Politics of the Philippines

Philippines
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the Philippines
Government Constitution
Legislature Congress (15th Congress) Senate Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile House of Representatives House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. Legistative districts Party-list representation
Executive President (List) Benigno Aquino III Vice President (List) Jejomar Binay Cabinet
Judiciary Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno Court of Appeals Court of Tax Appeals Sandiganbayan Barangay Justice System
Elections Commission on Elections Chairman: Sixto Brillantes Elections: 2007 2010 2013
Political parties Liberal Party Lakas Kampi-CMD Nationalist People's Coalition Nacionalista Party Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino PDP-Laban Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino Kilusang Bagong Lipunan
Divisions Local government Capital Regions Provinces Cities Municipalities Barangays Sitios Puroks
Related issues Foreign relations Human rights
Other countries Atlas Politics portal

The Politics 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.

Elections are administered by an independent Commission on Elections every three years starting 1992. Held every second Monday of May, the winners in the elections take office on the following June 30.

Local government is exercised by local government units from the provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays. While the most regions do not have political power, and exist merely for administration purposes, autonomous regions have expanded powers more than the other local government units. While local government units enjoy autonomy, much of their budget is derived from allocations from the national government, putting their true autonomy in doubt.

Legislature

Main article: Congress of the Philippines

The Batasang Pambansa Complex is the seat of the House of Representatives.

The Senate shares its building with the Government Service Insurance System.

Congress is a bicameral legislature. The upper house, the Senate, is composed of 24 senators elected via the plurality-at-large voting with the country as one at-large "district." The senators elect amongst themselves a Senate President. The lower house is the House of Representatives, currently composed of 287 representatives, with no more than 20% elected via party-list system, with the rest elected from legislative districts. The House of Representatives is headed by the Speaker.

Each bill needs the consent of both houses in order to be submitted to the president for his signature. If the president vetoes the bill, Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds supermajority. If either house voted down on a bill or fails to act on it after an adjournment sine die, the bill is lost and would have to be proposed to the next congress, with the process starting all over again. Congress' decisions are mostly via majority vote, except for voting on constitutional amendments and other matters. Each house has its own inherent power, with the Senate given the power to vote on treaties, while the House of Representatives can only introduce money bills. The constitution provides Congress with impeachment powers, with the House of Representatives having the power to impeach, and the Senate having the power to try the impeached official.

The Liberal Party, Nationalist People's Coalition, the National Unity Party (Philippines), the Nacionalista Party, the Lakas-CMD and the United Nationalist Alliance are the parties with largest membership in Congress. The party of the sitting president controls the House of Representatives, while the Senate has been more independent. From 1907 to 1941, the Nacionalistas operated under a dominant-party system, with factions within that party becoming the primary political discouse. During World War II, the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic forced all of the existing parties to merge into the KALIBAPI that controlled the party as a one-party state. From 1945 to 1972, the Philippines was under a two-party system, with the Nacionalistas and their offshoots Liberals alternating power, until President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. Political discourse was kept into a minimum, until Marcos then merged the parties into the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL), which dominated elections until 1986 when Marcos was overthrown as a result of the People Power Revolution. The political climate ushered in a multi-party system which persists into this day.

Executive

Main article: President of the Philippines

The Malacañang Palace, as viewed from the Pasig River, is the official residence of the President.

Executive power is vested to the President; in practice however, the president delegates his power to a cabinet. The president, who is both the head of state and head of government, is directly elected to a single six-year term via first past the post. In case of death, resignation or incapacitation, the Vice President acts a president until the expiration of the term. The Vice President is elected separately from the president, and may be of differing political parties. While the vice president has no constitutional powers aside from acting as president when the latter is unable to do so, the president may give the former a cabinet office. The cabinet is mostly composed of the heads of the executive departments, which provide services to the people, and other cabinet-level officials.

The president is also the commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, thereby ensuring civilian supremacy over the military. The president is also given several military powers, although once exercised, Congress is able to prolong or end it. The president also proposes a national budget, in which Congress may adopt in full, with amendments, or a complete revision altogether. The president wields considerable political power and may be able to influence other branches via the so-called Padrino System.

Judiciary

The Supreme Court building in Manila.

