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King Prajadhipok’s Institute 25

Political Complex

Philippine Governance System

Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening

(CEPPS). Report on the 2004 Philippine Elections: “Governance System
and Legal Framework for Elections”. p. 2-6. 2004

The 1987 Constitution mandates a presidential system of

government, and governmental powers are divided among the Executive,
Legislative and Judicial Branches. The president is the head of state and
assumes the roles of the chief administrator of the bureaucracy (general

supervision over local governments), chief legislator (responsible for the
introduction of the legislative agenda at the start of each congressional

session), and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The president
has the power to suspend the writ of habeas corpus and declare martial
law or a “state of emergency” when faced with violent civil unrest,

external threat to the sovereignty or catastrophic disasters. However,
the declaration of martial law can be revoked by Congress and reviewed

by the Supreme Court, and a state of martial law cannot result in the
suspension of the Constitution.

The Philippines has a bicameral legislative system: the Upper
Body is the 24-member Senate, and the Lower Body is the House of
Representatives, composed of elected representatives from the 212

member districts as well as representatives from winning party lists.
The tendency of political parties in both houses to form coalitions around

the party of the president facilitates general cooperation between the
legislative chambers.