Three Branches of Government
How the Philippine Government Is Organized
The Philippines is a republic with a
presidential form of government wherein power
is equally divided among its three branches:
executive, legislative, and judicial.
One basic corollary in a presidential system of
government is the principle of separation of
powers wherein legislation belongs to Congress,
execution to the Executive, and settlement of
legal controversies to the Judiciary.
The Legislative branch is authorized to make
laws, alter, and repeal them through the power
vested in the Philippine Congress. This
institution is divided into the Senate and the
House of Representatives.
The Executive branch carries out laws. It is
composed of the President and the Vice
President who are elected by direct popular
vote and serve a term of six years. The
Constitution grants the President authority to
appoint his Cabinet. These departments form a
large portion of the country’s bureaucracy.
The Judicial branch evaluates laws. It holds
the power to settle controversies involving
rights that are legally demandable and
enforceable. This branch determines whether or
not there has been a grave abuse of discretion
amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on
the part and instrumentality of the government.
It is made up of a Supreme Court and lower
courts.
Each branch of government can change acts of
the other branches as follows:
The President can veto laws passed by Congress.
Congress confirms or rejects the President's
appointments and can remove the President from
office in exceptional circumstances.
The Justices of the Supreme Court, who can
overturn unconstitutional laws, are appointed
by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
The Philippine government seeks to act in the
best interests of its citizens through this
system of checks and balances.
The Constitution expressly grants the Supreme
Court the power of Judicial Review as the power
to declare a treaty, international or executive
agreement, law, presidential decree,
proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance or
regulation unconstitutional.
Legislative Department
The Legislative Branch enacts legislation,
confirms or rejects Presidential appointments,
and has the authority to declare war. This
branch includes Congress (the Senate and House
of Representatives) and several agencies that
provide support services to Congress.
Senate – The Senate shall be composed of
twenty-four Senators who shall be elected at
large by the qualified voters of the
Philippines, as may be provided by law.
House of Representatives – The House of
Representatives shall be composed of not more
than two hundred and fifty members, unless
otherwise fixed by law, who shall be elected
from legislative districts apportioned among
the provinces, cities, and the Metropolitan serve, the Vice President becomes President.
Manila area in accordance with the number of He/she serves a six-year term.
their respective inhabitants, and on the basis
of a uniform and progressive ratio, and those The Cabinet – Cabinet members serve as advisors
who, as provided by law, shall be elected to the President. They include the Vice
through a party-list system of registered President and the heads of executive
national, regional, and sectoral parties or departments. Cabinet members are nominated by
organizations. the President and must be confirmed by the
Commission of Appointments.
The party-list representatives shall constitute
twenty per cent of the total number of Judicial Department
representatives including those under the party
The judicial branch interprets the meaning of
list. For three consecutive terms after the
laws, applies laws to individual cases, and
ratification of this Constitution, one-half of
decides if laws violate the Constitution. The
the seats allocated to party-list
judicial power shall be vested in one Supreme
representatives shall be filled, as provided by
Court and in such lower courts as may be
law, by selection or election from the labor,
established by law.
peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural
communities, women, youth, and such other Judicial power includes the duty of the courts
sectors as may be provided by law, except the of justice to settle actual controversies
religious sector. involving rights which are legally demandable
and enforceable, and to determine whether or
Executive Department
not there has been a grave abuse of discretion
The executive branch carries out and enforces amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on
laws. It includes the President, Vice President, the part of any branch or instrumentality of
the Cabinet, executive departments, independent the Government. The judicial branch interprets
agencies, and other boards, commissions, and the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual
committees. cases, and decides if laws violate the
Constitution.
Key roles of the executive branch include:
President – The President leads the country.
He/she is the head of state, leader of the
national government, and Commander in Chief of
all armed forces of the Philippines. The
President serves a six-year term and cannot be
re-elected.
Vice President – The Vice President supports
the President. If the President is unable to