The judiciary is composed of the Supreme Court and other lower courts. The Supreme Court is the court of last resort, and decides on constitutionality of laws via judicial review. The president selects justices and judges from nominees given by the Judicial and Bar Council. The Court of Appeals is the second highest appellate court, the Court of Tax Appeals rules on tax matters, and the Sandiganbayan (People's Advocate) is a special court for alleged government irregularities. The Regional Trial Courts (RTC) are the main trial courts. The Regional Trial Courts are based on judicial regions, which almost correspond to the administrative regions. Each RTC has at least one branch in each province and handles most of the criminal and civil cases; several branches of an RTC may be designated as family courts and environmental courts. Metropolitan Trial Courts try lesser offenses.

The Ombudsman investigates and prosecutes government officials on crimes while in dispensing powers given by the government. The Office of the Solicitor General represents the government in legal cases.

Elections

Main article: Elections in the Philippines

Elections are administered by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). The elected officials are the president, vice president, members of Congress, regional governors and assemblymen, provincial governors, vice governors and board members, city and municipal mayors, vice mayors and councilors, and barangay (village) chairmen and councilors. Elections are for fixed terms. All elected officials have three-year terms, except for the president, vice president and senators, which are six years. All terms begins and ends on June 30 of the election year.

Elections above the barangay level are held every three years since 1992 on the second Monday of May, all positions are disputed except for president and vice president; presidential and vice presidential elections are held every six years since 1992. Single-winner elections are done via the plurality voting system: the candidate with the highest number of votes is elected. Multiple-winner elections, except for representatives elected the party-list system, are done via plurality-at-large voting. Each voter has x votes, with the x candidates with the highest number of votes being elected. For representatives elected the party-list system, a party that won at least 2% of the national vote wins one seat, with additional seats, but not exceeding three seats, depends on the number of votes it received. If the number of sectoral representatives does not reach 20% of the membership of the House of Representatives, parties with less than 2% of the vote are given a seat each until the 20% membership is filled.

Latest presidential election

Main article: Philippine presidential election, 2010

 Summary of the May 10, 2010 Philippine presidential election results

Candidate	Party		Results
			Votes	%
Benigno Aquino III		Liberal	15,208,678	42.08%
Joseph Estrada		PMP	9,487,837	26.25%
Manny Villar		Nacionalista	5,573,835	15.42%
Gilberto Teodoro		Lakas-Kampi	4,095,839	11.33%
Eddie Villanueva		Bangon Pilipinas	1,125,878	3.12%
Richard Gordon		Bagumbayan-VNP	501,727	1.39%
Nicanor Perlas		Independent	54,575	0.15%
Jamby Madrigal		Independent	46,489	0.13%
John Carlos de los Reyes		Ang Kapatiran	44,244	0.12%
Total valid votes			36,139,102	94.73%
Vetallano Acosta		KBL	181,985	0.48%
Total invalid votes			2,010,269	5.27%
Total turnout			38,149,371	74.34%
Registered voters			51,292,465	100.00%

Latest vice presidential election

 Summary of the May 10, 2010 Philippine vice presidential election results

Candidate	Party		Results
			Votes	%
Jejomar Binay		PDP-Laban	14,645,574	41.65%
Mar Roxas		Liberal	13,918,490	39.58%
Loren Legarda		NPC	4,294,664	12.21%
Bayani Fernando		Bagumbayan-VNP	1,017,631	2.89%
Edu Manzano		Lakas-Kampi	807,728	2.30%
Perfecto Yasay		Bangon Pilipinas	364,652	1.04%
Jay Sonza		KBL	64,230	0.18%
Dominador Chipeco, Jr.		Ang Kapatiran	52,562	0.15%
Total valid votes			35,165,555	92.18%
Total invalid votes			2,983,816	7.82%
Total turnout			38,149,371	74.38%
Registered voters			51,292,555	100.00%

