By virtue of Section 16, Subsections (1) and (3), ofArticle VI of the Constitution, the following Rules are herebyadopted and shall be known as the “Rules of the Senate.”

RULE IElective Officers

SECTION 1. The Senate shall elect, in the mannerhereinafter provided, a President, a President ProTempore, a Secretary, and a Sergeant-at-Arms.

These officers shall take their oath of office beforeentering into the discharge of their duties.

RULE IIElection Of Officers

SEC. 2. The officers of the Senate shall be electedby the majority vote of all its Members. Should there bemore than one candidate for the same office, a nominalvote shall be taken; otherwise, the elections shall be vivavoce or by resolution.

Rules of the Senate

Republic of the Philippines

SENATE

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RULE IIIThe President,

His Duties And Powers

SEC. 3. The President is the Chief Executive of theSenate. His duties and powers are as follows:

a) To preside over the sessions of the Senate onthe days and at the hours designated by it; tocall the Senate to order and, if there is a quorum,to order the reading of the Journal of thepreceding session, and, after the Senate shallhave acted upon it, to dispose of the mattersappearing in the Order of Business inaccordance with the Rules.

b) To decide all points of order.

c) To sign all measures, memorials, joint andconcurrent resolutions; issue warrants, ordersof arrest, subpoena and subpoena ducestecum.

d) To see to it that all resolutions of the Senateare complied with.

e) To have general control over the session hall,the antechambers, corridors and offices of theSenate.

f) To maintain order in the session hall, theantechambers, corridors and in the officesof the Senate and, whenever there isdisorder, to take appropriate measures toquell it.

g) To designate an Acting Sergeant-at-Arms, ifthe Sergeant-at-Arms resigns, is replaced orbecomes incapacitated.

h) To appoint the subordinate personnel of theSenate in conformity with the provisions of theGeneral Appropriations Act.

i) To dismiss any employee for cause, whichdismissal in the case of permanent andclassified employees shall be in conformity withthe Civil Service Law.

j) To diminish or increase the number ofauthorized personnel by consolidating orseparating positions or items whenever theGeneral Appropriations Act so authorizes andthe total amount of salaries or allocations doesnot exceed the amount earmarked therein.

RULE IVThe President Pro Tempore,

His Duties And Powers

SEC. 4. The President Pro Tempore shall dischargethe powers and duties of the President in the followingcases:

a) When the President is absent for one or moredays.

b) When the President is temporarilyincapacitated.

c) In the event of the resignation, removal, deathor absolute incapacity of the President.

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SEC. 5. In the cases specified in subparagraph (c),Section 4 of this Rule, the President Pro Tempore shallserve as Acting President until the Senate shall haveelected a new President.

SEC. 6. In case of the temporary absence of thePresident or the President Pro Tempore, the MajorityLeader or in his absence, the Assistant Majority Leader,or any member designated by the President shalldischarge the powers and duties of the President.

RULE VThe Secretary,

His Duties And Powers

SEC. 7. The duties and powers of the Secretary are:

a) For the inaugural session of the Congress, toprepare the Order of Business of the Senatewhich shall include:

1) A Resolution informing the President of thePhilippines that the Senate has beenorganized and has elected its President,President Pro Tempore, Secretary andSergeant-at-Arms.

2) A Resolution informing the House ofRepresentatives that the Senate has beenorganized and has elected its President,President Pro Tempore, Secretary andSergeant-at-Arms.

3) A Concurrent Resolution of the Senate andHouse of Representatives providing for ajoint session to hear the State of the NationAddress of the President of the Philippines.

4) A Concurrent Resolution authorizing theappointment of a joint committee of bothHouses to inform the President of thePhilippines that Congress, in joint session,is ready to receive his State of the NationAddress.

b) To attend the sessions of the Senate.

c) To open, whenever there is neither a Presidentnor a President Pro Tempore, the first sessionin which the Senators elected in theimmediately preceding regular elections shallparticipate, and to announce that the businessin order is the designation of the temporaryPresident.

d) To keep a Record and Journal of theproceedings of the Senate, and to certify themhimself.

e) To prepare and distribute the calendars of theSenate.

f) To publish and distribute the Journal andRecord of the Senate.

g) To serve as custodian of all the records of theSenate.

h) To certify all measures, orders and resolutionsapproved by the Senate and to stamp themwith its official seal which shall also be underhis custody.

i) To appoint, whenever expressly authorized by

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the Senate, the necessary subordinatepersonnel thereof.

j) To be responsible for the strict compliance bythe Senate personnel with their duties, uponwhom he may impose, for just cause, correctiveor disciplinary measures including arecommendation to the President for theirdismissal.

k) To administer oath as a Notary ex officio ofthe Senate.

l) To perform other duties inherent in his officealthough not specified in these Rules.

RULE VIThe Sergeant-At-Arms,His Duties and Powers

SEC. 8. The duties and powers of the Sergeant-at-Arms are:

a) To keep under his custody the Mace of theSenate.

b) To attend the sessions of the Senate.

c) To be responsible for the security andmaintenance of order in the session hall,antechambers, corridors and offices of theSenate, whether in session or not, inaccordance with the orders of the President orthe Secretary.

d) To execute or serve, personally or through hisdelegates, the summons which may be issued

by the Senate or by the permanent or specialcommittees or by the President himself.

e) To be responsible for the strict compliance byhis subordinates of their respective duties. Hemay impose upon them corrective ordisciplinary measures for just cause, includinga recommendation to the President of theSenate, through the Secretary, for theirdismissal.

f) To recommend to the President, through theSecretary, approval of the uniform to be wornby the personnel assigned to serve under himin the session hall.

RULE VIIThe Acting Secretary

And The Acting Sergeant-At-Arms

SEC. 9. In the temporary absence or incapacity ofthe Secretary, the Deputy Secretary for Legislation shallact as such with all the powers and duties inherent in saidoffice and in the case of the Sergeant-at-Arms, the persondesignated by the President to take his place shalltemporarily serve as such officer.

RULE VIIITerm Of Office Of Elective Officers

SEC. 10. The term of office of the President, thePresident Pro Tempore, the Secretary and the Sergeant-at-Arms shall begin upon their election and end when theirsuccessors shall have been elected.

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SEC. 11. Any vacancy in the Office of the Secretaryor Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms shall be filled inaccordance with Section 2 hereof: Provided, That whenthe vacancy occurs during a recess, the Deputy Secretaryfor Legislation shall be the Acting Secretary and thePresident of the Senate may designate an ActingSergeant-at-Arms.

RULE IXOrganization Of The Senate

SEC. 12. In the first session following every periodicelection of Senators, the Senate shall proceed with itsorganization. If in such organizational session there beneither President nor President Pro Tempore, theSecretary shall proceed in accordance with the provisionsof subparagraph (c), Section 7 of Rule V.

