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26 ENHANCING ELECTIONS AS INSTRUMENTS OF DEMOCRACY IN THE ASEAN REGION

The Judicial Branch is composed of the Supreme Court and
lower courts. The president appoints justices to the Supreme Court on

the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council and with the consent
of the Commission on Appointments, whose members come from both
upper and lower houses of Congress.

Article X of the Constitution defines the territorial and political
subdivisions of the Philippines, which consists of 78 provinces, 84 cities,

and over 1,500 municipalities. Article X also provides for the establishment
of autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras.

Local government units (LGUs), guided by the Local Government Code,
autonomously manage the political and socio-economic affairs of each
province, city, and municipality. Local government officials are elected to

three-year terms, with a limit of three consecutive terms. The barangay
is the lowest level of government, and there are approximately 42,000

barangays in the country. Barangay governments have the ability to
levy taxes, fees, and charges, and barangay officials (chairs and council
persons) are chosen through direct elections held separately from those

for higher levels of government.

Legal Framework for Elections in the Philippines

International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). Assessment

of the 2010 Automated Elections in the Philippines: “The Philippine
Election System and the Automation Process”. p. 15-17. 2010

The legal framework for elections in the Philippines is
primarily governed by the Constitution, the Omnibus Election Code