The Legislative branch is authorized to make laws, alter, and repeal them through the

power vested in the Philippine Congress. This institution is divided into the Senate and

the House of Representatives.

The Legislative Branch enacts legislation, confirms or rejects Presidential appointments,

and has the authority to declare war. This branch includes Congress

(the Senate and House of Representatives) and several agencies that provide support

services to Congress.

The Senate is composed of 24 Senators who are elected at large by the qualified voters

of the Philippines.

The House of Representatives is composed of about 250 members elected from

legislative districts in the provinces, cities, and municipalities, and representatives

elected through a party-list system of registered national, regional, and sectoral parties

or organizations.

The party-list representatives shall constitute twenty per cent of the total number of

representatives including those under the party list. For three consecutive terms after

the ratification of this Constitution, one-half of the seats allocated to party-list

representatives shall be filled, as provided by law, by selection or election from the

labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, women, youth, and such

other sectors as may be provided by law, except the religious sector.

The Executive branch is composed of the President and the Vice President who are

elected by direct popular vote and serve a term of six years. The Constitution grants the

President authority to appoint his Cabinet. These departments form a large portion of

the country’s bureaucracy.

The executive branch carries out and enforces laws. It includes the President, Vice

President, the Cabinet, executive departments, independent agencies, boards,

commissions, and committees.

The President leads the country. He or she is the head of state, leader of the national

government, and Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines. The

President serves a six-year term and cannot be re-elected.

The Vice President supports the President. If the President is unable to serve, the Vice

President becomes President. He or she also serves a six-year term.

Cabinet members serve as advisors to the President. They include the Vice President

and the heads of executive departments. Cabinet members are nominated by the

President and must be confirmed by the Commission of Appointments.

The Judicial branch holds the power to settle controversies involving rights that are

legally demandable and enforceable. This branch determines whether or not there has

been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part

and instrumentality of the government. It is made up of a Supreme Court and lower

courts.

The judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and

decides if laws violate the Constitution. The judicial power shall be vested in one

Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be established by law.

Judicial power includes the duty of the courts of justice to settle actual controversies

involving rights, which are legally demandable and enforceable, and to determine

whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess

of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the Government. The

judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and

decides if laws violate the Constitution.

Each branch of government can change acts of the other branches as follows:

 The President can veto laws passed by Congress.

 Congress confirms or rejects the President's appointments and can remove

the President from office in exceptional circumstances.

  The Justices of the Supreme Court, who can overturn unconstitutional laws,

are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

The Constitution expressly grants the Supreme Court the power of Judicial Review as the

power to declare a treaty, international or executive agreement, law, presidential decree,

proclamation, order, instruction, ordinance or regulation unconstitutional.