THREE PARTS OF THE CONSTITUTION

Constitution of Government - Article 6,7,8, and Local Government Unit

Constitution of Liberty - Article 3
Constitution of Sovereignty - Suffrage, Power to elect, Remove people in the government

Legislative Power
● Authority under the COnstitution to make laws, alter them, and to repeal them.
● Vested in Congress: Senate and HOR
● The grant of legislative power to congress is plenary; improper to use the terms “Upper”
and “Lower” House.
● Congress may legislate on any subject matter provided that the limitations are
observed.
○ No ex post facto law may be enacted (not pertaining to penalties, pertaining to
acts not criminal in nature before this law is enacted.
○ SECTION 26. (1) Every bill passed by the Congress shall embrace only one
subject which shall be expressed in the title thereof.
○ No bill of the attainder: legislative act which inflicts punishment without trial.
● May delegate powers to make legislation to cities, provinces, municipalities. But cannot
be superior to the Legislative Department: they are creation of legislation.

● Senate
○ 24 members, elected by all qualified voters all over the country.
○ Natural born citizens of the Philippines
○ At least 35 years old on the day of the election
○ Able to read and write
○ A registered voter
○ Resident of the Philippines for at least 2 years before the election day.
○ Senators have 6-years term office and may be re-elected for not more than two
consecutive terms.
● House of Representatives
○ Not more than 250 members; they are empowered by the Constitution to create
districts.
○ Elected by all qualified voters in the different districts all over the country, or
through the party list systems.
○ 2 Representatives: District and Party List
○ At least 20% of sectoral representation.
○ 304 sears in the House of Representatives, 18th Congress

● District Representatives
○ SECTION 6. No person shall be a Member of the House of Representatives
unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the
election, is at least twenty-five years of age, able to read and write, and, except
the party-list representatives, a registered voter in the district in which he shall
be elected, and a resident thereof for a period of not less than one year
immediately preceding the day of the election.
○ No member of the House of Representatives shall serve for more than three
consecutive terms. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of time
shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of his service for the
full term for which he was elected.

● Party List Representatives

○ SECTION 5 (2) The party-list representatives shall constitute twenty per centum
of the total number of representatives including those under the party list. For
three consecutive terms after the ratification of this Constitution, one-half of the
seats allocated to party-list representatives shall be filled, as provided by law, by
selection or election from the labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural
communities, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law,
except the religious sector.
○ Not necessarily a member of this sector but genuinely serves for this
representation; passion of helping.
 ○ Qualified Sectors: refer to screenshot
○ Disqualified Parties: refer to screenshot
○ Incompatible Office: refer to screenshot
○ Forbidden Office: refer to screenshot
○ Disciplining Members: refer to screenshot

● Commission on Appointments
○ Senate President - ex-officio Chairman
○ 12 Senators
○ 12 members of HOR
○ Proportional representation from the political parties and parties or organization
registered under the party-list system represented therein
○ The Chairman votes in case of tie.

● Electoral Tribunals
○ SECTION 17. The Senate and the House of Representatives shall each have an
Electoral Tribunal which shall be the sole judge of all contests relating to the
election, returns, and qualifications of their respective Members. Each Electoral
Tribunal shall be composed of nine Members, three of whom shall be Justices of
the Supreme Court to be designated by the Chief Justice, and the remaining six
shall be Members of the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case
may be, who shall be chosen on the basis of proportional representation from
the political parties and the parties or organizations registered under the
party-list system represented therein. The senior Justice in the Electoral
Tribunal shall be its Chairman.
○ When a Senate or HOR Member is proclaimed as elected, but there are
contentions regarding this proclamation. If unproclaimed, COMELEC is the
authorized body.

● Duties
○ Enact laws
 ○ Choose who shall become President in case of 2 or more candidates have equal
number of highest votes
○ Approve the annual budget of the government (General Appropriations Act) -
exclusive to originate from the HOR
○ Ratify treaties & agreements between the PH and other countries - Senate
○ Conduct inquiries and investigations in aid of legislation
○ Confirm through the COA certain appointed of the President
○ Declare the existence of a state war - vote of two-thirds of both Houses in
joint session
○ Impose taxes - HOR
○ Franchise of public utility - HOR
○ Impeach Government Officials - HOR
○ Power to Create = Power to Destroy
○ Three Inherent Powers: Power of Eminent Domain, Police Power, Power of
Taxation

● Session
○ SECTION 15. The Congress shall convene once every year on the fourth
Monday of July for its regular session, unless a different date is fixed by law, and
shall continue to be in session for such number of days as it may determine until
thirty days before the opening of its next regular session, exclusive of Saturdays,
Sundays, and legal holidays. The President may call a special session at any
time.

● How a Bill becomes a Law

○ The Legislative Branch | Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines
○ Legislative-Process-Layout_10Mayno-banner.jpg (2463×9695)
(officialgazette.gov.ph)