1978 Philippine parliamentary election

1st parliamentary elections in the Philippines February 2023 February 2023 1978 Philippine parliamentary election Philippines 1936 parliamentary no 1969(House) ←1971(Senate)  1984 Philippine parliamentary election 1984 April 7 and 27, 1978 179 (of the 189) seats in the Interim Batasang Pambansa 90 Ferdinand Marcos (cropped).jpg Ferdinand Marcos Kilusang Bagong Lipunan none new party 150 150 147,885,493 71.13 Ninoy Aquino.jpg Ninoy Aquino Lakas ng Bayan Region IV-A (lost) new party 0 21,541,600 10.36 Hilario G. Davide Jr. (1986 Constitutional Commission).jpg Hilario Davide Jr. Pusyon Bisaya Region VII new party 13 13 9,495,416 4.57 400px Results by region or constituency Prime Minister Prime Minister-designate Ferdinand Marcos Kilusang Bagong Lipunan A parliamentary election was held in the Philippines on April 7, 1978, for the election of the 165 regional representatives to the Interim Batasang Pambansa (the nation's first parliament). The leading opposition party, the Lakas ng Bayan (LABAN), ran twenty-one candidates for the Metro Manila area. Their leading candidate was the jailed opposition leader Ninoy Aquino. Marcos 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 his fellow partymates under the Liberal Party, who boycotted the election and was not allowed to campaign, and so his family campaigned for him. The night before the election on April 6, 1978, a noise barrage was organized by the supporters of LABAN which occurred up to dawn. These elections were followed by the sectoral election on April 27, which elected additional 14 representatives. Another 10 representatives were appointed, bringing up the total number of representatives to 189. Background The Philippines had been under martial law since 1972, with incumbent president Ferdinand Marcos ruling 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 its replacement with an interim National Assembly consisting of the President, the Vice-President, the President of the Constitutional Convention, and members of the Senate and the House of Representatives in November 1972 and was later ratified on January 17, 1973, through so-called "citizens' assemblies". The Constitution was amended twice, on July 27–28, 1973 and February 27–28, 1975. The Constitution was amended once again on October 16–17, 1976 with the passage of "Amendment No. 6", which changed the name of the Interim National Assembly into the "Interim Batasang Pambansa", more commonly as the "Batasan". Electoral system The Batasang Pambansa has not more than 200 members, of which there are 190 seats for this election, of which 166 are elected via multi-member districts via plurality block vote, similar to the Philippine Senate elections in the past. Each region corresponds to a parliamentary district, with the number of seats dependent on the region's population. An additional 14 members are reserved for sectoral seats. There are three sectors: agricultural labor, industrial labor, and youth, each having one seat each from Visayas and Mindanao, 2 seats for Luzon, and the youth sector having an additional two seats elected at-large. The seats are determined by electoral college within each sector, with the electoral colleges voting via first-past-the-post system. Finally, the president may choose members of the Cabinet to be members. Reappropriation Parliamentary districts Representation was via multi-member districts composed of regions, with the number of seats determined by population. The old congressional districts were redistricted into parliamentary districts of the region the provinces and cities are now included on. The districts were determined by Presidential Decree No. 1296, otherwise known as the "1978 Election Code", specifically its Article II. + District Seats Old congressional districts Region I 12 Benguet's at-large, Ilocos Norte's 1st and 2nd, Ilocos Sur's 1st and 2nd, La Union's 1st and 2nd, Mountain Province's at-large, Pangasinan's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Region II 7 Batanes's at-large, Cagayan's 1st and 2nd, Ifugao's at-large, Isabela's at-large, Kalinga-Apayao's at-large, Nueva Vizcaya's at-large, Quirino's at-large Region III 16 Bataan's at-large, Bulacan's 1st and 2nd, Nueva Ecija's 1st and 2nd, Pampanga's 1st and 2nd, Tarlac's 1st and 2nd, Zambales's at-large Region IV 19 Manila's 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, Rizal's 1st, part of Rizal's 2nd Region IV–A 20 Batangas's 1st, 2nd and 3rd, Cavite's at-large, Laguna's 1st and 2nd, Marinduque's at-large, Occidental Mindoro's at-large, Oriental Mindoro's at-large, Palawan's at-large, Quezon's 1st and 2nd, part of Rizal's 2nd, Romblon's at-large Region V 12 Albay's 1st, 2nd and 3rd, Camarines Norte's at-large, Camarines Sur's 1st and 2nd, Catanduanes's at-large, Masbate's at-large. Sorsogon's 1st and 2nd Region VI 16 Aklan's at-large, Antique's at-large, Capiz's 1st and 2nd, Iloilo's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th, Negros Occidental's 1st, 2nd and 3rd Region VII 13 Bohol's 1st, 2nd and 3rd, Cebu's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th, Negros Oriental's 1st and 2nd Region VIII 10 Eastern Samar's at-large, Leyte's 