BICOL UNIVERSITY

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

LEGAZPI, CITY
1 Semester, A.Y 2021-2022
st

Quarter 2 – Module 7

The Legislative and The

Judiciary

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEARNING MODULE

SPECIALIZED SUBJECT
HUMSS 12
Prepared by:
MS. CHRISTINE IRISH P. GOYENA
Teacher
 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

THE LEGISLATIVE AND

THE JUDICIARY
OVERVIEW

Have you ever thought who creates these rules for the people in a country? Have you ever
wondered how disputes are settled? How is justice served when an individual violated a law? Basically,
these questions pertain to the creation, interpretation, and application of the law. The lawmakers in the
Philippine legislature create the rules or laws. If the legislative enacts laws and the executive implements
them, it is the judiciary that interprets and applies the laws.

You have already learned that the national government is comprised of three branches, which
are co-equal, and which operate under a system known as separation of powers and checks and
balances. In this module, you will learn about the organization of the legislative branch; the congress;
how policies are created in relation to legal and political dynamics; the process of lawmaking; the
judiciary power; the structure and organization of the judiciary; and the importance of the Supreme
Court.

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW IN THIS MODULE?

• Legislative and Judiciary branch of the government
• Roles and Responsibilities of the Senate and the House of Representatives
• Roles and Responsibilities of the Judicial Department

WHAT DO I NEED TO LEARN?

• Differentiate the roles and
responsibilities of the Philippine
Senate and the House of
Representatives

• Analyze the roles and

responsibilities of the Philippine
Judiciary

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 2 of 9

 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

DISCOVER

Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We, of this Congress and this administration, will be
remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or
another of us. The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor, to the
latest generation.
—Abraham Lincoln (on Congressional Power and its power to do good with the President)

As we have discussed, there are three branches of government: the executive (tasked with
enforcing the laws); the legislative (which authors the laws); and the judiciary (which interprets the laws).
In this accord, we shall be discussing the latter two branches of government. The two branches of
government is tasked with the checking and challenging the executive branch, and the legislative
department and the judicial department also check and challenge each other.

Figure 1 Principle of Separation of Powers Figure 2 Principle of Checks and Balances

As of July 15, 2020, the webpage of The Official Gazette of the Philippine Government mentioned
the following essential features of the different branches of the Philippine Government:

The primary role of the
Executive branch is to execute
or implement laws. It is headed
by the President who is elected
by direct popular vote. The
the Philippine Congress. This
Constitution grants the
President authority to appoint
his Cabinet. These departments
form a large portion of the
country’s bureaucracy.
The Legislative branch is
authorized to make laws,
alter, and repeal them
through the power vested in
institution is divided into the
Senate and the House of
Representatives.
The Judicial branch holds
the power to settle
controversies involving rights
that are legally demandable
and enforceable. It is made
up of a Supreme Court and
lower courts.

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 3 of 9

 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

THE LEGISLATIVE & JUDICIAL DEPARTMENTS

KEY TERMS
• Congress
• House of Representative
• Senate
• Legislation
• Judicial Power
• Supreme Court

THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The three branches of government exercise powers independent of each other. The legislative
branch creates the laws which the executive implements and which the judiciary interprets. This is known
as the legislative power. The power to legislate is plainly the power to make laws of the state, and
subsequently, to alter and repeal them. This power under the Constitution is shared by three different
members of society. The first is the people. The people of the Republic of the Philippines have the supreme
power to legislate laws, yet they give this power to their representatives in Congress every election.
Article VI, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the power to enact laws is vested in
the Philippine Congress (comprised of the Senate and the House of Representatives), except when this
power is reserved to the people through initiative and referendum.

THE PHILIPPINE CONGRESS

Article VI of the Constitution also

provides for privileges of and prohibitions
on the members of Congress. It contains
and defines the entire swath of power
granted to the Legislative Department. Say
for instance, its members shall receive a
fixed compensation as determined by law
(Section 10) and they shall be given
privilege from arrest when the Congress is
in session, unless the offense they
committed is punishable by more than six years of imprisonment (Section 11).
The members are required by law to provide full disclosure of their financial and business interests
(Section 12). They are also prohibited from holding any other office or employment in the government
(Section 13) and restricted from appearing as counsel before any court of justice or electoral tribunal
(Section 14).

