THE GOVERNMENT OF THE

PHILIPPINES IN
TRANSITION
 THE PRE-SPANISH GOVERNMENT

1. UNIT OF GOVERNMENT

Consisting of more or less A Malayan word meaning “boat” -thereby

100 families. confirming that the early Filipinos came to
the Philippines in boats.
2. DATU
 Each Barangay was ruled by
Datu.
 In times of peace: Executive,
Legislator and Chief Justice.

 In war: he is the commander in

chief of the armed forces.

 Foreign affairs: the datu enables

treatise and truce.

 The barangay is monarchy in

form, with datu as its monarch.
3. SOCIAL CLASSES IN BARANGAY
NOBILITY (Maharlika)- who were
composed of rulers and there families,
occupied the highest class. They were
usually addressed as Gat, Lakan, Raja or
Datu.

FREEMEN- were the working class.

• Aliping namamahay- were not

full pledge slave. They had their
own respective families and their
own houses. They were requested
to serve their masters only during
planting and harvesting periods.
SLAVES-
were • Aliping sagigilid- were the real
classified slaves, they were homeless,
into two; forbidden to form their own
families, required to stay in their
masters dwelling and they could
be used as a payment for debt.
4. EARLY LAWS
A legal system already existed in the Philippines even in pre-colonial times.
The early Filipinos have both written and unwritten laws.

MARAGTAS CODE KALANTIAW CODE

• A popular tale involving the sale
of Panay to the Malays be the
Cheiftain of the said Island.
• Known through a book written
by Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro.
 A visayan public official and poet in
IloIlo in 1907.
• Written in Hiligaynon and
Kinaray-a Languages.
• Relates that around 1250 A.D.,
ten Datus and their families left
the kingdom of borned.
• A vicious and bizarre code that were said to
be enacted by Datu Kalantiaw from the
island of Panay.
• Kalantiaw's prominence started when Jese
Marco donated five manuscripts to the
Philippine library and museum which
includes bound works which was supposedly
written by a friar Jose Maria Favon.
• The authenticacy of the said code was no
longer considered by the historical society.
5. COMPARISON WITH OTHER ANCIENT GOVERNMENT.

An eminent scholar has written: “The Filipino people, even in

the prehistoric times had already shown high intelligence and
moral virtues; virtues and intelligence clearly manifested in
their legislation, which, taking into consideration the
circumstances and the epoch in which it was framed, was
clearly as wise, as prudent, and as humane, as that of the
nations then at the head of civilization.”
 GOVERNMENT DURING THE SPANISH PERIOD
1. SPAIN'S TITLE TO THE PHILIPPINES- It was based on the discovery made by
Ferdinand Magellan, in 1521, consummated by its conquest by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi 45
years later and long possession for almost four (4) centuries, until it was terminated in 1898,
when by the Treaty of Paris, the Philippines was ceded by Spain to the United States.
2. SPANISH COLONIAL GOVERNMENT- From 1565 to 1821, the Philipines was
indirectly governes by the King of Spain through Mexico because of the distance of the
Philippines from Spain. From 1821, when Mexico obtained her independence from Spain, to
1898, the Philippines was ruled directly from Spain. The council in Spain responsible for the
administration of the Philippines was the Council of the Indies. In 1837, it was abolished and
legislation for the Philippines was temporarily performed by the Council of Ministers. From
1863, the Ministry of Ultramar (colonies) exercised general powers of supervision over
Philippine affairs.
Three times during the Spanish period (1810-1813, 1820-1823, and 1836-1837), the
Philippines was given representation in the Spanish Cortes, the legislative body of Spain. A
basic principle introduced by Spain to the Philippines was the union of the church and the
state.
3. GOVERNMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES UNITARY- The government which Spain
established in the Philippines was centralized in structure and national in scope. The
barangays were consolidated into towns (pueblos) each headed by a gobernadorcillo (little
governor), popularly called capitan, and the towns into provinces each headed by a governor
who represented the Governor General in the province.
Cities governed under special charters were also created. Each of these cities had an
ayuntamiento or cabildo (city council). Cebu was the first city to be established in 1565 in the
Philippines. The second was Manila, in 1571.

4. THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL- The powers of the government were actually exercised

by the Goveernor-General who resided in Maila. He was “Governor-General”, “Captain
General”, and “Vice-Royal Patron”. As Governor-General, he had executive, administrative,
legislative, and judicial powers. As Captain-General, he was Commander-in-Chief of all the
Armed Forces in the Philippines. As the Vice-Royal Patron, he exercised certain religious
powers. Because of these broad powers, it has been said that the Governor-General enjoyed
more powers than the King of Spain himself. This was justified, however, because of the
distance of the Philippines from Spain.
5. THE JUDICIARY- The Royal Audiencia which was established in 1583 was the Supreme
Court of the Philippines during the Spanish time. Its decision was final except on certain cases
of great importance which could be appealed to the King of Spain. It also performed functios
of executive and legislative nature.
Below the Royal Audiencia, were two Territorial Audiencias established in 1893- one in
Cebu and the other in Vigan- which exercised appellate jurisdiction over criminal cases
coming from the surrounding territory. In 1886, courts of first instance with both civil and
criminal jurisdiction were established in the provinces. At the bottom of the judicial system
were the justice of the peace courts which were established in the different towns in 1885.

6. EDUCATION OF THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES- Spain

ruled the Philippines from 1571 to 1898. The government which Spain established in the
Philippines was defective. It was the government for the Spaniards and not for the Filipinos.
The Spanish officials were often inefficient and corrupt. The union of church and state
produced cerious strifes between the ecclesiastical and civil authorities. Equality before the
law was denied to the Filipinos.
A. The Spanish rule, when viewed in the broader light of global colonization, was generally
mind and humane. The Filipino people were not brutalized. Spaniards and Filipinos
intermarried and mingled socially. Slavery and tribal wars were supressed;

B. It brought about the unification of the Filipino poeple. The diverse tribes were molded into
one people, under one God, one King, and one government, and out of their common
grievances against Spain, blossomed the spirit of nationalism; and

C. Spain uplifted the Filipinos from the depth of primitive culture and paganism and gave
them the blessings of Christianity and European civilization.
 GOVERNMENTS DURING THE
REVOLUTIONARY ERA

1. THE KATIPUNAN GOVERNMENT

 The Katipunan was the secret society that precipated our glorious revolution on
August 26, 1896.

 The central government of the katipunan was vested in a Supreme Council

(Kataastaasang Sanggunian). In each province there was a Provincial Council
(Sangguniang Balangay). The judicial power was exercised by a Judicial Council
(Sangguniang Hukuman).

 The Katipunan was the first clear break from Spanish rule with the ultimate goal to
establish a free and Sovereign Philippines.
2. THE BIAK-NA-BATO REPUBLIC
 A republic was established by Gen. Aguinaldo in Biak-na-Bato (now San Miguel de
Mayumo, Bulacan).

 It declared that the aim of the revolutions was the “separation of the Philippines from
the Spanish monarchy and their formation into an independence state,”

3. THE DICTATORIAL GOVERNMENT

 Established on May 23, 1898
 The most important achievements of the Dictatorial Government:
1. Proclamation of Philippine Independence at Kawit, Cavite
2. Reorganization of local government
4. THE REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT
 The decree making such change stated that the aims of the new government were “to
struggle for the independence of the Philippines, until all nations including Spain will
expressly recognize it,” and “to prepare the country for the establishment of the Real
Republic.”

5. THE FIRST PHILIPPINE REPUBLIC

 Malolos Congress formally retified on September 29, 1898

 The Constitution was the first democratic Constitution ever promulgated in the whole
of Asia.
 It established a “free and independent Philippine Republic” (also then called the
“Malolos Republic” which was inaugurated on January 23, 1899 with Gen.
Aguinaldo as President defining its structure and articulating its vision.
 GOVERNMENT DURING THE AMERICAN REGIME

