Legislative 2.1

• Legislative power


  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
• Senate


  Composed of twenty-four Senators who shall be elected at large by the qualified voters of the Philippines
• Senators


  • Must be natural-born citizens of the Philippines, at least thirty-five years of age, able to read and write, registered voters, and residents of the Philippines for not less than two years immediately preceding the day of the election
• Term of office of Senators

  Six years, commencing at noon on the thirtieth day of June next following their election. No Senator shall serve for more than two consecutive terms.
• House of Representatives


  Composed of not more than two hundred and fifty members, elected from legislative districts apportioned among the provinces, cities, and the Metropolitan Manila area in accordance with the number of their respective inhabitants, and on the basis of a uniform and progressive ratio, and those who, as provided by law, shall be elected through a party-list system of registered national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations
• Members of the House of Representatives

  • Must be natural-born citizens of the Philippines, 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
• Term of office of Members of the House of Representatives

  Three years, commencing at noon on the thirtieth day of June next following their election. No Member of the House of Representatives shall serve for more than three consecutive terms.
• Regular election of the Senators and the Members of the House of Representatives shall be held on the second Monday of May, unless otherwise provided by law
• Vacancy in the Senate or in the House of Representatives


  A special election may be called to fill such vacancy in the manner prescribed by law, but the Senator or Member of the House of Representatives thus elected shall serve only for the unexpired term
• 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.
• Privileges of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives


  • Privileged from arrest while the Congress is in session for offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment. 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.
• Obligations of 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.
• Restrictions on Senators and Members of the House of Representatives


  • They may not hold any other office or employment in the Government, or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries, during their term without forfeiting their seat. They shall not be appointed to any office which may have been created or the emoluments thereof increased during the term for which they were elected. They may not personally appear as counsel before any court of justice or before the Electoral Tribunals, or quasi-judicial and other administrative bodies. They shall not be interested financially in any contract with, or in any franchise or special privilege granted by the Government, or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including any government-owned or controlled corporation, or its subsidiary, during their term of office. They shall not intervene in any matter before any office of the Government for their pecuniary benefit or where they may be called upon to act on account of their office.
• Congress convening


  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.
• Election of the Senate President and the 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, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day and may compel the attendance of absent Members. 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 and a Record of its proceedings.
• Electoral Tribunals


  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.
• Commission on Appointments


  Consisting of the President of the Senate, as ex officio Chairman, twelve Senators and twelve Members of the House of Representatives, elected by each House on the basis of proportional representation. The Commission shall act on all appointments submitted to it within thirty session days of the Congress from their submission.
• Preservation and public access to records and books of accounts of the Congress

  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 incurred for each Member.
• Inquiries in aid of legislation

  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.
• Appointments submitted to the Commission on Appointments

  The Commission shall rule by a majority vote of all the Members within thirty session days of the 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
• 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 incurred for each Member
• Inquiries in aid of legislation by the Senate or the House of Representatives or any of its respective committees


  1. They may conduct inquiries 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 Senate or the House of Representatives

  1. They may appear 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
• Declaration of the existence of a state of war

  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
• Authorization of the President to exercise powers in times of war or other national emergency

  1. 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

  2. Unless sooner withdrawn by resolution of the Congress, such powers shall cease upon the next adjournment thereof
• All appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of local application, and private bills shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments
• The Congress may not increase the appropriations recommended by the President for the operation of the Government as specified in the budget
• No provision or enactment shall be embraced in the general appropriations bill unless it relates specifically to some particular appropriation therein
• The procedure in approving appropriations for the Congress shall strictly follow the procedure for approving appropriations for other departments and agencies
• A special appropriations bill shall specify the purpose for which it is intended, and shall be supported by funds actually available as certified by the National Treasurer, or to be raised by a corresponding revenue proposed therein
• No law shall be passed authorizing any transfer of appropriations; however, the President, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the heads of Constitutional Commissions may, by law, be authorized to augment any item in the general appropriations law for their respective offices from savings in other items of their respective appropriations
• Discretionary funds appropriated for particular officials shall be disbursed only for public purposes to be supported by appropriate vouchers and subject to such guidelines as may be prescribed by law
• If, by the end of any fiscal year, the Congress shall have failed to pass the general appropriations bill for the ensuing fiscal year, the general appropriations law for the preceding fiscal year shall be deemed reenacted and shall remain in force and effect until the general appropriations bill is passed by the Congress
• Passage of a bill by the Congress


  1. Every bill passed by the Congress shall embrace only one subject which shall be expressed in the title thereof

  2. No bill passed by either House shall become a law unless it has passed three readings on separate days, and printed copies thereof in its final form have been distributed to its Members three days before its passage, except when the President certifies to the necessity of its immediate enactment to meet a public calamity or emergency

  3. Upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment thereto shall be allowed, and the vote thereon shall be taken immediately thereafter, and the yeas and nays entered in the Journal
• Approval or veto of a bill by the President

  1. Every bill passed by the Congress shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President

  2. If he approves the same, he shall sign it; otherwise, he shall veto it and return the same with his objections to the House where it originated, which shall enter the objections at large in its Journal and proceed to reconsider it

  3. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of all the Members of such House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other House by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of all the Members of that House, it shall become a law

  4. The President shall communicate his veto of any bill to the House where it originated within thirty days after the date of receipt thereof; otherwise, it shall become a law as if he had signed it
• The President shall have the power to veto any particular item or items in an appropriation, revenue, or tariff bill, but the veto shall not affect the item or items to which he does not object
• The rule of taxation shall be uniform and equitable
• The Congress shall evolve a progressive system of taxation