Lakas–CMD (1991)

Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats
Leader	Fidel V. Ramos (1991–1998) Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (1998–2008)
Founder	Fidel V. Ramos (Lakas) Raul Manglapus (NUCD) Sanchez Ali (UMDP)
Founded	1968 (NUCD) 1971 (UMDP) December 1991 (Lakas) January 3, 1992 (merger)
Dissolved	June 18, 2008 (merged into Lakas Kampi CMD)
Merger of	Lakas ng Tao National Union of Christian Democrats United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines
Split from	Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino
Merged into	Lakas–Kampi–CMD
Ideology	Conservatism Christian democracy Islamic democracy
Political position	Centre-right[1][2]
International affiliation	Centrist Democrat International
Colors	Yellow (1991–1992; 2001)   Sky blue (2004–2008)
Politics of the Philippines Political parties Elections

Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (transl. People Power–Christian Muslim Democrats), abbreviated as Lakas–CMD and popularly known as Lakas, was a political party in the Philippines. Its ideology and that of its successor is heavily influenced by Christian and Islamic democracy. The party's influence on Philippine society is very strong, especially after the People Power Revolution, which has led the country to elect two presidents from the party, namely Fidel V. Ramos, a United Methodist, and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, a Roman Catholic.

In May 2009, Lakas–CMD merged with Arroyo's Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino, thereby being known as Lakas Kampi CMD, a completely new entity. In May 2012, Lakas Kampi CMD renamed itself again as Lakas–CMD after the separation of KAMPI.

In November 1991, former National Defense Secretary Fidel V. Ramos joined the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) in order to gain its support for his 1992 presidential bid. The LDP National Convention was held to nominate the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates for 1992. After losing the presidential nomination to Mitra, Ramos bolted the LDP and organized the United People Power Movement (UPPM) with then Pangasinan Representative Jose de Venecia Jr. The new organization was officially named Lakas ng Tao (or Lakas ng EDSA) and formally launched on January 3, 1992, at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan.

Upon de Venecia's initiative, Ramos merged Lakas ng Tao with the National Union of Christian Democrats (NUCD), a cluster of the defunct Progressive Party, to form Lakas–National Union of Christian Democrats. Some of LDP members were raided by Ramos and De Venecia to join their newly-formed party, which LDP co-founder Peping Cojuangco criticized.

Ramos won the presidential election, defeating former Agrarian Reform Secretary Miriam Defensor Santiago of the People's Reform Party, Mitra and four other presidential candidates. On the other hand, Osmeña lost the vice presidential race to Senator Joseph Estrada of the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC). But since he got a low plurality in the election, de Venecia created the Rainbow Coalition and converged Lakas, LDP, NPC and other national parties. In 1995, Lakas–NUCD formed an alliance with LDP for the 1995 legislative elections. This coalition, called the Lakas-Laban Coalition, won a majority in both houses of Congress. Ramos invited Cebu Governor Lito Osmeña to serve as his running-mate.

In 1997, Lakas–NUCD was joined by the United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines (UMDP) of former Ambassador Sanchez Ali, thereby changing the party's name to Lakas–National Union of Christian Democrats–United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines (Lakas–NUCD–UMDP). In November that year, Lakas held a national convention to select its nominees for the 1998 national elections. The long list of contenders for the presidential nomination had been abridged into a close fight between Ramos' two leading political lieutenants, House Speaker de Venecia and former Defense Secretary Renato de Villa. After rounds of secret balloting, de Venecia won the nomination and was officially proclaimed as the Lakas presidential nominee for the 1998 election.

After losing the nomination, de Villa bolted Lakas and formed the Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma with Pangasinan Governor Oscar Orbos as his running mate for vice president. Lito Osmeña, who also lost the presidential nomination, launched his presidential bid under the Probinsya Muna Development Initiative (PROMDI) with Ismael Sueno as his running mate.

Meanwhile, Lakas nominated then Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as its candidate for vice president. Arroyo had originally intended to run for president under her party, Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (KAMPI).

De Venecia lost the presidential election to Vice President Joseph Estrada of Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino by a significant plurality. Arroyo won the vice presidency in the same manner as Estrada, defeating Estrada's running mate, Senator Edgardo Angara. Arroyo emerged victorious in the vice presidential race while KAMPI was in hiatus.

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In early 2004, the party's name was changed into the current Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas–CMD). However, the meaning of Lakas in the party name was now referred to as "Lakas ng EDSA" ("The Strength of EDSA") from the original "Lakas ng Tao" ("People Power"). This was also the name that the party used when it participated in the 2004 Philippine general election as the leading member of the K4 Coalition.

By 2003, Arroyo stated that she will not run for a full term. Because of her statements, Senators Jun Magsaysay, Dr. Juan Flavier, and Loren Legarda declared their intention to get the Lakas presidential nomination. But only Magsaysay and Flavier are those party members who is contenders are willing to give way if Arroyo retracted her statement and run for presidential elections.^[3] Flavier also said that if Legarda campaign for presidential nomination, he will withdraw.^[4] Legarda that time finds her potential running mate with the likes of Raul Roco, and President Arroyo.^[5]

Legarda and Vice President Tito Guingona later leave Lakas to join the opposition, with Legarda as the vice presidential candidate.^[6]

President Arroyo was the K4 candidate for president in the 2004 Philippine presidential election, eventually winning over actor Fernando Poe Jr. and Senator Panfilo Lacson.

After Poe's unsuccessful bid to the presidency, his supporters viewed the election results as fraudulent and came under legal protest by Poe and his running-mate, former Senator Loren Legarda. The poll protests were later thrown out by the Supreme Court acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET).

