THE PHILIPPINE

GOVERNMENT
HUMSS SOCRATES

Executive Branch
The executive branch is headed by the President who functions as both the head of state and the
head of government. The president is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines. The president is elected by popular vote to a term of six years. The president, then,
appoints (and may dismiss) his/her cabinet members whom he/she presides over. The executive
seat of government is administered officially from Malacañang Palace—also the official residence of
the president—in Manila. The President may no longer run for re-election, unless he/she becomes
president through constitutional succession and has served for no more than four years as
president.
The second highest official, the vice-president is first in line to succession should the president
resign, be impeached or die in office. The vice-president usually, though not always, may be a
member of the president's cabinet. If there is a vacancy in the position of Vice President, the
President will appoint any member of Congress (usually a party member) as new Vice President.
The appointment will be validated by a three-fourths vote of Congress voting separately.

Legislative Branch
The remainder of the House seats are designated for sectoral representatives elected at large
through a complex "party list" system, hinging on the party receiving at least 2% to 6% of the
national vote total. The upper house is located in Pasay City, while the lower house is located in
Quezon City. The district and sectoral representatives are elected with a term of three years. They
can be reelected but they are no longer eligible to run for a fourth consecutive term. The senators
are elected to a term of six years. They can be reelected but they are no longer eligible to run for a
third consecutive term. The House of Representatives may opt to pass a resolution for a vacancy of
a legislative seat that will pave way for a special election. The winner of the special election will
serve the unfinished term of the previous district representative; this will be considered as one
elective term. The same rule applies in the Senate however it only applies if the seat is vacated
before a regular legislative election.
Judiciary Branch
The judiciary branch of the government is headed by the Supreme Court, which has a Chief Justice
as its head and 14 Associate Justices, all appointed by the president on the recommendation of the
Judicial and Bar Council. Other court types of courts, of varying jurisdiction around the archipelago,
are the:
Lower Collegiate Courts
• Court of Appeals
• Court of Tax Appeals
• Sandiganbayan
Regular Courts
• Regional Trial Courts
• Metropolitan Trial Courts
• Municipal Trial Courts
• Municipal Trial Courts in Cities
• Municipal Circuit Trial Courts
Muslim Courts
• Sharia District Courts
• Sharia Circuit Courts

2
Which branch of the government is the most powerful?

Going by the 1987 Constitution, the three branches are equal. The requirements to be a
Senator and member of the House, a Chief Justice, and the President are all indicated in the
Constitution. The President being able to veto bills isn’t an assurance of his supremacy as the
Executive head because as indicated in Article VI (1) of the 1987 Constitution:
Section 27. (1) Every bill passed by the Congress shall, before it becomes a law, be
presented to the President. If he approves the same he shall sign it; otherwise, he
shall veto it and return the same with his objections to the House where it originated,
which shall enter the objections at large in its Journal and proceed to reconsider it. If,
after such reconsideration, two-thirds of all the Members of such House shall agree to
pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other House by which
it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of all the Members of
that House, it shall become a law. In all such cases, the votes of each House shall be
determined by yeas or nays, and the names of the Members voting for or against shall
be entered in its Journal. The President shall communicate his veto of any bill to the
House where it originated within thirty days after the date of receipt thereof,
otherwise, it shall become a law as if he had signed it.
And if ever the elected persons are not able to fulfill their duties, they may be
removed by a ruling majority both or by the legal process of impeachment.

As an anonymous user in Quora said, “They are supposed to be equal so that they act as a
check and balance on one another. When it comes to Executive Orders, they are typically used to
get around Congress, but the courts can declare them unconstitutional to keep them from being
enforced. They can do the same with laws passed by Congress. If Congress doesn’t like an Executive
Order they can pass a law invalidating it or curtailing their use, but they would have to have veto
proof supermajorities in both houses. If the president and Congress don’t like a Supreme Court
ruling they can try to pass a Constitutional Amendment.”

But that is an opinion basing from the rules written by men. If I ever have to apply this
to the current times, I have to say otherwise. As a student from the 21st Century, we exercise the
right to express our thoughts about what’s happening in the society. In this case, I’d like to say
what I think about the question using the current administration.

I don’t think that there is equality between the 3 branches of this administration. With
the President’s bets winning the seats in the Senatorial race and appointing people to positions
because of “utang ng loob”, to say that they want to control all branches is something indeed
that I think, but it would be so obvious for them to do. They wanted to have eyes in all
Government branches, eyes that would only respond to the person in the highest seat. Not
forgetting to mention that almost all of them had history of proven graft and plunder, and
others lying about their educational attainment, downplaying bullying actions from supposed
friends and a bunch of other things. This I say, is a clear indication that the Executive Branch is
the most powerful, for they have eyes and ears in the other 2 branches.
3
Reference:
• http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/research/Philippines/PHILIPPINE%20CONSTITUTION.pdf
• https://www.philembassy.no/the-philippine-government
• https://www.quora.com/Which-branch-of-the-government-is-the-most-powerful

DELOS REYES, Steve Bitoon

HUMSS 12- Socrates
21/06/2019
Ma’am Salalila