The Three Branches of

Government
By Prof. Jet Castillo
 The Three Branches
Executive Judicial Legislative

Article 7, Article 8 Article 6

Article 10
Judges Senators,
President, VP, Representatives
Cabinet (Congressmen)
Secretaries,
Local Govt
Officials
 The Executive Branch
The President
 Chief Executive
 Head of State
 Head of Government
 The Executive Branch
Qualifications of the President
 Natural-born (not naturalized) Filipino
 Able to read and write
 At least 40 years old
 Registered voter
 At least 10 years in the Philippines prior to
election
 The Executive Branch
 The President is elected every 6 years
 Cannot have 2 consecutive terms
 Start and end of term is noon of June 30
of the election year.
 Election is set by the Constitution on the
2nd Monday of May.
 The Executive Branch
Why prevent the President
from having 2 consecutive terms
(re-election right after a term)?
1. To prevent another Marcos
2. So s/he won’t use public funds in the
campaign
3. So s/he can concentrate on his/her job
 The Executive Branch
Other powers of the President
1. Appoint heads of departments,
ambassadors, officers of the AFP
2. Commander-in-chief of the AFP
3. Declare martial law*
4. Pardon convicts
5. Contract and guarantee foreign loans
6. Make a treaty
 The Executive Branch
Declaration of Martial Law
1. The President can declare martial law in
cases of invasion or rebellion
2. For a period of not more than 60 days
3. After 60 days, he shall submit a report to
the Congress
4. Congress may extend martial law if the
invasion or rebellion persists.
 The Executive Branch
Martial Law
- Does not suspend operation of the
constitution
- Nor supplant the functioning of courts,
and legislature
- Suspension of the writ shall apply only to
persons charged for rebellion
- Any person arrested must be charged
within 3 days, otherwise he shall be
released.
 The Executive Branch
THE SONA

 State-of-the-Nation Address
 President’s recommendations to Congress
 Priority bills
 Mere proposals
 Delivered every year before the start of
session of Congress
 The Executive Branch
If the President fails to finish his term, and
the person who finished his term served
for more than 4 years, that person cannot
run for re-election for the President.
 The Executive Branch
The Vice President

Qualifications:
Same as the President’s
 The Executive Branch
The Vice President

- Can serve for 2 successive terms, but is

disqualified to run for a 3rd term.
- So far, no VP has availed of this provision
- Past VPs – Doy Laurel, Erap, GMA, Teofisto
Guingona, Noli de Castro, Jejomar Binay,
Leni Robredo
 The Executive Branch
- Can be appointed as member of the
Cabinet, without going thru the CA.
- ERAP – chief crime buster
- GMA – DSWD Secreatary
- Guingona – Foreign Affairs Secretary
- Noli de Castro – OFW’s welfare
- Binay – Housing and Urban Devt
 The Executive Branch
The Vice President

Takes over as President when the President:

1. Dies
2. Gets permanently disabled
3. Gets impeached
4. Resigns
 The Executive Branch
The President and the Vice President can be
removed from office thru impeachment.

The Senate shall serve as the impeachment

court.
 The Executive Branch
The President and the Vice President cannot
practice any other profession or be
involved in business during their term.
 The Executive Branch
CABINET SECRETARIES
- heads the Departments
DA DOST DSWD DOLE
DAR DILG DPWH
DOH DBM DND
DENR DOF DOT
DepED DOE DOJ
 The Executive Branch
LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
(Article 10)

Governors Vice Governors

Mayors Vice Mayors
Barangay Captains Board Members
Mun. Councilors
Brgy. Councilors
 The Executive Branch
Special LGUs

CAR – Cordillera Administrative Region

ARMM – Autonomous Region for Muslim
Mindanao
 The Judicial Branch
JUDICIAL POWER

Power to apply laws to contests or disputes

 The Judicial Branch

The Supreme Court

Chief Justice
14 Associate Justices
 The Judicial Branch
Hierarchy of Courts

 Supreme Court 15
 Court of Appeals
69
 Regional Trial Courts
and Metropolitan TCs
720+
 The Judicial Branch
SPECIAL COURTS

 Sandiganbayan – 15 justices
 Court of Tax Appeals – 6 justices
 The Judicial Branch
Qualification of Members of Supreme Court

1. Natural-born citizen
2. 40 to 70 years old
3. 15 years experience as judge or lawyer
4. Person of proven competence, integrity,
and independence.
 The Legislative Branch
LEGISLATIVE POWER

-authority to make laws, alter, and repeal

them.
 The Legislative Branch
LAW
- Statutes which are written enactments of
the legislative governing the relations of
people among themselves, or between
them and the government.
 The Legislative Branch
ADVANTAGES OF BICAMERALISM
1. Check and balance
2. Training ground for future leaders
(example: Marcos, Osmena, Quezon,
GMA, Pnoy, etc started out as
congressmen, then senators, then
President)
 The Legislative Branch
ADVANTAGES OF BICAMERALISM
3. Representation for both regional and
national interests
4. Less susceptible to bribery
5. Tried and tested since ancient times
 The Legislative Branch
DISADVANTAGES OF BICAMERALISM
1. Slow
2. Expensive to maintain
3. Only wealthy people can become
senators
4. Training ground for future leaders? Not
exactly (example: Magsaysay, Cory, FVR,
Duterte)
 The Legislative Branch
THE SENATE
- 24 Senators
- Elected nationwide
- 6-year term
- 2 groups alternating and overlapping
6-year terms
- Maximum of 2 consecutive terms
 The Legislative Branch
QUALIFICATIONS OF SENATORS
1. Natural-born citizen
2. 35 years old
3. Registered voter
4. Resident for at least 2 years
 The Legislative Branch
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- not more than 250 members
- elected from congressional districts
- 3-year term, so they can be more
sensitive to the needs of the people
- maximum of 3 consecutive terms
 The Legislative Branch
PARTY LIST REPRESENATIVES
- 20% OF Lower House
- because no farmer, laborer, or teacher
can win in an election.
 The Legislative Branch
STEPS IN THE PASSAGE OF A BILL
1. First Reading – any member of either
house
2. Referral to Appropriate Committee – for
further study
3. Second Reading – read in its entirety by
the sponsor.
4. Debates
 The Legislative Branch
STEPS IN THE PASSAGE OF A BILL
5. Printing and Distribution –
6. Third Reading – only the title is read, no
amendments, voting follows
7. Referral to Other House – undergoes
same process, steps 2 to 6
8. Joint Session - to reconcile Senate and
House versions
 The Legislative Branch
STEPS IN THE PASSAGE OF A BILL
10. Submission to the President – S/He can
do either of 3 things:
a. sign it
b. veto it
c. shelf it
 The Legislative Branch
Sign it Veto it Shelf it

-automatically -returned to the -automatically

becomes a original house becomes a
law. - House votes on law after
it. 30 days
- If they get 2/3
vote, it
becomes a law
 The Three Branches
Executive Judicial Legislative

Article 7 Article 8 Article 6

President, VP, Judges Senators,

Cabinet Representatives
Secretaries, (Congressmen)
Local Govt
Officials