RULE XThe Committees

SEC. 13. After the organization of the Senate in themanner provided in Rule IX, the following permanentcommittees shall be formed, with the duties, powers andgeneral jurisdiction specified hereunder:

1) Committee on Rules. - Nine (9)members. All matters affecting the Rules ofthe Senate; the calendar as well asparliamentary rules and the order andmanner of transacting business and thecreation of committees.The Chairman of the Committee shall bethe Majority Leader of the Senate. The Vice

Chairmen shall be the Assistant MajorityLeaders.

2) Committee on Ethics and Privileges. -Seven (7) members. All matters relating tothe conduct, rights, privileges, safety,dignity, integrity and reputation of the Senateand its Members.

3) Committee on Accounts. - Eleven (11)members. All matters relating to the auditingand adjustment of all accounts chargeableagainst the funds for the expenses andactivities of the Senate.

4) Committee on Finance. - Seventeen (17)members. All matters relating to funds forthe expenditures of the NationalGovernment and for the payment of publicindebtedness; auditing of accounts andexpenditures of the National Government;claims against the government; inter-governmental revenue sharing; and, ingeneral, all matters relating to publicexpenditures.

5) Committee on Ways and Means. -Fifteen (15) members. All matters relatingto revenue generally; taxes and fees; tariffs;loans and other sources and forms ofrevenue.

6) Committee on Economic Affairs. - Nine(9) members. All matters relating toeconomic planning and programming; theplanning of domestic and foreign publicindebtedness; general economic

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development; and coordination, regulationand diversification of industry andinvestments.

7) Committee on Banks, FinancialInstitutions and Currencies. - Nine (9)members. All matters relating to banks,financial institutions, government andprivate currencies, capital markets, mutualfunds, securitization, coinage andcirculation of money.

8) Committee on GovernmentCorporations and Public Enterprises. -Nine (9) members. All questions affectinggovernment corporations, including allamendments to their charters; theinterests of the government in the differentindustrial and commercial enterprises;privatization.

9) Committee on Trade and Commerce. -Nine (9) members. All matters relating todomestic and foreign trade and privatecorporations; patents, copyrights, tradenames and trademarks; standards,weights, measures and designs; qualitycontrol; control and stabilization of pricesof commodities; consumer protection;handicraft and cottage industries; andmarketing of commodities.

10) Committee on Agriculture and Food. -Eleven (11) members. All matters relatingto agriculture, food production and agri-business, including agriculturalexperimental stations, agricultural

economics and research; soil survey andconservation; agricultural education;technical extension services; animalhusbandry; livestock quarantine; agriculturalsupport price; and fisheries and aquaticresources.

11) Committee on Cooperatives. - Nine (9)members. All matters relating tocooperatives, both urban and rural based,including but not limited to farm credit andfarm security, cooperative movements,marketing and consumers’ organizations;and the implementation of the CooperativeCode of the Philippines.

12) Committee on Foreign Relations. -Fifteen (15) members. All matters relatingto the relations of the Philippines with othernations generally; diplomatic and consularservices; the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations; the United NationsOrganization and its agencies; multi-lateralorganizations; all international agreements,obligations and contracts; and overseasFilipinos.

13) Committee on National Defense andSecurity. - Nineteen (19) members. Allmatters relating to national defense andexternal and internal threats to nationalsecurity; the Armed Forces of thePhilippines; pension plans and fringebenefits of war veterans and militaryretirees; citizens army selective service;forts; arsenals; military camps andreservations; coast, geodetic and

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meteorological surveys; civil defense; andmilitary research and development.

14) Committee on Peace, Unification andReconciliation. - Seven (7) members. Allmatters relating to peace, internal armedconflict resolution, political negotiation,cessation of hostilities, amnesty, rebelreturnees, integration and development,national unification and reconciliation.

15) Committee on Justice and HumanRights. - Nine (9) members. All mattersrelating to the organization andadministration of justice, civil courts,penitentiaries and reformatory schools;probation; impeachment proceedingsagainst constitutional officers and otherofficers legally removable by impeachment;registration of land titles; immigration andnaturalization; the implementation of theprovisions of the Constitution on humanrights; and all matters pertaining to theefficiency and reforms in the prosecutionservice.

16) Committee on Public Works. - Thirteen(13) members. All matters relating toplanning, construction, maintenance,improvement and repair of public buildings,highways, bridges, roads, ports, airports,harbors and parks; drainage, flood controland protection; and irrigation and waterutilities.

17) Committee on Local Government. -Thirteen (13) members. All matters relating

to autonomous regions, provinces, cities,special metropoli tan pol i t icalsubdivisions, municipal i t ies andbarangays.

18) Committee on Urban Planning, Housingand Resettlement. - Eleven (11) members.All matters relating to urban land reform,planning, housing, resettlement and urbancommunity development.

19) Committee on Cultural Communities. -Seven (7) members. All matters relating tocultural communities.

20) Committee on Agrarian Reform. - Nine(9) members. All matters relating to agrarianreform, landed estates, and implementationof the agrarian land reform provisions of theConstitution.

21) Committee on Labor, Employment andHuman Resources Development. -Thirteen (13) members. All matters relatingto labor employment and human resourcedevelopment; maintenance of industrialpeace; promotion of employer-employeecooperation; labor education, standardsand statistics; organization of the labormarket including recruitment, training andplacement of workers and exports of humanresources; foreign workers in thePhilippines; promotion and development ofworkers’ organizations; and promotion anddevelopment of employment-intensivetechnology.

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22) Committee on Education, Arts andCulture. - Fifteen (15) members. Allmatters relating to education, schools,colleges, universities; implementation of theprovisions of the Constitution regarding theestablishment of free public elementary andsecondary education, scholarships, grants,subsidies and incentives to deservingstudents; non-formal, informal, indigenouslearning systems, and adult education; thepreservation, enrichment and evolution ofFilipino arts and culture; establishment andmaintenance of libraries, museums,shrines, monuments, and other historicalsites and edifices; training programs andcultural and artistic programs ofinternational institutions and organizationsoperating in the Philippines, such as theUNESCO; and special commemorativeevents such as the observance of thecentennial of Philippine Independence.

23) Committee on Health and Demography.- Eleven (11) members. All matters relatingto public health in general, medical, hospitaland quarantine services; population issues,concerns, policies and programs affectingindividuals and their families, their effectson national, social and economicconditions.

