The New Society Movement (Filipino: Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, KBL), formerly named the New Society Movement of United Nationalists, Liberals, et cetera (Filipino: Kilusang Bagong Lipunan ng Nagkakaisang Nacionalista, Liberal, at iba pa, KBLNNL), is a right-wing[6][7]political party in the Philippines. It was first formed in 1978 as an umbrella coalition of parties supporting then-PresidentFerdinand E. Marcos for the InterimBatasang Pambansa (the unicameral parliament) and was his political vehicle during his 20-year regime.[8] It was reorganized as a political party in 1986,[9] and is the furthest to the right of the political spectrum among active parties after Marcos' ouster.[9]
The ideological roots of the "Bagong Lipunan" ("new society") concept can be traced to one Marcos' rationalizations for the declaration of Martial Law in September we 1972.[10]: "66" In his rhetoric, Marcos contended that a system of "constitutional authoritarianism" was necessary in order to "reform society" and create a "new society" under his authority.[10]: "29" [11][12]
Six years after the declaration of Martial Law, Marcos adopted this rhetoric and used the phrase as the name of the umbrella coalition of administration parties running in the 1978 Philippine parliamentary election.[8] The coalition retained the name when it was reorganized as a political party in 1986.
Splinter factions after the People Power Revolution
After the 1986 People Power Revolution ended Ferdinand Marcos' 21 years in power, he, his family and key followers fled to Hawaii. Marcos' party machinery quickly began to break into numerous factions, the most successful of which were Blas Ople's Partido Nacionalista ng Pilipinas, a reorganized Nacionalista Party led by Rafael Palmares and Renato Cayetano after the death of Senator Jose Roy, and a reorganized Kilusang Bagong Lipunan led by Nicanor Yñiguez.[13][14]
By the time of the 1987 Philippine constitutional plebiscite, the reconstituted KBL under Yñiguez as the party furthest to the right among the rightwing political parties of the mid-1980s[9] - remaining loyal to Marcos' authoritarian ideology in contrast to the Partido Nacionalista ng Pilipinas, which took a conservative centrist stance, and the Palmares wing of the Nacionalista party and the Kalaw wing of the Liberal Party took center-right stances.[13]
2009 party division
Former logo of KBL
By 2007, KBL started to strengthen their political power, and expected to merge with the founder's former party, Nacionalista. KBL chairman Vicente Millora advocate to a two-party system return. He also said the KBL is willing to merge with Nacionalista if the two-party system is revived.[15]
On November 20, 2009, the KBL forged an alliance with the Nacionalista Party (NP) between Bongbong Marcos and NP Chairman Senator Manny Villar at the Laurel House in Mandaluyong.[16][17] Bongbong was later on removed as a member by the KBL National Executive Committee on November 29.[18][17] As such, the NP broke its alliance with the KBL due to internal conflicts within the party, though Marcos remained part of the NP Senatorial line-up.[16][19]
Electoral candidacy history
Candidates for the 2010 Philippine general election
Larry Gadon – secretary for poverty alleviation, senatorial candidate (2016, 2019 and 2022), former lawyer; pushed for the impeachment of former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno[20][21]
Efren Rafanan Sr.- Provincial Board Member of Ilocos Sur
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