User:Dpp.secgen/Democratic Party of the Philippines

The Democratic Party of the Philippines (DPP) positions itself against the "trapos" or traditional politicians who dominate the Philippine political landscape today. It offers itself as the democratic party of the poor. It will pursue a just and lasting peace as the foundation for economic development and progress. The party will pursue policy and institutional reforms, and fight graft and corruption in both the local and national levels of government.

It has at its core base the growing ranks of educated and enlightened middle-class, young professionals, overseas Filipinos, and the various progressive and democratic sectors of Philippines society, which include the farmers, fisherfolks, women, the youth, urban poor and workers.

The Party espouses non-violence, social justice, and grassroots democracy in the pursuit of its economic and political agenda.

DPP pursues its political agenda through peaceful and democratic means. DPP stands at the center of the political spectrum, having a good sprinkling of former leftist organizers, rebel military officers and Muslim separatists in its national leadership.

DPP prepares itself to participate actively in the forthcoming elections. It is seeking accreditation with the Commission on Elections to be able to field national candidates in the coming elections, after having been denied by the COMELEC whose ruling was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2010.

It encourages enlightened participation in the coming elections by giving the people a more active role in choosing their candidates. DPP is open for multi-party coalitions and alliances, to contest the dominance of the "trapos" and to strengthen the chances of legitimate people's candidates in winning during elections.

Party History The establishment of an alternative political party to field candidates against the "trapos" or traditional politicians last 2010 was the brain child of Donato FlordeLiza, Jr., a former communist cadre turned peace advocate, environment activist and political reformer. He shared his plans with Dr. Ernie Ramos, a FilAm from Florida, USA last February 2009 and together with others made the necessary preparations. Although FlordeLiza had a panic heart attack last March 7, 2009 and stayed in ICU for 4 days, the Party's founding documents were finally signed at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City on March 19, a day after he was released from hospital confinement.

DPP filed its petition for accreditation as a political party with the Commission on Election last March 24, 2009. Unfortunately, this was followed by a lull which lasted for almost five months, and the preparations of the documentary requirements for submission to the COMELEC was not properly attended to, The tension that followed created rifts and factionalism within the Party leadership. Despite his frail health condition, FlordeLiza worked hard to preserve the Party and consolidate its leadership.

The Party held a weekly meeting of the Executive Committee and more Party officers were recruited. The Interim National Directorate was convened last August 26, 2009 and some changes were made in the Party leadership. Dr. Ramos was elected Party chairman, Col. Diosdado Valeroso, Party president, Atty. Lorenzo, exec. vice president, and FlordeLiza, secretary general. New officers were likewise confirmed by the Nat'l. Directorate. During the COMELEC hearing set on August 28, the Party president was able to ask for a postponement, and the next hearing was set on Sept. 18.

The new secretary general introduced parliamentary procedures, expanded the ExeCom, established the National Secretariat and strengthened the Party's governing bodies. He continued to meet the ExeCom weekly to consolidate the documents required by the COMELEC. The Sept. 18 hearing of the DPP petition was again reset to Sept. 30.

Some seriously erroneous ideas crept into the Party leadership and became matters of contention. As a result, due to the hasty and haphazard preparations of the documents required by the COMELEC, DPP's petition was denied in a Resolution dated November 27, 2009. A Motion for Reconsideration was filed with the COMELEC on December 7, 2009.

On December 2, 2009, determined to pursue his plans to run for president, Dr. Ernie Ramos filed his certificate of candidacy in the COMELEC main office together with Baldomero C. Falcone as his vice-president, and the following for senators: Fortunato F.L. Viray, Jr., Sally S. Sia, Ebenezer A. Martizano, Oscar T. Rodriguez, Rosalinda V. Dacanay, Cesar Pelaez, Jr., Rogelio C. Tomol, Wilhelmina S. Orozco, Fidel P. Lajum, Juliano M. Tallano and Arthur Clavo. The secretary general agreed to support the EGR ticket, but with reservation. To delineate Dr. Ramos' candidacy from the long-term interest of the Party, the EGR Support Group was created to beef up his efforts. On December 15, 2009, the COMELEC promulgated Resolution No. 8713, disqualifying all the above-mentioned candidates on the basis of being “nuisance candidates”. It did not also give due course to the accreditation of the DPP as a political party.

On December 18, 2009, Ramos et al filed an Opposition to the COMELEC Resolution No. 8713, with prayer that the cancellation of the Certificates of Candidacies of the individual oppositors be reconsidered and set aside and that the Certificates of Candidacy of Dr. Ramos and his group be given due course and to approve the registration papers of the DPP. On January 14, 2010, COMELEC promulgated Resolution No. 8743 to deny the oppositions/motion for reconsiderations and to AFFIRM Comelec Resolution No 8713 denying due course to the Certificates of Candidacy of several candidates, which included the Ramos slate.

On January 19, 2010, Ramos et al filed a Petition for Certiorari with Prayer for Preliminary Injunction with the Supreme Court under the new Rules on Civil Procedure questioning the COMELEC Resolution No. 8743. On January 29, 2010, the Supreme Court through its G.R No. 190803 resolved to dismiss the Petition for non-compliance with certain Rules of Procedure, and that the Supreme Court charges fees for the acceptance of cases including all petitions that question government actuation, which subvert the principles of the Constitution and which are anti-public interest.

In November 11, 2011 FlordeLiza, who had now resettled in the Visayas, founded the Philippine Democratic Federal Party (PDFP). Today, under the leadership of DPP chairman Luis G. Ramos, DPP is finally accredited by the COMELEC to participate in the May 13, 2013 mid-term elections, allowing three of its senatorial candidates to run in national office. They are DPP president Baldomero Falcone, former partylist representative Christian Ceneres, and former Manila councilor Greco Belgica. Both FlordeLiza and Ramos agreed to form the DPP-PDFP coalition to unify their efforts in pursuing reforms in Philippine politics and governance.