PHILIPPINE POLITY

Pat Ray M Dagapioso

Overview
The Philippines has adopted a new constitution that instituted the presidentialstyle republican form of democracy. The Philippines differ from the United States, because the Philippines is a unitary republic, whilst America is a federal republic.

Overview
The Philippine politics is tumultuous. One glaring example is the numerous coup d etat(s) and the coup attempts by the political opposition and some rogue members of the military.

Overview
Coup D etat - is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment typically the military to replace the deposed government with another body; either civil or military. Since Senator Honasan s failed coup against the Aquino governemnt in 1989, the Philippines has had a total of 6 coup attempts. The latest being the Manila Peninsula seige led by Senator Antonio Trillanes.

Overview

Executive Branch (Review)

The president is both the head of government and the chief of state. Head of the government chief officer of the executive branch; he who actually runs things. Head of state chief public representative of the state; more symbollic.

Executive Branch
President:
A. Elected to a six-year term through direct universal suffrage

Vice-President:
A. Can be elected to a maximum of two consecutive sixyear terms.

The Cabinet:
Composed of 22 departments and offices, and are appointed by the President with the approval of the Commission of Appointments

Executive Branch
President:
A. Elected to a six-year term through direct universal suffrage

Vice-President:
A. Can be elected to a maximum of two consecutive sixyear terms.

The Cabinet:
Composed of 22 departments and offices, and are appointed by the President with the approval of the Commission of Appointments

Legislative Branch
The Philippine Congress is a bicameral Congress. Consisted of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Legislative Branch
Senate:
24 members Six-year terms Limited to not more than 2 consecutive terms Current number: 23 senators Senate President:
Juan Ponce Enrile

Legislative Branch
House of Representatives:
229 geographical/legislative districts 57 sectoral representatives Elected in 3 year terms Limited to not more than 3 consecutive terms House Speaker:
Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

Judicial Branch
The judiciary is an independent institution outside the influence of both the Congress and the President. The Supreme Court is composed of the Chief Justice and 14 associate justices. Justices of the court are appointed by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) Chief Justice:
Renato Corona

Judicial Brancch
Lower Collegiate Courts include:
Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, Sandiganbayan

Regular Courts:
Regional Trial Courts, Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in Cities, Municipal Circuit Trial Court

Muslim Courts:
Sharia District Courts, Sharia District Courts

Administrative Divisions

Administrative Divisions
The Philippine administrative divisions consist of provinces, chartered cities, municipalities and barangays. The Philippines has 17 regions. Contains 80 provinces. The newest being the Dinagat Island. 138 cities in the Philippines. A total of 1,514 municipalities in the Philippines. Barangays, the smallest administrative unit in the Philippines. 41, 995 total number of barangays in the Philippines.

Provincial and Local Government

Provinces:
Classification:
A. 1st Class B. 2nd Class C. 3rd Class D. 4th Class E. 5th Class F. 6th Class Php 450M or more Average Annual Income (AAI) Php 360M but not more than Php 450M AAI Php 270M but not more than Php360M AAI Php 180M but not more than Php 270M AAI Php 90M but not more than Php 180M AAI below Php 90M AAI

*Misamis Oriental is a 1st Class Province

Provincial and Local Government

Cities
Are corporate and administrative entities governed by their own specific charters Entitled to one legislative district per 250,000 population count

Provincial and Local Government

Cities
City Classification:
1. Highly Urbanized Cities minimum population of 200, 000 and has an income of at least Php 50M (33 total HUCs in the Philippines) 2. Independent Component Cities - Cities whose charters prohibit their voters from voting for provincial elective officials. Independent component cities are independent of the province. 3. Component Cities are cities which do not meet the above requirements are considered component cities of the province in which they are geographically located. There are more than 80+ component cities in the Philippines

Provincial and Local Government

Cities:
Income Classification:
Class 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th Php 400M or more Php 320M or more but less than Php 400M Php 240M or more but less than Php 320M Php 160 M or more but less than Php 240M Php 80 M or more but less than Php 160M Below Php 80 M Income

Provincial and Local Government

Municipalities
Have corporate personality:
To have a name of its own; right to sue and be sued; have the right to purchase, sell, lease, and mortgage its own property in its own name.