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th, Northern Samar's at-large, Samar's at-large, Southern Leyte's at-large Region IX 8 Sulu's at-large, Zamboanga del Norte's at-large, Zamboanga del Sur's at-large Region X 9 Agusan del Norte's at-large, Agusan del Sur's at-large, Bukidnon's at-large, Camiguin's at-large, MIsamis Occidental's at-large, MIsamis Oriental's at-large, Surigao del Norte's at-large Region XI 10 Davao del Norte's at-large, Davao del Sur's at-large, Davao Oriental's at-large, South Cotabato's at-large, Surigao del Sur's at-large Region XII 8 Cotabato's at-large, Lanao del Norte's at-large, Lanao del Sur's at-large Total 160 Sectoral representation An innovation of the 1973 constitution is sectoral representation, of which three sectors are to be represented. + Sector Seats Divisions Agricultural labor 4 Luzon (2 seats), Visayas, Mindanao Industrial labor 4 Luzon (2 seats), Visayas, Mindanao Youth 6 At-large (2 seats), Luzon (2 seats), Visayas, Mindanao Total 14 Campaign Lakas ng Bayan Lakas ng Bayan In 1978, former Senators Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga opted for the opposition Liberal Party boycott the elections. Having initially agreed to the boycott due to "the government already [having] the forces in its command and the entire machinery of politics which [they] do not have", former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. later changed his mind and opted to take part in the elections to have the chance to "talk to the people," having been imprisoned for almost six (6) years."NINOY AQUINO's "FACE THE NATION" FULL INTERVIEW! (3/10/1978)" Aquino was then able to field twenty other candidates for the seats in Region IV (Metro Manila) under a big tent political party, dubbed Lakas ng Bayan ("People's Power"). The party's acronym was "LABAN" ("fight" in Tagalog). On March 10, 1978, he was entitled to one television interview on GTV's Face the Nation (hosted by Ronnie Nathanielsz) in his prison at Fort Bonifacio, and proved to a startled and impressed populace that imprisonment had neither dulled his rapier-like tongue nor dampened his fighting spirit.https://www.bworldonline.com/opinion/2022/02/02/427424/how-things-have-turned-upside-down/ How things have turned upside down Juico Philip Ella BusinessWorld According to Aquino, he wanted to give the people a vehicle to express their frustration or their anger "if there is any," while recognizing that should all twenty-one opposition candidates win, as they are a still minority in the Batasan, "the only job in this particular combat now is fiscalization... Mr. Marcos will profound the thesis of government, we will supply the antithesis so that in the clash of ideas, the people will have the synthesis." On April 6, 1978, the eve of elections, supporters of the Lakas ng Bayan (LABAN) came out in protest by asking bystanders and cars to make noise in support the opposition.https://martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/the-first-election/ Martial Law in the Philippines: The first election June 3, 2021 May 23, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220523211819/https://martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/the-first-election/ dead Kilusang Bagong Lipunan President Marcos established the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (New Society Movement) on February 4, 1978 as his political vehicle for the elections.February 4, 1978 Marcos 'Deplores' Liberal Boycott, Speaks to New Group https://books.google.com/books?id=cJv04pVWCicC May 17, 2025 Daily Report Asia & Pacific AFP First Lady Imelda Marcos took a leave of absence from her position as governor of Metro Manila on February 17, 1978, the date she filed her certificate of candidacy for the Interim Batasang Pambansa; Ferdinand served as Metro Manila's acting governor in her stead.https://books.google.com/books?id=9i5RAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA3579-IA5#v=onepage&q&f=false Official Weeks in Review Official Gazette 74 19 May 8, 1978 lx September 15, 2026 Government Printing Office February 20— [...] He [Ferdinand Marcos] also announced that since February 17, when the First Lady, Metro Manila Governor Imelda Romualdez Marcos filed her certificate of candidacy for the IBP, she had taken a leave of absence... During her campaign, Imelda inaugurated the first Bagong Lipunan health center of Metro Manila in Barangay Libis, Quezon City on March 21, 1978; the structure was completed in 20 days, and several other Bagong Lipunan health centers were built and opened across Metro Manila prior to month's end.https://books.google.com/books?id=9i5RAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA3785-IA10#v=onepage&q&f=false Official Month in Review Official Gazette 74 20 May 15, 1978 lxxiii, lxxvi September 15, 2026 Government Printing Office Imelda gave assurances to Metro Manila voters that KBL candidates will positively transform the metropolis' depressed areas into respectable communities. Results Results of the 1978 Philippine parliamentary election District elections File:1978 Philippine House of Representatives elections results.svg KBL 147885493 137 LABAN 21541600 0 Pusyon Bisaya purple 9495416 13 