Federal Party (Philippines)

Parties going by the name of the "Federal Party" were political parties that advocated for the Philippines to become a U.S state after it became independent in 1946. These parties were the ideological successors of the Federalista Party (transl. Federalist Party) of the early 20th century, a party that originally advocated for the Philippines to be a U.S. state while under U.S. rule.

Federal Party
Founded1953 (Third Republic)
January 17, 1981 (Fourth Republic)
Dissolved1961 (Third Republic)
Late 1981 (Fourth Republic)
IdeologyPro-Statehood

Third Republic (1953–1961)

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A "Federal Party" existed during the Third Philippine Republic. Alfredo Abcede was a two-time presidential candidate of this Federal Party. In 1957, Abcede lost, winning 470 votes nationally or less than 0.01%. In 1961, he lost again, polling a mere seven votes. Abcede also ran for the Senate in 1953, 1955 and 1959, losing each time, and never getting more than 0.5% of the vote.[1]

Fourth Republic (1981)

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Former Representative from Bohol Bartolome Cabangbang was one of the candidates in the 1981 presidential election overwhelmingly won by the incumbent president Ferdinand Marcos. This election was boycotted by most opposition parties when their preferred candidate, Benigno Aquino Jr., was barred from running for being underage. Cabangbang's platform of the Philippines becoming the 51st state of the United States earned him a surprising 4% of the vote, attributed to the people's yearning for the American colonial administration in preference to Marcos' just-concluded martial law.[2]

Electoral history

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For president

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Year Candidate Votes % Result
1957 Alfredo Abcede 470 0.01 Lost
1961 7 0.00 Lost
1965–1969 Did not participate
1981 Bartolome Cabangbang 749,845 3.60 Lost

Senate

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Year Votes % Seats won Seats after Result
1953 5,365 0.1 0 0 Lost
1955 22,769 0.5 0 0 Lost
1957 Did not participate
1959 27,383 0.4 0 0 Lost

Notes

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References

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  • Cullinane, Michael (1989). Ilustrado Politics: Filipino Elite Responses to American Rule, 1898-1908. Ateneo de Manila University Press. ISBN 978-971-550-439-3.
  • Christof Hartmann; Graham Hassall; Soliman M. Santos Jr (2001). Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz and Christof Hartmann (ed.). Elections in Asia and the Pacific Vol. II. Oxford University Press. pp. 185–230. ISBN 0-19-924959-8.
  • Steinberg, David Joel (2000). The Philippines: a singular and a plural place. Westview Press. ISBN 978-0-8133-3755-5.