United Nationalist Democratic Organization

Last updated

United Nationalist Democratic Organization
PresidentJose Laurel IV (present)
Salvador Laurel (1980–1987)
Chairman Aquilino Pimentel Jr. (1980–1987)
Secretary-General Salvador Laurel (1980–1988)
Founder Salvador Laurel
FoundedJanuary 1980 (1980-01)
Merger of PDP
Laban
Liberal Party
Nacionalista Party
NUCD
PDSP
Political position Big tent (with Centre-left factions; 1980–1988) [1]
SloganLaban
People Power

The United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO) was the main political multi-party electoral alliance of the traditional political opposition during the turbulent last years of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in the mid-1980s. It was formed in January 1980, and was originally known as the United Democratic Opposition [2] from 1980 to 1982. It was initially a union of eight major and minor political parties and organizations with the main aim to oust President Marcos through a legal political process. In April 1982, the coalition received its present name, and increased its members to twelve parties. Shortly after the assassination of popular opposition senator Benigno Aquino Jr., the party was led by Senator Salvador Laurel of Batangas.

Contents

History

The political leaders forming UNIDO such as prominent anti-Marcos leaders like former Senator and Batangas Assemblyman Salvador Laurel, former president Diosdado Macapagal, former Senator Edmundo B. Cea, Zamboanga City Mayor Cesar Climaco, Senator Gerardo Roxas, Manila Assemblyman Lito Atienza, Antique Governor Evelio Javier, Mandaluyong Assemblyman Neptali Gonzales, Pampanga Governor Jose B. Lingad, Senator John Osmeña, Senator Dominador Aytona, Senator and renowned nationalist statesman Lorenzo Tañada, Senator Eva Estrada-Kalaw, Senator Rene Espina, Senator Mamintal Tamano, Senator Domocao Alonto and nephew Abul Kharyl, Assemblyman Raul Gonzales, Assemblyman Homobono Adaza, former Philippine Collegian editor-in-chief and leftist-bent journalist Abe Sarmiento, and all significant personalities that contributed to the fall of the Marcos dictatorship. [1]

The political groups allied with UNIDO were the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) represented by Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr., Bansang Nagkakaisa sa Diwa at Layunin (BANDILA) led by Agapito Aquino, the younger brother of Ninoy Aquino and one of the founders of the August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM). [1]

UNIDO gained momentum in the last week of November 1985, when President Ferdinand Marcos called for a presidential election due to mounted political pressures. At first, UNIDO supported Senator Salvador Laurel of Batangas as its standard bearer, but business tycoon Chino Roces was not convinced that Laurel or Jovito Salonga could defeat Marcos in the polls. Roces argued that Corazon Aquino, the widow of assassinated Senator Aquino, should be the candidate for president. Roces initiated the Cory Aquino for President Movement (CAPM) to gather one million signatures in one week to urge Aquino to run as president, convincing Aquino to do so. Aquino was made the presidential bet of the Lakas ng Bayan party. However, Laurel did not give way to Aquino for the opposition's nomination as President until he was convinced by Cardinal Jaime Sin to run as her running-mate. Aquino had previously approached Laurel with a deal, wherein Aquino would give up her allegiance to the PDP–LABAN party and run as president under the UNIDO banner, with Laurel running for Vice President, effectively uniting the opposition groups against Marcos. Laurel had also previously offered Aquino the vice presidential nomination for UNIDO. In any case, Aquino ran for president under the UNIDO banner, with PDP–Laban endorsing UNIDO coalition.

The campaign was made in the month of January 1986, for the February election. Although she was officially reported to have lost the election to Marcos, the elections were widely believed to be fraudulent. Both Marcos and Aquino claimed to have won, and held rival inaugurations on February 25, but Marcos then fled in the face of huge popular demonstrations and the refusal of the military to intervene against them.

UNIDO was dissolved after the 1987 legislative and general elections, when new parties were formed and parties parted ways. Among the parties formed from UNIDO, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, became the dominant party of the Philippines until 1992.

1987 Philippine Legislative Elections

The Lakas ng Bayan coalition for the elections was composed of PDP–Laban, Lakas ng Bansa, UNIDO, the Liberal Party-Salonga Wing, the National Union of Christian Democrats-United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines, the Philippine Democratic Socialist Party, BANDILA and Pinaghiusa.

