The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC; ) is a conservative political party in the Philippines which was founded in 1992 by Danding Cojuangco.
History
Formation
In 1990, amid political and economic uncertainty in the aftermath of the 1986 People Power Revolution, members of civil society and business groups invited businessman Danding Cojuangco, a former associate of deposed President Ferdinand Marcos and estranged cousin of President Corazon Aquino, to lead a national coalition for the 1992 national elections. Cojuangco's supporters, who called themselves Friends of Danding, began organizing because of limited time before the polls.
Cojuangco expressed interest in running under the Nacionalista Party, where he had long-standing ties, provided the nomination process was fair. Two other national figures were also seeking the party nomination, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile and Vice President Salvador Laurel, who was the party president. Internal disputes arose between Laurel and former Rizal Governor Isidro Rodriguez over the nomination rules. With the issues unresolved and the party divided, Cojuangco's backers formed a new party, Partido Pilipino, led by Jerry Barican, Antonio Gatmaitan, and Butch Valdes. The Commission on Elections officially registered the party on February 5, 1991.
The Nacionalistas eventually split into the Laurel and Rodriguez wings, with the latter supporting Cojuangco. A court ruling in favor of the Laurel wing prompted Cojuangco's allies to consolidate under a broader umbrella group, the Nationalist People's Coalition. This coalition included the Rodriguez wing, Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, Partido Pilipino and its regional parties such as Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija, sectoral groups, and independent politicians backing Cojuangco.
Ramos administration
1992 presidential election
In the 1992 presidential election, Cojuangco ran for president under the NPC–Partido Pilipino banner with Senator Joseph Estrada, whose Partido ng Masang Pilipino coalesced with NPC, for vice president. Other NPC candidates for various races ran under affiliated parties. Cojuangco placed third, losing to Marcos' cousin Fidel V. Ramos, who was endorsed by President Aquino, while Estrada won the vice presidential race in a landslide. Following the elections, Partido Pilipino was renamed as the Nationalist People's Coalition, formalizing the group into a political party whose leadership was transferred to newly-elected NPC officers. The NPC joined the Lakas–NUCD-led Rainbow Coalition, a caucus coalition in the House of Representatives formed with multiple national parties.
In the 1995 Senate election, the NPC became the official opposition coalition against the administration Lakas–Laban Coalition, led by President Ramos and Senator Edgardo Angara of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino. The party's senatorial slate included half-termer senators Nikki Coseteng and Arturo Tolentino, Ilocos Norte representative Bongbong Marcos of KBL, former military mutineer Gregorio Honasan and 1992 People's Reform Party presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago. Senate President and NPC leader Ernesto Maceda, however, reportedly conceded NPC's defeat to President Ramos days before the election, as the latter also claimed. Only Santiago, Honasan and Coseteng managed to win Senate seats.
Estrada administration
The NPC coalesced with Angara's LDP, Estrada's PMP, and PDP–Laban of former senator Nene Pimentel, to form Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino for the 1998 national elections. LAMMP served as the political vehicle of Vice President Estrada in that year's presidential election. In the House elections, some youngster politicians who were elected into Congress under LAMMP were dubbed as the Bright Boys, including NPC-affiliated neophyte congressmen Francis Escudero, Gilbert Teodoro and Ace Durano.
Following the juetenggate scandal in October 2000, House Speaker Manny Villar of LAMMP successfully presided over the impeachment of President Estrada in the House plenary. The pro-Estrada group ousted Villar from office and tapped Arnulfo Fuentebella as his replacement, making this the only time when a current NPC member held the House speakership. The NPC left the rapidly disintegrating LAMMP after Estrada was removed from power in January 2001. The 75-member ruling party led the "Sunshine Coalition," which included the 61-member NPC, members of the Liberal Party, and several other minor parties,
In 2003, NPC stalwarts led by Escudero and Teodoro filed an impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. for allegedly misusing judiciary funds for acquiring luxury cars and homes. However, the complaint, despite successfully gaining enough signatures to proceed, was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Rumors speculated that the coalition would be abolished, as pro-impeachment congressmen, mainly from the NPC, were disappointed with the failure of Davide's impeachment, as well as that there emerged a faction lacking satisfaction over the leadership of House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. Some party members prompted the NPC to quit the ruling coalition ahead of the 2004 national elections and join the opposition, to no avail.
