| Status: | Official launch: December 2003 Lost election counting: May 24, 2004 |
| Slogan: | Ang Bagong Pilipinas |
The 2004 presidential campaign of Raul Roco was launched when he filed his certificate of candidacy on December 30, 2003. This is Roco's second attempt to chase the presidency.
By mid-2003, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was poised to run for president in 2004 elections.[1] Raul Roco was offered by Arroyo to be his running mate, but he declined,[2] and insisted her to run as his vice president instead.[3]
On selection of running-mate after calling out Arroyo, Roco is considering former Cebu governor Lito Osmeña, Senators Noli de Castro, Loren Legarda and Manny Villar and Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando as his running mate. But he chose former Tarlac Vice Governor Hermie Aquino.[4]
He also revealed the party's Agenda of Hope on December 1, 2003.[5]
Roco's Aksyon forged an alliance with Rene de Villa's Partido Reporma, and Lito Osmeña's PROMDI to form their Alyansa ng Pag-asa slate.[6] Former bowler Bong Coo,[7] Nicanor Gatmaytan Jr., Nueva Ecija politician Eduardo Nonato Joson, Atty. Batas Mauricio, TV personality Jay Sonza, and former bureaucrat Perfecto Yasay selected in the slate, with the inclusion of former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez from Reporma.[8]
The slate was nickanamed JC JC GaBaY, with J for Jay Sonza, C for Chavez, J for Joson, C for Coo, Ga for Gatmaytan, Ba for Batas Mauricio, and Y for Yasay.[9]
| Name | Party | Occupation | Elected | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reporma | Former Solicitor General | |||
| Bong Coo | Aksyon | Former athlete | ||
| Nicanor Gatmaytan Jr. | Aksyon | |||
| Eduardo Nonato Joson | Aksyon | Nueva Ecija Governor | ||
| Batas Mauricio | Aksyon | |||
| Jay Sonza | Aksyon | TV personality | ||
| Perfecto Yasay | Aksyon | Former bureaucrat |
Roco performed second to third in surveys, but due to his health problem or prostate cancer suffering, he needs to go overseas for treatment. Unfortunately for him and the party, some of the supporters left his campaign, and insisted that he will not backout.[10] Also, the party feared vote buying initiated by President Arroyo's Lakas–CMD.[11]
Roco and the whole Alyansa lost the election, but he later called out Arroyo about her controversial election victory.[12] [13]
In August 2005, Roco died at the age of 63.[14]