The Philippines is a republic with a presidential form of government wherein power is equally

divided among its three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH (the law-enforcing body)

The Executive branch 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 executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the President, Vice
President, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, boards,
commissions, and committees.

The President leads the country. He or 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.

The Vice President supports the President. If the President is unable to serve, the Vice
President becomes President. He or she also serves a six-year term.

Cabinet members serve as advisors to the President. They include the Vice President
and the heads of executive departments. Cabinet members are nominated by the
President and must be confirmed by the Commission of Appointments.

THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH (the law-making body)

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 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.

The Senate is composed of 24 Senators who are elected at large by the qualified voters
of the Philippines.

The House of Representatives is composed of about 250 members elected from

legislative districts in the provinces, cities, and municipalities, and representatives
elected through a party-list system of registered national, regional, and sectoral parties
or organizations.
The party-list representatives shall constitute twenty per cent of the total number of
representatives including those under the party list. For three consecutive terms after
the ratification of this Constitution, one-half of the seats allocated to party-list
representatives shall be filled, as provided by law, by selection or election from the
labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, and such
other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious sector.

THE JUDICIAL BRANCH (the law-interpreting body)

The Judicial branch 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.

The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and
decides if laws violate the Constitution. The judicial power shall be vested in one
Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be established by law.

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 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.