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 4 of 9

 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

COMPOSITION OF BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS (As defined hereunto by the Constitution)

MANNER
MAXIMUM
OFFICE COMPOSITION OF TERM QUALIFICATIONS
TERM
ELECTION
• At least 35 years old
• Registered voter
two
Nationally • Able to read and write
24 senators 6 Years consecutive
Senate (at Large) • Natural-born citizen
(Sec. 2) (Sec. 4) terms (Sec.
(Sec. 2) • Resident of the Philippines
4)
for not less than two years
(Sec. 3)
250 • At least 25 years old
representatives • Registered voter in the
(unless district (except in the
District three
otherwise fixed party-list)
House of and by 3 years consecutive
by law, • Able to read and write
Representatives Party List (Sec. 5.4) terms
currently there • Natural-born citizen
(Sec. 5.1) (Sec. 5.2)
are 350 • Resident of the district for
representatives) not less than a year (Sec.
(Sec. 5.1) 6)
Table 1: Congress: Composition, Manner of Election, Term of Office, Maximum Term, and Qualification of Members)

SEPARATED ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF EACH HOUSES

(AS ARTICULATED BY ART. VI, AND AS DELEGATED BY ART. VII, VIII, XI)

THE PHILIPPINE SENATE

1. To sit as Impeachment Court.
The power to try any of the following: President, Vice-President, Commissioners and
Chairpersons of the Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman are done by the Senate.
Senators, during impeachment trial, are the judges and it requires the two-thirds (2/3) majority of the
Senators to remove a President, Vice-President, Commissioners and Chairpersons of the Constitutional
Commissions, or the Ombudsman. In a 24-senator senate, it requires that at least 16 senators to find
the person being impeached guilty to be removed from office. Why a 2/3 and not a simple majority?
Impeachment is an incredible power. It pits an elected legislature against an elected member of
government or an officer of government that occupies a highly sensitive position, and thus, the high
standard. The framers of the Constitution of both the U.S. and the Philippines wanted to ensure that
when a person is being impeached deserves the awesome and overwhelming power of being removed
without the consent of the people.

2. Legislate in a National Sphere.

Then-1986 Constitutional Commissioner Joaquin Bernas articulated in his book, that the Senate,
unlike its house counterpart – which is the House of Representatives, legislates for the Nation and not
just for a district or sector.

3. The Senate, through the Commission of Appointments, and along with the House of
Representatives, is also tasked in Vetting and Confirming the President’s secretaries, military
personnel (from rank of Colonel or its equivalent), and ambassadors.
The appointing power of the President is balanced by this power of both chambers (or houses)
of Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives. The powers of the President, as discussed
in a previous module, is built on the idea that government is shared with all concerned elected official.
This is an idea wherein which not one person or office has all the power, and each of the branches of
government must cooperate with each other to lead the state. The powers of secretaries, diplomats,
and members of the constitutional commissions and the ombudsman is immense and thus requires
the approval of Congress; and requires oversight of the Legislative (or, Congress).
PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 5 of 9
 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

4. Along with the House of Representatives, check and challenge all the policies of the Executive
through its investigatory powers—through Congressional Committees.
However, this power of both Houses of Congress is only limited if the thing being investigated
is “in aid of legislation”—or for the purposes of informing the decision making of legislators in order
to create laws.

THE PHILIPPINE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

1. Author Bills relating to Taxation,

Budgets, and Debts.
This power of the House of
Representatives is pursuant to Art. VI,
Sec. 24 of the 1987 Constitution.
According to Bernas (2012), “The
House of Representatives, citing as
they are elected by their local districts
and grassroots sectors, are more
knowledgeable to the financial status
of their constituents, and are given
this power because they are expected Image 1. Current Composition of the House of Representatives (2019-2022)
to know more of their local Current political party standings in the House of Representatives of the
Philippines: PDP–Laban (62) Party-list Coalition (54) National
communities than the nationally- Unity Party (44) Nacionalista Party (42) Nationalist People's
elected senators.” Unlike the Senate, Coalition (33) Lakas–CMD (19) Liberal
the House of Representatives is Party (16) Makabayan (6) Partido Federal ng
Pilipinas (5) Hugpong ng Pagbabago (3) Bukidnon
tasked in understanding their Paglaum (2) Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (2) Partidong
constituents’ problems and legislate Pagbabago ng Palawan (2) Aksyon Demokratiko (1) Bileg Ti
Ilokano (1) Centrist Democratic Party of the
for their districts or sector’s behalf. Philippines (1) Magdalo (1) Partido Navoteño (1) Partido ng
Masang Pilipino (1) People's Reform Party (1) Partido
2. Originators of Impeachment. Reporma (1) Independent (1) Vacancies (5)
All impeachment complaints
are investigated by the House of Representatives. Furthermore, the House of Representatives have the
power to create the articles of impeachment, which is a document that sets our accusations that needs
to be proven at trial in the Senate.

