Democratic Party (Philippines)

{{distinguish|Democratic Party of the Philippines|Democrata Party}}

{{Infobox political party

| name = Democratic Party

| colorcode = {{party color|Democratic Party (Philippines)}}

| founded = May 29, 1953

| split = Liberal

| dissolved = {{year|1957}}

| merged = Nacionalista

| country = the Philippines

| founders = {{plainlist|

}}

The Democratic Party was a political party in the Philippines in 1953 to 1957. The party was not related to the Democratic Party of the United States, Democrata Party, and Democratic Party of the Philippines.

History

Liberal Party members, led by Carlos P. Romulo quit the party after the failure of getting the nomination against the incumbent President Elpidio Quirino for the 1953 elections.{{Cite web |last=Cruz |first=Elfren S. |date=May 9, 2019 |title=Keeping democracy alive |url=https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2019/05/09/1916253/keeping-democracy-alive |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=Philstar.com}} Romulo and his men founded the Democratic Party,{{Cite news |last=Pace |first=Eric |date=December 16, 1985 |title=CARLOS P. ROMULO OF PHILIPPINES DIES |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/12/16/world/carlos-p-romulo-of-philippines-dies.html |work=The New York Times}} on May 29, 1953.{{Cite web |title=15. Philippines (1946-present) |url=https://uca.edu/politicalscience/home/research-projects/dadm-project/asiapacific-region/philippines-1946-present/ |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=uca.edu |language=en-US}} Romulo was nominated by the party,{{Cite news |date=June 22, 1953 |title=Manila Convention Names Romulo; New Democratic Party Cheers Him; His Nomination for Philippine Presidency Is Unopposed -- He Flies to U. S. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1953/06/22/archives/manila-convention-names-romulo-new-democratic-party-cheers-him-his.html |work=The New York Times}} with selection of incumbent Vice President Fernando Lopez as his running mate.{{Cite web |date=2013-03-27 |title=Fernando Lopez was born in Jaro, Iloilo April 13, 1904 |url=https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1481/today-in-philippine-history-april-13-1904-fernando-lopez-was-born-in-jaro-iloilo |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=The Kahimyang Project |language=en}}

The party fielded candidates for the 1953 general election, however, its presidential candidate Romulo withdrew. After he withdrew, his running mate Lopez also withdrew to run in the Senate election instead. The two withdrew to support Ramon Magsaysay's candidacy.{{Cite web |last=Cruz |first=Elfren S. |date=July 8, 2021 |title=Winning Philippine elections |url=https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2021/07/08/2110946/winning-philippine-elections |access-date=2024-10-17 |website=Philstar.com}}https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1952-54v12p2/d334 Lopez and Ruperto Kangleon both won in the senatorial election, with Lopez topping the race, placing second.

The Democrats would later merge into the Nacionalista Party.

Electoral performance

The party participated in the 1953 and 1955 elections.{{cite book|title=Elections in Asia and the Pacific Vol. II |author1=Christof Hartmann|author2= Graham Hassall|author3= Soliman M. Santos, Jr. |editor=Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz and Christof Hartmann |pages=185–230 |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2001 |isbn=0199249598}}

= Presidential and vice presidential elections =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! rowspan="2" \|Year ! colspan="3" \|Presidential election ! colspan="3" \|Vice presidential election
Candidate !Vote share !Result !Candidate !Vote share !Result
1953 \| colspan="2" \|NoneCarlos P. Romulo withdrew. Supported Ramon Magsaysay of Nacionalista Party. \|Ramon Magsaysay (Nacionalista) \| colspan="2" \|NoneFernando Lopez withdrew \|Carlos P. Garcia (Nacionalista)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! rowspan="2" |Year

! colspan="3" |Presidential election

! colspan="3" |Vice presidential election

Candidate

!Vote share

!Result

!Candidate

!Vote share

!Result

1953

| colspan="2" |NoneCarlos P. Romulo withdrew. Supported Ramon Magsaysay of Nacionalista Party.

