What Type Of Government Does the Philippines Have?

The Philippines is a unitary state with the President as both the head of state and the head of government. The government of the Philippines is made up of three interdependent branches which are the legislative, the executive, and the judicial system. The powers of these branches are bestowed by the:

The Constitution Of The Philippines

The Legislative power is exercised by the Congress of the Philippines which comprise of two chambers, namely the House of Representatives which is the lower chamber and the Senate which is the upper chamber. The Executive power of the Philippine government is exercised by the regime under the President's leadership. The Judicial power is exercised in the courts with the Supreme Court of the Philippines being the highest judicial organ.

The Legislative Branch Of The Government Of Philippines

The legislature in the Philippines is a bicameral Congress made up of the Senate and The House of Representatives. The Senate, which is the upper house, is based in the city of Pasay, while the House of Representatives, which is the lower house, is situated in the urban center of Quezon. The two cities are both situated in Metro Manila. Members of Congress of the districts and Sectoral are elected for a three-year term. The representatives can be re-elected but may not be allowed to serve for a fourth successive term. The Senators in the Philippines are elected to serve a six-year term. Senators can be re-elected but may not be permitted to run three terms consecutively. The House of Representatives may choose to forego a vacant legislative seat leading to a special election. The person who wins the special election will then serve for the remainder of the term of the former district representatives which will be considered as a single elective term. The same rule is applied to the Senate but only if the seat was vacated prior a regular legislative election.

The Executive Branch Of The Government Of Philippines

The President of the Philippines is elected through a popular vote and accorded the executive power according to the country's Constitution. The Office of the President of the Philippines is situated in Malacañang Palace in San Miguel, Manila. The executive branch is headed by the President who is also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. If the President resigns, dies or is impeached, the Vice President is first in line to take over leadership. The Vice President is often a member of the president's cabinet although this is not always the case. If the vice-president position is vacant, the President is can appoint any member of the Congress who must then be validated by a three-quarters vote of the Congress.

The Judicial Branch Of The Government Of Philippines

The Supreme Court of Philippines together with other inferior courts has the judicial power given by the Constitution. The Supreme Court is comprised of a Chief Justice who is head of the branch and 14 other Associate Justices who occupy the highest seats of the judicature. Each justice serves in office until they reach the age of 70 years. The President on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council of the Philippines is responsible for appointing the justices. Other types of courts in the Philippines include lower collegiate courts, such as the Court of Appeals and the Sandiganbayan, The regular courts, such as the Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, and the Muslim courts such as the Sharia Districts Courts.