POWERS OF THE CONGRESS

The House of Representatives, along with the Senate, has the power to declare war. This is done by the
two houses of Congress voting separately.
The House of Representatives, along with the Senate, also has the power to review the President’s Martial
Law declaration. Congress, both houses voting separately, must vote on whether or not to extend the status of
Martial Law or not.
The House and Representatives, along with the Senate, has the power to enlarge or shrink the powers of
the Supreme Court. Under our laws, the Courts, are defined by the laws that define them—what they do, where their
powers stop and start. In other words, the Courts cannot say where their powers begin or end, that power is
incumbent on the laws of created by the Legislature. Thus, Congress is free to add to or subtract from the powers
of the courts except insofar as these have been fixed by the Constitution. Thus, the courts we have now, except for
the Supreme Court, were created by an act of Congress, and their powers only defined by that of the laws of
Congress. However, this power is limited by the Constitution when it comes to the Highest Court in the Land—the
Philippine Supreme Court—because it ensures that the Supreme Court is still free, independent, and lacking political
influence. Thus, any changes to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court must consent to the changes to their power
and control.

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 6 of 9

 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

THE LAWMAKING PROCESS AND LEGISLATIVE PERFORMANCE

Before a law is passed, it is known first as a bill. A bill is the proposed law which can originate from
either of the house of the Philippine Congress. What processes do bills undergo before they became laws?
This section presents the basics on how a bill becomes a law. The Web site of the Philippine Congress
(http:// www.congress.gov.ph/) presents the legislative process. Here is a summary:

6. Transmittal of approved 7. Conference committee (if

1. Preparation of the bill bill to the other house there are differences or
(repeat of steps 1-5) disagrements)

8. Submission of the bill to

2. First reading 5. Third reading the President

3. Committee 9. Presidential action on the

4. Second reading bill
consideration/action

Figure 1 Lawmaking Process

If the president approves the bill, the same is assigned an RA (Republic Act) number and is then
transmitted to the House where it originated. Afterward, copies of the bill are reproduced and sent to the
office of the Official Gazette for publication and distribution to the implementing agencies. Finally, it will be
included in the annual compilation of Acts and Resolutions.
If the bill is vetoed, it is transmitted to the House where it originated together with the message of
the president citing the reason for the bill’s disapproval. The Congress may decide to override the veto of
the president. If two-thirds of the members in each house vote to override the veto, then the bill becomes
a law.

THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

THE MEANING AND BREADTH OF JUDICIAL POWER

The Constitution is a definition of the powers of government. Who is to determine the nature, scope and extent
of such powers? The Constitution itself has provided for the instrumentality of the judiciary as the rational way.
And when the judiciary mediates to allocate constitutional boundaries, it does not assert any superiority over the
other departments; it does not in reality nullify or invalidate an act of the legislature, but only asserts the solemn
and sacred obligation assigned to it by the Constitution to determine conflicting claims of authority under the
Constitution and to establish for the parties in an actual controversy the rights which that instrument secures
and guarantees to them.
—Ponente of Hon. Justice Jose P. Laurel in defining the breadth, scope, and cincture of the Judicial
Department in the landmark case Angara v. Electoral Commission (1936)

The judicial branch is the final safeguard of liberty. It protects the people from someone else’s
exercise of abusive power, violence, or force. The power to decide on legal disputes is known as judicial
power. Article VIII, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution provides that “judicial power shall be vested in one
Supreme Court and in such other lower courts as may be established by law.” As provided in the same
section, “it includes the duty of the courts of justice to settle actual controversies involving rights which
are legally demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or not there has been a grave abuse of
discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the
Government.” It is the power of the courts to hear and judge over cases and controversies, can punish
any person found guilty of a crime through imprisonment, can seize property, and even put a person to
death (in some cases before 2005). Hence, the central function of the judges is to adjudicate and interpret
the law.