Latest Senate election

Main article: Philippine Senate election, 2010

 Summary of the May 10, 2010 Philippine Senate election results per party

Party		Popular vote			Breakdown				Seats
		Total	%	Swing	Entered	Up	Not up	Won	Won in 2007	End 14th	15th		+/−
											Start	%
	Liberal (Liberal Party)	78,227,817	26.34%	15.62%	10	2	2	3	4	4	4	17%
	Nacionalista (Nationalist Party)	49,585,503	16.69%	6.61%	7	1	2	2	4	3	4	17%	1
	PMP (Force of the Filipino Masses)	47,111,982	15.86%	15.86%	5	2	0	2	2	2	2	8%
	Lakas-Kampi (People Power-Christian Muslim Democrats-Partner of Free Filipinos)	38,123,091	12.83%	13.84%	6	2	2	2	4	4	4	17%
	PRP (People's Reform Party)	17,344,742	5.84%	5.84%	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	4%
	NPC (Nationalist People's Coalition)	13,409,616	4.51%	13.61%	2	0	1	1	2	1	2	8%	1
	PDP-Laban (Philippine Democratic Party-People's Power)	6,635,023	2.23%	1.85%	2	1	0	0	1	1	0	0%	1
	Bangon Pilipinas (Rise Up, Philippines)	6,486,749	2.18%	2.18%	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%
	PROMDI (Provinces First Development Initiative)	3,980,370	1.34%	1.34%	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%
	Bayan Muna (Nation First)	3,539,345	1.19%	1.19%	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%
	GAD/Gabaybayan (Grand Alliance for Democracy/Guide to the Nation)	3,331,083	1.12%	1.12%	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%
	KBL (New Society Movement)	2,769,847	0.93%	0.03%	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%
	Ang Kapatiran (Alliance for the Common Good)	2,486,241	0.84%	0.14%	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0%
	LDP (Struggle of the Democratic Filipinos)	Not participating				0	1	0	1	1	1	4%
	Bagumbayan-VNP (New Nation-Volunteers for a New Philippines)	Not participating				1	0	0	0	1	0	0%	1
	Independent	24,004,705	8.08%	0.80%	5	1	4	1	1	5	5	21%
Vacancy		—	—	—	—	1	—	—	—	1	1	4%
Total votes		297,036,114	NA	10.38%	61	12	12	12	24	24	24	100%
Turnout		38,149,371	74.34%	29.33%
Registered voters		51,317,073	100%	19.05%

^a Votes and seats for KAMPI and Lakas-CMD in 2007, which were running on a common ticket, were combined; KAMPI and Lakas-CMD later merged in 2008.
^b Including Imelda Papin and Zosimo Paredes who switched from KBL and Ang Kapatiran respectively to Bangon Pilipinas.

Latest House of Representatives election

Main article: Philippine House of Representatives elections, 2010

Further information: Philippine House of Representatives party-list election, 2010

 Summary of the May 10, 2010 Philippine House of Representatives election results for representatives from congressional districts

