Evolution of Philippine Politics

GOVERNMENT and GOVERNANCE

T I M E L I N E

50,000 years ago and before the Spanish

colonization in 1566, we have the ancient
Filipinos and their form of government. In here,
the datu is the ruler. The datu wields the
judicial, legislative and executive powers to
rule the barangay. The datu has the role of
supreme commander at wartime. The datu can
also be a legislator and as a judge

-During at this time, disagreements are decided

or solved peacefully through a trial. A trial that
is composed of activities to test their physical
ability. They believe that God protect the Datu of Mactan Cilapulapu
innocent and punish the guilty (Garcia and
Agdon 2009). The person who have the less
bruise attained, he would be pronounced as
victor and as the one telling the truth. The Legazpi expedition (1564) which was led by
Miguel Lopez Legazpi, spread the Spanish rule and
organized a city government in the archipelago. He
appointed alcaldes, alguacil mayor and twelve
legislative council members and a court clerk.

In 1863, the Philippines was placed under the

jurisdiction of the Ministerio de Ultramar or The
Ministry of Overseas or Ministry of Overseas
Territories. It was the ministerial department that
is in charge of the direction of Spanish territories
between 1863 and 1899.

The Spaniards built a centralized government.

where the governor-general acts as the head and is
the one who appoints minor officials. This
government has two branches: the executive and
Miguel Lopez Legazpi the judiciary.
 In 1872, the propaganda Movement began but at
the end failed. After some time, the Founding of The Founding of Katipunan
the "Kataastaasaan, Kagalanggalangan Katipunan
ng mga Anak ng Bayan" happened on the day of
July 7, 1892. It is a Philippine Revolutionary society
founded by Deodato Arrellano, Teodoro Plata,
Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, Andres Bonifacio, and
Jose Dizon.

August 19, 1896 marked the outbreak of the 1896

revolution.

March 22, 1897, the Katipuneros decided to form a

new government and held Emilio Aguinaldo as the
The Katipunero members president in 1898.

On November 1, 1897, Aguinaldo established a republican

government called The Biak-na-Bato Republic. The first
republic ever declared in the Philippines by revolutionary
leader Emilio Aguinaldo and his fellow revolutionaries.
Unfortunately, it was unrecognized internationally.

On May 24, 1898, Aguinaldo established a dictatorial Emilio Aguinaldo

government wherein the chief of the state is called as
the Dictator.

June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo proclaimed the independence of the

Philippines from the 300-year colonization of the Spaniards. This
was announced during the Spanish-American War. Soon after,
on June 23, 1898, Aguinaldo changed the dictatorial government
into revolutionary upon the advice of Apolinario Mabini. It is
wherein the chief of state is now called as the president.
1898 Independence Day Celebration
 The first Philippine Republic or known as the Malolos

TREATY of PARIS
Republic was inaugurated on January 23, 1899 with
Aguinaldo as its President.

December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed

wherein Spain turned over the Philippines to the
United States for the sum of $20,000,000 as payment
for the improvements made by Spain in the
Philippines.

Within this time, the Philippines is administered by the

President of the US through military. The
representative is called as the Military Governor which
wields the legislative, judicial and executive powers.

March 1900, the US sent a second commission to the

Philippines known as the Taft Commission that was
tasked to establish a civil government in the Philippines
and train the Filipinos in self-governance.

In March 1902, the US Congress passed the Army The Taft Commission
Appropriation Act, an amendment which authorized the
US president to establish a civil government in the
Philippines. Thus, on July 4,1901, the civil government
was inaugurated.

On July 1, 1902, the Philippine Bill of 1902 was enacted

by the US Congress. It is composed of Bill of Rights for
Filipinos, the appointment of two Filipino non-voting
commissioners to the US Congress, and the
establishment of a Philippine Assembly to be elected by
the Filipinos to years after the publication of a census
and complete restoration of peace.

On July 30, 1907, the first Philippine Assembly elections First Philippine Assembly Election
was held across the Philippines.

Jones Law of 1916 signaled that Americans would fulfil

their promise to help the Philippines attain
independence as soon as a stable government was in
place.

The Jones Law Poster

 "Os-Rox Mission" in 1931 that is headed by Sergio Osmena and
Manuel Roxas was sent to the United States to persuade the
American Congress to grant the Philippine Independence.

Sergio Osmena November 15,1935, the commonwealth Government was

Manuel Roxas
inaugurated. It served as a transitional government preparatory
to the resumption of the Philippine independence.

1942, Japanese reorganized the Philippine government and

renamed it Central Administrative Organization.

September 25, 1943, the National assembly elected Jose P. Laurel

as the President of the Second Republic.

Jose P. Laurel October 23, 1944, MacArthur re-established the Commonwealth

with himself as the Military administrator and by February 27, Douglass MacArthur
1945, he turned the reins of government to Osmena. Soon after,
Osmena reorganized the government on March 1945 to address
the needs of the people and the country after the war.

April 23, 1946, Manuel Roxas was elected as President and on

July 4, 1946, Philippine independence was proclaimed.

The Philippine Independence Day

In June 1971, the Constitutional Convention started framing a new
constitution.

September 21, 1972, President Ferdinand e. Marcos issued

Proclamation No. 1081 declaring martial law in the Philippines in
which he assumed the power of executive, legislative and judicial
powers of the government.

Marcos orchestrated the adaption of the 1973 Constitution which

changed the system of government into a modified parliamentary
system on January 17, 1973.

February 7, 1986, Marcos announced a "snap" presidential Ferdinand E. Marcos

election. He was declared the President-elect on February 20,
1986 but then Corazon Aquino, the oppositions candidate for
president, claimed victory and accused Marcos of Massive
electoral fraud.

On February 25, 1986 The EDSA Revolution took place which

ended Marcos' dictatorship and prompted his exile in the US.

1986 “Snap” Election

Ferdinand Marcos announcing Martial Law

March 25, 1986, Corazon Aquino Proclaimed a provisional

constitution called the "Freedom Constitution" after she ascended to
EDSA Revolution
presidency.

On February 2, 1987, the people, ratified the Constitution in a

plebiscite. The results of the plebiscite have been announced on the
day of February 11, 1987 through proclamation No. 58. It was then
the same day that the 1987 Philippine Constitution took effect. This
Constitution of the Philippines restored the presidential form of
government and the bicameral Congress.

Corazon Aquino