Lakas–CMD facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats
President	Martin Romualdez
Chairperson	Bong Revilla Jr.
Secretary-General	Jose Aquino II
President Emeritus	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
Founder	Fidel Ramos Raul Manglapus
Merger of	Lakas–CMD and KAMPI
Headquarters	3/F, Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, Legazpi Village, Makati, 1229 Metro Manila
Ideology	Filipino nationalism Christian democracy Islamic democracy Neoliberalism
Political position	Centre-right
National affiliation	Bagong Pilipinas (2024–present) UniTeam (2021–2024) Coalition for Change (2016–2021)
International affiliation	Centrist Democrat International
Colors	Sky blue, gold, green, orange
Senate	1 / 24
House of Representatives	111 / 317
Provincial governors	13 / 82
Provincial vice governors	22 / 82
Provincial board members	167 / 840
Website
lakascmd.com

Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats, often called Lakas–CMD or just Lakas, is a major political party in the Philippines. It is known for its ideas that are a mix of Christian democracy and Islamic democracy, which means it supports values like social justice and community well-being, often from a faith-based perspective. The party is generally seen as being on the centre-right side of politics.

Since the 2022 elections, Lakas–CMD has been the largest party in the House of Representatives. Its president, Martin Romualdez, is currently the Speaker of the House. The party is also a key member of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas alliance, which is led by President Bongbong Marcos.

Lakas–CMD has had important leaders in the country. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became President of the Philippines when the party was formed in its current form in 2009. More recently, Sara Duterte was elected Vice President in the 2022 elections as a member of Lakas–CMD.

The party was officially formed in 2008 when the original Lakas–CMD party joined with another party called Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI). This new group was first named Lakas Kampi CMD. However, it later went back to its original name, Lakas–CMD, after many members left to join the National Unity Party (NUP). The name "Lakas" means "Power" in Filipino and comes from "Lakas ng Tao" (People Power). This refers to the People Power Revolution of 1986, a big event in Philippine history where one of the party's founders, Fidel V. Ramos, played a key role.

After the 2010 elections, the party faced some challenges and was divided. By the 2013 elections, Lakas supported many candidates from the opposition group United Nationalist Alliance. In the 2016 elections, Lakas joined the main group in Congress led by PDP–Laban, the party of then-President Rodrigo Duterte. For the 2019 elections, Lakas joined the Hugpong ng Pagbabago alliance. After the 2022 elections, Lakas won the vice presidency and became the largest party in Congress, leading the main group.

The Party's Journey

How Lakas–CMD Started

The original Lakas–CMD party faced some internal disagreements in 2006. One group was led by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and another by former President Fidel V. Ramos.

In 2008, President Arroyo confirmed that the original Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas–CMD) and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) parties would merge. This merger brought together many national and local officials. The party leaders signed an agreement in Davao City. Even after the merger, the name Lakas–CMD was kept.

However, some members, including Jose de Venecia Jr. and Fidel Ramos, disagreed with the merger in 2009. They tried to stop it, but the Supreme Court eventually said the merger was legal.

Choosing Candidates for Elections

Around 2008, different people wanted to be the party's candidate for president. Bayani Fernando, a chairman from Metro Manila, was interested. Other members thought about Noli de Castro or Feliciano Belmonte Jr.. Senator Dick Gordon was also considered.

In 2009, Gilbert Teodoro, who was the Defense Secretary, joined the newly merged Lakas–Kampi party. This made him a possible choice for president. Other people, like former police chief Hermogenes Ebdane, also wanted to be nominated. Senator Bong Revilla was also mentioned as a possible candidate.

In September 2009, Teodoro officially put his name forward for the party's nomination. The party then narrowed down its choices to Teodoro and Fernando. In November, Teodoro was officially chosen as the party's candidate for president in the 2010 elections. He chose Edu Manzano, an actor and TV host, as his running mate for vice president.

From Majority to Opposition (2010–2016)

In the 2010 elections, Lakas–CMD faced some challenges and lost many seats. The party was divided into different groups in Congress. Only two of its candidates won in the 2010 Senate election. After Benigno Aquino III became president, many former Lakas members joined his party, the Liberal Party. Other members formed a new group called the National Unity Party (NUP).

In 2012, the party decided to go back to its original name, Lakas–CMD, and removed KAMPI from its name. After the 2010 elections, it became one of the opposition parties.

The party faced more difficulties in the following years. In 2013, Senator Bong Revilla became the party's chairperson, and Martin Romualdez became its president. In the 2013 Senate election, Lakas mostly supported candidates from the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

For the 2016 presidential election, the party initially thought about having Senator Revilla as their candidate. However, he faced some legal issues and was detained. By 2015, Lakas considered joining an alliance with UNA to support Jejomar Binay for president. But in 2016, the party couldn't agree on a candidate and decided not to endorse anyone for president. They did support Bongbong Marcos for vice president, but he did not win.

Growing Stronger Under the Duterte Administration (2016–2022)

After Rodrigo Duterte won the presidential election in 2016, Lakas–CMD signed an agreement with his party, PDP–Laban, on May 18, 2016. This made Lakas part of the Coalition for Change, which was the administration's main group. In 2017, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and some of her allies joined PDP–Laban to support the president.

