Bagong Lakas Ng Nueva Ecija

The ''Lapiang Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija'' (BALANE; ''New People Power Party of Nueva Ecija'') is a provincial political party based in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, which was formerly affiliated with the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), then the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI) and finally back to NPC when KAMPI merged with Lakas–CMD to become Lakas Kampi CMD and the rival party Unang Sigaw became its local affiliate.

There are no results available of the last elections for the House of Representatives, but according to the website of the House, the party holds 1 out of 235 seats (''state of the parties, June 2005'').

History

In 1987, ''Lapiang Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija'' (formally ''Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija'' or Balane) was established by Eduardo Joson and later registered with the Commission on Elections, as the newly-ratified Constitution allowed the multi-party system. The suggested acronym is sounded like ''balani'', a Filipino term for "magnet". Joson, who would serve as Governor of Nueva Ecija, provincial governor for at least three decades, was replaced earlier in 1986 by Emmanuel T. Santos, Emmanuel Santos as OIC appointed by Presidency of Corazon Aquino, the Aquino administration.

Among the four candidates fielded by the party for the House of Representatives 1987 Philippine House of Representatives elections, in the 1987 elections, only Eduardo Nonato Joson, ran for Nueva Ecija's 1st congressional district, the province's first district, became the first to be elected. 1988 Philippine local elections, In the 1988 local elections, Eduardo Joson defeated Santos and regained the seat.

Other elected candidates were the following:
* Eduardo Nonato "Edno" (Eduardo's son), Nueva Ecija's 1st congressional district, first district representative, first elected in 1987, also in 2007; governor (1995–98)
* Narciso Nario, vice governor, in 1988
* Tomas Joson III, Tomas III (Eduardo's eldest son), Nueva Ecija Provincial Board, board member (1988–92); acting governor (1990); governor (1992–95, 1998–2007)
* Danding (Eduardo's son), Cabanatuan vice mayor from 1988 until his death in 1990
* Oscar Tinio, vice governor (member of the party until 1995)
* Eduardo IV (Eduardo's son), vice governor, in 1998, re-elected 2001; in 2007, with United Opposition (Philippines), United Opposition running for third district representative
* Mariano Cristino (Eduardo's son), Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Quezon mayor, until 1995, in 1998, in 2001 and by 2010; vice governor until 2007
* Josefina Manuel (Mariano Cristino's wife), Nueva Ecija's 1st congressional district, first district representative, in 1998, in 2001, until 2007 and by 2010
* Edward Thomas (eldest son of Tomas III), senior board member prior to his election as vice governor (2007–2010)
* Rodolfo Antonino, Nueva Ecija's 4th congressional district, fourth district representative, in 2007
* Rommel Padilla (actor), joined in 2006; provincial board member representing first district (2007–2010)
* Francis Vincent de Leon (son-in-law of Tito Sotto), Talavera, Nueva Ecija, Talavera vice mayor, in 2007
* Eduardo Rey (Eduardo Nonato's son), elected board member in 2010
* Eduardo Basilio (Mariano Cristino's son), elected Quezon mayor in 2007

Balane was affiliated with the Nationalist People's Coalition and ''Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino'' in 1995 Philippine general election, the 1995 elections. Prior to this, candidates under Balane–LDP–NPC coalition were substituted following the death of Cabanatuan mayor Honorato Perez, then gubernatorial candidate under Lakas–Laban Coalition, days prior. Provincial governor Tomas Joson III, Tomas III and Quezon, Nueva Ecija, Quezon mayor Mariano Cristino, both re-electionists implicated in the incident, withdrew their candidacies and were replaced by their brothers, Eduardo Nonato (Edno), then seeking for return as district representative, and Eduardo IV, respectively. Josie Manuel–Joson, wife of Mariano Cristino, then substituted for Edno.

It was allied with ''Lapian ng Masang Pilipino'' during the Presidency of Joseph Estrada, Estrada presidency and the Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Arroyo administration's Lakas–CMD (1991), Lakas–CMD (Christian Muslim Democrats) in the 2004 elections. It was affiliated with KAMPI in 2007; nine of ten elected Nueva Ecija Provincial Board, provincial board members, as well as half of Legislative districts of Nueva Ecija, provincial district House of Representatives of the Philippines, representatives, were from the said party. In 2010, later-merged Lakas-Kampi affiliated with another yet rival local party ''Unang Sigaw Partido ng Pagbabago'', both later defeated Balane's standard bearers and claimed almost all the seats in the provincial Sangguniang Panlalawigan, board, leaving Balane having only two. In 2013, Balane, allied with NPC once again, won a seat in the House of Representatives with the latter's joint endorsement.

Mayors from twenty municipalities and two cities belonging to the party were elected in 2001. Same number of town mayors and three city mayors were elected in 2007.

Josons' half-century governorship ended 2007 Philippine general elections, in 2007 when provincial vice governor Mariano Cristino Joson, then chairperson of the party who ran for the said position, lost to Nueva Ecija's 3rd congressional district, third district representative Aurelio Umali. Umali later defeated the party's standard bearers, another vice governor Edward Thomas Joson (2010 Philippine gubernatorial elections, in 2010) and Nueva Ecija's 1st congressional district, first district representative Josefina Manuel–Joson (2013 Philippine gubernatorial elections, in 2013, chairperson by that time). The victory of the Umalis in the provincial level 2013 Philippine local elections, in 2013 effectively ended the Josons' 56-year political rule in the province.

Tomas III was the chairperson of Balane when the clan decided to support the candidacy of former Nueva Ecija's 4th congressional district, fourth district representative Rodolfo Antonino, ran under the party's ally United Nationalist Alliance, instead of joining 2013 Philippine gubernatorial elections, the gubernatorial elections 2013 Philippine local elections, in 2016. Antonino lost to third district representative Czarina Umali, wife of Aurelio.

Prior to 2019 Philippine local elections, 2019 elections, former governor Eduardo Nonato Joson resigned from the party. He ran for governor as Independent politician, independent in defiance of his siblings' support for his two other opponents.

2022 Philippine local elections, In 2022, only five candidates in the province ran under the party, all failed to secure membership in Sangguniang Bayan, the municipal council of Carranglan.

Notable party members

* Eduardo Rey Gil Joson - Former 1st District Nueva Ecija Provincial Board, Board Member of ''Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Nueva Ecija''
* Romanito del Rosario Juatco - Former 4th District Board Member of ''Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Nueva Ecija''
* Rommel Padilla - Former 1st District Board Member of ''Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Nueva Ecija''

External links

*
Bagong Lakas.
' Philstar.com

References

{{reflist

Conservative parties in the Philippines
Local political parties in the Philippines
Politics of Nueva Ecija
Regionalist parties
Regionalist parties in the Philippines
Socially conservative parties