Article6LEGISLATIVEDEPARTMENT

Section1.ThelegislativepowershallbevestedintheCongressofthePhilippineswhichshallconsistofa
SenateandaHouseofRepresentatives,excepttotheextentreservedtothepeoplebytheprovisiononinitiative
andreferendum.
Section16.(1).TheSenateshallelectitsPresidentandtheHouseofRepresentatives,itsSpeaker,byamajority
voteofallitsrespectiveMembers.EachHouseshallchoosesuchotherofficersasitmaydeemnecessary.
(2)AmajorityofeachHouseshallconstituteaquorumtodobusiness,butasmallernumbermayadjournfrom
daytodayandmaycompeltheattendanceofabsentMembersinsuchmanner,andundersuchpenalties,as
suchHousemayprovide.
(3)EachHousemaydeterminetherulesofitsproceedings,punishitsMembersfordisorderlybehavior,and,
withtheconcurrenceoftwothirdsofallitsMembers,suspendorexpelaMember.Apenaltyofsuspension,
whenimposed,shallnotexceedsixtydays.
(4)EachHouseshallkeepaJournalofitsproceedings,andfromtimetotimepublishthesame,exceptingsuch
partsasmay,initsjudgment,affectnationalsecurity;andtheyeasandnaysonanyquestionshall,attherequest
ofonefifthoftheMemberspresent,beenteredintheJournal.EachHouseshallalsokeepaRecordofits
proceedings.
(5)NeitherHouseduringthesessionsoftheCongressshall,withouttheconsentoftheother,adjournformore
thanthreedays,nortoanyotherplacethanthatinwhichthetwoHousesshallbesitting.
Section24.Allappropriation,revenueortariffbills,billsauthorizingincreaseofthepublicdebt,billsoflocal
application,andprivatebills,shalloriginateexclusivelyintheHouseofRepresentatives,buttheSenatemay
proposeorconcurwithamendments.
Section 25. (1) The Congress may not increase the appropriations recommended by the President for the
operationoftheGovernmentasspecifiedinthebudget.Theform,content,andmannerofpreparationofthe
budgetshallbeprescribedbylaw.
(2)Noprovisionorenactmentshallbeembracedinthegeneralappropriationsbillunlessitrelatesspecifically
tosomeparticularappropriationtherein.Anysuchprovisionorenactmentshallbelimitedinitsoperationtothe
appropriationtowhichitrelates.
(3)TheprocedureinapprovingappropriationsfortheCongressshallstrictlyfollowtheprocedureforapproving
appropriationsforotherdepartmentsandagencies.
(4)Aspecialappropriationsbillshallspecifythepurposeforwhichitisintended,andshallbesupportedby
fundsactuallyavailableascertifiedbytheNationalTreasurer,ortoberaisedbyacorrespondingrevenue
proposaltherein.
(5)Nolawshallbepassedauthorizinganytransferofappropriations;however,thePresident,thePresidentof
theSenate,theSpeakeroftheHouseofRepresentatives,theChiefJusticeoftheSupremeCourt,andtheheads
ofConstitutionalCommissionsmay,bylaw,beauthorizedtoaugmentanyiteminthegeneralappropriations
lawfortheirrespectiveofficesfromsavingsinotheritemsoftheirrespectiveappropriations.
(6)Discretionaryfundsappropriatedforparticularofficialsshallbedisbursedonlyforpublicpurposestobe
supportedbyappropriatevouchersandsubjecttosuchguidelinesasmaybeprescribedbylaw.
(7)If,bytheendofanyfiscalyear,theCongressshallhavefailedtopassthegeneralappropriationsbillforthe
ensuingfiscalyear,thegeneralappropriationslawfortheprecedingfiscalyearshallbedeemedreenactedand
shallremaininforceandeffectuntilthegeneralappropriationsbillispassedbytheCongress.

Section26.(1)EverybillpassedbytheCongressshallembraceonlyonesubjectwhichshallbeexpressedin
thetitlethereof.
(2)NobillpassedbyeitherHouseshallbecomealawunlessithaspassedthreereadingsonseparatedays,and
printedcopiesthereofinitsfinalformhavebeendistributedtoitsMembersthreedaysbeforeitspassage,
exceptwhenthePresidentcertifiestothenecessityofitsimmediateenactmenttomeetapubliccalamityor
emergency.Uponthelastreadingofabill,noamendmenttheretoshallbeallowed,andthevotethereonshallbe
takenimmediatelythereafter,andtheyeasandnaysenteredintheJournal.
Section27.(1)EverybillpassedbytheCongressshall,beforeitbecomesalaw,bepresentedtothePresident.
Ifheapprovesthesameheshallsignit;otherwise,heshallvetoitandreturnthesamewithhisobjectionstothe
Housewhereitoriginated,whichshallentertheobjectionsatlargeinitsJournalandproceedtoreconsiderit.If,
aftersuchreconsideration,twothirdsofalltheMembersofsuchHouseshallagreetopassthebill,itshallbe
sent,togetherwiththeobjections,totheotherHousebywhichitshalllikewisebereconsidered,andifapproved
bytwothirdsofalltheMembersofthatHouse,itshallbecomealaw.Inallsuchcases,thevotesofeachHouse
shallbedeterminedbyyeasornays,andthenamesoftheMembersvotingfororagainstshallbeenteredinits
Journal.ThePresidentshallcommunicatehisvetoofanybilltotheHousewhereitoriginatedwithinthirtydays
afterthedateofreceiptthereof,otherwise,itshallbecomealawasifhehadsignedit.
(2)ThePresidentshallhavethepowertovetoanyparticularitemoritemsinanappropriation,revenue,ortariff
bill,butthevetoshallnotaffecttheitemoritemstowhichhedoesnotobject.

Section30.NolawshallbepassedincreasingtheappellatejurisdictionoftheSupremeCourtasprovidedin
thisConstitutionwithoutitsadviceandconcurrence.
Section31.Nolawgrantingatitleofroyaltyornobilityshallbeenacted.
ARTICLE7EXECUTIVEDEPARTMENT
Section10.TheCongressshall,atteno'clockinthemorningofthethirddayafterthevacancyintheofficesof
thePresidentandVicePresidentoccurs,conveneinaccordancewithitsruleswithoutneedofacallandwithin
sevendays,enactalawcallingforaspecialelectiontoelectaPresidentandaVicePresidenttobeheldnot
earlierthanfortyfivedaysnorlaterthansixtydaysfromthetimeofsuchcall.Thebillcallingsuchspecial
electionshallbedeemedcertifiedunderparagraph2,Section26,ArticleV1ofthisConstitutionandshall
becomelawuponitsapprovalonthirdreadingbytheCongress.Appropriationsforthespecialelectionshallbe
chargedagainstanycurrentappropriationsandshallbeexemptfromtherequirementsofparagraph4,Section
25,ArticleV1ofthisConstitution.TheconveningoftheCongresscannotbesuspendednorthespecialelection
postponed.Nospecialelectionshallbecalledifthevacancyoccurswithineighteenmonthsbeforethedateof
thenextpresidentialelection.