Government of the Philippines

The Government of the Philippines takes place in an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic republic whereby the president is both the head of state and the head of government within a pluriform multi-party system. This system revolves around three separate and sovereign yet interdependent branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. Executive power is exercised by the government under the leadership of the president. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the two-chamber congress—the Senate (the upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (the lower chamber). Judicial power is vested in the courts with the Supreme Court of the Philippines as the highest judicial body.

Organizational chart. Note that the constitutional commissions are omitted; they are usually classified as co-equal with the three branches of government.

Philippine Government

Executive Branch Title Name President Head of State Head of Government Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Benigno S. Aquino III Vice President Presidential Adviser on Foreign Relations HUDCC Chairman PAG-IBIG Chairman Jejomar C. Binay Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr. Presidential Chief of Staff Julia Abad Central Bank Governor Amando M. Tetangco, Jr. National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia United Nations Permanent Representative Libran N. Cabactulan

Legislative Branch Senate Title Name Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada Majority Floor Leader Tito Sotto Minority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano Secretary Emma Lirio-Reyes Sergeant-at-Arms M/Gen. Jose Balajadia, Jr. Senate Members House of Representatives Title Name Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. Dep. Speaker - Arnulfo P. Fuentebella Dep. Speaker - Lorenzo Tañada III Dep. Speaker - Pablo P. Garcia Dep. Speaker - Jesus Crispin Remulla Dep. Speaker - Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar Dep. Speaker - Raul Daza Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales Jr. Minority Floor Leader Edcel Lagman Secretary-General Atty. Marilyn B. Barua-Yap Sergeant-at-Arms B/Gen. Horacio T. Lactao House Members

Judicial Branch Supreme Court Title Name Chief Justice Renato Corona Official Spokesperson Midas Marquez Justices of the Supreme Court Sandiganbayan Title Name Clerk of Court Emma Rosario Lorbes Security and Sheriff Edgardo Urieta Sandiganbayan Judges Court of Appeals Title Name Presiding Judge Ruben T. Reyes Clerk of Court Tessie Gatmaitan Court of Appeals Justices Court of Tax Appeals Title Name Presiding Judge Ernesto D. Acosta Court of Tax Appeals Justices

Constitutional Offices Ombudsman Title Name Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio Dep. Omb. (Luzon) Victor C. Fernandez Dep. Omb. (Visayas) Pelagio Apostol Dep. Omb. (Mindanao) Humphrey T. Monteroso Deputy Ombudsman (Military and Police) Emilio A. Gonzalez III Other Officials Commission on Human Rights Title Name Chairman Loretta Ann P. Rosales Commissioners Commission on Elections Title Name Chairman Sixto Brillantes Commissioners Commission on Audit Title Name Chairwoman Ma. Gracia M. Pulido-Tan Commissioner I Juanito G. Espino, Jr. Commissioner II Heidi L. Mendoza Commissioners Civil Service Commission Title Name Chairman Francisco Duque Commissioners

Executive branch

The current executive branch is headed by President Benigno S. Aquino III of the Liberal Party, whose functions are as both the head of state and as the head of government. The President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and is elected by popular vote to a term of six years. The president then appoints his or her cabinet members over whom he or she presides. The executive seat of government is administered officially from Malacañang Palace in Manila. The president may not run for re-election unless he or she had become president through constitutional succession and had served for no more than four years.

The president was assisted by his or her Cabinet that is made up of different departments and is headed by a secretary. The president appoints the secretary with the consent of the Commission on Appointments.

The second highest official, Vice-President Jejomar Binay of the PDP-Laban party is also elected by popular vote. The Vice-President is first in line to succession if the President resigns, is impeached or dies. The Vice-President usually, though not always, is a member of the president's cabinet. If there is a vacancy in the position of vice-president, the President will appoint any member of Congress (usually a party member) as new vice-president. The appointment must then be validated by a three-fourths vote of Congress.

Legislative branch

The remainder of the house seats are designated for sectoral representatives elected at large through a complex system, which depends on the party receiving at least 2% to 6% of the total national vote. The upper house is located in Pasay City, while the lower house is located in Quezon City. The district and sectoral representatives are elected fro a term of three years. They can be re-elected but they may not run for a fourth consecutive term. The senators are elected to a term of six years. They can be re-elected but may not run for a third consecutive term. The House of Representatives may opt to pass a resolution for a vacancy of a legislative seat, which leads to a special election. The winner of the special election will serve the unfinished term of the previous district representative, and will be considered as one elective term. The same rule also applies in the senate, however it only applies if the seat was vacated before a regular legislative election.

The current Senate President is Juan Ponce Enrile, while the current Speaker of the House of Representatives is Feliciano Belmonte, Jr.

Judicial branch

The judiciary branch of the government is headed by the Supreme Court, which has a Chief Justice as its head and 14 Associate Justices. The justices serve until the age of 70. The justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council.

Other court types of courts, of varying jurisdiction around the archipelago, are the: Lower Collegiate Courts:

• 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 Courts

Muslim Courts

• Sharia District Courts
• Sharia Circuit Courts

Office of the Ombudsman

The government and all three of its branches are independently monitored by the office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is given the mandate to investigate and prosecute any government official allegedly guilty of crimes, especially Graft and Corruption. The Ombudsman, or otherwise called as Tanodbayan, is assisted by six deputies, namely the Overall Deputy, the Deputy for Luzon, the Deputy for Visayas, the Deputy for Mindanao, the Deputy for the Armed Forces, and the Special Prosecutor.

See also

• Senate of the Philippines
• Regions of the Philippines
• Provinces of the Philippines
• Cities of the Philippines
• Philippine municipality
• Timeline of Philippine sovereignty
• Sovereignty of the Philippines