The Liberal Party of the Philippines is the governing political party and 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 José Avelino, on January 19, 1946 by a
breakaway Liberal wing from the old 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 they
are part of a coalition agreement in the Senate.
The Liberal Party is the second-oldest extant political party in the
Philippines in terms of date of establishment, and the oldest
continually-active political party in the Philippines. The party has been led
by respected liberal thinkers and pro-development politicians like Manuel
Roxas, Elpidio Quirino, Diosdado Macapagal, Gerry Roxas, Benigno Aquino,
Jr., Jovito Salonga, Raul Daza, Florencio B. Abad, Jr., Franklin Drilon,
Mar Roxas, and Benigno Aquino III. History
The Liberal Party was founded on January 19, 1946 by Manuel Roxas, the first
President of the Third Philippine Republic. It was formed by 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, as former members of the party who later chose to
follow a different path by joining the Nacionalistas: Ramon Magsaysay and
Ferdinand Marcos. During the days leading to his
declaration of martial law, 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 Marcos' declaration
of martial law silenced the LP, and the party 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 Philippine
Senate of 1991 to reject a new RP-US Bases Treaty. This ironically cost the
party dearly, losing for it the elections of 1992. Despite the loss, in
2000 it again showed its mettle by standing against the corruption of the
Joseph Estrada government, actively supporting the Resign-Impeach-Oust
initiatives that led to People Power II. In 2006, the Philippines' ruling
political party, Lakas-CMD, with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
serving as its supremo, was influential in "hijacking" the Liberal Party by way
of overthrowing the party presidency of Sen. Franklin Drilon at a rump party
meeting at the Manila Hotel. With the marching orders and blessing of Lakas,
LP members sympathetic to the Arroyo government used the meeting on March 2
to install Manila Mayor Lito Atienza as the party president, thus triggering an
LP leadership struggle and party schism. Days later, the Supreme Court proclaimed
Drilon the true president of the party, leaving the Atienza wing expelled.
The Liberal Party regained new influence in 2010 when it nominated as its next
presidential candidate then-Senator Benigno Aquino III, the son of former
President Corazon Aquino, after the latter's death that subsequently showed
a massive outpouring of sympathy for the Aquino family. Even though the party had
earlier nominated Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II to be its presidential
candidate for the 2010 Philippine general election, Roxas chose to give
way to Aquino and ran for vice president instead. During the fierce campaign
battle that followed, the party was able to field new members breaking away from
the then-ruling party Lakas Kampi CMD to become the largest minority party in
Congress. Ideology
The party currently is in the center of the political spectrum, opposed to both
the left and right. Current party officials
Titular Head & Party Chairman: H.E. President Benigno S. Aquino III
Chairman Emeritus: Former Senate President Jovito Salonga
Vice Chair: Senator Franklin Drilon Vice Chair: House Speaker Feliciano
Belmonte, Jr. President: Transportation and
Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya
President: Former Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II
Vice President for Policy: Representative Henedina R. Abad
Treasurer: Governor Alfonso Umali, Jr. Secretary-General: Representative
Josephine Ramirez-Sato Presidents
Electoral performance = President=
= Vice president= = Senate=
*in coalition with PDP-Laban = House of Representatives=
*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=
Manuel Roxas Elpidio Quirino
Diosdado Macapagal Ferdinand Marcos
Benigno Aquino III = Others=
Gerardo Roxas, Sr. Macario Peralta, Jr.(World War II Hero,
Philippine Army General, Senator of the Philippines, Secretary of National
Defense) Cesar Climaco
Benigno Aquino, Jr. Tarhata Alonto-Lucman
Eva Estrada-Kalaw Eddie Ilarde
Ramon Mitra, Jr. Narciso Ramos
Ramon Bagatsing Salipada K. Pendatun
Emmanuel Pelaez Rashid Lucman
Jovito Salonga Manuel Roxas II
Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. Jesse Robredo
Leni Robredo Herbert Bautista
Alfredo Lim Felix Maronilla, Jr. of Albay Province
Rafael Nantes Cornelio Villareal
Marcelo Pasamba Liberal-affiliated parties
Aksyon Demokratiko Abante Digos - Digos City
Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya – Danao City
Bando Osmeña – Pundok Kauswagan - Cebu City
Kapayapaan, Kaunlaran at Katarungan - Manila
Kilusang Diwa ng Taguig – Taguig City Hugpong Sa Tawong Lungsod - Davao City
Uswag Tagum - Davao del Norte Ugyon - Iloilo
Akbayan Citizens' Action Party - Party-list
Partido Del Pilar - Bulacan See also
Contributions to liberal theory Liberal democracy
Liberalism Liberalism in the Philippines
Liberalism worldwide List of liberal parties
Nacionalista Party External links
Official website Liberal Party on Facebook
Liberal Party on Twitter Liberal Party's channel on YouTube