Formation In 1990, amid political and economic uncertainty in the aftermath of the
1986 People Power Revolution, members of civil society and business groups invited businessman
Danding Cojuangco, a former associate of deposed
President Ferdinand Marcos and estranged cousin of President
Corazon Aquino, to lead a national coalition for the
1992 national elections. Cojuangco's supporters, who called themselves
Friends of Danding, began organizing because of limited time before the polls. Cojuangco expressed interest in running under the
Nacionalista Party, where he had long-standing ties, provided the nomination process was fair. Two other national figures were also seeking the party nomination, Senator
Juan Ponce Enrile and
Vice President Salvador Laurel, who was the party president. Internal disputes arose between Laurel and former
Rizal Governor Isidro Rodriguez over the nomination rules. With the issues unresolved and the party divided, Cojuangco's backers formed a new party,
Partido Pilipino, led by Jerry Barican, Antonio Gatmaitan, and Butch Valdes. The
Commission on Elections officially registered the party on February 5, 1991. The Nacionalistas eventually split into the Laurel and Rodriguez wings, with the latter supporting Cojuangco. A court ruling in favor of the Laurel wing prompted Cojuangco's allies to consolidate under a broader umbrella group, the '''Nationalist People's Coalition'''. This coalition included the Rodriguez wing,
Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, Partido Pilipino and its regional parties such as
Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija, sectoral groups, and independent politicians backing Cojuangco.
Ramos administration ====
1992 presidential election ==== In the
1992 presidential election, Cojuangco ran for president under the NPC–Partido Pilipino banner with Senator
Joseph Estrada, whose
Partido ng Masang Pilipino coalesced with NPC, for vice president. Other NPC candidates for various races ran under affiliated parties. Cojuangco placed third, losing to Marcos' cousin
Fidel V. Ramos, who was endorsed by President Aquino, while Estrada won the vice presidential race in a landslide. Following the elections, Partido Pilipino was renamed as the '''Nationalist People's Coalition''', formalizing the group into a political party whose leadership was transferred to newly-elected NPC officers. The NPC joined the
Lakas–NUCD-led
Rainbow Coalition, a caucus coalition in the
House of Representatives formed with multiple national parties. In the
1995 Senate election, the NPC became the official opposition coalition against the administration
Lakas–Laban Coalition, led by President Ramos and Senator
Edgardo Angara of
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino. The party's senatorial slate included half-termer senators
Nikki Coseteng and
Arturo Tolentino,
Ilocos Norte representative Bongbong Marcos of KBL, former military mutineer
Gregorio Honasan and 1992
People's Reform Party presidential candidate
Miriam Defensor Santiago. Senate President and NPC leader
Ernesto Maceda, however, reportedly conceded NPC's defeat to President Ramos days before the election, as the latter also claimed. Only Santiago, Honasan and Coseteng managed to win Senate seats.