Party			Popular vote		Breakdown						Seats
			Total	%	Entered	Up	Gained	Held	Lost	New	Won	%	+/−
		Lakas-Kampi (People Power-Partner of Free Filipinos-Christian Muslim Democrats)	12,769,649	37.41%	164	121	13	86	35	7	106	36.93%	15
		KABAKA (Partner of the Nation for Progress)	70,852	0.21%	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	0.35%
		SARRO (Sarangani Reconciliation and Reformation Organization)	60,899	0.18%	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0.00%	1
	Lakas Kampi CMD coalition		12.901,400	37.80%	166	123	13	87	36	7	107	37.28%	16
		Liberal (Liberal Party)	6,802,227	19.93%	134	33	21	23	10	3	47	16.43%	14
		KKK (Struggle for Peace, Progress and Justice)	11,076	0.03%	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
	Liberal Party coalition		6,813,303	19.96%	135	33	21	23	10	3	47	16.43%	14
		Nacionalista (Nationalist Party)	3,872,637	11.35%	64	25	7	18	7	0	25	9.08%
		Kusug (Promote Progress for Cebu)	126,144	0.37%	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		PCM (People's Champ Movement)	120,052	0.35%	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0.35%	1
		Ugyon Kita Capiz (Unite Capiz)	45,859	0.13%	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
	Nacionalista Party coalition		4,164,692	11.35%	68	25	7	18	7	0	26	9.09%	1
		PMP (Force of the Filipino Masses)	853,619	2.50%	45	2	1	1	1	2	4	1.40%	2
		Navoteño (Party of the People of Navotas)	76,276	0.22%	1	0	0	0	0	1	1	0.35%	1
		Magdiwang (Magdiwang Party)	47,840	0.14%	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0.35%	1
	PMP coalition		977,735	2.50%	47	2	2	1	1	3	6	2.10%	4
		Aton Tamdon Utod Negrosa-non (Let’s Take Care of our Brother Negrenses)	42,796	0.12%	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		Lingkod Taguig (Service to Taguig)	16,990	0.05%	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%	1
		Buklod (Bond)	876	0.00%	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
	Unaffiliated local parties		60,662	0.18%	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%	1
		NPC (Nationalist People's Coalition)	5,450,135	15.97%	72	25	10	10	3	0	29	10.14%	7
		PDP-Laban (Philippine Democratic Party – People's Power)	246,697	0.72%	14	5	0	2	0	0	2	0.69%	3
		Bigkis Pinoy (Bundle Pinoy)	206,929	0.61%	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		PDSP (Philippine Social Democratic Party)	171,345	0.50%	4	0	1	0	0	0	1	0.35%	1
		LDP (Struggle of the Democratic Filipinos)	162,434	0.48%	3	1	1	1	0	0	2	0.69%	1
		KBL (New Society Movement)	158,416	0.47%	10	0	1	0	0	0	1	0.35%	1
		Aksyon (Democratic Action)	151,434	0.44%	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		Lapiang Manggagawa (Workers' Party)	86,556	0.22%	3	1	0	1	0	0	1	0.35%
		Bagumbayan-VNP (New Nation-Volunteers for a New Philippines)	74,319	0.22%	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		GAD (Grand Alliance for Democracy)	47,677	0.14%	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		Ang Kapatiran (Alliance for the Common Good)	45,631	0.13%	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		PGRP (Philippine Green Republican Party)	21,636	0.06%	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		Bangon Pilipinas (Rise Up Philippines)	11,294	0.03%	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		Lapiang Manggagawa Workers and Peasants Party	8,894	0.03%	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00%
		Independent	2,371,949	6.95%	228	5	4	2	3	1	7	2.43%	2
Vacancies			–	–	–	4	0	0	4	0	–	–	4
New districts			–	–	–	10	0	0	0	10	–	–	10
Total			34,133,464	100%	792	215	61	154	61	14	229	80.07%	14
Valid votes			34,463,474	91.53%
Invalid votes			3,292,237	8.83%
Total turnout			37,293,960	73.52%
Registered voters			50,723,733	100%

Local government

Main article: Local government in the Philippines

The Philippines is divided into provinces, which are grouped into several regions.

The constitution mandates that local governments must have local autonomy. The smallest local government unit, the barangay or village, is descended from the balangay of the Maragtas legend, where the first Austronesian people reached the Philippines via the boat. The prehistoric barangays were headed by datus. Currently, barangays are grouped into municipalities or cities, while municipalities and cities may be further grouped into provinces. Each barangay, municipality or city, and province is headed by a barangay chairman, mayor, or governor, respectively, with its legislatures being the Sangguniang Barangay (village council), Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council) or Sangguniang Panlungsod (city council), and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board).

Regions are the highest administrative divisions but do not have powers possessed under them; however, autonomous regions are given wider powers than other local government units. While the constitution allows autonomous regions in the Cordilleras and in Muslim Mindanao, only the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) exists, with the proposed autonomous region in Cordillera being defeated after two plebiscites. The ARMM has a regional governor and a regional assembly.

While local government units have autonomy, most of their budget is derived from the Internal Revenue Allotment, a disbursement from the national government which is ultimately derived from taxes. This makes most local government units ultimately dependent on the national government, unless they have other sources of income, such as property taxes.

History

Main article: History of the Philippines

During the American occupation, the Nacionalista Party was the dominant party. However, during the Japanese occupation in World War II, a new party, the Kapisanan ng Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas (KALIBAPI), was formed, and was the only party allowed to operate during the occupation.

After the war, KALIBAPI was abolished and the Nacionalistas returned to power. A new party, the Liberal Party, was formed after a Nacionalistas led by José P. Laurel and Camilo Osías split from KALIBAPI. This two-party system remained until 1972.