In 2003, the NPC and LDP backed party founder Cojuangco as a potential contender for the 2004 presidential election. Although the NPC had no seats in the Senate, the party had 53 seats in the House of Representatives that time. Eventually, the NPC was divided, with Cojuangco, his sons Charlie and Mark, and nephew Gilbert Teodoro supporting incumbent President Arroyo's full-term bid, while the other faction led by Escudero, Maceda and Darlene Antonino Custodio supported opposition bet Fernando Poe Jr. of Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino. Escudero, who became Poe's spokesperson, berated the Arroyo administration for alleged widespread cheating and vehemently protested in the congressional canvassing of presidential votes.
2005
In mid-2005, led by its House Leader Chiz Escudero, his anti-Arroyo NPC colleagues launched an impeachment complaint against incumbent President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was apologizing for being busted for calling an election commissioner to ensure her win. Ultimately, Lakas-led House crushed the impeachment 158–51.
2007
With Escudero and newly-sworn member Loren Legarda joining Genuine Opposition (GO), LDP stalwarts Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta left their party and joined the NPC, but the latter two become ticket candidates of administration's TEAM Unity. Sotto claimed that some GO supporters and politicians defecting to the NPC. Escudero and Legarda managed to win, but Sotto and Aquino-Oreta lost.
Escudero and Teodoro's ambition for 2010
Two of its former House stalwarts, Senator Chiz Escudero and Defense Secretary Teodoro left NPC for their presidential ambitions. Teodoro joined Lakas–Kampi and launched his presidential campaign there, while Escudero planned also to run for presidency, but later withdrawn his bid and launched NoyBi. NPC, led by its new chairman Faustino Dy Jr., forged a coalition with Manny Villar's Nacionalista Party to support the latter's presidential campaign with selection of Loren Legarda as running mate.
Aquino years: 2010–2016
2010: with Manny Villar
After Manny Villar of Nacionalista officially launched his campaign for presidency, his party and NPC launched a coalition building, with Legarda and Escudero are considered to be his running-mate, with the selection of the former.
2013
With Tito Sotto's chairmanship assumption, NPC forged an alliance with the administration's Team PNoy. But Sotto sided with Jejomar Binay's UNA, with Congressman Jack Enrile as one of its senatorial candidates.
2022–present: Bongbong Marcos years
2022 elections: Divided on presidentiables
After Cojuangco's death in 2020, NPC supported the vice presidential campaign of its chairman Sotto. But, in the preferences of presidential candidates, majority of them supported either Bongbong Marcos, or Panfilo Lacson's campaign, which was Sotto's running mate.
2025 elections: Sotto vs. Escudero in Senate Presidency
After the victory of Tito Sotto in senate elections of the same year, him and Chiz Escudero, are rumored to battle for senate presidency. One of their members in the Senate JV Ejercito proposed the two to make a gentlemen's agreement, with Escudero stay and Sotto will be the next seated. With majority of NPC Senate members voted to retain Escudero as Senate President, Legarda joined Sotto in the minority.
2025 Senate coup
Amid controversies of Escudero receiving donations from flood control contractors, which he denied, and with 15 votes (which includes all NPC members except Escudero), Escudero was kicked out from the Senate Presidency with the return of Sotto.
1995 election
The NPC fielded a 12-person Senatorial slate in the 1995 elections as an opposition party to the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos. They ran against the administration-backed Lakas–Laban Coalition.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Candidate
! Party
! Occupation /<br>Previous position
! Elected
|-
| Rose Marie Arenas
| NPC
| Businesswoman
| 15px|No
|-
| Gaudencio Beduya
| NPC
| Former representative from Cebu
| 15px|No
|-
| Anna Dominique Coseteng
| NPC
| Senator
| 15px|Yes
|-
| Amanda T. Cruz
| NPC
| Businesswoman
| 15px|No
|-
| Ramon Fernandez
| NPC
| Professional basketball player
| 15px|No
|-
| Gregorio Honasan
| Independent
| Former colonel
| 15px|Yes
|-
| Bongbong Marcos
| KBL
| Representative from Ilocos Norte<br>son of Ferdinand Marcos
| 15px|No
|-
| Adelisa A. Raymundo
| NPC
| Former labor sectoral representative
| 15px|No
|-
| Manuel C. Roxas
| NPC
| Lawyer
| 15px|No
|-
| Almarin C. Tillah
| NPC
| Chair of the Bangsamoro National Congress
| 15px|No
|-
| Arturo Tolentino
| NPC
| Senator
| 15px|No
|-
| Miriam Defensor Santiago
| PRP
| Former Bureau of Immigration<br>and Deportation commissioner,<br>1992 presidential candidate
| 15px|Yes
|}
Candidates
2007 election
In the 2007 elections, the party won 26 seats:
- Mark Cojuangco
- Faustino Dy Jr.
