MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s political party on Wednesday inked a formal alliance with the country's dominant party, laying the groundwork for the launch of his administration's senatorial slate ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.
During the alliance signing of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) and Lakas - Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), the largest House power bloc which Speaker Romualdez is president of, Marcos also expressed plans to rebuild the "UniTeam" coalition that swept him to power in the 2022 presidential elections.
Lakas-CMD, the dominant political party in Congress, has 100 House lawmakers as members, constituting a third of the whole lower chamber.
The PFP counts among its ranks the most number of local executives, estimated at 45%, according to PFP president and South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr.
"Kagaya ng ating ginawa sa nakaraang halalan ay bubuoin uli natin... We have to formalize it because may political cycle, so bubuoin na uli natin at maifo-formalize uli natin ang UniTeam," the president said.
(As we did in the last election, we will form it again... We have to formalize it because there is a political cycle, so we will form it again and we will formalize UniTeam again.)
Marcos and his allies have yet to announce the candidates they will field for the 2025 midterm elections.
The president earlier told the PFP to form more alliances with political parties ahead of the midterm polls, including Lakas-CMD, NPC (Nationalist People’s Coalition, NP (Nacionalista Party) and the NUP (National Union Party).
During the alliance signing event at Manila Polo Club, Sen. Ramon Revilla told reporters that Lakas-CMD remains open to tying up with other political parties, including Vice President Sara Duterte's Hugpong ng Pagbabago, saying: "Malapit pa rin naman si Pangulong Bongbong kay Vice President Inday Duterte (President Bongbong is still close to Vice President Inday Duterte)."
Lakas-CMD and PFP form part of the UniTeam alliance that launched the Marcos-Duterte ticket in the 2022 elections. — Cristina Chi