In 2018, Lakas started to rebuild its strength. On November 6, 2018, the party joined Hugpong ng Pagbabago, an alliance. Senator Revilla joined this alliance's list of candidates for the 2019 Senate election and was reelected, bringing Lakas back to the Senate. The party also won several seats in the 2019 House of Representatives elections. After these elections, more politicians joined Lakas. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo also returned to the party in 2020.

On November 17, 2021, Sara Duterte became the chairperson of Lakas–CMD. After joining the party, she announced her plan to run for vice president in the 2022 elections. She became the running mate of Bongbong Marcos. On November 29, 2021, Lakas formed the UniTeam alliance with three other parties to support Marcos and Duterte. They both won the elections, becoming the first presidential and vice-presidential pair to win together since 2004.

Returning to a Leading Role (2022–Present)

After the 2022 Philippine general election, Lakas–CMD gained many seats in the House of Representatives and won the vice presidency. Many politicians joined the party, making its number of seats in the House grow significantly. By the time the 19th Congress started, Lakas–CMD had become the leading party in the House of Representatives.

Important members of the party were chosen for leadership roles in the House. Martin Romualdez was elected as the House Speaker. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Isidro Ungab became deputy speakers. As of May 2023, the party had many members in the House.

On May 17, 2023, Arroyo's role as senior deputy speaker was changed to deputy speaker. She denied any wrongdoing. The party also signed a partnership agreement with PDP–Laban. After this, Vice President and party chair Sara Duterte resigned from the party on May 19, 2023, saying she wanted to avoid "political toxicity."

What Lakas–CMD Believes In

Lakas–CMD follows the ideas of Christian democracy and Islamic democracy. This means they believe in values that come from Christian and Islamic teachings, like helping communities and promoting fairness. The party is also a member of the Centrist Democrat International (CDI), a global group of similar parties.

The party supports changing the government system from a presidential system (where the president leads) to a parliamentary form of government (where a prime minister leads with support from the legislature). They also want to achieve peace through talks with different groups in the country.

Lakas–CMD has always focused on making the economy grow, creating more jobs, and having strong cooperation between the president and the lawmakers. The party is special because it includes Muslim leaders in its political group. It is often more popular in the Mindanao provinces and supports the idea of federalism, which means giving more power to local governments.

Current Party Leaders

• President Emerita: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
• National President: Martin Romualdez
• Chairperson: Bong Revilla Jr.
• Co-chairpersons:
  • Danilo Suarez
  • Jose de Venecia Jr.
• Executive Vice President: Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe
• Secretary-General: Jose Aquino II

Party Leadership Over Time

List of Party Presidents

• Eduardo Ermita (2008–2012)
• Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2009–2012)
• Bong Revilla (2012–2013)
• Martin Romualdez (2013–present)

List of Party Chairpersons

• Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2008–2009)
• Gilberto Teodoro (2009–2010)
• Amelita Villarosa (2010)
• Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2010–2011)
• Edcel Lagman (2011–2012)
• Bong Revilla Jr. (2012–2021)
• Sara Duterte (2021–2023)
• Bong Revilla Jr. (2023–present)

Lakas–CMD in Elections

2010 Elections

Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates

• Gilbert Teodoro for president – did not win
• Edu Manzano for vice president – did not win

Candidates for Senator

• Silvestre Bello III – did not win
• Ramon Guico Jr. – did not win
• Prospero Pichay Jr. - did not win
• Raul Lambino – did not win
• Rey Langit – did not win
• Lito Lapid – won
• Bong Revilla – won

2016 Elections

Candidates for Senator

• Greco Belgica – did not win
• Romeo Maganto – did not win
• Edu Manzano – did not win
• Martin Romualdez – did not win

2019 Elections

Candidates for Senator

• Bong Revilla – won
• Willie Ong – did not win
• Larry Gadon – did not win

2022 Elections

Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates

• Bongbong Marcos for president (supported candidate) – won
• Sara Duterte for vice president – won

2025 Elections

Candidates for Senator

• Bong Revilla – did not win
• Erwin Tulfo – won

Election Results Summary

Presidential Elections

Vice Presidential Elections

Legislative Elections (House of Representatives and Senate)

Year	House Seats won	+/–	Result	Year	Senate Seats won	+/–	Result
2010	106 / 286	16	Split	2010	2 / 12	2	Split
2013	14 / 292	92	Split	2013	Did not participate	2	Minority
2016	4 / 297	10	Majority	2016	0 / 12	2	Lost
2019	12 / 304	8	Majority	2019	1 / 12	1	Majority
2022	26 / 316	14	Majority	2022	Did not participate	0	Majority
2025	103 / 317	77	Majority	2025	1 / 12	0	Majority

Joining Lakas–CMD

New members of Lakas–CMD take an oath. This oath states that they will follow the party's rules, work to promote its ideas, and support its official candidates in elections. It's a promise to be a loyal and active member of the party.

I, (name), having been accepted as a member of Lakas–CMD, do solemnly swear that I shall faithfully discharge all the duties and obligations, and obey all rules and regulations imposed upon by in the party. Let us all engage in peaceful dealing in democratic pursuit and exercising political power. That I shall actively to promote the ideals and programs of the party and exclusively support the campaign for the official candidates of the party in all elections. These I pledged freely and impose upon myself without mental reservation or purpose of evasion. [So help me God.]

See also

In Spanish: Lakas Kampi CMD para niños

• List of Islamic political parties