The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC; ) is a conservative political party in the Philippines which was founded by business tycoon 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, the latter being the party president. Internal disputes arose between Laurel and former Rizal Governor Isidro Rodriguez, who supported Cojuangco, over the nomination rules. With the issues unresolved and the party divided, Cojuangco's backers formed a new party, Partido Pilipino, led by Fernando 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 NP-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.NPC Party History NPC website Retrieved December 17, 2006. 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 Ernesto Maceda, then the party leader, reportedly conceded NPC's defeat to President Ramos days before the election, as the latter claimed. Only Santiago, Honasan and Coseteng managed to win Senate seats.

Estrada administration The NPC coalesced with Angara's LDP, Estrada's PMP, and the 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.

Arroyo administration When Gloria Macapagal Arroyo assumed the presidency in January 2001, her Lakas–CMD-led People Power Coalition became the dominant group in Congress. 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, while the LDP led the 20-member opposition bloc. Having no candidate for the 2001 Senate election, the NPC junked five opposition candidates from Puwersa ng Masa, namely Defense Secretary Orly Mercado, former Social Welfare and Development undersecretary Jamby Madrigal, Muslim Mindanao leader Ombra Tamano, former senator Santanina Rasul, and former Information undersecretary Reuben Canoy.

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. However, Cojuangco, the NPC chairperson, decided not to run for the second time. Before the end of the year, the NPC was sending mixed signals on whether to stay on the administration camp or jump into the opposition. Although the NPC had no seats in the Senate, the party had 53 seats in the House of Representatives that time.Introduction: Philippines CIA -The World Fact Book Retrieved December 10, 2006. Eventually, the NPC was divided, with Cojuangco, his sons Charlie and Mark, and nephew 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 Escudero, the party's House leader, the anti-Arroyo NPC congressmen launched an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo amid the outbreak of the Hello Garci scandal, featuring leaked audio recordings that exposed Arroyo and COMELEC Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano allegedly conspiring to rig the canvassing of presidential votes and ensure her win. Ultimately, the Lakas-led House crushed the impeachment by a vote of 158–51.

2007 With Escudero and newly-sworn member Loren Legarda joining the Genuine Opposition, LDP stalwarts Tito Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta left LDP and joined the NPC, running as senatorial candidates under the administration coalition, TEAM Unity. Sotto claimed that several GO supporters and politicians were also defecting to the NPC. Escudero and Legarda managed to win, while Sotto and Aquino-Oreta failed to regain their seats.

2010 In 2009, two of NPC's former House stalwarts, Escudero and National Defense Secretary Teodoro left the party for their presidential ambitions in the 2010 national elections. Teodoro launched his presidential campaign under the Arroyo-led Lakas–Kampi–CMD, while Escudero ultimately withdrew his bid and launched NoyBi, pairing Liberal presidential candidate Benigno Aquino III and PDP–Laban vice presidential bet Jejomar Binay, who was the running mate of Estrada, the PMP standard bearer. The NPC, led by its new chairman Faustino Dy Jr., forged a coalition with the Nacionalista Party to support the presidential campaign of Senator Manny Villar, selecting NPC's Legarda as Villar's running mate.

Aquino, Duterte, and Marcos Jr. administrations

With Senator Tito Sotto's assumption as party chairman, the NPC forged an alliance with the administration coalition Team PNoy. However, Sotto chose to side with Vice President Binay's UNA, with Cagayan Representative Jack Enrile as one of its senatorial candidates.

After Cojuangco's death in 2020, the NPC supported the vice presidential campaign of party chairman Sotto. Meanwhile, in the presidential race, majority of voters who supported Sotto preferred former senator Bongbong Marcos, instead of Senator Panfilo Lacson, who was Sotto's running mate. Sotto ultimately lost to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, Marcos' running mate under UniTeam.

Sotto and Escudero After his senatorial comeback in the 2025 elections, Sotto was embattled with fellow NPC member Escudero for the Senate presidency. Senator JV Ejercito, another NPC stalwart, proposed a term-sharing agreement, wherein Escudero would stay for the next few months and would be succeeded by Sotto. With the majority of NPC senators voting to retain Escudero as Senate president, Legarda joined Sotto in the minority.

Amid the flood control scandal in 2025, Escudero was alleged to have received donations from flood control contractors for his 2022 senatorial bid, which he denied. With 15 votes which included all NPC members except Escudero, Escudero was ousted as Senate president and succeeded by 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.

Candidate Party Occupation /Previous position Elected Rose Marie Arenas NPC Businesswoman Gaudencio Beduya NPC Former representative from Cebu Anna Dominique Coseteng NPC Senator Amanda T. Cruz NPC Businesswoman Ramon Fernandez NPC Professional basketball player Gregorio Honasan Independent Former colonel Bongbong Marcos KBL Representative from Ilocos Norteson of Ferdinand Marcos Adelisa A. Raymundo NPC Former labor sectoral representative Manuel C. Roxas NPC Lawyer Almarin C. Tillah NPC Chair of the Bangsamoro National Congress Arturo Tolentino NPC Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago PRP Former Bureau of Immigrationand Deportation commissioner,1992 presidential candidate

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: