MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) forged an alliance with the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) a year before the 2025 national and local elections that will dictate a new set of lawmakers and local officials.

Marcos called the alliance a “breakthrough… in the history of politics and public service.”

“With the joining of forces, we are no longer individual players in the field of politics but a strong, united front that is determined to actively shape the future of our people,” he said.

Marcos himself led the alliance signing ceremony on Saturday, May 18, as the PFP’s chairperson. His son, Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Sandro Marcos, and Special Assistant to the President Secretary Anton Lagdameo Jr., were also present on Saturday. The younger Marcos and Lagdameo were the party’s national vice chairperson and national vice president, respectively.

Former Senate president Vicente “Tito” Sotto III was also present as NPC chairperson. Sotto ran in the 2022 vice presidential election under the NPC and against Marcos’ vice president, Sara Duterte.

The forging of alliances with other political parties aside from NPC is part of Marcos’ strategy to strengthen his grip on politics as the midterm election nears. The midterm election is important for chief executives as it indicates a president’s public approval and political influence as sitting president. 

Marcos, however, said that the move is not for “some narrow electoral objective alone,” but admitted that the “approaching political cycle is an important element and has added impetus to what we are doing.”

“But more than that, it is to continue to collaborate to work on the urgent needs of our people,” he said, pointing out that the alliance’s “agenda is the nation’s progress.”

Earlier this month, the PFP said it was eyeing to ally with other power blocs in Congress, which includes the NPC. The NPC was founded by the late tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. for his presidential bid in 1992. Since then, the party has filled seats in both upper and lower chambers of Congress.

At present, the party led by Sotto has at least five seats in the Senate and 38 in the House of Representatives.

Just last week, Marcos’ PFP signed an agreement with the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD). House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the President’s cousin, leads Lakas-CMD, the most dominant bloc in the House. It has 100 members that account for one-third of House’s members. – Rappler.com