Cityhood:
1. A municipality, upon reaching a certain requirements-minimum population size, and minimum annual revenue-may opt to become a city. 2. First, a bill must be passed in Congress, then signed into law by the President and then the residents would vote in the succeeding plebiscite to accept or reject cityhood. 3. One benefit in being a city is that the city government gets more budget, but taxes are much higher than in municipalities

Provincial and Local Government

Municipality
Income Classification:
Class 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th P50,000,000 or more P40,000,000 or more but less than P50,000,000. P30,000,000 or more but less than P40,000,000. P20,000,000 or more but less than P30,000,000. P10,000,000 or more but less than P20,000,000. Below P10,000,000 Income

Naawan is a 4th Class Municipality.

Judicial and Legal System

The basis of the Philippine Legal Code is primarily Spanish and Anglo-American Law. Islamic Law also applies among Muslims in portions in Mindanao. Philippine legal system is also a good blend of common law and civil law principles.

Judicial and Legal System

Sources of Law:
1. Natural law morality, commandments of the Bible 2. Customs traditional practices 3. Statutes/Legislations laws made by the legislative branch 4. Judicial Decisions judgment of courts 5. Constitution 1987 Constitution; paramount law of the land 6. Treaties sources of international law
Philippines adopts treaties as part of the law of the land But the Constitution and statutes holds far greater weight than treaties

7. Executive Orders and Proclamations made by the president to promote national security and stability 8. Codes systematic sets of laws, e.g. : Omnibus Election Code, Civil Code 9. Ordinances local laws

Judicial and Legal System

Civil Law
A legal system that gives emphasis on codes of law and statutes. Holds legislation as the primary source of law. Private rights are protected on equal basis. All individuals stand before the law on basis of equality.

Judicial and Legal System

Common Law
Is a judge-made law or case law. Emphasizes on the role of precedent. In the interpretation an the application of the law, the judges are influenced by previously decided cases. Stare Decisis - a legal principle by which judges are obliged to respect the precedents established by prior decisions.

Electoral System
Philippines practices universal direct suffrage. Accords right to vote on adults, male and female. The Commission on elections (COMELEC) supervises campaigns and elections. Types of Elections:
1. Midterms every 3 years (May) 2. Presidential every 6 years (May) 3. Barangay every 3 years (November) 4. ARMM every 3 years

Electoral System
Forms of direct democracy done through elections:
initiative, referendum, plebiscite, and recall.

1. Initiative necessarily gives the people the power to draft a statute or a constitutional amendment.
Requires a percentage of the people.

2. Referendum used to approve or reject proposed policies. 3. Plebiscite Ratify or Reject constitutional amendment, or the constitution itself. 4. Recall a system by which an elected official is removed by a popular vote before the end of his term.

Politics and Political Parties

Philippine political parties are essentially non-ideological vehicles for personal and factional political ambition. Role of Political Parties:
1. Interest aggregation and articulation aggregation and articulation of different demands of societal groups 2. Conciliation of Groups unifying divers and competing groups in the society 3. Staffing the Government the political party provides accountability for the public through providing officers from the party to man the government 4. Promotion of political stability parties mobilize movements against exiting regimes and is a major force in bringing regime change

Politics and Political Parties

The Philippines is practicing a multi-party system. Two types of parties in the Philippines:
A. Major parties B. Minor parties/Party list organizations

Major Parties:
Liberal Party headed by President Aquino LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD headed by Gloria Arroyo Nationalist People s Coalition headed byEduardo Cojuanco Jr Nacionalista Party headed by Manny Villar Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) headed by Joseph Estrada PDP-Laban (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino) headed by Aquilino Pimentel LDP (Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino) headed by Eduardo Angara

Foreign Relations
The main foreign policy of the Philippine aims to promote democracy and human rights and the welfare of some of 7 million overseas workers. Maintains close ties to America, the Persia gulf and Middle Eastern nations. Active member of the ASEAN, UN. Philippines was designated as a major non-NATO ally in 2003. Mutual Defense Treaty 1951 (US and Philippines):
For the purpose of Article IV, an armed attack on either of the Parties is deemed to include an armed attack on the metropolitan territory of either of the Parties, or on the island territories under its jurisdiction in the Pacific or on its armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific.

Foreign Relations
In 2011, Philippines and China had exacerbated its relations through the strong claims over the Spartly s Islands. Had good relations with US, Japan, China, Netherlands, Hong-Kong, Singapore, South Korea (all export and import trading partners)