Estrada administration The NPC coalesced with Angara's LDP, Estrada's PMP, and
PDP–Laban of former senator
Nene Pimentel, to form
Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino for the
1998 national elections. LAMMP served as the political vehicle of Vice President Estrada in
that year's presidential election. In the
House elections, some youngster politicians who were elected into Congress under LAMMP were dubbed as the
Bright Boys, including NPC-affiliated neophyte congressmen
Francis Escudero,
Gilbert Teodoro and
Ace Durano. Following the
juetenggate scandal in October 2000, House Speaker
Manny Villar of LAMMP successfully presided over the impeachment of President Estrada in the House plenary. The pro-Estrada group ousted Villar from office and tapped
Arnulfo Fuentebella as his replacement, making this the only time when a current NPC member held the House speakership. The NPC left the rapidly disintegrating LAMMP after Estrada was
removed from power in January 2001. The 75-member ruling party led the "
Sunshine Coalition," which included the 61-member NPC, members of the
Liberal Party, and several other minor parties, In 2003, NPC stalwarts led by Escudero and Teodoro filed an impeachment complaint against
Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. for allegedly misusing judiciary funds for acquiring luxury cars and homes. However, the complaint, despite successfully gaining enough signatures to proceed, was ruled unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court. Rumors speculated that the coalition would be abolished, as pro-impeachment congressmen, mainly from the NPC, were disappointed with the failure of Davide's impeachment, as well as that there emerged a faction lacking satisfaction over the leadership of House Speaker
Jose de Venecia Jr. Some party members prompted the NPC to quit the ruling coalition ahead of the
2004 national elections and join the opposition, to no avail. In 2003, the NPC and LDP backed party founder Cojuangco as a potential contender for the
2004 presidential election. Although the NPC had no seats in the Senate, the party had 53 seats in the House of Representatives that time. Eventually, the NPC was divided, with Cojuangco, his sons
Charlie and
Mark, and nephew Gilbert Teodoro supporting incumbent President Arroyo's
full-term bid, while the other faction led by Escudero, Maceda and
Darlene Antonino Custodio supported opposition bet
Fernando Poe Jr. of
Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino. Escudero, who became Poe's spokesperson, berated the Arroyo administration for alleged widespread cheating and vehemently protested in the
congressional canvassing of presidential votes.
2005 In mid-2005, led by its House Leader Chiz Escudero, his anti-Arroyo NPC colleagues launched an impeachment complaint against incumbent President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was apologizing for being
busted for calling an election commissioner to ensure her win. Ultimately, Lakas-led House crushed the impeachment 158–51.
2007 With Escudero and newly-sworn member
Loren Legarda joining
Geniuine Opposition (GO), LDP stalwarts
Tito Sotto and
Tessie Aquino Oreta left their party and joined the NPC, but the latter two become ticket candidates of administration's
TEAM Unity. Sotto claimed that some GO supporters and politicians defecting to the NPC. Escudero and Legarda managed to win, but Sotto and Aquino-Oreta lost.
Escudero and Teodoro's ambition for 2010 Two of its former House stalwarts, Senator Chiz Escudero and Defense Secretary Teodoro left NPC for their presidential ambitions. Teodoro joined
Lakas–Kampi and launched his
presidential campaign there, while Escudero planned also to run for presidency, but later withdrawn his bid and launched
NoyBi. NPC, led by its new chairman Faustino Dy Jr., forged a coalition with
Manny Villar's Nacionalista to support the
latter's presidential campaign with selection of
Loren Legarda as running mate.
Aquino years: 2010–2016 2010: with Manny Villar After
Manny Villar of Nacionalista officially launched his
campaign for presidency, his party and NPC launched a coalition building, with Legarda and Escudero are considered to be his running-mate, with the selection of the former.
2013 With
Tito Sotto's chairmanship assumption, NPC forged an alliance with the administration's
Team PNoy. But Sotto sided with
Jejomar Binay's UNA, with Congressman
Jack Enrile as one of its senatorial candidates.
2022–present: Bongbong Marcos years 2022 elections: Divided on presidentiables After Cojuangco's death in 2020, NPC supported the vice presidential campaign of its chairman Sotto. But, in the preferences of presidential candidates, majority of them supported either
Bongbong Marcos, or
Panfilo Lacson's campaign, which was Sotto's running mate.
2025 elections: Sotto vs. Escudero in Senate Presidency After the victory of Tito Sotto in
senate elections of the same year, him and Chiz Escudero, are rumored to battle for senate presidency. One of their members in the Senate
JV Ejercito proposed the two to make a gentlemen's agreement, with Escudero stay and Sotto will be the next seated. With majority of NPC Senate members voted to retain Escudero as Senate President, Legarda joined Sotto in the minority.
2025 Senate coup Amid controversies of Escudero receiving donations from flood control contractors, which he denied, and with 15 votes (which includes all NPC members except Escudero), Escudero was kicked out from the Senate Presidency with the return of Sotto. ==1995 election==