24) Committee on Environment and NaturalResources. - Fifteen (15) members. Allmatters relating to the conservation andprotection of the environment, the regulationof the impact of human activities on the

same, the promotion of environmentalawareness of our citizens, the renewal ofresources in damaged eco-systems andother environment-related issues; and allmatters relating to the administration,management, development, protection,exploration, storage, renewal, regulationand licensing, and wise utilization of thecountry’s national reserves including, but notlimited to, forest, mineral, public land, off-shore areas and the development ofindustries based on these resources.

25) Committee on Energy. - Fifteen (15)members. All matters relating to theexploration, exploitation, development,extraction, importation, refining, transport,marketing, distribution, conservation, orstorage of all forms of energy products andresources such as from fossil fuels likepetroleum, coal, natural gas and gas liquids,nuclear fuel resources; geothermalresources and non-conventional, existingand potential forms of energy resources;and generation, transmission anddistribution of electric power.

26) Committee on Science and Technology.- Seven (7) members. All matters relatingto science and technology, includingscientific and technological research,development and advancement.

27) Committee on Social Justice, Welfareand Rural Development. - Seven (7)members. All matters relating to rural

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development and welfare, and theimplementation of the provisions of theConstitution on social justice.

28) Committee on Public Services. - Eleven(11) members. All matters affecting publicservices and utilities; communications; land,air, river and sea transportation includingrailroads, inter-island navigation, andlighthouses; and the grant or amendmentof legislative franchises.

29) Committee on Public Information andMass Media. - Nine (9) members. Allmatters relating to public information, masscommunication and broadcast services;the implementation of the provisions of theConstitution regarding ownership andmanagement of mass media and theadvertising industry; the development andpromotion of information technology; andall matters relating to the artistic standardsand quality of the motion picture andtelevision industry.

30) Committee on ConstitutionalAmendments, Revision of Codes andLaws.1- Eleven (11) members. All mattersproposing amendments to the Constitutionof the Philippines and the compilation andrevision of existing codes and laws.

31) Committee on Civil Service andGovernment Reorganization. - Seven (7)

members. All matters relating to the CivilService and the status of officers andemployees of the government includingtheir appointment, discipline, retirement;their compensation privileges, benefits andincentives; implementation of theconstitutional provisions on the rights ofgovernment workers to form and join labororganizations; public sector labor-management relations and collectivenegotiation agreements; reorganization ofthe government or any of its branches orinstrumentalities; all human resourcedevelopment programs pertaining to theGovernment; and all other matters relatingto the bureaucracy.

32) Committee on Public Order andDangerous Drugs.2- Nine (9) members.All matters relating to peace and order; thePhilippine National Police; the Bureau ofJail Management and Penology; the Bureauof Fire Protection; private securityagencies; the use, sale, acquisition,possession, cultivation, manufacture anddistribution of prohibited and regulateddrugs and other similar substances asprovided for under pertinent laws, and theprosecution of offenders, rehabilitation ofdrug users and dependents, including theformulation of drug-related policies.

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2As amended by Resolution No. 27, entitled “Resolution toRename the Senate Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs,Amending for the Purpose Section 13 (32) of Rule X of the SenateRules,” adopted by the Senate on 9 November 2010.

1As amended by Resolution No. 56, adopted on 17 August2011.

33) Committee on Youth, Women andFamily Relations. - Nine (9) members. Allmatters relating to the youth, women andfamily relations.

34) Committee on Tourism. - Seven (7)members. All matters relating to tourismand the tourist industry.

35) Committee on Games andAmusement.3 - Nine (9) members. Allmatters relating to games and amusement,such as lotteries, jai-alai, horse-racing, dog-racing, wrestling, boxing, basketball and allother professional sports.

36) Committee on Accountability of PublicOfficers and Investigations. - Seventeen(17) members. All matters relating to,including investigation of, malfeasance,misfeasance and nonfeasance in office byofficers and employees of the government,its branches, agencies, subdivisions andinstrumentalities; implementation of theprovision of the Constitution on nepotism;and investigation of any matter of publicinterest on its own initiative or brought toits attention by any member of the Senate.

37) Committee on Climate Change.4- Nine(9) members. All matters relating topolicies, programs, strategies,

technologies and other innovationsaddressing global warming and climatechange impacts, including, but not limitedto, climate risk management to reducevulnerability associated with climate-sensitive areas and sectors, all mattersrelated to adaptation and mitigation orcontrol of greenhouse gas emissions toenhance resilience and to promotesustainable development, Philipinecompliance with the relevant internationalagreements and cooperation with othercountries.

38) Committee on Electoral Reforms andPeople’s Participation.5 - Eleven (11)members. All matters pertaining to electionlaws and the implementation of theconstitutional provisions on initiative andreferendum on legislative acts; recall ofelective officials; the role and rights ofpeople’s organizations; and sectoral orparty-list representation.

39) Committee on Amateur SportsCompetitiveness.6 Nine (9) members. Allmatters relating to amateur grassroots andelite sports development.

SEC. 14. Whenever necessary, special committeesshall be organized, the membership and jurisdiction ofwhich shall be determined by the Senate President.

3As amended by Resolution No. 71, adopted on 23 Novem-ber 2011.

4As created under Resolution No. 156, adopted on 17 De-cember 2008

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5As created under Resolution No. 56, adopted on 17 August2011.

6As created under Resolution No. 71, adopted on 23November 2011.

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SEC. 15. Although a measure covers subject mattersfalling within the jurisdiction of more than one (1)committee, it shall be referred to not more than two (2)committees: Provided, however, That a motion for referralto a third committee shall be referred to the Committeeon Rules: Provided, further, That measures involving theappropriation of funds or embodying tax or revenueproposals shall respectively be referred also to theCommittee on Finance for the appropriation aspect or tothe Committee on Ways and Means for the tax or revenueaspect. The first committee mentioned in the order ofreferral shall be the primary committee, mainly responsibleto submit a report to the Senate incorporating therein theappropriate recommendations of the secondarycommittee and the Committee on Finance or theCommittee on Ways and Means, as the case may be.

SEC 16. All appropriations, revenue or tariff bills,bills authorizing increase of public debt, bills of localapplication, and private bills authored and filed byMembers of the Senate shall be initially referred to theCommittee on Rules.

SEC. 17. The transmittal of matters to the committeesmay be done with instructions through a motion by amajority of the Senators present.

SEC. 18. The membership of the permanentcommittees, including their respective Chairmen, shall bechosen by the Senate. The Chairman of each committeemay designate the Vice Chairman or such Vice Chairmenof his committee and create such subcommittees as maybe deemed necessary.

SEC. 19. The Chairman and the members of thepermanent committees shall commence in the exercise

of their duties upon their election. They shall cease whentheir successors shall have been elected or designated.

SEC. 20. The President Pro Tempore and both theMajority and Minority Leaders of the Senate are ex officiomembers of all the permanent committees.

