MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) on Thursday inked a formal alliance with the Nacionalista Party (NP), another partnership that will “broaden the grand coalition” for the upcoming 2025 elections.
The President and NP Chairman and former Senate president Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. witnessed the signing during a ceremony in Taguig City.
“To better orchestrate our collective priorities and plans for the nation, the PFP is working closely with our colleagues from the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, [and] the National Unity Party,” Marcos said in his speech.
“And today, we have the opportunity to forge another partnership that will broaden the grand coalition working under the banner of Bagong Pilipinas,” he added.
Marcos had been a member of Nacionalista since 2009, but left the party to join and head the PFP, which is closely associated with the Duterte administration, for his presidential run.
The relationship between Marcos and Nacionalista began when the then Ilocos Norte representative ran for senator under Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) in the 2009 polls.
KBL, founded by Marcos’ father, the late Ferdinand Sr., had forged an alliance with Nacionalista at the time, but this partnership was short-lived due to conflict within the Marcos-era party.
Nacionalista is the oldest political party in the country and has endured even Marcos’ martial rule which forced parties to coalesce with KBL.
