What are the roles and power of the Philippine president?

What powers do you give, what responsibilities and services should you expect when you elect a president and a vice president?

6 years, starting at noon of June 30 immediately following election day
Not eligible for reelection

Natural-born Filipino
Registered voter
Able to read and write
40 years old by the day of election
Resident of the Philippines for 10 years before election
Must not have succeeded as president and held that office for more than 4 years

Create issuances (executive orders, administrative orders, proclamations, memorandum orders, memorandum circulars, and general or special orders)
Appoint heads of executive departments, ambassadors, military officials (rank colonel or naval captain and above), members of the Judicial and Bar Council, members of the Supreme Court and lower courts, and chairpersons of the constitutional commissions (Civil Service Commission, Commission on Elections, Commission on Audit)
Appoint undersecretaries and assistant secretaries of executive departments, upon the nomination of the secretary of each department
Appoint directors and assistant directors of bureaus, regional and assistant regional directors, department service chiefs, or any equivalent positions as stated in the Constitution and the Administrative Code of 1987
Head the National Security Council
Supervise all local governments
Act as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, but only to persons charged with rebellion or directly connected with invasion
Place the whole or part of the Philippines under martial law, upon the approval of Congress
Grant reprieves, issue pardons, or remit fines/forfeitures after a judgement has been passed
Grant amnesties with the concurrence of a majority of all the members of the Congress
Contract or guarantee foreign loans on behalf of the country, with the approval of the Monetary Board
Certify the necessity of the enactment of a legislative bill to meet a public calamity or emergency
Approve or veto all bills passed by Congress
Veto any item in an appropriation, revenue, or tariff bill
Submit a budget of expenditures and sources of financing to Congress as a basis for the general appropriations bill
Address Congress before or during the opening of its regular session
Deport or decide the non-immigrant status of foreigners in the Philippines
Direct the Solicitor General to acquire private property for public use (eminent domain)
Direct the Solicitor General to acquire properties from deceased persons who have left no will and do not have any legal heirs
Direct the Solicitor General to recover the ill-gotten wealth of public officials or employees

If the president’s office is vacated due to death, permanent disability, removal from office, or resignation, the following persons will assume the office until a new president is elected:

Vice president
Senate president
Speaker of the House of Representatives

Sources: 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines; Administrative code of 1987 (EO 292 1987)

Vice President

Term of Office

6 years, starting at noon of June 30 immediately following election day
Eligible for 1 reelection

Qualifications

Natural-born Filipino
Registered voter
Able to read and write
40 years old by the day of election
Resided of the Philippines for 10 years before elections

Powers and Responsibilities

Assume the position of the president in the event that the office becomes vacant
Can be a member of the president’s Cabinet without confirmation from the Commission on Appointments
Serve as an executive committee member in the National Security Council

Succession

Once the elected vice president assumes the presidency, he/she nominates a replacement VP with the approval of the Commission on Appointments

Sources: 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines; Administrative code of 1987 (EO 292 1987)

– Research by Dylan Salcedo/Rappler.com

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Published May 09, 2022 08:55 AM

Being the president of the Philippines isn't all fun and games, especially after the pandemic.

The president controls the executive department of the government. The head of state also has the power of appointment, naming the heads of executive departments, undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, ambassadors, military officials and members of the constitutional commissions.

Even with checks and balances, the president is said to have some level of influence in the two other branches of government: legislative and judicial, being able to appoint the judicial bar council of the supreme court, court of appeals, and members of the high court and lower courts.

The Philippine president has the power to veto bills passed by congress, as well as to strike down items in appropriation, revenue, or tariff bills.

As the commander-in-chief, the president has the power to suspend the Writ of Habeas Corpus and declare Martial Law, if s/he deems fit.

Being the Philippine president is a tough job that comes with an annual salary of P5M, a helicopter, an aircraft, a yacht, a car, and round the clock security care of the Presidential Security Group (PSG). — LA, GMA News

The Philippines is a republic with a presidential form of government wherein power is equally divided among its three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The government seeks to act in the best interests of its citizens through this system of check and balance.

One basic corollary in a presidential system of government is the principle of separation of powers wherein legislation belongs to Congress, execution to the Executive, and settlement of legal controversies to the Judiciary.

The Legislative branch is authorized to make laws, alter, and repeal them through the power vested in the Philippine Congress. This institution is divided into the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Legislative Branch enacts legislation, confirms or rejects Presidential appointments, and has the authority to declare war. This branch includes Congress (the Senate and House of Representatives) and several agencies that provide support services to Congress.

The Senate is composed of 24 Senators who are elected at large by the qualified voters of the Philippines.

The House of Representatives is composed of about 250 members elected from legislative districts in the provinces, cities, and municipalities, and representatives elected through a party-list system of registered national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations.

The party-list representatives shall constitute twenty per cent of the total number of representatives including those under the party list. For three consecutive terms after the ratification of this Constitution, one-half of the seats allocated to party-list representatives shall be filled, as provided by law, by selection or election from the labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious sector.

The Executive branch is composed of the President and the Vice President who are elected by direct popular vote and serve a term of six years. The Constitution grants the President authority to appoint his Cabinet. These departments form a large portion of the country’s bureaucracy.

The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the President, Vice President, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, boards, commissions, and committees.

The President leads the country. He or she is the head of state, leader of the national government, and Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines. The President serves a six-year term and cannot be re-elected.

The Vice President supports the President. If the President is unable to serve, the Vice President becomes President. He or she also serves a six-year term.

Cabinet members serve as advisors to the President. They include the Vice President and the heads of executive departments. Cabinet members are nominated by the President and must be confirmed by the Commission of Appointments.

The Judicial branch holds the power to settle controversies involving rights that are legally demandable and enforceable. This branch determines whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part and instrumentality of the government. It is made up of a Supreme Court and lower courts.

The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if laws violate the Constitution. The judicial power shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be established by law.

Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches as follows:

The President can veto laws passed by Congress.
Congress confirms or rejects the President's appointments and can remove the President from office in exceptional circumstances.
The Justices of the Supreme Court, who can overturn unconstitutional laws, are appointed by the President.

The Constitution expressly grants the Supreme Court the power of Judicial Review as the power to declare a treaty, international or executive agreement, law, presidential decree, proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance or regulation unconstitutional.