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 7 of 9

 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

THE LIMITS OF THE JUDICIARY

The Judiciary’s power is not absolute. Like the other branches of government, the Judicial branch
does not have a monopoly over its power. It is still being checked by the other two branches, and its limited
only to what the Constitution provides it. One prohibition over the judicial department is the fact that its
power to hear cases and how many courts are to be established is beyond the scope of the Supreme
Court, but rather is defined by Congress. Second, the Judicial Department cannot be given anymore powers
outside of its judicial power. The Supreme Court cannot provide advisory opinion, as it is against its judicial
power—the power to hear and decide on actual cases that have an effect on the real world. It is important
that the judiciary is an independent entity, free from control by anyone. This reflects the quality of
democracy that a nation lives up to.

STRUCTURE, ORGANIZATION, AND COMPOSITION OF THE JUDICIARY

The present judiciary is comprised of regular courts tasked to administer justice. These are
organized into four, the first two being review courts and the last two being trial courts:
• Supreme Court
• Court of Appeals
• Regional Trial Courts
• Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, and Municipal
Trial Courts in Cities

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 8 of 9

 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

There are also special courts, which are tribunals that have limited jurisdiction over certain cases
or controversies. One example is the Shari’a Court, which has the powers similar to the regular courts but
the subjects over whom judicial powers are exercised are limited to Muslim Filipinos (Pangalangan 2011).
Another is the Court of Tax Appeals, which retains exclusive appellate jurisdiction to review by appeal not
only civil tax cases but also those that are criminal in nature. Finally, the Sandiganbayan is a special court
that has jurisdiction over civil cases (including graft, corruption, and other offenses) committed by public
officers and employees and those in government-owned or government-controlled corporations.

THE SUPREME COURT

The Supreme Court is also known as the highest court and court of last resort as its decisions
are considered to be final, non-appealable, and executory. Section 6 also provides that the Supreme Court
shall have administrative supervision over all courts and the personnel thereof.
MANNER OF TERM OF
OFFICE COMPOSITION QUALIFICATIONS
APPOINTMENT OFFICE
Shall hold
• Natural-born Filipino Citizen
office in
• At least 40 years old
15 (1 chief good
• Must have been for 15 years or more
justice and 14 Appointed by behavior
Supreme Court a judge of a lower court or engaged in
associate the President until
the practice of law in the Philippines
justices) reaching
• Of proven competence, integrity, and
70 years
probity
old
Table 2. Supreme Court: Composition, Manner of Appointment, Term of Office, and Qualifications of Justices

Section 9 stipulates that “the Members of the Supreme Court and judges of the lower courts shall
be appointed by the President from a list of at least three nominees prepared by the Judicial and Bar
Council for every vacancy. Such appointments need no confirmation. For the lower courts, the President
shall issue the appointments within ninety days from the submission of the list.” Just like the president
and vice president, the justices of the Supreme Court may be removed from office through impeachment
(Article XI, Section 2). Section 11 of Article VIII mandates that the members of the Supreme Court and the
judges of lower courts shall hold office in good behavior until they reach 70 years old, or become
incapacitated to fulfill their duties. The authority to discipline judges of lower courts is vested in the
Supreme Court en banc. The judges of lower courts could also be dismissed by a vote of a majority of the
members who took part in the deliberations on the issues of the case.

POWERS OF THE SUPREME COURT (According to Article VIII, Section 5 of the 1987 Constitution)
1. Exercise original jurisdiction over cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls,
and over petitions for certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas corpus.
2. Review, revise, reverse, modify, or affirm on appeal or certiorari, as the law or the Rules of Court may
provide, final judgments and orders of lower courts in:
a. All cases in which the constitutionality or validity of any treaty, international or executive agreement,
law, presidential decree, proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance, or regulation is in question.
b. All cases involving the legality of any tax, impost, assessment, or toll, or any penalty imposed in
relation thereto.
c. All cases in which the jurisdiction of any lower court is in issue.
d. All criminal cases in which the penalty imposed is reclusion perpetua or higher.
e. All cases in which only an error or question of law is involved.
3. Assign temporarily judges of lower courts to other stations as public interest may require. Such
temporary assignment shall not exceed six months without the consent of the judge concerned.
4. Order a change of venue or place of trial to avoid a miscarriage of justice.
5. Promulgate rules concerning the protection and enforcement of constitutional rights, pleading,
practice, and procedure in all courts, the admission to the practice of law, the integrated bar, and legal
assistance to the under-privileged.
6. Appoint all officials and employees of the Judiciary in accordance with the Civil Service Law.

