Aksyon Demokratiko

Aksyon Demokratiko (lit. 'Democratic Action' IPA: [akˈʃɔn dɛmɔkratɪkɔ]) or simply Aksyon is a political party in the Philippines founded by Raul Roco. It was recognized as a national political party in 1998 by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and is considered to be one of the major parties in the Philippines.[2] Former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno currently acts as president of the party.

Aksyon Demokratiko
PresidentIsko Moreno[1]
ChairmanErnesto Ramel Jr.
Secretary-GeneralLeon Flores III
FounderRaul Roco
Founded1997 (1997)
Headquarters3rd Floor, 62 Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City
NewspaperAksyon
Youth wingAksyon Kabataan
IdeologyProgressivism[2]
Liberal democracy[2]
Political positionCentre[3] to centre-left[2]
National affiliationPPC (2001)
Alyansa ng Pag-Asa (2004)
Genuine Opposition (2007)
PGP (2016)
Otso Diretso (2019)
Seats in the Senate
0 / 24
Seats in the House of Representatives
1 / 316
Provincial governorships
0 / 81
Provincial vice governorships
3 / 81
Provincial board members
17 / 1,023

History

Aksyon participated in national and local elections since its founding (1998, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019) where it had moderate successes.

2010 Liberal Party coalition, and the 2016 and 2019 elections

In 2010, the party signed a coalition agreement with the Liberal Party in order to jointly field then Senator Benigno Aquino III for president.

For the 2016 Philippine general election, the party fielded national and local candidates throughout the Philippines including lawyer Lorna Kapunan and TIEZA COO Mark Lapid. It was aligned with the candidacy of Grace Poe.[4]

Old Aksyon logo 1997-2009

The party's standard bearer for the 2019 senatorial elections was former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay.[5] Prominent local government candidates of the party during the 2019 elections included Vico Sotto and Roman Romulo, who ran as mayor and representative of Pasig respectively, and Marielle del Rosario ran as representative of Navotas.[6]

2022 Elections and Isko Moreno presidential run

In 2021, Aksyon named then Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, who just joined the party from the National Unity Party, as its new party president ahead of the 2022 Philippine presidential election.[1] New notable party members that would follow included 2019 senatorial candidate Samira Gutoc, Caloocan 2nd district representative Edgar Erice[7][8] and former Vice President Noli de Castro.[9]

A number of party members expressed disappointment with Aksyon's choices during the 2022 election campaign.[10][11] In October 2021, former Aksyon Demokratiko senatorial candidate Florin Hilbay resigned from Aksyon Demokratiko "out of ethical considerations," because he chose to support the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo instead of that of Domagoso, adding that "We can’t afford another narcissistic, gas lighting troll for a president" but without specifically mentioning Domagoso by name. On April 2, 2022, former Aksyon executive director Erdie de los Santos also resigned to support Robredo, rather than Domagoso.[11] Olongapo City Councilor Kaye Ann Legaspi, Aksyon's former vice president for youth affairs, led a faction of about a hundred party members expressing disappointment over Domagoso's tactics and saying that he was "damaging" the values that the party's founder Raul Roco had represented.[10][11]

In June 2022, immediately after the 2022 elections, Executive Vice-President Vico Sotto resigned from the party, saying he believed "recent events have made it apparent that the party is now headed towards a different direction." However, Sotto did not announce the fact of his resignation until five months later, in November 2022.[12]

Ideology

Magbago! (Change!) Makialam! (Participate!) Sulong sa Bagong Pilipinas! (Forward to a New Philippines!) are the party's slogans. Aksyon is rooted in Raul Roco's The Agenda of Hope: honest government; opportunity for all, special privileges for none; peace, productivity and prosperity; education and environment for sustainable development.[13]

Aksyon believes that there should be regional solutions to regional problems. Aksyon organizes itself based on the principles of local autonomy. It believes and pushes for the empowerment of the Filipino masses. The party advocates a 'bottom-up' approach in tackling the issues of the country. Aksyon recognizes the importance of the participation of youth in government and therefore actively pushes for the empowerment of the youth.

Electoral performance

Presidential and vice presidential elections
Year Presidential election Vice presidential election
Candidate Vote share Result Candidate Vote share Result
1998 Raul Roco
13.38%
 Joseph Estrada
(LAMMP/PMP)		 Irene Santiago
0.94%
 Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
(Lakas–CMD)
2004 Raul Roco
6.45%
 Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
(Lakas–CMD)		 Herminio Aquino
3.24%
 Noli de Castro
(Independent)
2010 None Benigno Aquino III
(Liberal) 		None Jejomar Binay
(PDP–Laban)
2016 None Rodrigo Duterte
(PDP–Laban)		 None Leni Robredo
(Liberal)
2022 Isko Moreno
3.57%
 Bongbong Marcos
(Partido Federal)		 Willie Ong
3.57%
 Sara Z. Duterte
(Lakas–CMD)

