Philippine parliamentary election, 1978
Encyclopedia
A general election was held in the Philippines
on April 7, 1978 for the election of the 166 (of the 208) regional representatives to the Interim Batasang Pambansa
(the nation's first parliament). The elections were participated by the leading opposition party, the Lakas ng Bayan
(LABAN) which had twenty-one candidates for the Metro Manila area and the leading candidate was the jailed opposition leader Ninoy Aquino
while the regime's party known as the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
(KBL) which was led by the then First Lady Imelda Marcos
. Ninoy was allowed to run by the his fellow party mates in the Liberal Party
who boycotted the elections but was not allowed to campaign, so his family campaigned for him. The night before the elections on April 6, 1978, a noise barrage was organized by the supporters of (LABAN) which occurred up to dawn.
since 1972, thereby the incumbent president Ferdinand Marcos
ruled by decree. Prior to this, the Constitution of the Philippines
was being drafted by the Constitutional Convention
whose delegates were elected in 1970
. The Constitutional Convention approved the final draft of the Constitution which consisted of the abolition of the Philippine Congress and replaced with an interim National Assembly to consisted of the President, the Vice-President, the President of the Constitutional Convention and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives in November 1972 and later ratified
on January 17, 1973 through so-called "citizens' assemblies". The Constitution were amended twice in July 27–28, 1973
and February 27–28, 1975
. The Constitution was amended once again in October 16–17, 1976
which contained the "Amendment No. 6" which changed the name of the interim National Assembly from the "National Assembly" to "Batasang Pambansa" more commonly as the "Batasan".
, preferred to boycott the elections, Aquino urged his supporters to organize and run 21 candidates in Metro Manila
. Thus his political party, dubbed Lakas ng Bayan
("People's Power"), was born. The party's acronym was "LABAN" ("fight" in Tagalog
). He was allowed one television interview on Face the Nation (hosted by Ronnie Nathanielsz) and proved to a startled and impressed populace that imprisonment had neither dulled his rapier-like tongue nor dampened his fighting spirit. Foreign correspondents and diplomats asked what would happen to the LABAN ticket. People agreed with him that his party would win overwhelmingly in an honest election. On April 6, 1978, supporters of the Lakas ng Bayan
(LABAN), the opposition party headed by former Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.
who was still in jail and twenty other candidates contesting the Region IV-A (Metro Manila) seats, came out in protest by asking bystanders and cars to make noise in support the opposition.
(New Society Movement)
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on April 7, 1978 for the election of the 166 (of the 208) regional representatives to the Interim Batasang Pambansa
Interim Batasang Pambansa
The Interim Batasang Pambansa or the First Batasan was the legislature of the Republic of the Philippines from its inauguration on June 12, 1978 to June 5, 1984...
(the nation's first parliament). The elections were participated by the leading opposition party, the Lakas ng Bayan
Lakas ng Bayan
Lakas ng Bayan was a political party in the Philippines formed by Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. for the 1978 Interim Batasang Pambansa regional elections. The party had 21 candidates for the Metro Manila area, all of whom lost due to widespread election fraud...
(LABAN) which had twenty-one candidates for the Metro Manila area and the leading candidate was the jailed opposition leader Ninoy Aquino
Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was a Filipino Senator and a former Governor of Tarlac. Aquino, together with Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga, formed the leadership of the opposition to the Marcos regime in the years leading to the imposition of martial law in the Philippines...
while the regime's party known as the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
The Kilusang Bagong Lipunan , formerly the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan ng Nagkakaisang Nacionalista, Liberal, at iba pa, , is a political party in the Philippines...
(KBL) which was led by the then First Lady Imelda Marcos
Imelda Marcos
Imelda R. Marcos is a Filipino politician and widow of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986...
. Ninoy was allowed to run by the his fellow party mates in the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Philippines)
The Liberal Party of the Philippines is a liberal party in the Philippines, founded by then senators Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator Jose Avelino, on November 24, 1945 by a breakaway Liberal group from the...
who boycotted the elections but was not allowed to campaign, so his family campaigned for him. The night before the elections on April 6, 1978, a noise barrage was organized by the supporters of (LABAN) which occurred up to dawn.
Background
The Philippines was under martial lawMartial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
since 1972, thereby the incumbent president Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
ruled by decree. Prior to this, the Constitution of the Philippines
Constitution of the Philippines
The Constitution of the Philippines is the supreme law of the Philippines.The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987 Constitution"...
was being drafted by the Constitutional Convention
Constitutional convention (political meeting)
A constitutional convention is now a gathering for the purpose of writing a new constitution or revising an existing constitution. A general constitutional convention is called to create the first constitution of a political unit or to entirely replace an existing constitution...
whose delegates were elected in 1970
Philippine Constitutional Convention election, 1970
The Constitutional Convention of 1970 was called to change the existing Philippine Constitution which was made during the Commonwealth of the Philippines. Special elections for the CON-CON Delegates who will represent the various provinces of the country on November 10, 1970...
