System of Government under 1987 Constitution

Branch Hierarchy Appointment Powers Removal

Executive President Elected by a direct vote  Nominates the Cabinet and
other high officials
Cabinet  Nominated by the President and  Head of Government
confirmed by a commission on  Ensures faithful execution of
appointments the laws
 Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces
 Contracts for foreign loans
 Declares martial law
 Upon the end of 6
year term
 Upon resignation
 Upon impeachment
by the legislature
 Upon removal by the
President
 Upon resignation

 Advises the President

Legislative Senate  Elected by a direct vote  Election monitoring  Upon resignation

 Introduces and passes
House of legislation by a majority vote
Representatives
 Elected by districts or a party-list  Conductes inquiries in pursuit
system of passing legislation
 Declares war with joint two-
thirds vote of Congress
 Upon the end of a 6 -
year term
 Upon resignation
 Upon the end of a 3-
year term

 Election monitoring
 Introduces and passes
legislation
 Introduces and passes financial
legislation
 Conduct inquiries in pursuit of
passing legislation
 Declaring war with joint two-
thirds vote of Congress
 Branch Hierarchy Appointment Powers Removal

Judicial Supreme Court  Appointed by the President  Administrative supervision  Upon resignation
over other courts  Upon reaching the
 Jurisdiction over cases age of 70
involving ambassadors and
public officials
 Constitutional review

Timeline

1542 Spanish claim the islands

1898 Spain cedes the Philippines to the US

1902 US establishes civil government to replace military rule

1935 The Commonwealth of the Philippines is established under President Manuel Quezon and the US promises independence in 10 years

1941 Japanese forces invade the islands

1944 The US retakes the islands

1946 The US grants the new Republic of the Philippines full independence

1965 Ferdinand Marcos becomes President

1969 Marcos is reelected despite allegations of elections fraud, Vietnam protests begin, Muslim separatists begin guerrilla war in the south

1972 Marcos declares martial law, suspends parliaments, arrests opposition leaders, and imposes censorship regulations

1973 New constitution adopted granting Marcos broad powers

1981 Marcos wins reelection, martial law lifted

1983 Oppoisiton leader Benigno Aquino killed as he returns to the Philippines from exile
1986 Marcos opposed in elections by Aquino’s widow Corazon, mass protests of election results in favour of Marcos forces him into exile

11 February 1987New Constitution passed

1992 Aquino replaced as President by defence minister Fidel Ramos

1996 Peace agreement signed with Muslim separatist group

1998 Joseph Estrada, former film star, elected President

January 2000 Impeachment trial against Estrada suspended, leading to mass protests which replace Estrada with Vice-President Gloria Arroyo

April 2001 Estrada found guilty of stealing more than 80 million dollars of state funds during Presidency, but later pardoned

June 2004 Arroyo elected to Presidency

2005 Arroyo resists attempt to impeach her under allegations of vote-rigging, declares a state of emergency in response to an alleged military coup

2007-2009 Ethnic tensions mount between Islamic separatist groups and Christian majority

June 2010 Beningo “Noynoy” Aquino, son of Corazon Aquino, elected President