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 9 of 9

 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

RECOLLECT

In this module, you have learned the powers granted to, and the roles and responsibilities of
the legislative branch of the Philippines. The legislative branch has the power to enact laws that are
implemented by the executive branch and interpreted by the judiciary. The Senate and the House of
Representatives are the two chambers of Congress. The Senate's roles and responsibilities include
deciding on impeachment cases and drafting bills, resolutions, and simple resolutions. Furthermore,
the House of Representatives is responsible for reviewing all bills that are sent to the president for
signature before becoming law, as well as authoring bills pertaining to the nation's taxation, budgets,
and debt. The Congress is in charge of creating enabling laws to ensure that the spirit of the
constitution is maintained throughout the country.
Also, in this module, you have learned about the role and responsibilities of the Philippine
Judiciary. As defined by legislation (Art. VIII, sec. 1 of the 1987 Constitution), judicial power is vested
among the Supreme Court and the lower courts, whose role is to provide authoritative adjudication
of disputes over the implementation of laws in specific situations. The judicial branch interprets laws,
applies them to specific instances, and determines whether they are constitutional. This branch
determines whether the government has committed a serious abuse of power that is legally
demandable and enforceable

ENGAGE
Here is an enrichment activity for you to work on to master and strengthen the
basic concepts you have learned from this lesson.

ACTIVITY 1: POST TEST

Instruction: Read the following items carefully. Choose the letter of the correct answer.
1. The Legislative branch is composed of, except:
a. Senate c. House of Representative
b. Department of Justice d. All of the above
2. The main function of the legislative branch is _________.
a. Make laws c. Pass laws
b. Interpret laws d. Implement laws
3. The following are the roles of the House of Representatives, except:
a. Scrutinizes executive branch
b. Debates and votes bills and amendments
c. Decides matters of national interest
d. Author bills of taxation, budget, and debt
4. The Senate of the Philippines is composed of ____ senators.
a. 12 c. 10
b. 24 d. 20
5. The members of this chamber are elected at large by the entire electorate and the composition of this
is precisely smaller in number.
a. House of Representatives c. Senate
b. Local Government Unit d. Supreme Court
6. The power to decide on legal disputes is known as _________.
a. Diplomatic power c. Judicial Power
b. Executive power d. Legislative Power

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 10 of 9

 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

7. The information about the Judicial branch of the government is stated under what article of the 1987
Philippine Constitution.
a. Article VI c. Article VIII
b. Article VII d. Article IX
8. Which of the following special courts has judicial powers limited to Muslim Filipinos?
a. Court of Appeals c. Sandiganbayan
b. Court of Tax Appeals d. Shari’a Court
9. It is known as the court of last resort.
a. Court of Appeals c. Regional Trial Courts
b. Metropolitan Trial Courts d. Supreme Court
10. The members of the Supreme Court is appointed by the ________________.
a. Chief Justice c. President
b. Senate d. Vice-President

DEEPEN
Great job! Now here is an in-depth activity that will enable you to critically think and
challenge your understanding about the historical development of the Philippine Politics.

Instruction: Read the following press release about a bill that institutionalizes political debates to promote
citizens’ right to information. Answer the questions that follow.

Institutionalize political debates to promote the citizens’ right to information

Written by: Dionisio P. Tubianosa, Media Affairs and Public Relations Service
03 October 2015
The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms is now in receipt of a proposed statute
institutionalizing political debates among national candidates.
Rep. Teodorico T. Haresco, Jr. is confident Congress could still pass HB 6164 to be known as
the "Political Debates Act of 2015," amending Republic Act No. 9006 otherwise known as "The Fair
Elections Act."
"I believe that a well-informed voting population would be able to carefully and intelligently
choose the qualified and rightful leaders of the country," Haresco stressed.
HB 6164 aims to institutionalize political debates among candidates by making it mandatory for
national television and radio networks to sponsor at least three (3) national debates among presidential
candidates and at least one (1) national debate among vice presidential candidates, the author
explained.
Each debate, he added, shall not be less than sixty (60) minutes, exclusive of airtime
commercials and advertisements.
"Section 7 of R.A. 9006 states that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) 'may require'
broadcast media (Radio/TV) entities to sponsor said debates. We must change the word MAY, which
is not mandatory, to SHALL, to make it mandatory," the author pointed out.
The said Section 7 also provides that "The debates among presidential candidates shall be
scheduled on three (3) different calendar days: the first debates shall be scheduled within the first and
second weeks of the campaign period; the second debate within the fifth and sixth week of the
campaign period; and the third debate shall be scheduled within the tenth and eleventh week of the
campaign period."
Likewise "the sponsoring television or radio network may sell airtime for commercials and
advertisements to interested advertisers and sponsors," Haresco noted.
The Fair Elections Act, Haresco pointed out, requires the Comelec to procure free airtime from
at least three national television and radio networks for equal allocation to all candidates for national
office.