SEC. 21. Whenever a motion regarding who shouldbe a member of a permanent committee is presented, noobjection against the proposed membership of anySenator in particular shall be considered.

The objections, if any, must be formulated againstthe proposed membership therein as a whole.

RULE XIMeetings And Reports

Of The Committees

SEC. 22. Every committee shall determine thefrequency of its regular meetings. If it so desires, acommittee may choose to hold its meetings or hearingson a weekend.

Special meetings may be called by the Chairman ofa committee or by one-third (1/3) of its members, butnotice, including the agenda, place and time of themeeting, shall be given three (3) days in advance to everymember of the committee.

One-third (1/3) of all the regular members of thecommittee shall constitute a quorum but in no case shall itbe less than two (2). The presence of ex officio membersmay be considered in determining the existence of aquorum. However, the committee may authorize a fewer

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number of members to conduct public hearings on billspending before it or to gather facts in aid of legislation.

SEC. 23. Unexplained absences in five (5)successive committee meetings may operate to relinquishregular membership therein.

SEC. 24. The committees shall hold meetings todiscuss, decide and submit a report on all matterstransmitted to them. The report must be approved bymajority of the regular and ex officio members thereof.

Where a subcommittee is created to conducthearings on a bill or resolution referred to a committee,the report of the subcommittee shall be submitted to thecommittee through its Chairman, for its appropriate actionbefore the report is submitted to the Senate.

If the committee fails to act on the report of asubcommittee within thirty (30) session days from itssubmission, if the Senate is in regular session, or withinten (10) session days in case of special session, thecommittee shall be deemed to have waived its right toact on the same, in which case, five (5) Senators maymove in writing for the inclusion of the subcommittee reportin the Calendar for Ordinary Business and the Presidentshall so order it.

A regular member of the committee shall bepresumed to have concurred in the report and shall beprecluded from opposing the same unless he enters hisobjection thereto or files with the Secretary of the Senatehis dissenting vote within two (2) session days after theCommittee Report is included in the Order of Businessor unless, upon satisfactory explanation made by themember concerned, the President should allow otherwise.

SEC. 25. Should a secondary committee submit itsreport without the report of the primary committee havingbeen submitted, such report of the secondary committeewill be referred to the Committee on Rules for properdisposition.

SEC. 26. In case a bill or joint resolution is reportedout by a committee which contains an appropriation,revenue or tax aspect, the report shall be referred by theprimary committee to the Committee on Finance or to theCommittee on Ways and Means, as the case may be.

SEC. 27. If the secondary committee fails to submitits recommendations within two (2) weeks from request,it shall be deemed to have waived its right to make arecommendation, in which case the primary committeemay report out the measure.

SEC. 28. Whenever two (2) committees submitconflicting reports, both reports shall be referred to theCommittee on Rules.

SEC. 29. Reports on privileged subjects shall besubmitted to the Senate while in session, either by theChairman of the committee or a duly authorized memberthereof, and the same may not be withdrawn on petitionof the Chairman or the committee itself without the consentof the Senate.

SEC. 30. If the reports submitted are unfavorable,they shall be transmitted to the Archives of the Senatetogether with the matters to which they refer, unless five(5) Senators shall in the following session move for theirinclusion in the Calendar for Ordinary Business, in whichcase the President shall so order.

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SEC. 31. Should any committee fail to render a reporton any bill or resolution referred to it within thirty (30)session days after such reference, if the Senate is inregular session, or within ten (10) session days in case ofspecial sessions, five (5) Senators may move, in writing,for its inclusion in the Calendar for Ordinary Business andthe President shall so order it.

SEC. 32. When a report is returned to a committeeor is transmitted to another, unless it is returned forpurposes of conducting further public hearings on newmatters arising after the report, all previous proceedingsin connection therewith shall be deemed to be void andthat matter in question shall revert to its original status.

SEC. 33. The following committees are authorizedto submit at any time their reports on any matter withintheir jurisdiction: The Committee on Rules; the Committeeon Finance; and the Committee on Accounts.

SEC. 34. The motion for the study of any reportsubmitted by the Committee on Rules shall always be inorder, and while the report is pending consideration nomotion may be entertained unless it is a motion to adjourn;if this latter motion is disapproved, no dilatory motion onthe aforesaid report shall be admitted.

RULE XIIReports Of Conference Committees

SEC. 35. In the event that the Senate does not agreewith the House of Representatives on the provision of anybill or joint resolution, the differences shall be settled by aconference committee of both Houses which shall meetwithin ten (10) days after their composition.

The President shall designate the members of theSenate panel in the conference committee with theapproval of the Senate.

Each Conference Committee Report shall contain adetailed and sufficiently explicit statement of the changesin, or amendments to the subject measure, and shall besigned by a majority of the members of each House panel,voting separately.

A comparative presentation of the conflicting Houseand Senate provisions and a reconciled version thereofwith the explanatory statement of the conferencecommittee shall be attached to the report.

The consideration of such report shall not be in orderunless the report has been filed with the Secretary of theSenate and copies thereof have been distributed to theMembers.

The presentation of reports of conferencecommittees shall always be in order when available,except when the Journal is being read or a question oforder or a motion to adjourn is pending, or while the Senateis voting or ascertaining the presence of a quorum; andwhen received, the question of proceeding to theconsideration of the report shall be determined withoutdebate.

RULE XIIISpecial Orders

SEC. 36. By means of a motion approved by amajority of the Senators present, the Chair shall assignfor consideration, as a Special Order, any matter which

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has been reported out by the corresponding committeeor which does not require such report.

SEC. 37. Whenever two or more matters shall havebeen designated for consideration as a Special Order,they shall be considered successively, unless a majorityof the Senators present decide otherwise.

SEC. 38. If, after a matter has been assigned forconsideration, the Senate is unable to consider it on theappointed day, said matter shall retain its correspondingplace in the Calendar for Special Orders, unless a majorityof the Senators present decide otherwise.

SEC. 39. Matters which the Senate has alreadybegun to discuss and whose consideration has beensuspended without a prior motion expressly requestingtheir postponement shall occupy a place of preference inthe Calendar for Special Orders of the next session, inthe order in which they were called.

RULE XIVSenate Sessions

SEC. 40. The Senate shall meet in session at threeo’clock in the afternoon on week days, except when theSenate decides otherwise. When the session is ongoing,no committee meeting or hearing under Rule XI shall beheld.

SEC. 41. The President may postpone, afterconsultation with the Majority Leader and the MinorityLeader, respectively, the holding of the session on a dayto day adjournment due to force majeure or the occurrenceof an emergency which may prevent the convening of theSenate.