1988 Crisis

The PDP–Laban was split into the Pimentel and Cojuangco wings. The Lakas ng Bansa, headed by Ramon Mitra, and PDP–Laban's Cojuangco wing, joined forces to found a new party that would support President Cory Aquino's programs, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino or LDP, thus shaking the anti-Aquino alliance into confusion.

2021 party revival

After a long break of the party, on the year 2021, COMELEC accredited UNIDO as a political entity based in the Southern Tagalog region.

UNIDO formally reemerged as a regional political party on April 23, 2022, around two weeks before the May 9, 2022 polls. It was attended by Senator Francis Tolentino, senatorial aspirants Robin Padilla and Gilbert Teodoro, re-electionist Senator Joel Villanueva, as well as AGIMAT party-list representative and Bacoor Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla. Also present was UNIDO President Jose Laurel IV, nephew of the party's founding chairman.

At the said event hold in Manila Yacht Club, the party announced its support for 2022 presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos (son of former President Ferdinand Marcos, whom the party assisted in destabilizing his regime) and his running mate, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakas–CMD (1991)</span> Former ruling political party in Philippines

Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats, abbreviated as Lakas–CMD and popularly known as Lakas, was a political party in the Philippines. Its ideology and that of its successor is heavily influenced by Christian and Islamic democracy. The party's influence on Philippine society is very strong, especially after the People Power Revolution, which has led the country to elect two presidents from the party, namely Fidel V. Ramos, a United Methodist, and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a Roman Catholic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nationalist People's Coalition</span> Political party in the Philippines

The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) is a conservative political party in the Philippines which was founded in 1992 by presidential candidate Danding Cojuangco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Philippine Senate election</span>

The 2004 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 28th election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 10, 2004, to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate. The major coalitions that participated are the Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan, composed of parties that support the candidacy of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino, composed of parties that support the candidacy of film actor Fernando Poe Jr. coalition. The Alyansa ng Pag-asa was a minor coalition made up of Aksyon Demokratiko and Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma–Lapiang Manggagawa. K4 won seven seats, while the KNP won the remaining five contested seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino</span> Political party in the Philippines

The Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, formerly Partido ng Masang Pilipino, is a populist political party in the Philippines. It is the political party of former Philippine President Joseph E. Estrada. In the May 1998 presidential election, it aligned itself with other political parties to form the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino</span> Political party in Philippines

The Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino was the umbrella political coalition opposition party during the 1998 Philippine general election that led to the election into the presidency of then-Vice President Joseph Estrada. It was the largest political party during that time, uniting the major Philippine political parties which included then Senator Edgardo Angara's Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, business tycoon Danding Cojuangco's Nationalist People's Coalition and Estrada's Partido ng Masang Pilipino, along with minor and regional parties. Angara, the running mate of Estrada, lost to fellow senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of Lakas—NUCD—UMDP. Estrada won the presidency against then-House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. with a plurality margin of six million votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1998 Philippine Senate election</span>

The 1998 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 26th election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 11, 1998 to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate. The two main competing coalitions in the senatorial election were Lakas—National Union of Christian Democrats—United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines and the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino umbrella coalition composed of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, Nationalist People's Coalition, and Partido Demokratiko Pilipino—Lakas ng Bayan. The two coalitions split the 12 contested seats 7–5 in favor of LAMMP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Philippine Senate election</span>

The 1992 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 24th election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 11, 1992. This was the first general election under the 1987 Philippine Constitution. An estimated 80,000 candidates ran for 17,000 posts, from the presidency all the way down to municipal councilors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino</span> Political party in Philippines

The Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) (Coalition of United Filipinos), also known as the United Opposition, was the political multi-party electoral alliance of the dominant opposition in the Philippines during the 2004 general elections. The KNP was composed of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Fight of Democratic Filipinos) or LDP, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan or PDP–Laban, and the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) of deposed president Joseph Estrada, a former movie star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PDP–Laban</span> Political party in the Philippines

Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan, abbreviated as PDP–Laban, is a democratic socialist political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was part of the country's ruling party coalition from 1986 to 1992 under the administration of Corazon Aquino and the country's ruling party from 2016 to 2022 under the administration of Rodrigo Duterte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Philippine parliamentary election</span>

