KyotoKyotoUniversity University Sewtheast Asian Studies. Ve!. 27. No. 3. December 1989 The Revolution and Realignment of Political Parties in the Philippines (December 1985-January 1988): With a Case in the Province of Batangas MasatakaKIMuRA* time, a new pro-Aquino party, Lakas ng Bansa, was fbrmed by leaders I Introduction political close to President Aquino and attracted The revolution') of February 1986 and many politicians at various levels who subsequent events drastically changed were supportive of her administration the alignment of political parties and regardless of their previous party aMlia- their power relations. The once-domi- tions. The Liberal Party (LP)-Salonga nant Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) Wing also enhanced its strength; it disintegrated rapidly, once the then Pres- started to take an independent course of ident Marcos fled the country. Its lead- action, while remaining in the ruling ership splintered into a few groups; it coalition. Some parties became critical of lost many fo11owers, The state of the President Aquino. The United Nationalist coalition of parties which supported Democratic Organization (UNIDO), fbr Aquino's candidacy in the special presi- one, was frustrated by and dissatisfied dential election, or the snap election as it with the Aquino Administration, though has been popularly called, also changed it barely remained in the ruling coalition. dramatically. For example, Partido The Mindanao Alliance and the Christian- Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan Social Democratic Party (CSDP) left the coalition at an early stage and (PDP-Laban) increased its membership the opposition. Bansang Nagkaisa size rapidly by great magnitude; it joined sa Diwa at Layunin strengthened the position ofthe conserva- (BANDILA)2) increased its membership immediately tive bloc against that of the progressive bloc within the and confiicts be- party 2) BANDILA dccided, at its Second National tween the two aggravated. At the same Congress in October 19S6, to remain a movement with a defined partnership agree' *71cNgif, Asian Ccntcr, University of the ment with one (or more) political party Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro or coalition of partics, in spite ef a pref- Manila, thc Philippines erence among certain segments of its 1) There is an argument against using the leadership to transform it inte a political "revolution" term on the ground that the party or create its own political party. February incident did npt bring about any Hewever, BANDILA is included in this significant change either in the Philippine paper together with pelitical parties on the social structure or in the socio-economic greunds that lt played a significant role in characteristics of the ruling elite. the special presidencial election and the/' 352 NII-Electronic Library Service KyotoKyotoUniversity University M. K!MuRA: PoliticalParties in the Philippines after the revolution and then became ratification and a revolution. The pe- not so vi$ible as it used to be before riod, therefore, a very interesting and is the revolution. Leftist forces, Nv'hich convenient period for studies of political boycotted the special presidential elec- parties. The account of the process is tion and were left out of the revolution, basically descriptive and divided into formed a new legal leftist party called two parts. The first part tries to outline Partido ng Bayan (PnB), which main- the political development at the national tained close relations with another leftist level. The second part fbcuses on the organization, Bagong Alyansang Maka- clevelopment in the province of Batan- bayan (BAYAN). gas3) as a case at a local level. This An examination of the process in was attempted to show that what took which the realignment of political parties place at the two difllerent levels were developed and their power relations closely interrelated and that they took changed will shed light on certain im- place according to thelr own respective portant aspects of the characteristics of logic and rnotives highly independent the Philippine political parties and party of each other in spite of the close inter- system and of the behavior of party pol- relations especially in the case of so- as well as of the nature called traditional iticians of the political parties.4) revolution. What fo11ows is an attempt with this view to give a briefaccount of II The National Scene the process of realignment of political and of the in parties change their power The special presidential election which relations which took place during a pe- preceded and triggered off the revolu- riod from the beginning of the special tion was a contest between KBL's presi- presidential election campaign in De- dential and vice-presidential candidates, cember 1985 until the local elections of namely, Ferdinand E. Marcos and Arturo January 1988. The period which covered M. Tolentino on the one hand and only two years