JONES LAW

Philippine Autonomy Act

WILLIAM A. JONES
Born on 1849 in the town of Warsaw, Virginia

Earned his law degree after fighting the American

Civil War at University of Virginia

Became an active member of the Democratic party

Elected in the US Congress representing Virginia's

first district.

Served as Chairman of the House Committe on

Insular Affairs, which had jurisdiction over areas
including the Phil. and Puerto Rico
JONES LAW
Phillipine Autonomy Act of 1916
AN ACT TO DECLARE THE PURPOSE OF
THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES AS
TO THE FUTURE POLITICAL STATUS OF
THE PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINE
ISLANDS, AND TO PROVIDE A MORE
AUTONOMOUS GOVERNMENT FOR
THOSE ISLANDS.
Approved on Aug.. 29, 1916 and immediately had its first election on
October 1916.

Designated more power to the native legislators by allowing Filipinos

to democratically choose individuals who would occupy the seats in
the upper house- now called the Senate of the Philippines.

On its election, it was dominated by the Nacionalista Party, Manuel

Quezon was appointed as the Senate President and Francisco
Villanueva as the Majority Floor Leader.

First formal declaration of the US granting independence to the

Philippines
 SECTION 3
BILL OF RIGHTS
(a) Due process and eminent domain
(b) Rights of persons accused of crime (l) Poligamy
(c) Obligation of contracts (m) How public funds to be spent
(d) Imprisonment for debt (n) Uniform tax.
(e) Suspension of habeas corpus (o) Subject and title of bills
(f) Ex post facto laws, primogeniture, titles of (p) Warrants of arrest.
nobility. (q) Special funds.
(g) Bail and punishment.
(h) Unreasonable searches.
(i) Slavery.
(j) Freedom of speech
(k) Freedom of religion.
SECTION 9
PUBLIC PROPERTY AND LEGISLATION ON PUBLIC DOMAIN,
TIMBER AND MINING

All property and rights of the Philippine Islands acquired by the

United States under the treaty of peace with Spain, are hereby
placed under control of the gov't of the said islands to be
administered or disposed of for the benefit of the inhabitants,
excluding such lands or properties which has been or shall be
designated by the president of the US for military and the other
reservations of the gov't of US.
SECTION 12
THE PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE

Legislature - consists of two Houses

Senate
House of Representatives

-Designated as the Philippine Legislature

SECTION 13
ELECTION AND QUALIFICATION OF SENATORS

Members of the senate shall be elected for terms of six

and three years
Each district shall have the right to elect two senators.
Memebers shall be a qualified elector and over thirty
years of age, and who is able to read and write either the
Spanish or English language, and who has been a resident
of the Philippines for at least two consecutive years
SECTION 14
ELECTION AND QUALIFICATION OF
REPRESENTATIVES

Members of the House of Representatives shall be elected

triennially by the qualified electors of the Phil.
Each district shall have the right to elect one representatives
Memebers shall be a qualified elector and over 25 years of age,
and who is able to read and write either the Spanish or English
language, and who has been an actual resident of the district
from which elected for at least one year immediately prior to
his election.
SECTION 15
QUALIFICATION OF VOTERS

Every male person who is a citizen or subject of a

foreign power twenty-one years of age or over
who shall have been a resident of the Philippines for
one year and of the municipality in which he shall
offer to vote for six months next preceding the day of
voting
who is comprised within one of the following classes:
(a) Those who under existing law are legal voters and
have exercised the right of suffrage.

(b) Those who own real property to the value of 500

pesos, or who annually pay 30 pesos or more of the
established taxes.

(c) Those who are able to read and write either Spanish,
English, or a native language.
SECTION 16
SENATE AND REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS, AND
APPOINTIVE SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES

The Philippine Islands shall be divided into twelve senate

districts
The representative districts shall be the eighty-one now
provided by law, and three in the Mountain Province, one in
Nueva Vizcaya, and five in the Department of Mindanao and
Sulu.
First district: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur.
Second district: La Union, Pangasinan, and Zambales.
Third district: Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Bulacan.
Fourth district: Bataan, Rizal, Manila, and Laguna.
Fifth district: Batangas, Mindoro, Tayabas, and Cavite.
Sixth district: Sorsogon, Albay, and Ambos Camarines.
Seventh district: Iloilo and Capiz.
Eight district: Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Antique, and Palawan.
Ninth district: Leyte and Samar.
Tenth district: Cebu.
Eleventh district: Surigao, Misamis, and Bohol.
Twelfth district: The Mountain Province, Baguio, Nueva Vizcaya, and the
Department of Mindanao and Sulu.
SECTION 17
TENURE OF SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES

The terms of office of elective senators and

representatives shall be six and three years
Special elections may be held in the districts wherein
such vacancy occurred among the elective members .
SECTION 19
PROCEDURE FOR LAW-MAKING

(a) Legislative journal and the veto power.―Each house of the

Legislature shall keep a journal of its proceedings and, from time to
time, publish the same;
(b) The veto on appropriations.―The Governor-General shall have
the power to veto any particular item or items of an appropriation
bill.
(c) Report of laws to Congress.―All laws enacted by the Philippine
Legislature shall be reported to the Congress of the United States.
(d) Revisal of former appropriations.
 SECTION 20
THE RESIDENT COMMISSIONERS

(a) Selection and tenure. Legislature shall choose two Resident

Commissioners to the United States
(b) Compensation
(c) Qualifications. Must be a bona fide elector of said Islands and
owe allegiance to the United States, more than 30 years of age
and who does read and write the English language.
(d) Temporary vacancy
SECTION 21
THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL
(a) Title, appointment, residence. “The Governor-General of
the Philippine Islands.” He shall be appointed by the
President of US and has the supreme executive power. He
shall reside in the Philippine Islands.
(b) Powers and duties.
- He shall submit within ten days of the opening of each
regular session of the Philippine Legislature a budget of
receipts and expenditures
(c) Report of the Governor-General.
SECTION 22
THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND THE
LEGISLATURE

(c) Provisions for a bureau for non-

Christians.
 SECTION 26
THE JUDICIARY

(a) Jurisdiction of courts and appointment of judges.―the

Supreme Court and the Courts of First Instance of the Philippine
Islands shall possess and exercise jurisdiction prescribed by law. as
well as municipal courts

the chief justice and associate justices of the supreme court

shall hereafter be appointed by the President of US.
SECTION 27
CASES APPEALABLE TO THE UNITED STATES
SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court of the United States shall have

jurisdiction to review, revise, reverse, modify, or affirm
the final judgments and decrees of the supreme court
of the Philippine Islands.....
THANK YOU!!