A parliamentary election was held on May 14, 1984, in the Philippines. Like past elections, charges of bribery, protests and complaints on irregularities marred the elections. Former Manila Times publisher Chino Roces and former senator and opposition leader Jose W. Diokno supported the campaign boycotting the election. The National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) helped mitigate electoral fraud during the election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Philippine Senate election</span> Philippine election

The 1987 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 23rd election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 11, 1987. The Philippine Senate was re-instituted following the approval of a new constitution in 1987 restoring the bicameral Congress of the Philippines; earlier, a constitution was approved in 1973 that created a unicameral Batasang Pambansa (parliament) that replaced the bicameral Congress. The last Senate election prior to this was the 1971 election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nacionalista Party</span> Conservative political party in the Philippines

The Nacionalista Party is the oldest political party in both the Philippines and in Southeast Asia in general. It is responsible for leading the country throughout most of the 20th century since its founding in 1907; it was the ruling party from 1935 to 1946, 1953–1961 and 1965–1972.

Lakas ng Bayan, abbreviated as Laban, was a political party in the Philippines formed by Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. for the 1978 Interim Batasang Pambansa regional elections. The party had 21 candidates for the Metro Manila area, all of whom lost, including Ninoy. The party's acronym (LABAN) is a Filipino word meaning "fight".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lakas–CMD</span> Conservative political party in the Philippines

Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats, abbreviated as Lakas–CMD and also known simply as Lakas, is a political party in the Philippines. Lakas–CMD is considered to sit on the centre-right of the political spectrum and is influenced by Christian democracy and Islamic democracy. Since the 2022 elections, Lakas–CMD is currently the biggest party in the House of Representatives, with the party's president, Martin Romualdez, serving as Speaker of the House. The party is a dominant member of the UniTeam Alliance led by President Bongbong Marcos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Philippine general election</span> Election held in the Philippines in 1992

Presidential and vice presidential elections, legislative elections and local elections were held in the Philippines on May 11, 1992. An estimated 80,000 candidates ran for 17,000 posts from the presidency down to municipal councillors in the first general election under the 1987 Constitution. Even though she was permitted by the Constitution to run for a second term, President Corazon Aquino did not stand for re-election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Philippine House of Representatives elections</span>

Elections for the House of Representatives in the Philippines were held on May 11, 1987. This was the first legislative election since 1984, the first House of Representatives elections since 1969, and the first election since the People Power Revolution that overthrew president Ferdinand Marcos and brought Corazon Aquino to power after alleged election fraud by the former during the 1986 presidential election against the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Philippine House of Representatives elections</span>

Elections for the House of Representatives of the Philippines were held on May 11, 1992. Held on the same day as the presidential election since incumbent president Corazon Aquino did not contest the election, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) served as the de facto administration party; just as all House of Representative elections, the perceived party of the president won majority of the seats in the House of Representatives. However, Fidel V. Ramos of Lakas-NUCD won the presidential election; this caused most of the newly elected congressmen to abandon the LDP for Lakas-NUCD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teofisto Guingona Jr.</span> Vice President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2004

Teofisto "Tito" Tayko Guingona Jr. is a Filipino politician and diplomat who served as the 11th Vice President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2004, during the first term of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Born in San Juan, Rizal, Teofisto is a graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, where he was a working student.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino</span> Political party in the Philippines

The Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino is a liberal political party in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nationalist Alliance</span> Political party in the Philippines

The United Nationalist Alliance is a political party in the Philippines. It was created as a multi-party electoral alliance replacing the former United Opposition (UNO) coalition for the 2013 midterm elections, before it was launched as a single political party on July 1, 2015, by Jejomar Binay for his candidacy in the 2016 presidential election.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dayley, Robert (2016). Southeast Asia In The New International Era. ISBN   9780813350110 . Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  2. LAWPHIL.net: G.R. No. 56515 - United Democratic Opposition (UNIDO), petitioner, vs. Commission on Elections (COMELEC), respondent.
  3. "UNIDO, political party which helped overthrow Marcos, endorses Bongbong-Sara tandem". 2022. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.