1. THE MILITARY GOVERNMENT

 The American military rule in the
Philippines began on August 14,
1898, the day after the capture of
Manila.
 The first American Military
Governor was General Wesley
Merritt, the second was General
Elwell E. Otis, and the third and
last, was Major General Arthur
MacArthur.
2. THE CIVIL GOVERNMENT
 Pursuant to the so-called Spooner
Amendment (on the army appropriation
act passed in the U.S. Congress on March
3, 1901)
 Civil Government was inaugurated in
Manila on July 4, 1901, headed by a Civil
Governor whose position was created on
October 29, 1901.
 The first Civil Governor was Judge
William H. Taft (1901-1903)
 He was succeeded by Luke F. Wright
(1904-1906)
 The last Governor-General was Frank
Munphy (1933-1935)
3. THE COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
 The next stage in the political development of
the Filipinos was the establishment of the
Commonwealth Government of the Philippines
pursuant to the act of the United States
Congress on March 24, 1934, commonly known
as the Tydings-McDuffie Law.
 Deemed successor to the Government of the
Philippine Islands, was inaugurated on
November 15, 1935
 Following the first national election under the
1935 Constitution held on September 12, 1935,
with Manuel L. Quezon and Segio Osmena, as
President and Vice-President, respectively.
 During World War II, the Commonwealth
Government functioned in exile in Washington
from May 13, 1942 to October 3, 1944.
GOVERNMENT DURING THE JAPANESE
OCCUPATION
1. JAPANESE MILITARY ADMINISTRATION
 It was established in Manila on January 3, 1942, one after its occupation
 Under a proclamation issued by the Japanese High Command, the sovereignty of
the United States over the Philippines was declared terminated.
2. THE PHILIPPINE EXECUTIVE COMMISSION
 A civil government known as the Philippine Executive Commission composed of
Filipinos with Jorge B. Vargas as chairman, was organized by the military forces of
occupation.
 The commission exercised both the executive and legislative powers.
3. THE JAPANESE-SPONSORED REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
 October 14, 1943, the so-called Japanese-Sponsored Republic of the Philippines
was inaugurated with Jose P. Laurel as President.
 August 17, 1945, President Laurel proclaimed the dissolution of the Republic.
 The Previous
Philippine Republics
June 29, 1944
Under Joint Resolution No. 93, approved
by the United States Congress, the
President of the United States was
authorized to proclaim the independence
of the Philippines.
 The First Republic of the Philippines
Or the Malolos Republic

Established on January
23, 1899 at Barasoain
Church, Malolos Bulacan
Aguinaldo was the first
President
• Philippine-American War
It all started with the first shot by Pvt. William Grayson
• The Treaty of Paris
A treaty between the United States and Spain
 The Second Republic of the Philippines
Established on October 14, 1943 under Japanese Occupation
President Manuel L. Quezon declared Manila the capital, as an "open city" and left
it under the rule of Jorge B. Vargas as Mayor.
The Japanese entered the city on January 2, 1942 and established it as the Capital.
Japan Fully captured the Philippines on May 6, 1942, after the Battle of Corregidor

De jure - Quezon Administration

De facto- Laurel Administration
 The Third Republic (1946-1972)

The United States withdrew the sovereignty over the

Philippines on July 4, 1946, as scheduled and the third
Republic was inaugurated at the Luneta in Manila

Roxas was recorded as the Last President of the

Commonwealth and the First President of the Republic
 The Fourth Republic (1946-1972)
The Marcos era and Martial Law

The declaration issued under Proclamation 1081 suspended the

civil rights and imposed military authority in the country.
 THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT OF 1986
• REVOLUTIONARY- The government was revolutionary because it was instituted
not accordance with the procedure provided in an existing constitution.
• DE JURE/ DE FACTO- The first is one constituted or founded in accordance with the
existing constitution of the State (according to law), while the other is not so
constituted or founded but has the general support of the people and effective control
of the territory over which it exercises its powers. A de facto government acquires a de
jure status when it gains wide acceptance from the people and recognition from the
community of nation.
• CONSTITUTIONAL AND TRANSITORY- The provisional government was not a
purely revolutionary one but a hybrid constitutional revolutionary government, a
revolutionary government governing under a provisional or interim constitution the
people could invoke to protect their rights and to promote their welfare, to exist for a
limited period until the ratification and effectivity of a permanent constitution.
• DEMOCRATIC- The provisional government was claimed to be democratic
because it was installed by direct action of the people as a direct expression or
manifistation of their sovereign will, and, therefore, it was based on the consent of
the government or the approval of the people.

• POWERS- A revolutionary government being a direct creation of the people, drives

its powers from the people to whom alone it is accountable.

• THE PROVISIONAL CONSTITUTION- Instead of declaring the 1973

Constitution with certain amendments and minus certain articles and provisions, as
the interim Constitution, Procalmation No. 3 promulgated a Provisional Constitution
to replace the former, adopting in toto insofar as they are not inconsistent with the
provisions of the proclamation, certain provisions of the 1973 Constitution.
GROUP REPORTERS
ARLENE ATOY
LIGAYA BACTOL
RICHEL DAGOY
JENINE SALARDA
MARGIE VILLANUEVA
MA. KRISTINE PAT
MARISEL MAHINAY
THANK
YOU!