Government of the Philippines

The Government of the Philippines (Filipino: Pamahalaan ng Pilipinas) is made up of three important parts that work together: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Philippines is governed as a unitary state where people choose their leaders in a presidential representative and democratic constitutional republic. In this system, the president serves as both the head of state and the head of government in a pluriform multi-party system.

The powers of these three branches come from the Constitution of the Philippines. The Legislative power belongs to the two-chamber Congress of the Philippines, which includes the Senate as the upper chamber and the House of Representatives as the lower chamber. The Executive power is used by the government under the leadership of the president. The Judicial power is found in the courts, with the Supreme Court of the Philippines being the highest court.

Executive branch

The Executive Branch of the government is led by the president and includes the Cabinet and all executive departments. The president and vice president are chosen by voters for six-year terms. The president cannot be re-elected, but the vice president can serve many times, though only two terms in a row.

Right now, Bongbong Marcos is the president and Sara Duterte is the vice president. The president is the main leader of the country and in charge of all government departments. The vice president helps the president and takes over if something happens to the president.

Legislative branch

Main article: Congress of the Philippines

The legislative power in the Philippines is held by the Congress of the Philippines. Congress has two parts: the Senate of the Philippines and the House of Representatives. Both parts must agree on a bill before it can become a law after the president signs it. The Senate is in Pasay, and the House of Representatives is in Quezon City, both in Metro Manila.

The Senate of the Philippines is the upper part of Congress. Senators serve for six years and can be re-elected but not for three times in a row. If the House of Representatives approves a bill, it goes to the Senate, which must also approve it before it becomes a law. Only the Senate can agree to treaties and handle special cases.

The House of Representatives of the Philippines is the lower part of Congress. It includes representatives from districts and sectors, serving for three years and can be re-elected for three times in a row. Every bill must be approved by the House before going to the Senate. The House starts all bills about money and has the power to bring charges against some officials.

Judicial branch

Main article: Judiciary of the Philippines

The judicial branch of the Philippines has the power to decide laws and fairness in courts. The highest court is the Supreme Court of the Philippines, led by a chief justice and 14 associate justices. These justices are chosen by the president after a suggestion from the Judicial and Bar Council. They work until they are 70 years old. Currently, Alexander Gesmundo is the chief justice.

There are many other courts too, such as the Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals, and Sandiganbayan. There are also regular courts like Regional Trial Courts and smaller courts in cities and towns. Some special courts follow rules for certain groups of people.

Constitutional commissions

The Philippines has three special groups called constitutional commissions. These are the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Elections, and the Commission on Audit.

The Civil Service Commission helps make sure jobs in the government are fair and that people work well together. It also gives tests to see if people are ready for government jobs.

The Commission on Elections makes sure elections are done right and fairly. They watch over voting and help keep everything calm and honest.

The Commission on Audit checks all the money the government uses to make sure it is spent properly.

Office of the Ombudsman

The three branches of the Philippine government are watched by the Office of the Ombudsman. The ombudsman checks and can take action against any government official who may have done wrong things, especially things that are unfair or dishonest. The ombudsman has six helpers: one main helper, and helpers for different parts of the country, as well as one for the armed forces and a special prosecutor.

Local government

Main article: Local government in the Philippines

The Philippines has four main levels of local government, called local government units (LGUs). They are:

Regions

Regions are the highest level of local government in the Philippines. They help organize national services and planning. Some regions have more control over their own affairs. Right now, there is one such area called the Bangsamoro in Mindanao. It has its own leaders and rules but still follows the national laws.

Local legislative councils

Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Council)
Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council)
Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Council)
Sangguniang Barangay (Barangay Council)

Local government officials

Provincial governor
Provincial vice governor
City/Municipal mayor
City/Municipal vice mayor
Barangay captain