LEGISLATIVE

BRANCH
OVERVIEW

The Legislative branch broadly

deals with the making deliberation
over, enactment, amendment and
repealing of laws.
 LEGISLATIVE POWER DEFINED

Legislative power is the authority, under

Constitution, to make laws, and to alter and
repeal them (Ligan , Laya, Rabaca & Ruiz,
2014). Therefore, law-making authority of
the Government is vested in the Congress.
THE SENATE
Qualifications
• Natural-born citizen of the Philippines
• A registered voter
• Able to read and write
• At least 35 years old on the day of election
• Resident of the Philippines for not less than 2 years
immediately coming before the day of the election
COMPOSITION

The Senate is composed of 24

members addressed as Senators.
PERMANENT SENATE COMMITTEES

1. Accountability of Public Officers&

Investigation( Blue Ribbon)
2. Accounts
3. Agrarian Reform
4. Agriculture and Food
5. Banks, Financial Institution & Currencies
6. Civil Service and Government Reorganization
7. Climate Change
8. Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes
9. Cooperatives
10. Cultural Communities
11. Economic Affairs
12.Education, Arts and Culture
13. Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation
14. Energy
15. Environment and Natural Resources
16. Ethics and Privileges
17. Finance (with Sub-committees)
18. Foreign Relations
19. Games, Amusement and Sports
20.Government Corporation & Public Enterprises
21. Health and Demography
22. Justice and Human Rights
23. Labor , Employment & Human Resources
Development
24. Local Government
25. National Defense and Security
26. Peace, Unification and Reconciliation
27. Public Information and Mass Media
28. Public Order and Dangerous Drugs
29. Public Services
30. Public Works
31. Rules
32. Science and Technology
33. Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development
34. Tourism
35. Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship
36. Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement
37. Ways and Means
38. Women, Family Relations and Gender Equality
39. Youth
 THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE

Qualifications
• Natural-born citizen of the Philippines
• A registered voter
• Able to read and write
• At least 25 years old on the day of the
election
• Resident of the district in which he shall be
elected for not less than one year immediately
coming before the day of election
 COMPOSITION
*District Representatives
*The President will appoint 2
senators to occupy the seats.
 HOUSE COMMITTEES ON THE 16TH CONGRESS
AS LISTED BY THE OFFICIAL GAZETTE

1.Accouts 10. Cooperative development

2.Agrarian Reform 11. Dangerous Drugs

3.Agriculture and Food 12. Ecology

4.Appropriations 13. Economic Affairs

5.Aquaculture & Fisheries Resources 14. Energy

6. Banks & Financial Intermediaries 15. Ethics & Privileges

7. Basic Education & Culture 16. Foreign Affairs

8. Civil Service & Professional Regulation 17. Games & Amusements
9. Constitutional Amendments 18. Good Government Public Accountability
 Senate House of Representative
Composition
• 24 members • Not more than 250
• Elected by large by members
qualified voters (national- • District Representative
elected officials) Party-list Representative
Qualifications
• At least 35 years old • At least 25 years old
• A resident for not less than • A resident of the district in
two years which he shall be elected
 TERMS OF OFFICE

Senate House of Representative

• 6 years • 3 years
• No senator can serve • No representative can
for more than 2 serve for more than 3
consecutive terms consecutive terms
 PRIVILEGES
1. Salaries (Section 10, Article VI) – The Constitution
fixed initially the annual salary of the senators and
congressman to two hundred thousand each.
2. Privileges (Section 9 & 10, Article VI) – The Members
of Congress are accorded under the Constitution with
two parliamentary immunities
 PROHIBITIONS(SECTION 13&14, ARTICLE VI)

Under the Constitution, the members of the House of

Congress are prohibited to:
1. Hold any other office of employment in government ,
or any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof
including government owned and controlled
corporations or the subsidiaries, during his term of
office without forfeiting his seat.
2. Not allowed from being appointed to any office ,
which may have been created, or the emoluments
thereof increased during the term of office, which he
was elected.
3. Not allowed to personally appear as counsel before
any count of justice or before the electoral tribunals, or
quasi-judicial and other administrative bodies.
4. From financially interested,
directly or indirectly in any contact
with, or in any franchise or special
privilege granted by the
Government.
 POWERS OF CONGRESS

• The principal function of the

Congress is lawmaking, that is,
enactment of laws serving as
binding rules for all Filipinos.
 HEREUNDER ARE SOME OF THE
POWERS OF CONGRESS;
1. Power of Legislative Investigation – The two
Houses of the Congress and their respective
committees are authorized by the
Constitution to conduct investigations or
inquiry in aid of legislation or to aid Congress
in its legislative works.
2. Power of Appropriation – The power of
appropriation sometimes referred to as the power
of the purse, is exercised by Congress through the
enactment of an appropriation law.
3. Power of Taxation- The power of taxation is the
power to imposes taxes. The Constitution vests in
the legislature the exercise of the power of
taxation.
4. Non-legislative powers- The Congress is
also vested under the Constitution such
other powers, non-legislative in nature such
as the power to declare the existence of war
(Section 23 (1), the power to concur in
presidential amnesties (Section 21) and the
power to impeach the President etc.
 THE LAW-MAKING PROCESS

A.Origin of Bills – The first step in law-

making process is the creation and
introduction of a bill. But, what is
bill, what are its part and what are
the procedures in approving a bill?
A bill is a draft of a proposed of a statute or law submitted to the legislature for
enactment. A bill is introduced by a member of the house of representatives or
Senate.
B. Parts of a Bill
The bill passed by Members of Congress contains;
*Title
*Preamble
* Enacting Clause
*Body of the Statute
• Effectivity Clause
•
C. Procedure in the Approval of a Bill – The Constitution
provides that before a bill passed by either House
becomes a law, it shall first pass 3 readings on separate
days with the exception of those which the President will
certify as necessary to meet public calamity.
First Reading
* Only the number and the title of the bill is read and the
Speakers refers it to the proper committee for
consideration.
Second Reading
• The entire bill is read before the chamber and it is at this
stage that the bill will be debated and amended.
Third Reading
• Only the title of the bill is read
• No amendment is allowed at this stage
• If the bill is approved, it shall be transmitted to the
President for his approval.
 THE BILL BECOMES A LAW WHEN:
1. The President approves and signs it after Congress has
presented the bill to him;
2. The President does not act upon the bill within 30 days
after it has been presented to him, it shall become a law if
he has signed it; and
3. The bill vetoed to the president and be sent back to the
House where it originated which shall enter the objections
at large in the Journal.