Lakas-CMD is dominant majority party; NP dominant minority

MANILA, Philippines —  Lakas-CMD headed by Speaker Martin Romualdez has been declared as the dominant majority party in the midterm elections in May.

In a nine-page resolution, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) also declared the Nacionalista Party as the dominant minority party.

The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), Akbayan Citizens Action Party, Liberal Party of the Philippines, Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), National Unity Party, Partido Demokratiko Reporma, United Nationalist Alliance and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas were named major political parties.

“This is a significant moment for us – not just as a political organization, but as a team that has consistently worked to move the country forward,” Romualdez said in reaction to the Comelec decision. He also called the Comelec move a “reaffirmation of the party’s legacy of leadership and action.”

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the selected dominant majority and dominant minority parties would have their own servers and directly receive the election results from polling precincts.

Their being chosen as dominant majority and dominant minority parties was based primarily on their history and on the number of their members, both incumbents and candidates in the coming elections, Garcia said.

In an interview with “Storycon” on One News, Garcia admitted he wants Congress to legislate a more reasonable way of determining the dominant majority and minority political parties.

He said currently, the second ranked political party is considered dominant minority and not the party generally acknowledged as genuine opposition. He said it’s a criterion approved by the Supreme Court.

“I hope that there will be legislation to correct that will say that the dominant minority party belongs to one that is a genuine opposition, for example. That will be followed. But at present, because of the existing policy, and the SC decision, that is the way to determine the dominant minority party,” he said.

Garcia said the poll body will meet with leaders of the dominant majority and dominant minority parties as well as with accredited citizens’ arms to discuss guidelines for sharing of transmitted election results.

Watchers of the dominant majority party and dominant minority party would be given preferred spaces at polling precincts.

In welcoming the development, Romualdez noted his party’s long history of delivering on its campaign promise.

“Lakas-CMD has been here before. We have led, we have governed and we have delivered. Our party has produced two Presidents and played a major role in shaping policies that strengthened the economy, improved national security, and built critical infrastructure,” Romualdez recalled.

He was referring to the late president Fidel Ramos and former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The party was established during the Ramos administration. Arroyo served as chief executive for nine years.

“We have always believed that leadership is about producing real results, not just holding positions,” the Speaker said.

He emphasized that Lakas-CMD’s dominant status comes with the responsibility of advancing the Marcos administration’s Bagong Pilipinas agenda, which aims for inclusive economic growth and the restoration of public trust in institutions.

“Now, with the Bagong Pilipinas agenda at the center of the administration’s vision, this recognition carries even greater weight. Bagong Pilipinas is about transformation – about making government work more efficiently, ensuring that economic growth is felt by ordinary Filipinos, and restoring trust in public institutions,” he said in a statement.

As the dominant majority party, Lakas-CMD is committed to pushing for legislative and policy reforms that align with the objectives of the administration. The recognition also reinforces the party’s role in upholding electoral integrity and democratic processes, Romualdez said.

“This also means ensuring that the 2025 elections are clean, credible and orderly. Dominant status comes with the duty to help safeguard the democratic process, making sure that the people’s will is upheld and that governance remains focused on their needs,” he said. - Jose Rodel Clapano