THREE BRANCHES OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

 The President of the Philippines is the Chief of state and head of government of the Philippines, and is assisted by the Vice-President.
 The President leads the executive branch of the Philippine government, which includes the Cabinet and all executive departments.
 The Cabinet is composed of Secretaries who are appointed by the President with the consent of the Commission on Appointments.
 He represents the government as a whole and sees to it that all laws are enforced by the officials and employees of his department. He has
control over the executive department, bureaus and offices.
 The President exercises general supervision over all local government units and is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines.
 President: Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Qualifications of the President of the Philippines

 at least 40 years old and above;

 a registered voter, single or married;
 able to read and write;
 male or female a Filipino citizen by birth; and
 a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years immediately preceding election.

Term Limits

 The term of the President is for six years (no re-election)

 No person who has succeeded and served as President for four (4) years can run again
 Vice-President: maximum two (2) terms

Presidential Privileges

 Appoint the heads of the different executive departments

 Appoint ambassadors, consuls and public ministers
 Appoint armed forces personnel from the rank of colonel or naval captain
 Contract / guarantee foreign loans
 Negotiate foreign treaties
 Make appointments not otherwise provided for by law
 Suspend the writ of habeas corpus
 Declare martial law
 Prepare the national budget
 Perform acts of clemency (amnesty, pardon)
CABINET OF THE PHILIPPINES

The Cabinet of the Philippines consists of the heads of the largest part of the executive branch of the national government of the Philippines.
Currently, it includes the secretaries of 19 executive departments and the heads of other several other minor agencies and offices that are subordinate
to the President of the Philippines.
The Cabinet secretaries are tasked to advise the President on the different affairs of the state like agriculture, budget, finance, education, social
welfare, national defense, foreign affairs, and the like. They are nominated by the President and then presented to the Commission on Appointments, a
body of the Congress that confirms all appointments made by the head of state, for confirmation or rejection. If the presidential appointees are approved,
they are sworn into office, receive the title "Secretary," and begin to function their duties.

Department Acronym Secretaries

Department of Agrarian Reform
DAR (KRP)
Kagawaran ng Repormang Pansakahan
Department of Agriculture
DA (KPS)
Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka
Department of Budget and Management
DBM (KPP)
Kagawaran ng Pagbabadyet at Pamamahala
Department of Education
DepEd (KEd)
Kagawaran ng Edukasyon
Department of Energy
DOE (KEn)
Kagawaran ng Enerhiya
Department of Environment and Natural Resources
DENR (KKLK)
Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas na Kayamanan
Department of Finance
DOF (KNPN)
Kagawaran ng Pananalapi
Department of Foreign Affairs
DFA (KUP)
Kagawaran ng Ugnayang Panlabas
Department of Health
DOH (KNKL)
Kagawaran ng Kalusugan
Department of the Interior and Local Government
DILG (KIPL)
Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal
Department of Justice
DOJ (KNKT)
Kagawaran ng Katarungan
Department of Labor and Employment
Kagawaran ng Paggawa at Empleyo DOLE (KNPE)

Department of National Defense

DND (KTP)
Kagawaran ng Tanggulang Pambansa
Department of Public Works and Highways DPWH (KPBL)
Kagawaran ng Pagawaing Bayan at Lansangan
Department of Science and Technology
DOST (KNAT)
Kagawaran ng Agham at Teknolohiya
Department of Social Welfare and Development
DSWD (KKPP)
Kagawaran ng Kagalingang Panlipunan at Pagpapaunlad
Department of Tourism
DOT (KNT)
Kagawaran ng Turismo
Department of Trade and Industry
DTI (KKI)
Kagawaran ng Kalakalan at Industriya
Department of Transportation
DOTC (KNTK)
Kagawaran ng Transportasyon at Komunikasyon

Cabinet-level administration offices

Some positions have cabinet-level rank, but are not Secretaries of Executive Departments, meaning those people are permitted to attend Cabinet
meetings for special purposes. They are the following:

Office Incumbent
Vice President
Pangalawang Pangulo
Executive Secretary
Kalihim ng Tagapagpaganap
Head of the Presidential Management Staff
Pinuno ng Pampanguluhang Pamamahala
Office of the Press Secretary
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel

THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

 The legislative power is vested in a bicameral body, the Congress of the Philippines, which is composed of two houses -- the Senate and the
House Representatives. The Congress of the Philippines is the country's highest lawmaking body.

 The lawmaking function of Congress is very important. It passes laws that regulate the conduct of and relations between the private citizens
and the government. It defines and punishes crimes against the state and against persons and their property. It determines the taxes people
should pay for the maintenance of the government. It appropriates the money to be spent for public purposes. It can reorganize, create, or
abolish offices under the civil service.
The Senate of the Philippines is headed by the Senate president and often referred to as the "Upper House"

Senate President: Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri

Composition, Qualifications & Term of Office

 24 Senators elected at large

 Natural-born citizen
 At least 35 years old on Election Day
 Able to read and write
 Registered voter
 Philippine resident for at least 2 years prior to Election Day
 Term: 6 years
 Maximum: 2 terms

The House of Representatives is composed of not more than 250 members. These seats are apportioned among the provinces, cities, and Metro
Manila, according to population. The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines is the presiding officer of the lower house of Congress.