- Giorgidi B. Aggabao
- Michael John Duavit
- Mark Llandro Mendoza
- Arthur Y. Pingoy Jr.
- Vicente Sotto III
- Ace Durano
- Anthony Golez
- Avelino Razon
- Ernesto Maceda
- Estelito Mendoza
- Darlene Antonino Custodio
- Daisy Avance Fuentes
- Sixto Brillantes
- Loren Legarda
- Anna Dominique Coseteng
- Sherwin T. Gatchalian
- Francis Nepomuceno
- Vic Amante
- Evelio Leonardia
- Joan V. Alarilla
- Angelito Gatlabayan
- Luis Asistio
- Ding Roman
- Enrique Cojuangco
- Claude Bautista
- Emmanuel "Manny" Piñol
- Juan Ponce "Jack" Enrile Jr.
- Eleanor Begtang
- Arnulfo P. Fuentebella
- Crisanto S. Rances
- Felix William B. Fuentebella
- Elizabeth "Tita Beth" A. Delarmente
- Francis "Chiz" Escudero
- Tom P. Bongalonta, Jr.
2010
2010 presidential elections
Loren Legarda – Vice-presidential candidate from the Nacionalista Party and LDP (lost)
Senate:
- Miriam Defensor Santiago (under the PRP and guest candidate of Lakas–Kampi, LDP, Nacionalista and PMP) (won)
- Rodolfo Plaza (guest candidate from PMP) (lost)
- Tito Sotto (won)
2013
Senate:
- Loren Legarda – guest candidate from Liberal Party/Team PNoy (won)
- Jack Enrile – guest candidate from Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino/United Nationalist Alliance (lost)
- Edward Hagedorn – independent (lost)
2016
- President: Grace Poe (lost)
- Vice President: Francis Escudero (lost)
Senate:
- Win Gatchalian (won)
- Tito Sotto (won)
2019
Senate:
- Jinggoy Estrada (guest candidate, lost)
- JV Ejercito (lost)
- Lito Lapid (won)
- Imee Marcos (guest candidate, won)
- Grace Poe (guest candidate, won)
- Bong Revilla (guest candidate, won)
2022
Vice President: Tito Sotto (lost)
Senate:
- Herbert Bautista (lost)
- Win Gatchalian (won)
- Loren Legarda (won)
- Francis Escudero (won)
- JV Ejercito (won)
- Manny Piñol (lost)
2025
Senate:
- Abby Binay (lost)
- Tito Sotto (won)
- Lito Lapid (won)
- Panfilo Lacson (won) (Guest candidate albeit running Independent)
Electoral performance
Presidential and vice presidential elections
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! rowspan=2 | Year
! colspan=3 | Presidential election
! colspan=3 | Vice presidential election
|-
! Candidate
! Vote share
! Result
! Candidate
! Vote share
! Result
|-
! 1992
| Eduardo<br>"Danding"<br>Cojuangco Jr.
|
| Fidel Ramos<br>(Lakas)
| Joseph Estrada
|
| style="background:#90EE90;"| Joseph Estrada<br>(NPC)
|-
! 1998
| colspan=2 | None
| Joseph Estrada<br>(PMP)
| colspan=2 | None
| Gloria Macapagal Arroyo<br>(Lakas)
|-
! 2004
| colspan=2 | None
| Gloria Macapagal Arroyo<br>(Lakas)
| colspan=2 | None
| Noli de Castro<br>(Independent)
|-
! 2010
| colspan=2 | None
| Benigno Aquino III<br>(Liberal)
| Loren Legarda
|
| Jejomar Binay<br>(PDP–Laban)
|-
! 2016
| colspan=2 | None
| Rodrigo Duterte<br>(PDP–Laban)
| colspan=2 | None
| Leni Robredo<br>(Liberal)
|-
!2022
| colspan="2" |None
|Bongbong Marcos<br>(PFP)
|Vicente Sotto III
|
|Sara Z. Duterte<br>(Lakas)
|}
Legislative elections
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! colspan=7 | Congress of the Philippines
|-
! Year
! Seats won
! Result
! Year
! Seats won
! Ticket
! Result
|-
! 1992
|
| LDP plurality
! 1992
|
| Single party ticket
| LDP win 16/24 seats
|-
! 1995
|
| Lakas–Laban majority
! 1995
|
| NPC ticket
| Lakas–Laban win 9/12 seats
|-
! 1998
|
| Lakas plurality
! 1998
|
| style="background:#90EE90;"| LAMMP
| style="background:#90EE90;"| LAMMP win 7/12 seats
|-
! 2001
|
| Lakas plurality
! 2001
| colspan=2 | Not<br>participating
| People Power win 8/13 seats
|-
! 2004
|
| Lakas plurality
! 2004
|
| KNP
| K4 win 7/12 seats
|-
! 2007
|
| Lakas plurality
! 2007
|
| style="background:#90EE90;"| Split ticket
| style="background:#90EE90;"| GO win 8/12 seats
|-
! 2010
|
| Lakas–Kampi plurality
! 2010
|
| Split ticket
| Liberal win 4/12 seats
|-
! 2013
|
| Liberal plurality
! 2013
|
| Split ticket
| Team PNoy win 9/12 seats
|-
! 2016
|
| Liberal plurality
! 2016
|
| PGP
| Daang Matuwid win 7/12 seats
|-
! 2019
|
| PDP–Laban plurality
! 2019
|
| style="background:#90EE90;"| Split ticket
| style="background:#90EE90;"| Hugpong win 9/12 seats
|-
!2022
|
|PDP–Laban plurality
!2022
|
| style="background:#90EE90;"| Split ticket
| style="background:#90EE90;"| UniTeam win 6/12 seats
|-
!2025
|
|Lakas plurality
!2025
|
