With sixty years of experience in activism since 1966 and seventy - three years in politics since 1953, I have learned a different mathematics from what I learned in school from 1954 to 1990.
Normal mathematics teaches that one plus one equals two, one plus one plus one equals three, one plus two equals three and so forth and so on …
In my mathematics one plus one is not equal to two. Instead, it can equal to three, four or five …
In my sixty years, whether participating directly or merely observing activism, we have observed the Moderate and Radical divide many times. And in my seventy – three years whether participating directly or merely observing politics, I have observed the third and fourth forces and the multi - party system that breeds many parties and many candidates for the same position.
In 1970 to 1972, in 1983 to 1986, in 1990 to 1992, in 2000 to 2001, in 2004 to 2007, in 2013 and finally in 2025 to 2026, we have seen time and again that when the protest movement is together and united, the number of participants increases, and the quality of the messaging and programming improves.
However, when the united protest movement splits into two as between the Moderates and Radicals, the numbers are more than halved.
The same goes for politics, campaigns and elections. When the Opposition is split, the Administration and Incumbent will win.
In the November 10, 1953, elections, the opposition Nacionalista Party united with disaffected Liberal Party politicians, Nationalists, Progressives and Reformers and supported the tandem of former Zambales Military Governor, two term Congressman and Secretary of National Defense Ramon del Fierro Magsaysay and Senator Carlos Polestico Garcia. The Nacionalista (5), Citizens (1) and Democratic (2) Parties’ Senatorial candidates zeroed the Liberal Party in the Senatorial elections.
In the November 12, 1957 (Progressive Party of the Philippines (PPP)), November 10, 1959 (Grand Alliance - mid/local elections) and November 9, 1965 elections (Party for Philippine Progress (PPP)), a Reformist third force fielded candidates. They lost and their share of the vote declined from 1957 to 1959 to 1965.
However, in the, November 14, 1961, national elections, the Third Force aligned with the Liberal Party (LP). The Grand Alliance’s Senator Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Pelaez (November 30, 1915 – July 27, 2003) became the Vice Presidential, running mate of the LP’s Vice President Diosdado Macapagal. They both won. Raul S. Manglapus and Manuel ‘Manny’ Manahan ran for Senator in the LP slate. They won as number one and number two Senators getting more votes than the LP and NP Senatorial candidates.
In the February 7, 1986, snap elections, former Senator and Assemblyman Salvador Roman ‘Doy’ Hidalgo Laurel gave up his UNIDO Presidential candidacy and ran for Vice President under Corazon ‘Cory’ Cojuangco (y Sumulong) Aquino. They lost in the COMELEC count but won in the NAMFREL count and in the perception of the majority, of the Filipino people.
Thus was EDSA People Power and the EDSA Revolution, made possible. The Marcos regime split and the Rebel faction united with the Political Opposition. Their Unity made possible the defeat of the Marcos dictatorship, the installation of the new Revolutionary Government, the drafting and approval of the new Constitution and its implementation for the next four decades.
This would have been impossible without a Cory - Doy unity and an Enrile – Ramos – RAM and Cory – Doy unity.
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