Legislative elections
Congress of the Philippines
House of Representatives Senate
Year Seats won Result Year Seats won Ticket Result
1998
1 / 258
 Lakas plurality 1998 Not
participating		 LAMMP win 7/12 seats
2001
2 / 256
 Lakas plurality 2001
1 / 13
 People Power Coalition People Power Coalition win 8/13 seats
2004
2 / 261
 Lakas plurality 2004
0 / 12
 Alyansa ng Pag-asa K4 win 7/12 seats
2007 Not
participating		 Lakas plurality 2007
0 / 12
 Genuine Opposition Genuine Opposition win 8/12 seats
2010
0 / 286
 Lakas plurality 2010 Not
participating		 Liberal Party win 4/12 seats
2013
0 / 292
 Liberal Party plurality 2013 Not
participating		 Team PNoy win 9/12 seats
2016
1 / 297
 Liberal Party plurality 2016
0 / 12
 Split ticket Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid win 7/12 seats
2019
1 / 304
 PDP–Laban plurality 2019
0 / 12
 Otso Diretso Hugpong ng Pagbabago win 9/12 seats
2022
3 / 304
 PDP–Laban plurality 2022
0 / 12
 Team Bilis Kilos UniTeam win 6/12 seats

Current party officials
  • Sonia Roco, Party Co-founder, Chair Emeritus
  • Ernest Ramel (former Aksyon Demokratiko's Secretary General), Party Chairman and National Executive Board Member
  • Francisco Moreno Domagoso (former Manila City Mayor), Party President[14] and National Executive Board Member
  • Andres Lacson (Former Concepcion, Tarlac Mayor), Vice Chairperson and National Executive Board Member
  • Leon Flores III (former National Youth Commission Chairperson), Secretary-General and National Executive Board Member
  • Honey Lacuna (current Manila City Mayor), Vice-President for Internal Affairs and National Executive Board Member
  • Atty. Bobbit Roco, Vice-President for External Affairs and National Executive Board Member
  • May Lim, Vice-President for Women Affairs
  • Jayson San Juan, Deputy Secretary-General
  • Michael Roy Cuerpo, Treasurer and National Executive Board Member
  • Atty. Normandy Baldovino, Jr, General Counsel and National Executive Board Member
  • Samira Gutoc, National Executive Board Member[7]
  • Antonio Aquino, National Executive Board Member
  • Frein Jarane P. Castañeda (former Mariveles, Bataan Councilor), National Executive Board Member
  • Danilo De Guzman (current Mandaluyong City Councilor), National Executive Board Member
  • Ernesto C. Isip Jr. (current Manila City Councilor), National Executive Board Member
  • Richard C. Ibay (former Manila City Councilor), National Executive Board Member
  • Anthony P. Sanchez, National Executive Board Member
  • Jose Cabochan, National Executive Board Member
  • Sainthia Joy A. Sorilla (current New Lucena, Iloilo Councilor), National Executive Board Member
  • Atty. Joel R. Chua (current Representative from Manila), National Executive Board Member
  • Atty. Marlon M. Lacson (former Manila City Councilor), National Executive Board Member
  • Manuel M. Zarcal (former Manila City Councilor), National Executive Board Member

References
  1. Ranada, Pia (August 12, 2021). "Isko Moreno elected Aksyon Demokratiko president". Rappler.
  2. Macaraeg, Pauline (January 27, 2019). "Who to Vote For? Get To Know the Political Parties in the Philippines". Esquire. Philippines. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  3. "Aksyon Demokratiko is centrist". Philippine Daily Inquirer. December 10, 2021.
  4. "Kapunan's Aksyon party 'adopts' Grace Poe". Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 23, 2015.
  5. "Aksyon Demokratiko adopts opposition senatorial bets, Lito Lapid". January 21, 2019.
  6. Lalu, Gabriel Pabico. "Aksyon Demokratiko endorses 9 senatorial bets". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on February 4, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2019.
  7. Mercado, Neil Arwin (August 13, 2021). "Former Senate candidate Samira Gutoc joins Aksyon Demokratiko". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  8. Ranada, Pia (September 20, 2021). "Caloocan's Edgar Erice leaves LP, joins Isko Moreno's Aksyon". Rappler. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
  9. Mendoza, John Eric (October 7, 2021). "Noli de Castro takes oath as Aksyon Demokratiko member". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  10. "Aksyon Demokratiko Youth VP: Moreno's Sunday presser very unbecoming of a public servant, gentleman". YouTube.
  11. Luna, Franco. "Ex-Aksyon Demokratiko members 'disappointed' in Isko Moreno after press conference". Philstar.com. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  12. Yalao, Khriscielle (November 2, 2022). "Mayor Vico resigns from Aksyon Demokratiko". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  13. "Raul Roco's Aksyon Demokratiko endorses Grace Poe". Rappler. April 21, 2016.
  14. "Aksyon Demokratiko elects Isko Moreno as new party president ahead of Eleksyon 2022". GMA News. August 12, 2021.
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