However, when Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, he formed his own party, the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL, New Society Movement) composed mainly of his loyal allies from the Nacionalista Party and Liberal Party, as well as some other parties. Most of Marcos' political opponents were jailed, tortured or killed.^{[citation needed]} In 1978, Marcos called an election to the interim Batasang Pambansa. An opposition party was formed known as LABAN. Among the candidates then were Benigno Aquino, Ernesto Maceda and Alex Bongcayao. During that election, no opposition candidate was elected. Some groups also sprang up including the National Union for Liberation led by John Osmeña and Diosdado Macapagal, the Mindanao Alliance, the Muslim Federal Party, the Pusyon Bisaya, and the Young Philippines.

In 1984, other opposition parties sprang up. Among them were PDP-LABAN (different from the original LABAN party) of Aquilino Pimentel and the UNIDO, or the United Nationalist Democratic Organization of Salvador Laurel. The UNIDO would later be an umbrella coalition for opposition against Ferdinand Marcos.

The Jovito Salonga faction of the Liberal Party, the remaining US-based political exiles, and the Left boycotted the elections.

When Marcos was overthrown in the People Power Revolution, other parties appeared, such as Partido Nacionalista ng Pilipinas, Lakas ng Bansa, National Union of Christian Democrats, and Philippine Democratic Socialist Party.

In 1987, the opposition parties who wanted to distance both from the Marcos & Aquino cliques formed the Grand Alliance for Democracy (GAD) headed by former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and Francisco Tatad. The parties taking part in the opposition coalition were the Jose Roy's allies in the Nacionalista Party headed by Renato Cayetano with Enrile as their "commanding leader", a faction of the legislators from Kilusang Bagong Lipunan that distanced from Marcos headed by Assemblyman Arturo Tolentino, the pre-1986 leaders that defected from the ruling coalition such as Eva Estrada-Kalaw, the Partido Nacionalista ng Pilipinas headed by Blas Ople, the Mindanao Alliance, the Muslim Federal Party and the Christian Socialist Democratic Party.

Another segment of KBL who are still Marcos loyalists joined forces with the Union for Peace & Progress or UPP while other loyalists shifted to the Aquino clique.

The Left created the Partido ng Bayan or PnB that led by labor leader Rolando Olalia, son of Bert Olalia as chairman. They put up 7 senatorial bets in the 1987 elections such as peasant leader Jaime Tadeo, technocrat and communist leader Horacio Morales, rebel leader Bernabe "Dante" Buscayno, and human rights lawyer Atty. Romeo Capulong. Olalia is included in the senatorial line-up before he was assassinated by suspected Rightist military elements

In 1988 the Lakas ng Bansa headed by Ramon Mitra and PDP-LABAN (Cojuangco Wing) joined to form the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino or the LDP, causing a split in the ruling coalition and the unification of the Nacionalista Party.

In 1989, anti-Aquino elements reunited at PICC into the Unification of the Nacionalista Party. Political leaders from the parties critical to the Aquino rule appointed Former House Speaker José B. Laurel, Jr. as Interim President in a Manifesto signed by opposition leaders.

A convention was held on May 21, 1989 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC). Opposition leaders agreed to merge under the Nacionalista banner and forgetting their personal differences. This is the result of the unification of the opposition: Vice-President Doy Laurel was elected as the president of the Nacionalista Party, with former Labor Secretary and Assemblyman Blas Ople emerged as the Executive Vice-President and former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile as the Secretary-General

In 1992 elections, the LDP was split in half. Fidel V. Ramos formed his own party, the Partido Lakas ng Tao, which coalesced with the National Union of Christian Democrats. Their union was later known as the Lakas-NUCD, but is now known as the Lakas-Christian and Muslim Democrats. The LDP was headed by Ramon Mitra. During these elections, the Nacionalista Party also split into two. The Nacionalistas were led by Salvador Laurel while the splinter group, led by Danding Cojuangco, was known as the Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC.

In the 1998 general elections, three new political parties formed: the Partido ng Masang Pilipino by Joseph Estrada, the Aksyon Demokratiko (Democratic Action) by Raul Roco, and the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (KAMPI) by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

There were other regional parties, including Panaghiusa (precursor of the Osmeñas' BO-PK), and the Mindanao Alliance in Mindanao, though many of them are now defunct.

See also

• Political dynasties in the Philippines
• Timeline of Philippine sovereignty
• Sovereignty of the Philippines