CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSIONS Independent Enjoy fiscal autonomy May promulgate their own rules concerning pleadings and practice

tice before them or before any of their offices. Decision is by majority vote of all their members on cases brought before them within 60 days.

Civil Service Commission Composition Chairman 2 Commissioners

Term of office is 7 years without reappointment. The president appoints them with the consent of Congress Commission on Appointments.

Qualifications 1. 2. 3. 4. Natural-born citizen At least 35 years old at the time of their appointment Proven capacity for public administration Must not have been candidates for any elective position in the elections preceding their appointment.

Functions 1. Establish a career service 2. Adopt measures to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness and courtesy in the civil service 3. Strengthen the merit and rewards system 4. Integrate all human resource development programs for all levels and ranks 5. Institutionalize a management climate conducive to public accountability.

2. Commission on Elections Composition Chairman 6 Commissioners Term of office is 7 years without reappointment. The president appoints them with the consent of Congress Commission on Appointments. Qualifications: Natural-born citizen At least 35 years old at the time of their appointment Holder of a college degree (Majority though of the Commissioners including the chairman must be members of the Bar who are engage in the practice of law for at least ten years)

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Must not have been candidates for any elective position immediately preceding the elections. Functions: 1. Enforce and administer the laws and regulations relative to the conduct of an election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum and recall. 2. Exercise exclusive original jurisdiction over all contests relating to the elections, returns and qualifications of all elective regional, provincial and city officials and appellate jurisdiction over all contests involving elective municipal officials decided by trial courts of general jurisdiction or involving elective barangay officials decided by trial; courts of limited jurisdiction. 3. Decide except those involving the right to vote, all questions affecting elections, including determination of the number and location of polling places, appointment of election officials and inspectors and registration of voters.

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Deputize with the concurrence of the President lawenforcement agencies and instrumentalities of the government. Register after sufficient publication, political parties, organizations or coalitions and accredit citizens arms of the COMELEC. (Religious denominations and sects shall not be registered) File, upon a verified complaint or in its own initiative, petitions in court for inclusion or exclusion of voters, investigate and where appropriate prosecute cases of violations of election laws. Recommend to Congress measures to minimize election spending. Recommend to the President the removal of any officer or employee it has deputized, or the imposition of any other disciplinary action for violation or disregard of, or disobedience to its directive, order or decision.

NOTE: No pardon, amnesty, parole or suspension of sentence for violations of election laws, rules and regulations shall be granted by the president without the favorable recommendation of COMELEC.

3. Commission on Audit Composition Chairman 2 Commissioners Term of office is 7 years without reappointment. The president appoints them with the consent of Congress Commission on Appointments.

Qualifications: Natural-born citizen At least 35 years old at the time of their appointment Certified Public Accountant with not less than 10 years of auditing experience or member of the Bar who have been engage in the practice of law for at least ten years. (Members must not belong to the same profession) Must not have been candidate for any elective position immediately preceding their appointment. Functions It has the power, authority and duty to examine, audit and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of and expenditures or uses of funds and property owned or held in trust by, or pertaining to, the government or any of its subdivisions, agencies or instrumentalities including GOCCs.

Amending the Constitution

Three Methods 1. Congress through votes of its members. Issue: Whether the two houses (Senate and Representatives) will vote jointly or separately. 2. Constitutional Convention wherein the people will elect representatives who will propose amendments. 3. Peoples Initiative. It needs at least 12% of the countrys registered voters and at least 3% of the voters in each legislative district signing the petition. Note: The final draft of the proposed amendmends or repeal of the constitution must be approved by the countrys voters in a plebiscite. It needs the majority of voters for the proposed amenment to be effective and binding.