosdado Macapagal
May 1964 - 1969 House Speaker Cornelio T. Villareal
May 10, 1969 - April 19, 1982 Senator Gerardo M. Roxas
April 20, 1982 - June 1, 1993 Senate President Jovito Salonga
June 2, 1993 – Oct. 17, 1994 Senator Wigberto Tañada
Oct. 18, 1994 - Sept. 19, 1999 Speaker Pro Tempore Raul A. Daza
Sept. 20, 1999 - August 9, 2004 Representative Florencio Abad
August 9, 2004 - 2008 Senate President Franklin Drilon
2008 - present Secretary of Transportation & Communications Manuel Roxas II

Electoral performance

President

Election Candidate Number of votes for Liberal Share of votes Outcome of election
1946 Manuel Roxas 1,333,392 54.94% Won
1949 Elpidio Quirino 1,803,808 50.93% Won
1953 Elpidio Quirino 1,313,991 31.08% Lost
1957 Jose Yulo 1,386,829 27.62% Lost
1961 Diosdado Macapagal 3,554,840 55.00% Won
1965 Diosdado Macapagal 3,187,752 42.88% Lost
1969 Sergio Osmeña, Jr. 3,143,122 38.51% Lost
1981 Boycotted
1986 Supported Corazon Aquino who became president
1992 Jovito Salonga 2,302,123 10.16% Lost
1998 Alfredo Lim 2,344,362 8.71% Lost
2004 Supported Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who won
2010 Benigno Aquino III 15,208,678 42.08% Won

Vice president

Election Candidate Number of votes for Liberal Share of votes Outcome of election
1946 Elpidio Quirino 1,161,725 52.36% Won
1949 Fernando Lopez 1,341,284 52.19% Won
1953 Jose Yulo 1,483,802 37.10% Lost
1957 Diosdado Macapagal 2,189,197 46.55% Won
1961 Emmanuel Pelaez 2,394,400 37.57% Won
1965 Gerardo Roxas 3,504,826 48.12% Lost
1969 Genaro Magsaysay 2,968,526 37.54% Lost
1981 Boycotted
1986 Eva Estrada-Kalaw (Kalaw wing)* 662,185 3.31% Lost
1992 Supported Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. who lost
1998 Sergio Osmeña III 2,351,462 9.20% Lost
2004 Supported Noli de Castro who won
2010 Mar Roxas 13,918,490 39.58% Lost

*Main wing supported Salvador Laurel who became vice president

Senate

Election Number of votes for Liberal Share of votes Seats won Seats after Outcome of election
1946 8,626,965 47.7% 8 9 Coalition
1947 12,241,929 54.5% 7 15 Won
1949 12,782,449 52.5% 8 18 Won
1951 8,764,190 39.9% 0 12 Won
1953 8,861,244 36.0% 0 7 Lost
1955 7,395,988 28.9% 0 0 Lost
1957 8,934,218 31.8% 2 2 Lost
1959 10,850,799 31.7% 2 4 Lost
1961 14,988,931 37.9% 4 8 Lost
1963 22,794,310 49.8% 4 10 Lost
1965 23,158,197 46.9% 2 10 Lost
1967 18,127,926 37.1% 1 7 Lost
1969 21,060,474 39.1% 2 5 Lost
1971 33,469,677 57.4% 5 8 Lost
1987 Won under the LABAN coalition
1992* 19,158,013 6.9% 1 1 Lost
1995 Did not participate
1998 5,429,123 2.6% 0 0 Lost
2001 19,131,732 7.9% 1 1 Independent-led coalition
2004 30,008,158 12.0% 2 4 Liberal Party-led coalition
2007 28,843,415 10.7% 2 4 Nacionalista Party-led coalition
2010 78,227,817 26.34% 3 4 PMP-led coalition

*in coalition with PDP-Laban

House of Representatives

Election Number of votes for Liberal Share of votes Seats Outcome of election
1946 1,129,971 47.06% 49 Won
1949 1,834,173 53.00% 66 Won
1953 1,624,571 39.81% 59 Lost
1957 1,453,527 30.16% 19 Lost
1961 2,167,641 33.71% 29 Won
1965 3,721,460 51.32% 61 Won
1969 2,641,786 41.76% 18 Lost
1978 Lost under the LABAN coalition
1984 Lost under the LABAN coalition
1987* 2,101,575 10.5% 16 Lakas ng Bansa-led coalition
1992** 1,644,568 8.8% 11 Lakas-NUCD-UMDP-led coalition
1995* 358,245 1.9% 5 Lakas-NUCD-UMDP-led coalition
1998* 1,773,124 7.3% 15 Lost
2001 19 Lakas-NUCD-UMDP-led coalition
2004 29 Lakas-CMD-led coalition
2007 23 Lakas-CMD-led coalition
2010 6,923,162 20.19% 45 Liberal Party-led coalition

*does not include candidates who ran as under a Liberal Party ticket along with another party.
**in coalition with PDP-Laban

Most notable members

Elected Philippine President

Others

Liberal-affiliated parties

Candidates for the Philippine general election, 2010

Senatorial Slate (12)

See also

References

External links