and a few rnonths was an the UNIDO-Laban ng Bayan coalition's ttt tt t t tttttt ttt tttt tt extremely hectic period which undeiM'ent 3) Thc auther has been conducting a case five dramatic political events, narnely, study of elections and politics in Batangas three sets of elections, a constitutional since 1984. A part of its results, which will be his dissertation, was utilized here N.arevolution and that intends it to participate to give a case of rcalignment of pelitical in the electoral precess aswcllas in extra- parties at the provincial level. Since stud- parliamentary activities. On the other ies on party politics at the provincial hand, the Communist Party of the Philip- level are scarcc, it will give some insights pines (CPP) is not included on the grounds into the state of political parties at this that it resorts to non-electoral activities level. 'Ctraditional or armecl struggle, that it did not play 4) The term political party" here any slgnificant role in the elcction and the refers to a kind ef party which is built revolutlon, and that author not upon networks of relations the does primarily dyadic have sufficlent data on its statc during as between individuals described by Land6 the covered this period in paper. [l964]. 3ss NII-Electronic Library Service KyotoKyotoUniversity University ptM7si7Mve 27ts3e Corazon C. Aquino ancl Salvaclor H. It had dominated Batasang Pambansa, Laurel on the other hand, with leftist the national legislature, by controlling forces under BAYAN boycotting the about two thirds of its seats; it had al- election. Alrnost all the political parties most monopolized local elective posl- and organizations were aligned into the tions in most of the provinces, cities, and three groups. The Nacionalista Party municipalities all over the country.6) The (NP)-Roy Wing which had been closely then opposition, on the other hand, had aligncd with KBL supported the Marcos- been fragmented. They had had little Tolentino ticket. Laban ng Bayan was say in the policy making process under initially formed by eight parties and or- the authoritarian regime ; militant organ- ganizations: they were the LP-Salonga izations had been resorting to non-par- Wing, PDP-Laban, Panaghiusa, the liamentary struggles such as large-scale Young Philippines Party, Bicol Saro, the demonstrations. The state of fragmen- National Union of Christian Democrats tation was well refiected in the great (NUCD), the Convenor Group and diMculty the opposition encountered in BANDILA [Laban ng Bayan 1985: 1- agreeing on one common presidential 2]. Then, the Mindanao Alliance, the candidate, when the special presidential Muslim Federal Party, CSDP, the Na- election became imminent. It was only tional Union for Liberation (NUL) and on December 11, the last day to file a Laban ni Ninoy sa Gitnang Luzon also certificate of candidacy, that Laurel, the adherecl to Laban ng Bayan [ibid.; Ex- president and presiclential candidate of hibit D].5) There were some parties UNIDO, accepted the presidential can- that were not aligned into the three didacy of Aquino, the candidate of Laban . her runnmg-mate groups. For example, the LP-Kalaw ng Bayan, to become run Wing fielded Eva Estrada Kalaw fbr on the condition that both of them Vice-President, while supporting Aquino under the banner of UNIDO [Cunanan lbr Presldent. Ruben R. Canoy ran fbr l985: 6-7]. The coalition between UNI Laban ng Bayan was formal- the presidency under the Social Dem- DO and in the campaign ocranc Party. But, these parties were ized even later period minor forces as evident in the number [Anonymous 1986b: 1 & 10]. ofvotes they received. 6) In the 1980 local elections which were the Befbre the revolution, KBL had been last local elections beftore the revolution, the ruling party under the lead- powerfu1 all but four elected governors wera KBL ership of the then President Marcos. in the country's seventy-three provinces. The four non-KBL goyernors were Natalia 5) Since the Mindanao Alliance and NUL as F. Dumlao (NUL) of Nucva Vizcaya, Jose well as Bicol Saro had been member organ- C. Laurel, V (NP) of Batangas, Federico to of Eastern izations of UNIDO, it seems suggest O. Mengote (Independent) Adaza that they switched from UNIDO to Laban Samar, and Homobono (Mindanao ng Bayan or synonymously from Laurel to Alliance) of Misamis OrientaL See Philip- Aquino at the last stage of the unification pines, Commission on Elections [Undated- process of the opposition. a]. 3M NII-Electronic Library Service KyotoKyotoUniversity University M. K[MvRA: Politica1 Parties in the Philippines The presidential election turned out to from Marcos as early as March 7 at a be an unprecedentedly fraudulent one. meeting of the KBL Executive Commit- Its aftermath lecl to the revolution. The tee. On March 13, a group of KBL process leading to the revolution is a members led by Ople made an agree- much talked about story, which does not ment to fbrm a new party from the need to be repeated here.