Philippines’ Marcos Jnr forges alliances, hands out cash aid as he gears up for midterm elections

The president’s efforts at consolidating political forces are meant to project unity and bolster his influence amid uncertain loyalties of allies, analysts say

Despite a recent show of solidarity with the new senate chief, Marcos Jnr’s rocky alliance with the Dutertes could cast a pall on his ambitions

Reading Time:5 minutes

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr (left) at the oath-taking ceremony of the alliance between the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats Alliance and the Federal Party of the Philippines. Photo: Presidential Communications Office under the Office of the President/Handout

Published: 8:00am, 27 May 2024Updated: 8:05am, 27 May 2024

On May 8, as the Philippine armed forces made history by firing their first ever acquired anti-ship cruise missile during high-profile war games, the country’s top official was noticeably absent inside the military command centre.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr had been highly anticipated to appear at the event, with a special seat designated for him as commander-in-chief to watch the highlight of this year’s Balikatan, or shoulder to shoulder, military exercises, involving more than 16,000 soldiers from the United States, the Philippines, Australia, and France.

Instead, Marcos Jnr was preoccupied with forging a major political alliance, marking the start of his efforts to consolidate political forces and secure a victory for his party in next year’s midterm elections.

Those efforts have included the creation of several strategic partnerships and other manoeuvres analysts say are meant to project unity and bolster his influence while the loyalty of his allies remains uncertain.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr at a ceremony to distribute aid in Mindanao. Photo: Presidential Communications Office under the Office of the President/Handout

Rather than attending the Balikatan, the president spent May 8 personally witnessing the signing of an alliance he called the “Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas” (Alliance for a New Philippines) between the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats Alliance (Lakas-CMD) – the ruling majority party in the House of Representatives headed by his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, with 100 of the 311 House body as members – and the smaller Federal Party of the Philippines (PFP), which is chaired by Marcos Jnr himself.

PFP has 13 members in the House and none in the senate but claims to have 43 per cent of all governors as members.