PPGC

• The legislative power shall be vested in the Congress of the Philippines which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives, except to the extent reserved to the people by the provision on initiative and referendum
• The Philippine congress


  The country's legislative department
• Congress


  • Bicameral
  • Upper house - senate
  • Lower house - house of representative
• Legislative power


  The power or competence of the legislature to enact, ordain, alter, or modify, repeal, or abrogate existing laws
• Advantages of Bicameralism


  • Allows for a body with a national perspective to check the parochial tendency of representatives elected by district
  • Allows for more careful study of legislation
  • Makes the legislature less susceptible to control by the Executive
  • Serves as training ground for national leaders
• Advantages of Unicameralism


  • Simplicity of organization resulting in economy and efficiency
  • Facility in pinpointing responsibility for legislation
  • Avoidance of duplication
• Senate


  The Upper House of the Congress, composed of twenty-four (24) senators elected at large by the people
• Qualifications for Senators


  • He must be a natural born citizen of the Philippines
  • He must be at least thirty-five years of age on the day of the election
  • He must be able to read and write
  • He must be registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected
  • He must be a resident of the Philippines for not less than two years immediately preceding the election
• Term of office of Senators

  • Six (6) years, commencing at noon on the 30th day of June next following their election
  • No Senator shall serve for more than two consecutive terms
• 2 Kinds of Members of the House of Representatives

  • District Representatives - elected directly and personally from the territorial unit he is seeking to represent
  • Party-list Representatives - chosen indirectly, through the party he represents, which is the one voted for by the electorate
• Qualifications of HOR Members

  • A natural-born citizen of the Philippines
  • At least twenty-five years of age
  • Able to read and write
  • A registered voter in the district in which he shall be elected
  • A resident thereof for a period of not less than one year
• Term of office of HOR Members

  • Three (3) years, commencing at noon on the 30th day of June next following their election
  • No Member of the House of Representatives shall serve for more than three consecutive terms
• Kinds of election for members of Congress

  • Regular election - held on the second Monday of May
  • Special election - called in case a vacancy arises in the Senate or House of Representatives
• Salaries of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives

  • Determined by law
  • No increase in said compensation shall take effect until after the expiration of the full term of all the Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives approving such increase
• Freedom from arrest of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives


  For offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment, while the Congress is in session
• Freedom of speech and debate of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives


  They shall not be questioned nor be held liable in any other place for any speech or debate in the Congress or in any committee thereof
• Disclosure of financial and business interests by Senators and Members of the House of Representatives

  • Upon assumption of office, they shall make a full disclosure of their financial and business interests
  • They shall notify the House concerned of a potential conflict of interest that may arise from the filing of a proposed legislation of which they are authors
• Incompatible office for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives


  • They may not hold any other office or employment in the Government during their term without forfeiting their seat
  • They may not be appointed to any office which may have been created or the emoluments thereof increased during the term for which they were elected
• Sessions of Congress


  • Congress shall convene once every year on the fourth Monday of July for its regular session
  • The President may call a special session at any time
• Election of Senate President and House Speaker


  The Senate shall elect its President and the House of Representatives its Speaker, by a majority vote of all its respective Members
• Quorum and rules of proceedings


  • A majority of each House shall constitute a quorum to do business
  • Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its Members, suspend or expel a Member
  • Each House shall keep a Journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may, in its judgment, affect national security
• Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET)


  • Composed of three Justices of the Supreme Court designated by the Chief Justice and six Members of the Senate or the House of Representatives
  • The chairperson of the SET is always a Justice of the Supreme Court
• Commission on Appointments


  • Consists of the President of the Senate, as ex officio Chairman, twelve Senators, and twelve Members of the House of Representatives
  • The Commission shall act on all appointments submitted to it within thirty session days of the Congress from their submission
  • The Commission shall rule by a majority vote of all the Members
• The Electoral Tribunals and the Commission on Appointments shall be constituted within thirty days after the Senate and the House of Representatives shall have been organized with the election of the President and the Speaker
• The records and books of accounts of the Congress shall be preserved and be open to the public in accordance with law, and such books shall be audited by the Commission on Audit which shall publish annually an itemized list of amounts paid to and expenses for each Member
• The Senate or the House of Representatives or any of its respective committees may conduct inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance with its duly published rules of procedure
• Commission on Appointments


  Its function is to approve or disapprove appointments submitted to it by the President. It must act on all such appointments, by a majority vote of all the members, within 30 session days of Congress from their submission.
• Constitution of the Electoral Tribunals and the Commission on Appointments

  1. They shall be constituted within thirty days after the Senate and the House of Representatives shall have been organized with the election of the President and the Speaker

  2. The Commission on Appointments shall meet only while the Congress is in session, at the call of its Chairman or a majority of all its Members, to discharge such powers and functions as are herein conferred upon it
• Conduct of inquiries by the Senate or the House of Representatives or any of its respective committees


  1. In aid of legislation in accordance with its duly published rules of procedure

  2. The rights of persons appearing in or affected by such inquiries shall be respected
• Appearance of heads of departments before the House

  1. Upon their own initiative, with the consent of the President, or upon the request of either House, as the rules of each House shall provide

  2. Written questions shall be submitted to the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives at least three days before their scheduled appearance

  3. Interpellations shall not be limited to written questions, but may cover matters related thereto

  4. When the security of the State or the public interest so requires and the President so states in writing, the appearance shall be conducted in executive session
• The Court ruled that anyone, except the President and Justices of the Supreme Court, may be summoned. Nor may a court prevent a witness from appearing in such hearing.
• Section 22 establishes the rule for the exercise of what is called the "oversight function" of Congress. Such function is intended to enable Congress to determine how laws it has passed are being implemented.
• Declaration of the existence of a state of war

  1. The Congress, by a vote of two-thirds of both Houses in joint session assembled, voting separately, shall have the sole power to declare the existence of a state of war

  2. In times of war or other national emergency, the Congress may, by law, authorize the President, for a limited period and subject to such restrictions as it may prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out a declared national policy. Unless sooner withdrawn by resolution of the Congress, such powers shall cease upon the next adjournment thereof.
• Bills that shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives

  • Appropriation bills
  • Revenue bills
  • Tariff bills
  • Bills authorizing increase of the public debt
  • Bills of local application
  • Private bills
• The Congress may not increase the appropriations recommended by the President for the operation of the Government as specified in the budget.
• Budget


  The financial program of the national government for a designated calendar year, consisting of statements of estimated receipts from revenues and expenditures for the calendar on which it is intended to be effective based on the results of operations during the preceding calendar year.
• Passage of a bill

  1. To initiate the law-making process, the proposed bill is signed by its author and filed with the Secretary of the either the Lower House (for congressmen) or the Senate (for senators)

  2. The bill will go through three readings

  3. If the other House introduces amendments and the House from which the bill originated does not approve of the amendments, the differences will be settled by a meeting of the Conference Committees of both Houses, whose recommendations will have to be approved by both Houses

  4. Once the bill is approved, it is transmitted to the President of the Philippines for signature
• Ways a bill may become a law

  1. When the President approves the bill by signing it

  2. When the President vetoes the bill and the same is overriden by 2/3 votes of all the members of both Houses

  3. When the President does not communicate his veto within 30 days after the date of receipt
• Uniformity in taxation


  All taxable articles or properties of the same class shall be taxed at the same rate
• Equity in taxation


  The apportionment of the tax burden shall be more or less just in the light of the taxpayer's ability to shoulder the tax burden