SEC. 42. The Senate shall convene once every yearfor its regular session. It shall continue to be in session forsuch number of days as it may determine in its legislativecalendar, subject only to such limitations as may beprovided by the Constitution: Provided, That the Presidentof the Senate, in consultation with the Majority and MinorityLeaders and upon agreement with the Speaker of theHouse of Representatives, may reconvene the Senate insession without need of a call by the President of thePhilippines, at any time during a recess as provided inthe legislative calendar, to consider urgent legislativematters; or in case of a vacancy in the Office of the VicePresident, to confirm the nominee of the President for theposition in accordance with Section 9, Article VII of theConstitution, or to determine the inability of the Presidentof the Philippines to discharge the powers and duties ofhis office upon the written declaration of a majority of allthe Members of the Cabinet in accordance with Section11, Article VII of the Constitution, or convene in joint sessionduring any voluntary or compulsory recess to:

(a) Canvass the votes for President and VicePresident not later than thirty (30) days afterthe day of the elections in accordance withSection 4, Article VII of the Constitution;

(b) Determine the validity of the proclamation ofmartial law or the suspension of the privilegeof the writ of habeas corpus by the Presidentof the Philippines, or to revoke suchproclamation or suspension, or extend thesame if the invasion or rebellion shall persistand public safety requires it.

SEC. 43. On the first day of each week, the Senateshall observe a one-minute prayer or invocation to be ledby a Member of the Senate, followed by the singing of the

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National Anthem. On every session day thereafter, theprayer or invocation, as the case may be, shallimmediately follow the opening of the session.

RULE XVQuorum

SEC. 44. Except during the election of officers asprovided in Section 2, a majority of the Senators shallconstitute a quorum and, in its absence, a smaller numbermay adjourn from day to day and may compel theattendance of absent Members in the manner providedin Section 99 hereof.

SEC. 45. Should the question of lack of quorum beraised, the Chair, without debate, shall immediatelyproceed to a verification thereof by causing the readingof the roll of the Senators and announcing forthwith theresult.

RULE XVICalendars

SEC. 46. The Senate shall have three calendars, towit:

A “Calendar for Ordinary Business” in which shallbe included the bills reported out by the committees inthe order in which they were received by the Office of theSecretary, the bills whose consideration has been agreedupon by the Senate without setting the dates on which toeffect it; and, also the bills whose consideration has beenpostponed indefinitely;

A “Calendar for Special Orders” in which the billsand resolutions shall be arranged successively andchronologically, according to the order in which they wereassigned for consideration; and

A “Calendar for Third Reading” in which shall beincluded all bills and joint resolutions approved on secondreading.

RULE XVIIMessages

SEC. 47. Messages of the President of thePhilippines and those from the House of Representativesmay be read at any time by the Senate, except duringvoting or the reading of the Journal or when a point oforder or a motion to adjourn is pending resolution.

SEC. 48. The Secretary shall duly inform the Houseof Representatives of the action taken by the Senate onany bill or resolution originating in the House ofRepresentatives or request the latter’s approval of the billsor resolutions approved by the Senate. The Secretary shalllikewise transmit either by himself or by any of his dulyauthorized representatives any message orcommunication of the Senate.

RULE XVIIIOrder Of Business

SEC. 49. The Secretary shall prepare for eachsession an Order of Business in which shall be listed:

a) Prayer.

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b) National Anthem (every Monday only).c) Roll call.d) Reading and Approval of the Journal of the

previous session.e) Reference of Business:

1) Messages of the President of thePhilippines.

2) Messages from the House ofRepresentatives.

3) First reading and reference tocommittees of bills or proposedresolutions.

4) Communications, petitions andmemorials.

5) Committee reports.

f) Unfinished business.g) Business for the day.h) Business for a certain date.i) Unassigned business.j) Bills and joint resolutions on Third Reading.

SEC. 50. The matters mentioned in the precedingsection which have to be acted upon by the Senate shallbe referred to the proper committee; otherwise, they shallbe transmitted to the Archives of the Senate.

RULE XIXJournal

SEC. 51. The Senate shall keep a Journal of itsproceedings which shall contain a succinct and accurateaccount of what has taken place in every session.

SEC. 52. The following shall be inserted in full in theJournal:

a) The proclamation issued by the President ofthe Philippines to convene Congress.

b) The titles of the bills and resolutions presentedby any Member of the Senate.

c) The objections to the legislative measuresvetoed by the President of the Philippines,together with the ayes and nays of the Senatorson each vetoed measure.

d) All nominal votings.

And in condensed form:

a) Messages of the President of the Philippines.

b) Messages from the House of Representatives.

c) Petitions.

d) Communications.

e) Memorials.

It shall also include a list of Members who respondedto the roll call, those who arrived at the session hall afterthe roll call, and those who are on official business/missionauthorized by the Senate President. Those who are absentshall be so recorded.

SEC. 53. The reading of the Journal shall not beinterrupted or suspended except by unanimous consent

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of the Senate, and no motion to amend it shall beentertained once it has been read and approved.

SEC. 54. The reading of the Journal may bedispensed with by unanimous consent, in which case theJournal shall be deemed to have been approved.

SEC. 55. If a Senator finds any error in the Journal,the reading of which was dispensed with, he shall, verballyin open session, call the attention of the Senate to thisfact and move for its correction not later than three (3)session days subsequent to that in which the reading ofsaid Journal was dispensed with.

SEC. 56. The Journal of the Senate shall from timeto time be printed and published under the direction ofthe Secretary, and its distribution and the number of copiesto be printed shall be determined by the Senate in aresolution to that effect.

RULE XXRecord Of The Senate

SEC. 57. The Senate shall keep and preserve aRecord of its sessions which shall be printed andpublished.

The said Record shall reflect in detail everything thathas been said, done and read in the sessions of theSenate, in such a manner as to express faithfullyeverything that takes place therein.

In all cases, the messages of the President of thePhilippines and those from the House of Representativesshall be inserted in toto in the said Record.

SEC. 58. Notwithstanding the provisions of thepreceding section, the speeches of the Senators shall berevised in style and form prior to their publication.

To this end, the Debate Reporters Service shalltransmit to their respective authors a copy of theirspeeches for correction within a period of seven (7) dayscounted from the date of receipt thereof by such authors.

If the author of the aforementioned speeches fails tomake the correction or revision within the period statedabove, it shall be understood that he delegates the saidrevision or correction to the Debate Reporters Service.

Persons soliciting copies of these speeches shallbe furnished only after such revision has beenaccomplished.

RULE XXIRequisites Of Bills

SEC. 59. Every bill or resolution must be signed byone or more Senators.

If its author is the committee called to study it andrecommendations relative thereto are made inaccordance with Rule XI, the measure should be signedby the chairman of the committee or by the member whotakes his place and should be submitted with thecorresponding report attached thereto.