This, he said, is in line with the policy enunciated in the said law, which declares that the State shall,
during the election period, supervise or regulate the enjoyment
PHILIPPINE or utilization
POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE of alls.franchises
2021 or permits
11 of 9
for the operation of media of communication or information to guarantee or ensure equal opportunity
for public service, including access to media time and space.
 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

This, he said, is in line with the policy enunciated in the said law, which declares that the State
shall, during the election period, supervise or regulate the enjoyment or utilization of all franchises or
permits for the operation of media of communication or information to guarantee or ensure equal
opportunity for public service, including access to media time and space.
"However, for the past elections, there has been no mechanism that requires nationally elected
candidates to make known their qualifications, platforms and their positions on national issues through
intelligent debate," Haresco explained.
Source: http://congress.gov.ph/press/details.php?pressid=9042

Process Questions:
1. Is there a need to create a law to institutionalize political debates among candidates in national
elections? Why?
2. What does this proposed law, House Bill 6164, say about the function of the Congress in relation to
the country’s political development?

Scoring Rubrics

POINTS REQUIREMENTS
5 provides an insightful and detailed explanation/opinion that includes or extends ideas from the
text
4 provides some explanation/opinion that includes ideas from the text for support
3 uses text incorrectly or with limited success and includes an inconsistent or confusing
explanation
2 demonstrates minimal understanding of the task and provides an unclear reference or no use
of the text for support
1 response is completely irrelevant or off-topic

TRANSFER
Let us apply your understanding by doing this meaningful activity!

On a separate sheet of paper, create an Advocacy Poster illustrating the importance of Philippine
Judiciary in our society. Use symbols that signify concepts or ideas that are related with the positive roles
of the judicial branch of government.

CATEGORY 20 15 10 5
The poster The poster The poster lacks Advocacy was not
exceptionally and portrayed the symbols that would portrayed through
Portrayal of clearly portrayed the advocacy through best portray the the symbols.
Advocacy advocacy through symbols and other advocacy.
symbols and other elements.
elements.
All graphics are All graphics are All graphics relate to Graphics do not
Graphics - related to the topic related to the topic the topic. One or two relate to the topic
Relevance and make it easier to and most make it borrowed graphics
understand. easier to have a source
understand. citation.
The poster is The poster is The poster is The poster is
exceptionally attractive in terms of acceptably attractive distractingly messy
Creativity attractive in terms of design, layout, and though it may be a or very poorly
design, layout, and neatness. bit messy. designed. It is not
neatness. attractive.

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 12 of 9

 BICOL UNIVERSITY
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM
LEGAZPI CITY THE LEGISLATIVE AND THE JUDICIARY
1st Semester, A.Y 2021-2022

OPEN NOTES

Instruction: Write down any ideas or thoughts that you have about any of the topics discussed in this
module. You may list down your questions, reactions, unclear thoughts.

References
Suarez, J.B., (2009). Commentary on the 1987 Constitution (2nd Edition). Rex Publishing House.

de Leon, H. & de Leon, H. (2014). Textbook on the Philippine Constitution (5th Edition). Rex Publishing House.

Mactal, R. B., Ph.D. (2015). Philippine Politics and Governance (1st ed.). Quezon, Metro Manila: Phoenix
Publishing.

Villanueva, P.A.G. (2017). Philippine Politics and Governance. Diwa Publishing. - Cruz, I.A., Cruz, C.L. (2014).
Philippine Political Law. Rex Publishing.

Philippine Judiciary. “A Constitutional History of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.” 2013. http://
sc.judiciary.gov.ph/aboutsc/history/index.php. - Nachura, A.N. (2014). Outline Reviewer in Political Law.
N.a.

PHILIPPINE POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE s. 2021 13 of 9