| style="background:#90EE90;"| Bagong Pilipinas
| style="background:#90EE90;"| Bagong Pilipinas win 6/12 seats
|}
Notes
Elected members
20th Congress (2025–present)
Senate
{| class="wikitable"
|+Senators of NPC in 2026
!Name
!Took office
|-
|JV Ejercito
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Francis Escudero
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Win Gatchalian
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Lito Lapid
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Loren Legarda
|June 30, 2022
|}
District Representatives
{| class="wikitable"
|+District Representatives of NPC in 2026
!Name
!District
!Took office
|-
|Jess Marquez
|Aklan's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Florencio Miraflores
|Aklan's 2nd congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Antonio Legarda Jr.
|Antique's at-large congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Eleanor Begtang
|Apayao's at-large congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Jun Gato
|Batanes's at-large congressional district
|June 30, 2019
|-
|King Collantes
|Batangas's 3rd congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Josefina Tallado
|Camarines Norte's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2019
|-
|Arnulf Bryan Fuentebella
|Camarines Sur's 4th congressional district
|June 30, 2019
|-
|Roy Loyola
|Cavite's 5th congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Patricia Calderon
|Cebu's 7th congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Claude Bautista
|Davao Occidental's at-large congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Cheeno Almario
|Davao Oriental's 2nd congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Solomon Chungalao
|Ifugao's at-large congressional district
|June 30, 2019
|-
|Ronald Singson
|Ilocos Sur's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Kristine Singson-Meehan
|Ilocos Sur's 2nd congressional district
|June 30, 2019
|-
|Lolita Javier
|Leyte's 2nd congressional district
|June 30, 2019
|-
|Giselle Lazaro-Maceda
|Manila's 4th congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Jules Ledesma
|Negros Occidental's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Mercedes Alvarez–Lansang
|Negros Occidental's 6th congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Jose Alvarez
|Palawan's 2nd congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Mark Cojuangco
|Pangasinan's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Roman Romulo
|Pasig's at-large congressional district
|June 30, 2019
|-
|Mark Enverga
|Quezon's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2019
|-
|Reynante Arrogancia
|Quezon's 3rd congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Keith Micah Tan
|Quezon's 4th congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Mia Ynares
|Rizal's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Dino Tanjuatco
|Rizal's 2nd congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Jose Arturo Garcia Jr.
|Rizal's 3rd congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Dennis Hernandez
|Rizal's 4th congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Dette Escudero
|Sorsogon's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Wowo Fortes
|Sorsogon's 2nd congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Roger Mercado
|Southern Leyte's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|-
|Jaime Cojuangco
|Tarlac's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Bong Rivera
|Tarlac's 3rd congressional district
|June 30, 2022
|-
|Kenneth Gatchalian
|Valenzuela's 1st congressional district
|June 30, 2025
|}
Current party officials
- Leader: Mark Cojuangco
- President: Jack Duavit
- Chairman: Tito Sotto
- Secretary-General: Mark Llandro Mendoza
- Spokesperson: Mark Enverga
- Senate President: Francis Escudero
Party leadership history
Chairman
{| class="wikitable collapsible sortable"
! colspan="2" |Chairperson
!Term start
!Term end
|-
|150px
|Danding Cojuangco
|1991
|2009
|-
|
|Faustino Dy Jr.
|2009
|2013
|-
|150px
|Tito Sotto
|2013
|present
|}
See also
- Nacionalista Party
- Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, their former coalition partner in 1998
- Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, their former coalition partner in 1998