|Ramon Magsaysay
(Nacionalista)

| colspan="2" |NoneFernando Lopez withdrew

|Carlos P. Garcia
(Nacionalista)

= Congress =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
Senate election ! Votes ! % ! Senate seats !+/– ! Senate Result ! House election ! Votes ! % ! House Seats !+/– ! House Result
1953 \| 3,793,654 \| 15.4% \| {{composition bar\|2\|24\|hex={{party color\|Democratic Party (Philippines)}}}} \|{{increase}} 2 \| {{Won}} ! rowspan="2" \|1953Two of the seats were from a common Nacionalista Party-Democratic Party ticket. \| rowspan="2" \|342,889 \| rowspan="2" \| 8.4 \| rowspan="2" \| {{Composition bar\|11\|102\|{{party color\|Democratic Party (Philippines)}}}} \| rowspan="2" \| {{increase}} 11 \| rowspan="2" style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"\| Won; Joined the Majority Bloc
1955 \| colspan="5" \| Did not contest
1957 \| colspan="5" \| Did not contest ! 1957 \| 42,890 \| 0.9 \| {{Composition bar\|0\|102\|{{party color\|Democratic Party (Philippines)}}}} \|{{decrease}} 11 \|{{Lost}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

Senate election

! Votes

! %

! Senate seats

!+/–

! Senate Result

! House election

! Votes

! %

! House Seats

!+/–

! House Result

1953

| 3,793,654

| 15.4%

| {{composition bar|2|24|hex={{party color|Democratic Party (Philippines)}}}}

|{{increase}} 2

| {{Won}}

! rowspan="2" |1953Two of the seats were from a common Nacionalista Party-Democratic Party ticket.

| rowspan="2" |342,889

| rowspan="2" | 8.4

| rowspan="2" | {{Composition bar|11|102|{{party color|Democratic Party (Philippines)}}}}

| rowspan="2" | {{increase}} 11

| rowspan="2" style="background: #9EFF9E; color: #000; vertical-align: middle; text-align: center; " class="yes table-yes2 notheme"| Won; Joined the Majority Bloc

1955

| colspan="5" | Did not contest

1957

| colspan="5" | Did not contest

! 1957

| 42,890

| 0.9

| {{Composition bar|0|102|{{party color|Democratic Party (Philippines)}}}}

|{{decrease}} 11

|{{Lost}}

= Notes =

Notable Members

= Cabinet Level =

Carlos P. Romulo, a presidential prospect in 1953, general, and a statesman

= Senate =

Fernando Lopez, topnotcher of the 1953 senatorial elections, former Vice President
Ruperto Kangleon, last in the ranking of winners of the 1953 senatorial elections, a World War II hero

= House of Representatives =

== Full Democratic members ==

Pedro G. Trono (Iloilo 1st)
Ricardo Yap Ladrido (Iloilo 4th)
Jose M. Aldeguer (Iloilo 5th)
Ramon P. Mitra, Jr. (Mountain Province 2nd)
Jose Puey (Negros Occidental 2nd)
Carlos Hilado (Negros Occidental 3rd)
Conrado M. Morente (Oriental Mindoro At-large)
Serafin Salvador (Rizal 2nd)
Jose Roy (Tarlac 1st)

== Partnered with Nacionalista ==

Ramon M. Durano (Cebu 1st)
Domingo Veloso (Leyte 2nd)

References

External links

{{cite web |title=List of Senators |url=http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/senlist.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060914045431/http://www.senate.gov.ph/senators/senlist.htm |archive-date=September 14, 2006 |access-date=September 16, 2006 |publisher=Senate of the Philippines}}
{{cite web |title=The LAWPHiL Project – Philippine Laws and Jurispudance Databank |url=http://www.lawphil.net |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901234512/http://www.lawphil.net/ |archive-date=September 1, 2006 |access-date=September 16, 2006 |publisher=Arellano Law Foundation}}