Speaker of the House: Martin Romualdez

Composition, Qualifications & Term of Office

 200 district reps, 50 party list

 Natural-born citizen
 At least 25 years old on Election Day
 Able to read and write
 Registered voter of the district
 District resident for at least 1 year prior to Election Day
 Term: 3 years
 Maximum: 3 terms
THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

SUPREME COURT – THE HIGHEST COURT

 Judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be established by law.
 The Supreme Court is the highest Court in the Philippines. The Supreme Court is composed of one (1) Chief Justice and fourteen (14)
Associate Justices, all of whom are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council.
 A member of the Supreme Court must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, at least forty (40) years of age and must have been for fifteen
(15) years or more a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines.
 Justices shall hold office during good behavior until they reach the age of seventy (70) years or become incapacitated to discharge the duties of
their office.
 It is the final arbiter of any and all judicial issues. When so deciding, it may sit en banc or in divisions of three, five or seven members.
 It has the power to settle actual controversies involving rights that are legally demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or not
there has been grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the
government.
 The Supreme Court is considered "the court of last resort" since no more appeals can be made from a judgment or decision on the merits
rendered by this court. A decision of a Supreme Court division is considered a decision of the entire court.

Chief Justice: Alexander Gesmundo

I. Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts

Every municipality in the Philippines has its own Municipal Trial Court. It is referred to as such if it covers only one municipality; otherwise, it is called
Municipal Circuit Trial Court if it covers two or more municipalities.

II. Metropolitan Trial Courts and Municipal Trial Courts in Cities

Municipal Trial Courts in the towns and cities in the Metropolitan Manila area, as distinguished from the other political subdivisions in the Philippines, are
referred to as Metropolitan Trial Courts.

In cities outside Metropolitan Manila, the equivalent of the Municipal Trial Courts are referred to as Municipal Trial Courts in Cities.

III. Regional Trial Courts

Regional Trial Courts were established among the thirteen regions in the Philippines consisting of Regions I to XII and the National Capital Region
(NCR). There are as many Regional Trial Courts in each region as the law mandates.
IV. Shari'a Courts

In Islamic regions or provinces, Shari'a Circuit Courts (SCC) and Shari’a District Courts (SDC) have been established to interpret and apply the Muslim
Code on Personal Laws. the SCCs and SDCs are equivalent in rank to the MCTCs and RTCs, respectively. The decisions are appealable to the Shari'a
Appelate Court.

Equivalent to the Regional Trial Courts in rank are the Shari'a District Courts which were established in certain specified provinces in Mindanao where
the Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines is being enforced.

A Shari'a District Court is of limited jurisdiction. It was created under Presidential Decree No. 1083. Cases falling within the exclusive jurisdiction of
the Shari'a District Courts primarily pertain to family rights and duties as well as contractual relations of Filipino Muslims in the Mindanao.
There are five Shari'a District Courts and fifty one Shari'a Circuit Courts in existence.

V. Court of Tax Appeals (Presiding Justice – Roman Del Rosario)

A special court, the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) is composed of one (1) Presiding Justice and eight (8) Associate Justices. The CTA may sit en banc or
in three (3) divisions with each division consisting of three (3) Justices.

The CTA is vested with the exclusive appellate jurisdiction over appeals from the decisions of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and the
Commissioner of Customs involving their respective responsibilities under the National Internal Revenue Code and the Customs Law,respectively.

VI. Sandiganbayan (Presiding Justice – Amparo Cabotaje-Tang)

Sandiganbayan, special court with jurisdiction over criminal and civil cases involving graft and corrupt practices and such other offenses committed by
public officers and employees, including those in government owned or controlled corporations, in relation to their office as may be determined by law.

It is composed of a Presiding Justice and fourteen (14) Associate Justices.

VII. Court of Appeals (Presiding Justice- Remedios Salazar-Fernando)

The Court is composed of one Presiding Justice and sixty eight (68) Associate Justices. They are all appointed by the president. The Court of Appeals
is vested with jurisdiction over appeals from the decisions of the Regional Trial Courts and certain quasi-judicial agencies, boards or commissions; to try
cases and conduct hearings, receive evidence and perform any and all acts necessary to resolve factual issues raised in cases falling within its original
and appellate jurisdictions, including the power to grant and conduct new trials or further proceedings.

The CA is assigned to review cases elevated to it from the RTCs as well as quasi-judicial agencies such as the Civil Service Commission, Securities and
Exchanges Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, National Labor Relations Commission and the Land Registration Authority.