By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter
THE Philippines’ dominant political party has strengthened its grip after it secured key positions in the midterm elections, as tensions between two of the nation’s most influential political clans continue to play out, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said on Wednesday.
Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) has secured a strong electoral showing on May 12 as it is poised to win a Senate seat, 104 seats in the House of Representatives alongside hundreds of local officials, party leader Mr. Romualdez said, citing internal election monitoring data.
The party is expected to secure 15 governorships, 22 vice-governorships, 24 city mayoral seats, 23 city vice-mayoral positions, and 385 municipal mayoral posts, solidifying its influence across local governments nationwide.
“This is not just a win for Lakas-CMD,” he said in a statement. “This is a strong signal from the Filipino people: they want steady hands, clear direction, and leadership that puts service above self.”
The political party, which holds a majority at the House, fielded more than 6,000 candidates across national and local levels for the May polls.
Mr. Romualdez’s claim that Lakas-CMD secured a win in the midterm elections could be political posturing, Arjan P. Aguirre, who teaches political science at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “What this did not mention is that their numbers dropped.”
“They had 112 seats for 2022 to 2025 as a party, but 104 seats now,” Hansley A. Juliano, who also teaches political science at the Ateneo said via Facebook chat. “While it means they still have enough numbers for the majority coalition, this doesn’t actually look as solid as it does now.”
The Office of the Speaker did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.
Mr. Romualdez likely issued the statement to prevent groups opposing the Marcos administration from gaining traction in Congress, said Mr. Aguirre.
“This is something that we expect from the ruling coalition so as to preempt any attempts from some House members to switch their allegiances to the Duterte-aligned faction,” he said.
The political rivalry between the Marcos and Duterte families has escalated ahead of the midterm elections as both camps have been courting politicians to consolidate influence and bolster their respective support bases
“We may expect more horse-trading and concessions in the House especially during budget season,” Mr. Juliano said. “The Marcos administration now has the burgeoning risk of suffering the problems of a lame-duck administration even when it nominally still has the numbers.”
The number of government seats held by Lakas-CMD may not directly help shore up support for the Marcos administration ahead of the 2028 presidential polls, Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, an associate political science professor at the De La Salle University, said in a Facebook chat.
“There is a divide between local and national politics and by 2028, voters might end up with a misalignment between their choices for local and national leaders, especially if local leaders choose to stay away from the Marcos-Duterte feud,” he said.
Ms. Duterte had emerged as a frontrunner for the 2028 presidential election, setting the stage for a challenge against the Marcoses.