SEC. 60. Consolidated and Substitute Bills - Aconsolidated or substitute bill made by a committee shallhave as authors every member who has signed any of theoriginal bills or resolutions consolidated or substituted for,

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in the order their names appear in the latter and accordingto the date of the filing thereof. In case the Chairman orany member of the committee desires to be an author ofthe consolidated or substitute bill, his name shall be addedafter the name of the last author listed in accordance withthe order provided herein.

RULE XXIIFiling And ConsiderationOf Bills And Resolutions

SEC. 61. All bills and resolutions shall be filed withthe Office of the Secretary whether the Senate is insession or not.

SEC. 62. No bill or joint resolution reported out by acommittee within ten (10) days prior to the closing of theordinary session shall be considered unless it be with theexpress consent of a majority of the Senators present.This Rule may not be suspended impliedly.

SEC. 63. Simple and concurrent resolutions shallbe presented at least one (1) day before theirconsideration, unless a majority of the Senators presentdecide otherwise.

RULE XXIIIReading Of Bills

And Joint Resolutions

SEC. 64. Prior to their final approval, bills and jointresolutions shall be read at least three times.

SEC. 65. For the purpose of this Rule, bills shall beconsidered as read:

On First Reading, when they are read for transmittalto the corresponding committee.

This provision to the contrary notwithstanding, whena committee bill is presented with a report, the reading ofthe same, together with the title of the bill, shall beconsidered as First Reading.

On Second Reading, when they are sponsored andsubmitted for the consideration of, and amendment by,the Senate.

On Third Reading, when after having been approvedon Second Reading, they are submitted with or withoutamendments for the approval of the Senate.

SEC. 66. The First Reading shall be confined to itstitle; the Second shall consist in the reading of the bill inthe form recommended by the corresponding committee;and the Third, in the form it will be after approval onSecond Reading.

SEC. 67. Notwithstanding the preceding section, theSecond and Third Readings may be limited only to thetitle of the bill or resolution, if a motion to that effect isapproved by a majority of the Senators present.

SEC. 68. No bill shall be passed by the Senate unlessit has passed three (3) readings on separate days, andprinted copies thereof in its final form have beendistributed to the members three (3) days before itspassage, except when the President of the Philippinescertifies to the necessity of its immediate enactment tomeet a public calamity or emergency pursuant to Section26, Subsection 2, Article VI of the Constitution.

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A bill or joint resolution filed as a substitute or aconsolidated version of a bill or joint resolution previouslycertified by the President pursuant to Section 26,Subsection 2, Article VI of the Constitution shall likewisebe certified for it to be considered for immediateenactment by the Senate.

RULE XXIVConsideration Of The MattersAppearing In The Calendar

For Special Orders

SEC. 69. After the opening of the session and thedispatch and assignment of the various matters appearingin the Order of Business, the President shall declare inorder, in the arrangement in which they appear, theconsideration of the matters contained in the Calendarfor Special Orders.

SEC. 70. Notwithstanding the provisions of thepreceding section regarding the order of succession, theSenate may, through a motion and with the support of amajority of the Senators present, forthwith consider anyother measure.

RULE XXVConsideration Of, And Debates On, Bills

SEC. 71. The Senate shall adopt the followingprocedure in the consideration of bills and joint resolutions:

a) Second reading of the bill.b) Sponsorship by the committee chairman, or

by any member designated by the committee.c) If a debate ensues, turns for and against the

bill shall be taken alternately: Provided,

however, That any committee member whofails to enter his objection or to make of recordhis dissenting vote after it shall have beenincluded in the Order of Business and read tothe Senate in accordance with the secondparagraph of Section 24 hereof, shall not beallowed to speak against the bill during theperiod of general debate although he maypropose and speak or vote on amendmentsthereto.

d) The sponsor of the bill or author of the motionshall have the right to close the debate.

e) With the debate closed, the consideration ofamendments, if any, shall be in order.

f) After the period of amendments, the voting ofthe bill on Second Reading.

g) Bills shall be submitted to final vote by yeasand nays after printed copies thereof in finalform have been distributed to the Members atleast three (3) days prior to their passageexcept when the President of the Philippinescertifies to the necessity of their immediateenactment to meet a public calamity oremergency, in which case the voting on ThirdReading may take place immediately afterSecond Reading.

SEC. 72. Simple or concurrent resolutions shall notbe subject to the procedure for Second and ThirdReadings prescribed in Section 71.

RULE XXVIManner Of Having The Floor

SEC. 73. Whenever a Senator wishes to speak, he

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shall rise and request the President or the PresidingOfficer to allow him to have the floor, which consent shallbe necessary before he may proceed.

If various Senators wish to have the floor, thePresident or Presiding Officer shall recognize the one whofirst made the request.

SEC. 74. No Senator shall interrupt another withoutthe latter’s consent, which may not be obtained exceptthrough the President or Presiding Officer.

RULE XXVIIDuration Of Debates

SEC. 75. The sponsor may consume as much timeas he deems necessary to express the contents andpurposes of the bill. Subsequent speakers for or againsta bill may consume two (2) hours each for debates onbills or other matters, provided they are not onamendments.

SEC. 76. On amendments, not more than thirty (30)minutes may be consumed by each speaker.

SEC. 77. The time spent in parliamentaryinterpellations shall be discounted from the period allowedfor debates.

SEC. 78. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Ruleregarding the time that each speaker may consume, theSenate may reduce or extend it with the consent of amajority of the Senators present when by reason of thenature or urgency of the bill the public interest so requires.

RULE XXVIIIBills With Preamble

SEC. 79. When a bill or resolution with a preambleis submitted to a vote, the body of the measure shall firstbe voted on, and, afterwards, the preamble. Its author orthe committee which reported the said bill or resolutionmay withdraw the preamble at any time before nominalvoting thereon. Thereafter, upon motion duly made, thepreamble may be placed on the table and such act shallnot affect the status of the bill itself.

RULE XXIXAmendments

SEC. 80. All bills and resolutions shall be subject toamendments; but in order that the amendments may beconsidered, they should be presented concretely andspecifically in the course of the debate, indicating thereinthe page and the line in which the amendments areproposed to be made, and in writing if a majority of theSenators present so decide.

SEC. 81. Whenever a Senator wishes to retain in ameasure some words or phrases which have beensubstituted or deleted by the committee that reported it,an amendment to that effect must be presented as if suchwords or phrases have never appeared on the bill.

SEC. 82. Not more than one (1) amendment to theoriginal amendment shall be considered.

No amendment by substitution shall be entertainedunless the text thereof is submitted in writing.

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Any of said amendments may be withdrawn beforea vote is taken thereon.

