The Philippine

Government
Structures and Powers
DIFFERENT BRANCHES OF THE
PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
The structure of the Philippine government is
divided into three branches:

the Legislative Department (Article 6);

the Executive Department (Article 7); and
the Judicial Department (Article 8).
THE PRINCIPLE OF SEPARATION OF
POWERS
The powers of the government, by virtue of this principle are
divided into three (3) distinct classes: the legislative, the
executive and the judicial. They are distributed, respectively
among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches or
departments of the government.

Under the principle of co-equal and coordinate powers among

the three (3) branches, the officers entrusted with each of
these powers are not permitted to encroach upon the powers
confided to the others. If one department goes beyond the
limits set by the Constitution, its acts are null and void. The
adoption of this principle was motivated by the belief that
arbitrary rule would result if the same person or body were to
exercise all the powers of the government.
PRINCIPLE OF CHECKS AND BALANCES
The three co-equal departments are established by the
constitution in as balanced positions as possible. To maintain
this balance or to restore it if upset, each department is
given certain powers with which to check the others.
Checks by the President Checks by the Congress Checks by the Judiciary
- may veto or disapprove - Congress may override - the Supreme Court as
bills enacted by the the veto of the President the final arbiter may
Congress (Sec. 27:1) (Sec. 27:1) declare legislative
- through pardoning - Reject certain measures or executive
power, he may modify or appointments of the acts unconstitutional
set aside the judgments President (Art. VII, Sec. (Art. VIII, Sec 4:2)
of courts (Art. VII, Sec 16) - determine whether or
19) - Revoke the proclamation not there has been a
of martial law or grave abuse of
suspension of the writ of discretion amounting to
habeas corpus by the lack or excess of
President (Art. VII, jurisdiction on the part
Section 18) of the Congress or
- Amend or revoke the President (Art. VIII, Sec.
decision of the Court by 2:2)
the enactment of a new
law or by an
amendment of the old
- The power to impeach
QUALIFICATIONS OF THE OFFICIALS OF THE
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT CONGRESS SUPREME COURT

- natural-born citizen of the SENATORS - he must be a natural-born

Philippines - a natural born citizens of the citizen of the Philippines
- a registered voter Philippines - he must be at least forty (40)
- able to read and write - at least 35 years of age on the years of age
- at least forty (40) years of age day of the election - he must have, for fifteen (15)
on the day of the election - able to read and write years or more, been a judge of
- a resident of the Philippines for - a registered voter a lower court or engaged in the
at least ten (10) years - a resident of the Philippines for practice of law in the
immediately preceding the not less than two (2) years Philippines
election. immediately preceding the day - he must be a person of proven
of the election competence, integrity, probity
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES and independence.
- a natural-born citizen of the
Philippines
- at least 25 years of age on the
day of the election
- able to read and write
- except for a party-list
representative, a registered
voter in the district in which he
shall be elected
- a resident thereof for a period
of not less than one year
preceding the election
ADDITIONAL QUALITICATION
FOR PARTY-LIST
REPRESENTATIVES:
- a bona fide member of the
party or organization which he
seeks to represent for at least
COMPOSITION
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT LEGISLATIVE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT
DEPARTMENT

President Chief SENATE 24 SUPREME COURT

Executive Currently the Philippine -composed of fifteen
Vice President Senate is composed of members
Cabinet Officials 23 Senators 1 Chief Justice
HOUSE OF 14 Associate Justice
REPRESENTATIVES
not more than 250
members including the
Party-list
Representatives
District Representatives
80%
Party-list
Representatives -20%
Currently there are 285
members of the House of
Representatives
229 District
representatives
TERMS OF OFFICE
EXECUTIVE LEGISLATIVE JUDICIAL
DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT
President 1 term SENATE 2 NO TERM LIMIT
of 6 years without consecutive terms but they mandated
re-election allowed with 6 to hold office
Vice President 2 years per term during good
consecutive terms DISTRICT AND behavior until they
allowed with 6 PARTY-LIST reach the age of 70
years per term REPRESENTATIVES or become
- 3 consecutive incapacitated to
terms allowed discharge the
with 3 years per duties of their
term office.
POWERS OF THE GOVERNMENT
THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
Congress (Article 6)
1. THE POWER TO ENACT LAWS
2. Police Power
3. Power of Eminent Domain
4. Power of Taxation
5. The power to choose who shall become President in case of tie (Section 4,
par.4)
6. The power to impose death penalty (Art. 3, Sec 19)
7. The power to act as a constituent assembly (Art. XVII, section 1)
8. The power to declare the existence of war (Section 23)
9. The power to confirm the appointments of government officials (Section 19)
10.The power to ratify treaty (Art. 7, Section 21)
11.The power to conduct investigation in aid of legislation (Section 21)
12.Immunity from arrest for offenses punishable by not more than six years
imprisonment (Section 11)
13.The power to appropriate money (Section 24 & 25)
14.The power to impeach (Art. XI, Sec. 2)
IMPEACHMENT
Impeachment has been defined as a method of national
inquest into the conduct of public men. It is essentially in
the nature of a criminal prosecution before a quasi-
political court, instituted by a written accusation called
articles of impeachment upon a charge of the
commission of a crime or some official misconduct or
neglect.

PURPOSE OF IMPEACHMENT
Its purpose is to protect the people from official
delinquencies or malfeasances. It is, therefore, primarily
intended for the protection of the state, not for the
punishment of the offender. The penalties attached to
impeachment are merely incidental to the primary
intention of protecting the people as a body politic.
OFFICIALS REMOVABLE BY IMPEACHMENT

1. The President and Vice-president

2. The Members of the Supreme Court
3. The members of the Constitutional
Commissions
4. The Ombudsman
GROUNDS FOR IMPEACHMENTS
Culpable violation of the Constitution
Treason
Bribery
Graft and Corruption
Betrayal of Public Trust
Other High Crimes
POWERS OF THE GOVERNMENT
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
President (Article 7)
1. THE POWER TO IMPLEMENT LAWS
2. Administrative Power and control over the agencies of the
governments(Section 17)
3. The power to appoint government officials (Section 16)
4. The power to commute sentence, grant pardon, reprieve and
amnesty (Section 19)
5. The power to declare martial law (Section 18)
6. The power to suspend the privilege of writ of habeas corpus
(Section 18)
7. The power to veto a law (Art. 6, Section 7)
8. The power of supervision and control over the local
government (Art. X, Section 4)
9. The power to conduct treaty and international agreement with
other states (Section 21)
POWERS OF THE GOVERNMENT
THE JUDICIAL BRANCH
The Supreme Court (Article 8)

1. THE POWER TO INTERPRET LAWS

2. THE POWER OF JUDICIAL REVIEW.
a. The power to determine whether there has been a grave abuse of
discretion lack or excess of jurisdiction of any branch or instrumentality of
the government (Sec. 4, par. 2)
3. ADJUDICATORY POWERS (Section 1, par. 2)
a. The power to determine the validity and constitutionality of the laws of
the State
b. The power to settle actual controversies involving rights which are
legally demandable and enforceable
4. Assign temporarily judges of lower courts to other stations as public
interest may require
5. Order the change of venue or place of trial to avoid a miscarriage of
justice
6. Appoints all officials and employees of the Judiciary in accordance with
the Civil Service Law