President of the Philippines

The President of the Philippines is the head of state and government of the Republic of the Philippines. The President of the Philippines is locally termed as Ang Pangulo or Pangulo.

The executive power is vested in the President of the Philippines.

Qualifications

According to the current constitution (1987), the President must be at least 40 years of age, a registered voter, able to read and write, a Filipino citizen by birth, and a resident of the Philippines for at least 10 years prior to election.

Election

Duly-registered voters directly elect the president by plurality vote; the election is held on the second Monday of May. In cases when two or more candidates have an equal number of votes, Congress, voting separately, shall choose one of them via a majority vote.

In case of disputes, the Supreme Court, sitting en banc, shall be the sole judge of all contests relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of the President.

Term

The president serves a term of six years which shall begin at noon on the thirtieth day of June next following the day of the election and shall end at noon of the same date, six years thereafter and may no longer run for re-election, unless he/she becomes president through constitutional succession and has served for no more than four years as president.

Oath

Before the president enters on the execution of his/her office, the President shall take the following oath or affirmation:

I do solemnly swear [or affirm] that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties as President [or Vice-President or Acting President] of the Philippines, preserve and defend its Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man, and consecrate myself to the service of the Nation. So help me God.

[In case of affirmation, last sentence will be omitted]

Powers

The president heads the Executive branch of the government, which includes the Cabinet and all executive departments. The executive power, as such, is vested on the President alone.

The president is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. As Commander-in-Chief, the President can may call out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or rebellion. In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it, he or she may, for a period not exceeding sixty days, suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus or place the Philippines or any part thereof under martial law.

The president may grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, and remit fines and forfeitures, after conviction by final judgment, except when the President is under impeachment.

The president may contract or guarantee foreign loans on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines with the prior concurrence of the Monetary Board, and subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.

The president exercises general supervision over local government units.

The president appoints, with consent of the Commission on Appointments, members of the Constitutional Commission, ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, or officers of the armed forces from the rank of colonel or naval captain, and other officers whose appointments are vested in the President in 1987 Constitution.

The members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the president, based on a list prepared by the Judicial and Bar Council. These appointments do not need the consent of the Commission on Appointments.

Official title

Seal of the President of the Philippines

Seal of the President of the Philippines

Home provinces of the presidents.

The official title of the president is the "President of the Philippines," as specified in the present Constitution of the Philippines (1987). The honorific for the President of the Philippines is "Your Excellency" or "His/Her Excellency", adopted from the title of the Governor-General of the Philippines during Spanish and American occupation. The term "President of the Republic of the Philippines" is commonly, but erroneously, used, dating back to when President José P. Laurel wanted to express the difference between his government and the previous Commonwealth government (then in exile) under President Manuel L. Quezon. The restoration of the Commonwealth in 1945 and the subsequent independence of the Philippines led to the restoration of the constitutionally-sanctioned title "President of the Philippines" until President Ferdinand E. Marcos proclaimed martial law and once more wanted to differentiate his government from those that came before. It was then that "President of the Republic of the Philippines" was adopted and indeed, specified in the 1973 Constitution of the Philippines. However, that Constitution was superseded by a new one in 1987 which restored the more traditional "President of the Philippines."

Official residence

Main article: Malacañang Palace

Malacañang Palace, often known as Malacañang Palace, is the official residence of the President of the Philippines. The palace is located along the north bank of the Pasig River in Manila. It is called Palasyo ng Malakanyang in Filipino, and Malacañang Palace when referred to as the official residence of the President of the Philippines, and simply Malacañang when referred to as the office of the president, as well as in everyday parlance and in the media. Malacañang Palace is depicted on the verso (back) side of the present-day 20-peso bill.

State of the Nation Address

Main article: State of the Nation Address

File:Ph2-072406sona.jpg

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gestures as she stresses a point during her 2006 State of the Nation Address, with Senate President Manny Villar and House Speaker Jose De Venecia, Jr. in the background.

The State of the Nation Address (abbreviated SONA) is an annual event in the Republic of the Philippines, in which the President of the Philippines reports on the status of the nation, normally to the resumption of a joint session of the Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). This is a duty of the President as stated in Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution:

The President shall address the Congress at the opening of its regular session. He may also appear before it at any other time.

The address is also an opportunity for opposition parties to protest against the government. In 2005, tens of thousands of people attended protest rallies during the State of the Nation Address of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, calling on her to resign.

Succession

At the start of the term

In case the president-elect fails to qualify, the Vice-President-elect shall act as President until the President-elect shall have qualified.

If at the beginning of the term of the President, the President-elect shall have died or shall have become permanently disabled, the Vice President-elect shall become President.