Bagong Lipunan-Kilusan ng Nagkakaisang Nacionalista, Liberal 7981060 14 Mindanao Alliance purple 6685224 1 Bicol Saro 2105599 0 Young Philippines 1471381 0 Concerned Citizens' Aggrupation 1374549 0 Nacionalista 688130 0 Emancipated Scientists 392819 0 Partido ng Bagong Pilipino 140365 0 Democratic Party 112140 0 Philippine Labor Party 94287 0 Confederation of Ilocano Associations 81594 0 Consumers Party 69216 0 Citizens Union Progress Party 44893 0 Youth Democratic Movement 40571 0 Sovereign Citizens Party 18814 0 Partido Sambayanang Pilipino 15050 0 Lapiang Bagong Silang 11457 0 Bagong Anyo ng Buhay 11190 0 Independent 7633851 1 Sectoral seats 14 Appointed seats 10 85.52 21464213 Nohlen, Grotz, Hartmann, Graham and SantosDieter Nohlen Florian Grotz Christof Hartmann Graham Hassall Soliman M. Santos Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook: Volume II: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific November 15, 2001 Oxford University Press 9780199249596 https://books.google.com/books?id=YK8SDAAAQBAJ and TeehankeeElectoral Politics in the Philippines Julio Teehankee http://www.quezon.ph/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/Electoral%20Politics%20in%20the%20Philippines.pdf quezon.ph Vote share #ddd 600px 410px KBL Kilusang Bagong Lipunan 71.13 LABAN Lakas ng Bayan 10.36 PB purple 4.57 BLKNNL #a02c2cff 3.84 MA purple 3.22 Others gray 6.88 District seats #ddd 600px 410px KBL Kilusang Bagong Lipunan 82.53 LABAN Lakas ng Bayan 0.00 PB purple 7.83 BLKNNL #a02c2cff 8.43 MA purple 0.60 Others gray 0.60 Sectoral election A separate election was held for the 14 members of the Batasang Pambansa's sectoral representatives. This was via electoral college, with youth, industrial labor and agricultural labor as the three sectors. Each sector shall elect among themselves an electoral council, the members coming from provinces and cities. Each electoral council elected two members from Luzon, and a member each from Visayas and Mindanao, with two additional seats from the youth sector elected at-large, for a total of 14 seats.Presidential Decree No. 1296, s. 1978 GOVPH https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1978/02/07/presidential-decree-no-1296-s-1978/ October 19, 2021 Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines en-US Aftermath Allegations of fraud Marcos said that fraud was committed by "both sides" during the elections, but not on a scale that would have affected the results.Miguel Paolo Reyes November 27, 2020 The Marcoses: A history of rejecting election defeats https://verafiles.org/articles/marcoses-history-rejecting-election-defeats September 22, 2022 VERA Files en-US Jovito Salonga disagreed with the assessment and said that he did not observe people celebrating KBL’s victory because they felt "like they’ve been cheated." During a protest rally against the election results on April 9 in Manila, several opposition leaders were arrested: Laban campaign manager Lorenzo Tañada, Laban candidates Teofisto Guingona Jr., Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Soc Rodrigo (arrested with his son Francisco Jr.), and Ernesto Rondon, Laban counsel Joker Arroyo, and Jesuit priest Romeo Intengan.The first election https://learn.martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/the-first-election/ Ateneo ML Museum Ateneo de Manila University June 27, 2025Regime's embassy, consulates in seven US cities picketed Balita ng Malayang Pilipinas 6 18 June 15, 1978 14–15 They were among 600 demonstrators nabbed by the regime's police during a funeral march April 9 in Manila[...] President Marcos later ordered them released from police custody a month later. April 6 Liberation Movement An anti-Marcos anti-communist guerrilla group called the April 6 Liberation Movement, named after the date of the pre-election noise barrage, would later be formed in 1980.Philippines: No to Marcos https://time.com/archive/6858380/philippines-no-to-marcos/ June 27, 2025 Time Time Inc. November 3, 1980 63 A terrorist group calling itself the April 6 Liberation Movement, after a massive 1978 anti-Marcos demonstration in Manila, had warned the travel agents to boycott the convention. It was deemed a terrorist group for engaging in numerous bombings that year. See also Commission on Elections Politics of the Philippines Philippine elections Interim Batasang Pambansa References Further reading Philippine Commission on Elections — Records and Statistics Division Philippine House of Representatives Congressional Library Pobre Cesar P. Philippine Legislature 100 Years 2000 Philippine Historical Association 971-92245-0-9 Machado Kit G. The Philippines 1978: Authoritarian Consolidation Continues Asian Survey February 1979 19 2 131–140 10.2307/2643779 2643779 https://www.jstor.org/stable/2643779 subscription https://martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/the-first-election/ The first election Martial Law Museum June 3, 2021 May 23, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220523211819/https://martiallawmuseum.ph/magaral/the-first-election/ dead External links Official website of the Commission on Elections 1978 Category:1978 elections in the Philippines Category:April 1978 in Asia