SEC. 83. No amendment which seeks the inclusionof a legislative provision foreign to the subject matter of abill (rider) shall be entertained.

SEC. 84. No amendment setting aside sums ofmoney for the payment of a claim shall be entertained inan appropriation bill, unless it be to comply with theprovisions of a certain law, or with the terms of anagreement duly entered into by the Government, and allthese shall be set forth in the proposed amendment.

SEC. 85. A bill or resolution shall not be amendedby substituting it with another which covers a subjectdistinct from that proposed in the original bill orresolution.

SEC. 86. Amendments to the title of a bill or resolutionshall be in order after the text thereof has been perfected.

RULE XXXManner Of Presenting Motions

SEC. 87. Motions other than those subject of Section80 in the preceding Rule may be presented orally, but amajority of the Senators present may require that they bedone in writing and read by the Secretary beforeproceeding to their consideration.

SEC. 88. The sponsor of any motion or measuremay withdraw or modify it before its amendments orresolution or before a nominal vote is ordered on the same;but a motion to reconsider duly seconded may not be

withdrawn without the consent of the one who secondedthe said motion.

RULE XXXIPrecedence Of Motions

SEC. 89. While a motion or bill or resolution is beingdiscussed, no other motion shall be entertained exceptthe following and in the order in which they appear below:

a) Motion to adjourn.b) Motion to set the date for the resumption of the

session.c) Motion to suspend the session.d) Motion to call an executive session.e) Motion to lay on the table any business.f) Motion to postpone indefinitely the

consideration of any business.g) Motion to postpone the consideration of any

business to another date.h) Motion to refer a principal motion to the

corresponding committee.i) Motion to amend.

All motions to adjourn or suspend a session or tohold executive sessions shall be resolved without debate.

RULE XXXIIPrivileged Motions

SEC. 90. The following shall be considered privilegedmotions:

a) Motion to adjourn.

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b) Motion to consider appropriation or revenuebills.

c) Motion to consider a bill appearing on theCalendar, which motion may not be amended.

d) Motion to postpone the consideration of apending measure, without prejudice to thestatus of the bill or to its place in the Calendar.

e) Motion to transpose any matter appearing onthe Calendar.

All the foregoing motions shall not be debatable, andshall have precedence in their consideration accordingto the order abovementioned.

RULE XXXIIIMotion To Reconsider And Its Requisites

SEC. 91. Any Senator who voted with the majoritymay move for the reconsideration of a measure on thesame day it was decided by the Senate or within the nexttwo (2) session days. If the Senate disapproves themotion, no other motion to reconsider shall be entertainedunless it be by unanimous consent.

SEC. 92. If a motion for reconsideration, approvedby the Senate, refers to a measure already with the Houseof Representatives, an advice shall be sent to the latterwith a request for the return of the measure and to renderineffective any action taken thereon.

RULE XXXIVUnparliamentary Acts And Language

SEC. 93. Acts and language which offend a Senatoror any public institution shall be deemed unparliamentary.

SEC. 94. No Senator, under any circumstances, shalluse offensive or improper language against anotherSenator or against any public institution.

SEC. 95. When a Senator, by word or deed, violatesany Rule of the Senate, the President, motu proprio or atthe instance of another Senator, may call him to order.The Senator concerned shall immediately take his seat ifhe happens to have the floor; and, in case the point oforder raised has been sustained by the President orPresiding Officer, said Senator shall not continue speakingwithout the consent of the Senate. The motion permittingthe Senator concerned to continue speaking shall beresolved without debate.

SEC. 96. When a Senator is called to order for usingunparliamentary language, any other Senator may ask thatthe objectionable words be read for the information anddecision of the Senate.

SEC. 97. Upon the recommendation of theCommittee on Ethics and Privileges, the Senate maypunish any Member for disorderly behavior and, with theconcurrence of two-thirds (2/3) of the entire membership,suspend or expel a Member. A penalty of suspensionshall not exceed sixty (60) calendar days.

RULE XXXVSuspension And Adjournment Of The Session

SEC. 98. Except as provided in Section 41, RuleXIV, hereof, the President of the Senate cannot suspendor adjourn a session of the Senate without a previousmotion or resolution to that effect, which should beapproved by a majority vote of the Senators present.

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SEC. 99. Notwithstanding the provision of thepreceding section, the lack of quorum shall compel thePresident to adjourn the session, unless, by means ofmotion, which shall not be subject to debate, a majority ofthe Senators present agree to its suspension and ask thePresident or Presiding Officer to order the Sergeant-at-Arms to require the appearance of the absent Membersor, if it is deemed necessary, to order their arrest so as toform the necessary quorum.

SEC. 100. The Senate adjourns for a congressionalrecess:

a) In compliance with its legislative calendar.b) At the end of the regular session thirty (30) days

before the next regular session, exclusive ofSaturdays, Sundays and Holidays.

c) At the end of a special session of Congress.d) Upon the termination of the term of a

Congress.

Recess includes:

a) The period of time between the adjournmentof the regular session and the convening of thenext regular session of the same Congress.

b) The intervening period of time between theadjournment of a regular session, and theconvening of the special session of the sameCongress.

c) The intervening period of time between theadjournment of a special session, and theconvening of the next regular session of thesame Congress.

d) The intervening period of time between the endof a session and its resumption on a fixed date

as provided in the legislative calendar otherthan the adjournment of the annual regularsession.

RULE XXXVIConcurrence In Treaties

SEC. 101. When a treaty is received in the Senatefor its concurrence, the same shall be referred to theCommittee on Foreign Relations. After the Committeehas reported the treaty to the Senate, the Second Readingof the treaty shall take place and during this period it shallbe opened to general debate and to amendments. Afterthe close of the debate, the treaty shall be voted upon andonce approved shall pass to its Third Reading.

Any action taken by the Senate on the treaty shall beset forth in a resolution prepared by the Committee onForeign Relations. This resolution shall be printed anddistributed to the Senators as a bill on Third Reading.

Three (3) days after the distribution of the resolutionof the Senate with printed copies of the treaty attachedthereto, the resolution shall be submitted for nominal votingand, if two-thirds (2/3) of all the Senators approve it, thetreaty shall be deemed approved, and in the contrarycase, disapproved.

Consideration of the treaty shall be resumed fromsession to session until final approval or non-approval.

All proceedings on treaties shall terminate upon theexpiration of the term of the Senators elected in thepreceding elections and the same shall be taken up inthe succeeding sessions of the Senate, as if presentedfor the first time.

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RULE XXXVIIReading And Inclusion Of Certain Documents

SEC. 102. The reading and inclusion of anydocument in the Record of the Senate as well as in theJournal may be ordered upon request of a Senator afterhis brief explanation of the object of his request; but ifobjected to, the motion shall be submitted to a vote withoutdebate.