Where no President and Vice-President shall have been chosen or shall have qualified, or where both shall have died or become permanently disabled, the President of the Senate or, in case of his inability, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall act as President until a President or a Vice-President shall have been chosen and qualified.

During the term

In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of the President, the Vice-President will become the President to serve the unexpired term. In case of death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation of both the President and Vice-President, the President of the Senate or, in case of his inability, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall then act as President until the President or Vice-President shall have been elected and qualified.

The Congress shall, by law, provide who shall serve as President in case of death, permanent disability, or resignation of the Acting President. He shall serve until the President or the Vice-President shall have been elected and qualified, and be subject to the same restrictions of powers and disqualifications as the Acting President.

The line of presidential succession as specified by the 1987 Constitution are the Vice-President, Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The current Presidential line of succession is:

#	Name	Position
1	Manuel Leuterio B. de Castro, Jr.	Vice President
2	Manuel B. Villar, Jr.	Senate President
3	Jose C. de Venecia, Jr.	Speaker of the House

Contrary to popular belief, the Constitution doesn't name the Chief Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court in the line of succession.

History

The Philippines has had a total of fourteen presidents. Despite the differences in constitutions and government, the line of presidents is considered to be continuous. For instance, the current president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, is considered the 14th president. While the Philippines consider Emilio Aguinaldo to be the first president, the First Republic fell under the United States following the Philippine-American War. Manuel L. Quezon is considered to be the first president by the United States and the first to win an election.

The Philippines had two presidents at one point during World War II heading two governments. One was Quezon heading the Commonwealth government-in-exile (considered de jure) and the other was J. P. Laurel heading the Japanese-sponsored republic (considered de facto). Laurel was instructed to remain in Manila by President Manuel Quezon. Laurel was not recognized as a Philippine president formally until the Macapagal administration. The recognition coincided with the movement of the Philippine Independence Day from July 4 to June 12. However, it must be borne in mind that in the roster of presidents, it is inaccurate to consider Laurel the successor of Osmeña or vice versa; Laurel's republic was formally rejected after World War II and none of its statutes or actions were considered legal or binding. The inclusion of Laurel causes some problems in determining the order of presidents. Quezon, Osmeña, and Roxas, for example, were three of a continuous constitutional line; Laurel was the first and only President of the Second Republic. Thus, Laurel has no predecessor and successor, while Osmeña was Quezon's successor and Roxas was Osmeña's successor.

Office-holders

• 1.Emilio AguinaldoJanuary 23, 1899–April 1, 1901
  1.Emilio AguinaldoJanuary 23, 1899–April 1, 1901
• 2.Manuel L. QuezonNovember 15, 1935–August 1, 1944
  2.Manuel L. QuezonNovember 15, 1935–August 1, 1944
• 3.Jose P. LaurelOctober 14, 1943–August 14, 1945
  3.Jose P. LaurelOctober 14, 1943–August 14, 1945
• 4.Sergio OsmeñaAugust 1, 1944–May 28, 1946
  4.Sergio OsmeñaAugust 1, 1944–May 28, 1946
• 5.Manuel RoxasMay 28, 1946–April 15, 1948
  5.Manuel RoxasMay 28, 1946–April 15, 1948
• 6.Elpidio QuirinoApril 17, 1948–December 30, 1953
  6.Elpidio QuirinoApril 17, 1948–December 30, 1953
• 7.Ramon MagsaysayDecember 30, 1953–March 17, 1957
  7.Ramon MagsaysayDecember 30, 1953–March 17, 1957
• 8.Carlos P. GarciaMarch 18, 1957–December 30, 1961
  8.Carlos P. GarciaMarch 18, 1957–December 30, 1961
• 9.Diosdado MacapagalDecember 30, 1961–December 30, 1965
  9.Diosdado MacapagalDecember 30, 1961–December 30, 1965
• 10.Ferdinand E. MarcosDecember 30, 1965–February 25, 1986
  10.Ferdinand E. MarcosDecember 30, 1965–February 25, 1986
• 11.Corazon C. AquinoFebruary 25, 1986–June 30, 1992
  11.Corazon C. AquinoFebruary 25, 1986–June 30, 1992
• 12.Fidel V. RamosJune 30, 1992–June 30, 1998
  12.Fidel V. RamosJune 30, 1992–June 30, 1998
• 13.Joseph Ejercito EstradaJune 30, 1998–January 20, 2001
  13.Joseph Ejercito EstradaJune 30, 1998–January 20, 2001
• 14.Gloria Macapagal-ArroyoJanuary 20, 2001–present
  14.Gloria Macapagal-ArroyoJanuary 20, 2001–present

See also

• Seal of the President of the Philippines

References

• 1987 Constitution of the Philippines
• The Philippine Presidency Project