Administration-backed Parties Gather in Malacañang To ‘Strategize’ For 2025 Midterm Elections

Eight months before the 2025 Midterm Elections, on August 19, top political leaders led by House Speaker Martin Romualdez met in Malacañang to strategize plans with the mega-alliance called ‘Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.’ Political analysts speculate that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s senatorial slate has been finalized and will likely include key figures from the 2022 Uniteam Coalition.  

The slate will notably and quite expectedly exclude individuals tied with the Duterte family.   

Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas

In a press release, House Speaker Romualdez announced that key leaders from different parties convened their first meeting to discuss their game plan for the May 2025 elections. These parties include the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), Nacionalista Party (NP), and National Unity Party (NUP) — all united under the brand name of Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.” The alliance is led by Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the political party chaired by President Marcos Jr. himself.  

House Speaker and Lakas-CMD President Romualdez stated that the meeting went beyond mere strategic planning and said that it represented a pledge of their “shared commitment” to the country. 

“Our unity is our strength, and today we solidify that bond to ensure that our vision for a better Philippines will continue to be realized. We are here not only to support the programs and projects of President Marcos but also to help realize his vision of unity towards lasting peace and prosperity for all,” Romualdez said. 

The House Speaker also underscored the need to foster unity, prevent internal conflicts, and maintain fairness among the incumbents to ensure that each party’s interests are protected while they collaborate toward their shared objectives. 

“We are not just allies in name. We are united by a shared purpose—to serve our nation with integrity, strength, and unwavering resolve…The challenges we face require a coalition that is not only strong but also harmonious. That’s what we are building here today,” Romualdez added. 

While the administration has not yet unveiled its 12-member official senatorial lineup, political analysts suggest that some of the participants from the August 19 meeting in Malacañang may be featured in President Marcos Jr.’s senatorial slate. Alternatively, these individuals could play a crucial role in consolidating support and securing votes in various regions or provinces. 

Attendees of the first Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas meeting are the following individuals:

Attendees of the first Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas meeting	Current Occupation/Known As
Partido Federal ng Pilipinas
Reynaldo Tamayo	PFP President and South Cotabato Governor
Anton Lagdameo Jr	Executive Vice President of PFP and Special Assistant to the President
Thompson Lantion	PFP Secretary General and retired general
George Briones	PFP Legal Counsel
Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos	Interior Secretary, former MMDA chairperson, and an alleged senatorial bet of the administration
Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD)
Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr.	Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga 3rd District Representative
Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe	Lakas CMD Executive Vice President and House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Representative
Jose “Joboy” Aquino II	Lakas CMD Secretary General and Agusan del Norte 1st District Representative
David “Jay-Jay” Suarez	Lakas CMD Treasurer and Quezon 2nd District Representative
Nacionalista Party
Mark Villar	Senator and brother of senatorial bet Camille Villar
Ferjenel Biron	Iloilo 4th District Representative
Yevgeny “Bambi” Emano	Misamis Oriental 2nd District Representative
Nationalist People’s Coalition
Vicente “Tito” Sotto III	NPC President and former Senate president
Mark Llandro Mendoza	NPC Secretary General and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office Secretary
National Unity Party
Luis Raymund “L-Ray” Villafuerte	NUP President and Camarines Sur 2nd District Representative
Albert Raymond Garcia	NUP Secretary General Bataan 2nd District Representative

Alleged senatorial lineup?

A day after the alliance meeting, Senator Imee Marcos disclosed on August 20 a list of an alleged senatorial line-up that will be endorsed by her brother President Marcos Jr. for the 2025 elections. While Senator Imee was not part of the meeting a day prior, the list was allegedly “decided” after the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas assembly. According to GMA News’ report, the lineup consists of the following senatorial candidates from the four key political parties allied with the administration.

Alleged senatorial bets from Senator Imee’s list	Current Occupation/ Known As	Brief Description
Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP)
Manny Pacquiao	Former senator and professional boxer	Manny Pacquaio is a former Senator and a candidate who ran for the 2022 Presidential Elections. Prior to politics, he was a world-renowned boxing champion.
Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos	Secretary of Interior and Local Government	Benhur Abalos Jr. is a lawyer who held positions as Mayor and Congressman of Mandaluyong. He was the Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority during the administration of former President Duterte.
Francis Tolentino	Senator	Senator Francis Tolentino is a supporter of former President Duterte, but his loyalty is noted to be not on the same level as Senators de la Rosa and Go. He was the Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs to the former President in 2017.
Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD)
Bong Revilla	Senator	Prior to his stint in politics, Senator Bong Revilla was a famous Filipino TV and media personality. He is married to Lani Mercado, another TV personality that embarked into the realm of politics.
Erwin Tulfo	House of Representatives	Representative Tulfo is the brother of Senator Raffy Tulfo (who is also known for the famous Youtube Channel ‘Raffy Tulfo in Action) and other siblings working in the journalism industry. Prior to his stint in politics, Erwin Tulfo was a news anchor and radio broadcaster.
Nacionalista Party (NP)
Pia Cayetano	Senator	Senator Pia Cayetano is the sister of Senator Allan Peter Cayetano. She is part of the Cayetano political family of Taguig.
Imee Marcos	Senator	Senator Imee Marcos is the sister of the current President Marcos Jr. Despite this familial relation, she has closely allied herself with the Duterte family.
Camille Villar	House of Representatives	Representative Camille Villar is the daughter of current Senator Cynthia villar and brother of Senator Mark Villar. Her father, Manuel Villar, is a well-known businessman and owner of Villar Group of Companies.
Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC)
Vicente “Tito” Sotto III	Former vice presidential candidate	Prior to his stint in politics, Vicente Sotto III was a famous TV and media personality. His paternal grandfather was a former senator. He ran for the 2022 national elections for the position of Vice  President but was unsuccessful.
Panfilo “Ping” Lacson	Former presidential candidate	Prior to his stint in politics, Panfilo Lacson was long-time police offer at the Philippine National Police. He ran for the 2022 national elections for the position of President but was unsuccessful.
Lito Lapid	Senator	Prior to his stint in politics, Senator Lito Lapid was a famous TV and media personality.
Abby Binay	Mayor of Makati City	Abby Binay is the sister of current Senator Nancy Binay and the daughter of former Vice President Jejomar Binay. She is part of the Binay political family of Makati.

Analysts point out that, despite being the president’s sister, Senator Imee has aligned herself closely with the Duterte family and has frequently interfered with her brother’s interests and public statements.

The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), chaired by President Marcos Jr., released a statement dismissing Senator Imee’s alleged list of senatorial bets. PFP President and South Cotabato Governor Jun Tamayo clarified that this list may have originated from the preliminary candidate lists submitted by the various parties before their September 15 deadline.

“There is no truth to any list circulating…We will make an announcement on the senatorial lineup of the administration once all members of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas come to a decision,” PFP President Tamayo said in Filipino.

In a separate interview, Camarines Sur 2nd District Representative and NUP President LRay Villafuerte mentioned seven individuals being considered for the administration’s senatorial slate. These bets—Abalos, Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Revilla, Sotto, Tolentino, and Villar—are also included in Senator Imee’s alleged list.

The NUP president outlined the factors for selecting the alliance’s senatorial candidates.

“Membership and loyalty to the party… If they are really in accordance with the vision of the Bagong Pilipinas.. Then winnability, of course… [that’s important]. There are internal surveys being conducted by various members of the alliance,” Villafuerte said in English and Filipino.