Lakas–CMD


Lakas–CMD is a center-right political party in the Philippines, influenced by Christian democracy and Islamic democracy. The current party originated in 2009 with the merger of the original Lakas–CMD party with the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino ; it was known as Lakas Kampi CMD until 2012. The party produced one president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was president when the two parties merged in 2009.
With Arroyo unable to run for a new term due to term limits, the party lost the 2010 presidential election with Gilberto Teodoro as its presidential nominee. The party retained its two senators, both incumbents, in the Senate election and became a part of the Liberal Party-led majority coalition; in the House of Representatives election, it won 47% of the seats contested in the district election, but most of its members were split into three groups, with many defecting to the Liberal Party, some formed the National Unity Party, and the remaining members were split into the majority and minority blocs, with its members heading the minority. On May 11, 2012, the party decided to revert to its original name and drop Arroyo's KAMPI from the coalition. Lakas–CMD is currently one of the parties in opposition. In 2013, Sen. Bong Revilla became chairman of Lakas. He was supposed to be the standard bearer of the party in the 2016 presidential election prior to his detention at the PNP custodial center at Camp Crame due to his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

Ideology

Lakas–CMD has always focused on economic growth and development, stronger ties with the United States, creation of jobs, and strong cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of government. It is known for its advocacy of a shift from the present presidential system to a parliamentary form of government through constitutional amendments and through establishing peace talks with Muslim separatists and communist rebels. The party democracy is distinct in its ecumenical inclusion of Muslim leaders in its political alliance.

History

Arroyo administration

On January 16, 2008, Lakas spokesman and legal counsel Raul Lambino stated that Lakas–CMD officially released the list of senatorial bets for 2010—spokesman in 2010. Except for Parañaque Representative Eduardo Zialcita, they were not yet identified. But Lambino named incumbent Senators Ramon Revilla, Jr. and Lito Lapid, former senator Ralph Recto and former Congressman Prospero Pichay as among those considered.
Former Speaker of the House Jose de Venecia, Jr. resigned his post as president of Lakas–CMD on March 10, 2008; he rejected the proposition of former president Fidel Ramos to give him the title Chairman-emeritus. The current Speaker of the House Prospero Nograles was sworn it as the new president of Lakas–CMD party and former Speaker of the house Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. as vice president for Metro Manila affairs on the same day.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on June 18, 2008, confirmed the historical merger of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino parties. Both parties adopted the "equity of the incumbent" principle, as the merger would account for almost 200 national and 8,000 local officials, amid Mrs. Arroyo's prediction of 2010 elections victory. Prospero Nograles, Lakas President and Kampi Chair Ronaldo Puno signed the covenant at the Davao City regional caucus. Former President and Lakas–CMD Chairman Emeritus Fidel V. Ramos announced on February 6, 2008 that Lakas–CMD would be the surviving entity after its merger with KAMPI.
On August 9, 2009, Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. and Former President Fidel V. Ramos led fifty members from the Lakas Kampi CMD in objecting to its merger with Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino on May 28, 2009. The faction made de Venecia its President with Ramos as the Chairman Emeritus of the new party, Ramos refused the offer of Chairman Emeritus of Lakas-Kampi after being named in interim party organization. De Venecia has filed a resolution at the Commission on Elections to declare null and void the merger. However, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the legality of the merger, citing the failure of de Venecia "to sufficiently show that any grave abuse of discretion was committed by the Commission on Elections in rendering the challenged resolution."

Aquino III administration

Since Benigno Aquino III was sworn in as President of the Philippines on June 30, 2010, the majority of the former legislative member of Lakas-Kampi were sworn as a members of the reborn Liberal Party. In 2011, the legislators led by Pablo P. Garcia established the neutral National Unity Party, which has many similarities with the Nationalist People's Coalition. In 2013, the party suffered its largest decline, due to the arrest of the party's matriarch, Gloria Arroyo; however the remaining party largely supports the United Nationalist Alliance, with candidates from among its former members such as Migz Zubiri, Richard Gordon and Mitos Magsaysay.

Duterte administration

In the 2016 Presidential Elections, Lakas supports the candidacy of Rodrigo "Rody/Digong" Duterte and Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. for President and Vice President respectively, which Duterte won and Marcos lost to Liberal Party candidate Ma. Leonora "Leni" Robredo. In July 2017, Revilla was sworn into Duterte's party PDP-Laban, and in October, Macapagal Arroyo and her allies, also joins PDP-Laban.
In September 2018 House Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez announced that Lakas–CMD is rebuilding and "will soon regain the political dominance it lost after Arroyo stepped down as president in 2010."
In the 2019 election, Lakas made a comeback in the Senate, with the election of Bong Revilla. The party also won a dozen seats in the House of Representatives, and hundreds won in local races.

Current party officials

Senatorial Slate
Senatorial Slate
Senatorial Slate

House of Representatives

District Representatives

President

Vice president

Senate

This chart shows the electoral performance of the Lakas Kampi CMD in Senate elections since 2010.
ElectionNumber of votesShare of votesSeats wonSeats afterOutcome of election
201038,123,09113.84%Split; PMP-led coalition, lost
2013Did not participateLiberal Party-led coalition
201613,056,8454.08%Lost
201922,240,7106.15%NPC-led coalition

House of Representatives

This chart shows the electoral performance of the Lakas Kampi CMD in House of Representatives elections since 2010.
ElectionNumber of votesShare of votesSeatsOutcome of election
201013,242,19138.62%Split; Liberal Party-led coalition, lost
20131,472,4645.34%Split; Liberal Party-led coalition, lost
2016573,8431.54%PDP-Laban-led coalition
20191,928,7164.80%Nacionalista-led coalition