Lakas-CMD re-emerging as dominant party

MANILA, Philippines — As expected after a presidential election, membership in the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party of outgoing President Duterte has started to dwindle, and the once powerful Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) political party is re-emerging as a political force to reckon with.

So far, the 27 Lakas-CMD members in the House of Representatives have now grown to as many as 55 after administration lawmakers jumped ship and took their oaths before Lakas-CMD president and House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez.

For the past weeks after the May 9 polls, the incoming speaker of the 19th Congress (2022-2025) had administered the oath to House members who wanted to join the party that helped install president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and vice president-elect Sara Duterte.

Lakas-CMD has been the largest and strongest political party for two administrations for a combined total of 15 years – the longest and most dominant in history for any party – during the presidencies of Fidel Ramos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Ramos served as president for six years from 1992 to 1998, while Arroyo’s term was the second longest after the 20-year reign of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.: nine years that ended in 2010, the first three years of which was as constitutional successor to former president Joseph Estrada.

Arroyo, who is returning as Pampanga’s 2nd District representative, took over the presidency in January 2001 when her predecessor Estrada was toppled in a popular uprising following series of protests due to massive corruption.

Ramos and Arroyo now sit as chairperson emeriti of the Lakas-CMD, whose president is Romualdez, first cousin of the president-elect and incumbent Sen. Imee Marcos.

The 62 members of the PDP-Laban, besieged by infighting involving factions of Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and outgoing Sen. Manny Pacquiao on one hand and Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi on the other, have started to decline, and is expected to further spiral as the 19th Congress convenes on July 25.

As it is now, the supermajority coalition is comprised of Lakas-CMD, PDP-Laban and other ally-partners like the 39-member Nacionalista Party of former Senate president Manny Villar.

Other parties and their memberships are the 34-strong National Unity Party headed by Dasmariñas City Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., at least 60 from the Party-list Coalition Foundation Inc. of Deputy Speaker and 1Pacman party-list Rep. Mikee Romero and nine from opposition Liberal Party.

There is also the growing Nationalist People’s Coalition founded by the late tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco Jr., where NPC stalwart and outgoing Senate President Vicente Sotto III said may reach 50 members at the House in the incoming Congress, from the base of 36.

‘Majority membership’

With more politicians moving to Lakas-CMD since the May 9 elections, having a majority in the House appears to be the target of Romualdez, according to Duterte.

“I think and I understand from the moves of Majority Leader Martin Romualdez is that, that is his target in the membership at the House of Representatives,” the vice president-elect, who is also currently the party chairperson, said.

While still far from the majority or half of the more than 300 seats, Romualdez is expected to become the next speaker after gaining support from other parties, including the outgoing President’s PDP-Laban.

The outgoing majority leader also received support from Arroyo, who briefly served as speaker from 2018 to 2019.

Marcos ran under Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, which formed an alliance with various parties, including Lakas-CMD, in the lead up to the elections.

Meanwhile, Duterte said she would continue with her role as chairperson of Lakas-CMD and her regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago during her term as vice president.

The vice president-elect added that she and Arroyo have yet to talk about matters regarding the party, but noted that the former president has always been supportive of Lakas-CMD.

“All of us still consult president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regarding the things that we do in the party internally,” Duterte said.

Arroyo attended Duterte’s inauguration in Davao City last Sunday.

While she is open to receiving advice from others, Duterte is not keen on tapping a political adviser during her term as vice president and chair of two political parties. – Janvic Mateo