. The Constitutional Convention approved the final draft of the Constitution which consisted of the abolition of the Philippine Congress and replaced with an interim National Assembly to consisted of the President, the Vice-President, the President of the Constitutional Convention and Members of the Senate and House of Representatives in November 1972 and later ratified
Philippine constitutional plebiscite, 1973
The Constitutional Convention of 1971 minus 11 CON-CON delegates who were arrested during the proclamation of martial law, re-convenened and with nothing to do but to do what President Ferdinand Marcos wanted to be put to the proposed constitution. The regime tasked a plebiscite for the...
on January 17, 1973 through so-called "citizens' assemblies". The Constitution were amended twice in July 27–28, 1973
Philippine Martial Law referendum, 1973
National referendum in which the Citizen's Assemblies voted for:*The ratification of the 1973 Constitution*The suspension of the convening of the Interim National Assembly provided for the Transitory provinsions of the 1973 Constitution...
and February 27–28, 1975
Philippine executive and legislative powers referendum, 1975
A national referendum was called for February 27–28, 1973 where the majority of the barangays voted approved the following:*The use by the President of his power to restructure the local governments in Greater Manila into an integrated system like a manager- commission for under such terms and...
. The Constitution was amended once again in October 16–17, 1976
Philippine constitutional referendum-plebiscite, 1976
National referendum-plebiscite was called on October 16 - October 17, 1976 in which the majority of he barangay voters approved that Martial Law should be continued and ratified the proposed amendments to the Constitution substituting the Interim Batasang Pambansa for the Regular Batasang Pambansa,...
which contained the "Amendment No. 6" which changed the name of the interim National Assembly from the "National Assembly" to "Batasang Pambansa" more commonly as the "Batasan".
Lakas ng Bayan
In 1978, from his prison cell, Aquino was allowed to take part in the elections. Although his friends, former Senators Gerry Roxas and Jovito SalongaJovito Salonga
Jovito "Jovy" Reyes Salonga is a Filipino nationalist politician and lawyer, as well as a leading opposition leader during the Marcos regime from 1972, when Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, until 1986, when Marcos was deposed as a result of a bloodless revolution...
, preferred to boycott the elections, Aquino urged his supporters to organize and run 21 candidates in Metro Manila
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila , the National Capital Region , or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines...
. Thus his political party, dubbed Lakas ng Bayan
Lakas ng Bayan
Lakas ng Bayan was a political party in the Philippines formed by Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. for the 1978 Interim Batasang Pambansa regional elections. The party had 21 candidates for the Metro Manila area, all of whom lost due to widespread election fraud...
("People's Power"), was born. The party's acronym was "LABAN" ("fight" in Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
). He was allowed one television interview on Face the Nation (hosted by Ronnie Nathanielsz) and proved to a startled and impressed populace that imprisonment had neither dulled his rapier-like tongue nor dampened his fighting spirit. Foreign correspondents and diplomats asked what would happen to the LABAN ticket. People agreed with him that his party would win overwhelmingly in an honest election. On April 6, 1978, supporters of the Lakas ng Bayan
Lakas ng Bayan
Lakas ng Bayan was a political party in the Philippines formed by Senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. for the 1978 Interim Batasang Pambansa regional elections. The party had 21 candidates for the Metro Manila area, all of whom lost due to widespread election fraud...
(LABAN), the opposition party headed by former Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was a Filipino Senator and a former Governor of Tarlac. Aquino, together with Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga, formed the leadership of the opposition to the Marcos regime in the years leading to the imposition of martial law in the Philippines...
who was still in jail and twenty other candidates contesting the Region IV-A (Metro Manila) seats, came out in protest by asking bystanders and cars to make noise in support the opposition.
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
President Marcos created the Kilusang Bagong LipunanKilusang Bagong Lipunan
The Kilusang Bagong Lipunan , formerly the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan ng Nagkakaisang Nacionalista, Liberal, at iba pa, , is a political party in the Philippines...
(New Society Movement)
See also
- Commission on ElectionsCommission on Elections (Philippines)The Commission on Elections, or COMELEC, is one of the three constitutional commissions of the Philippines. Its principal role is to enforce all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of elections, initiatives, referendums, and recalls....
- Politics of the PhilippinesPolitics of the PhilippinesThe Politics of the Philippines takes place in an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic republic whereby the president is both the head of state and the head of government within a pluriform multi-party system...
- Philippine elections
- Interim Batasang PambansaInterim Batasang PambansaThe Interim Batasang Pambansa or the First Batasan was the legislature of the Republic of the Philippines from its inauguration on June 12, 1978 to June 5, 1984...
Further reading
- Philippine Commission on Elections — Records and Statistics Division
- Philippine House of Representatives Congressional Library