At the onset of 2006, Lakas–CMD was torn by factional rivalry between supporters of President Arroyo and supporters of former President Fidel Ramos. Issues include transitory provisions in a proposed Constitution to scrap the 2007 midterm elections ("no-el") and calls for her to step down in time for the elections. The party held its Annual Party Directorate Meeting in January 2006 to discuss these matters.

There are no official results available of the 2007 elections released by Lakas–CMD but according to the House of Representatives, the party held 79 out of 235 seats.

On January 16, 2008, Lakas–CMD spokesman and legal counsel Raul Lambino stated that Lakas officially released the list of senatorial bets for 2010. Except for Parañaque Representative Eduardo Zialcita, they were not yet identified. However, Lambino named incumbent Senators Ramon Revilla Jr. and Lito Lapid, former senator Ralph Recto and former Congressman Prospero Pichay as among those considered.^[7]

De Venecia's resignation

Jose de Venecia resigned his post as president of Lakas on March 10, 2008, and rejected the proposition of Ramos to give him the title of chairman emeritus. House Speaker Prospero Nograles and former House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. were sworn as party president and vice president for Metro Manila affairs on the same day, respectively.

On June 18, 2008, President Gloria Arroyo confirmed the historical merger of the Lakas–CMD and the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) parties. Both parties adopted the “equity of the incumbent” principle, as the merger will account for almost 200 national and 8,000 local officials, amid Arroyo's prediction of victory in the 2010 elections. Nograles and KAMPI Chairman Ronaldo Puno signed the covenant at the regional caucus held in Davao City.^[8][9] Ramos, the party chairman-emeritus, announced on February 6, 2008, that Lakas–CMD would be the surviving entity after its merger with KAMPI.^[10]

On August 9, 2009, de Venecia and Ramos led fifty members from the Lakas–Kampi–CMD in objecting to its merger with KAMPI. The faction elected de Venecia as president and Ramos as chairman emeritus. However, Ramos later refused the offer of being named in the interim party organization. De Venecia has filed a resolution at the Commission on Elections to declare the merger null and void.^[11] However, the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the legality of the merger,^[12] citing the failure of de Venecia “to sufficiently show that any grave abuse of discretion was committed by the Commission on Elections in rendering the challenged resolution.”^[13]

The logo is still used by its merger as of 2024.

Lakas-CMD has always focused on economic growth and development, stronger ties with the United States, creation of jobs, and strong cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of government. It is known for its advocacy of a shift from the present presidential system to a parliamentary form of government through constitutional amendments and through establishing peace talks with Muslim separatists and communist rebels. The party democracy is distinct in its ecumenical inclusion of Muslim leaders in its political alliance.^[2]

Senate Election	Seats won	+/–	Result	President	House Election	House Seats	+/–	Result
1992	2 / 24	N/A	Majority	Fidel Ramos	1992[a]	41 / 216	N/A	Majority
1995[b]	4 / 12	3	Majority		1995[b]	100 / 220	59	Majority
1998	5 / 12	4	Majority	Joseph Estrada	1998[b]	111 / 257	11	Minority
2001	3 / 13	2	Majority	Gloria Macapagal Arroyo	2001	73 / 256	10	Majority
2004	4 / 12	3	Majority		2004	92 / 261	19	Majority
2007	1 / 12		Majority		2007	89 / 271	3	Majority

Lakas put up a full senatorial slate during the May 11, 1998, national elections, as it propels the machinery of its candidates House Speaker Jose de Venecia and Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to the presidency and vice presidency respectively against the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino (Struggle of Patriotic Filipino Masses) coalition of the opposition led by Vice President Joseph Estrada and Senator Edgardo Angara.

Lakas-NUCD-UMDP gained 5 out of 12 possible seats in the Senate namely: (in order of votes received)

• Loren Legarda
• Renato Cayetano
• Robert Barbers
• Ramon Revilla Sr.
• Teofisto Guingona Jr. (appointed vice-president in 2001)

Lakas–CMD had coalesced with other parties in the past elections, enabling it to strengthen its political power both in the national and local levels:

• Lakas–Kampi–CMD, the dominant majority party in the 2010 national elections.
• TEAM Unity, the name of the pro-Arroyo coalition in the 2007 midterm elections.
• Koalisyon ng Katapatan at Karanasan sa Kinabukasan (K-4, Coalition of Truth and Experience for the Future), the name of the pro-Arroyo coalition in the 2004 national elections.
• People Power Coalition, the name of pro-Arroyo coalition in the 2001 midterm elections.
• Lakas-Laban Coalition, the name of the pro-Ramos coalition in the 1995 midterm elections.

• Fidel V. Ramos (12th President of the Philippines; party chairman-emeritus and former party chairman; co-founder)
• Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (14th President of the Philippines; party chairperson)
• Martin Romualdez (Representative, Leyte's 1st District; current party president)
• Bong Revilla Jr. (Senator; former party chairman)
• Teofisto Guingona Jr. (former Vice President of the Philippines; former party president)
• Raul Manglapus (Senator; co-founder)
• Loren Legarda (Senator)
• Leticia Ramos-Shahani (Senate President pro tempore)
• Ramon Magsaysay Jr. (Senator)
• Franklin Drilon (Senator)
• Sergio Osmeña III (Senator)
• Robert Barbers (Senator)
• Renato Cayetano (Senator)
• Ramon Revilla Sr. (Senator)
• Robert Jaworski (Senator)
• Jose de Venecia Jr. (Speaker of the House of Representatives; former party president and co-founder)
• Joker Arroyo (Senator)
• Ralph Recto (Senator)
• Eduardo Ermita (executive secretary)
• Juan Flavier (Secretary of Health; senator)
• Ariel Magcalas (former Mayor of Santa Cruz, Laguna)
• Lito Lapid (former Governor of Pampanga, senator)
• Pia Cayetano (Senator)
• Richard J. Gordon (Senator)