SEC. 103. The reading and inclusion of documentsthat are not of public interest shall not be allowed.

SEC. 104. No written explanation of vote, speech orany other document shall be included in the Record aswell as in the Journal if the member manifesting hisinterest to have the same included fails to submit suchdocument within seven (7) days from the time he madethe manifestation.

RULE XXXVIIIPoint Of Order

SEC. 105. All points of order may be raised at anytime during the session and the President shall resolvethem. The decisions of the President may be appealedto the Senate upon motion of any Senator.

The motion to lay on the table an appeal shall alwaysbe in order, and if the Senate resolves the motion in theaffirmative, the decision of the President or PresidingOfficer shall be deemed to have been sustained.

SEC. 106. It shall be discretionary for the Presidentto submit to the Senate for resolution any point of orderwhich may be raised.

RULE XXXIXQuestion Of Privilege

SEC. 107. Questions of privilege are those affectingthe rights, privileges, reputation, conduct, decorum anddignity of the Senate or of its Members as well as theintegrity of its proceedings.

SEC. 108. When there is no quorum or when the rollis being called, no question of privilege may be raisedunless it relates to the procedure of ascertaining theexistence of said quorum.

SEC. 109. Only the motion to adjourn shall haveprecedence over questions of privilege and privilegedmotions.

RULE XLPrivilege To Speak On Matters

Of Public Interest

SEC. 110. After the consideration of the matterscontained in the Calendar for Special Orders, a Senatormay forthwith request for and avail of the privilege to speakfor one (1) hour on any matter of public interest.

If more than one (1) Senator wish to avail of the sameprivilege, the Senator who first announced his intentionshall be given priority.

The period of time allowed in this section may, uponmotion of the Senator on the floor, be extended for suchtime as may be necessary for him to finish his speechunless a majority of all Senators vote against suchextension.

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RULE XLIVoting

SEC. 111. Voting shall be:

a) By viva voce.b) Nominal.

SEC. 112. In votings by viva voce the affirmative voteshall be taken first, and then the negative vote.

SEC. 113. If there is any doubt as to the result, thePresident, on his own initiative or upon petition of anySenator, shall proceed to the counting of the affirmativeand the negative votes.

In this case, the President shall request the Senatorswho voted in the affirmative to raise their hands and, aftertaking note of their number, he shall request those whovoted in the negative to do the same.

After counting the votes, he shall announce the finalresult.

SEC. 114. In nominal votings, the Secretary shall callalphabetically the names of the Senators present and eachSenator shall answer “yes” or “no” upon being called.

Immediately thereafter, the Secretary shall inform thePresident about the result of the voting, and the latterforthwith shall in turn announce it to the Senate.

SEC. 115. The voting shall always be nominalwhenever it concerns:

a) Bills or joint resolutions.b) Bills or joint resolutions vetoed by the President

of the Philippines.

c) Resolutions relative to treaties.d) Any other matter, if one-fifth (1/5) of the

Senators present request it.

SEC. 116. The President shall not be obliged to voteexcept when his vote is decisive.

SEC. 117. The vote of a Senator absent from thesession at the moment he is called to vote shall not becounted.

SEC. 118. No Senator shall be permitted to vote onany measure after the President has announced the resultof the voting.

SEC. 119. Voting shall not be interrupted except ona question of quorum.

RULE XLIIUnanimous Consent

SEC. 120. The unanimous consent to any action orproceeding may be given expressly or impliedly.

RULE XLIIISuspension Of The Rules

SEC. 121. The Rules shall be suspended only whena motion presented by the Committee on Rules to thateffect is approved by a majority of the Senators present,there being a quorum.

SEC. 122. When a motion to suspend the Rules ispending, one motion to adjourn may be entertained. If the

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latter is lost, no similar motion shall be entertained untilthe vote is taken on the motion to suspend.

If the Senate votes to suspend the Rules, it shallforthwith proceed to consider the measure.

RULE XLIVUnfinished Business

SEC. 123. Unfinished business at the end of thesession shall be taken up at the next session in the samestatus.

All pending matters and proceedings shall terminateupon the expiration of one (1) Congress, but may be takenby the succeeding Congress as if presented for the firsttime.

RULE XLVPetitions And Memorials

Of Private Persons Or Foreign States

SEC. 124. The petitions and memorials of privatepersons shall be considered by the Senate only whenclearly and duly signed by their authors. Those comingfrom a foreign national or State should furthermore betransmitted through the Office of the President of theRepublic of the Philippines.

RULE XLVIAppearance Of Cabinet Members

SEC. 125. Any Department Secretary, CabinetMember, the Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

or head of a government financial institution may besummoned by the Senate, through a resolution adoptedby it, or upon his own initiative with the consent of thePresident of the Philippines, appear before the Senate,for information on any matter pertaining to his department.

The resolution adopted by the Senate shall statespecifically and clearly the questions to be answered andthe date and hour when the Department Secretary,Cabinet Member, Governor of the Bangko Sentral ngPilipinas or head of a government financial institution shallappear and give the information desired. No question shallcontain arguments, include offensive or unparliamentarylanguage or expressions; pertain to sub-judice matters;refer to the internal affairs of a foreign country or containunwarranted discourtesy to it.

Within three (3) days from receipt of said resolutions,the Department Secretary, Cabinet Member, Governor ofthe Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or head of a governmentfinancial institution shall appear and answer the questionstherein, unless the Senate requires him to comply therewithat a specified date and time.

Interpellations shall not be limited to written questions,but may cover matters related thereto.

The appearance of a Department Secretary, CabinetMember, the Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinasor head of a government financial institution shall beconducted in executive session when the security of theState or the public interest so requires and the Presidentof the Philippines so states in writing.

The appearance of a Department Secretary, CabinetMember, Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or

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head of a government financial institution shall bescheduled on Tuesdays at five o’clock in the afternoon,unless the Senate decides otherwise.

When a Member of the Cabinet desires to be heardby the Senate on any matter pertaining to his departmentwhich is pending consideration in the Senate, a requestto that effect shall be sent to the President of the Senatefor his approval.

RULE XLVIIExecutive Session

SEC. 126. The executive sessions of the Senate shallbe held always behind closed doors. In such sessions,only the Secretary, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and/or such otherpersons as may be authorized by the Senate may beadmitted to the session hall.

SEC. 127. Executive sessions shall be held whenevera Senator so requests it and his petition has been dulyseconded, or when the security of the State or publicinterest so requires. Thereupon, the President shall orderthat the public be excluded from the gallery and the doorsof the session hall be closed.

The Senator who presented the motion shall thenexplain the reasons which he had for submitting the same.

The minutes of the executive sessions shall berecorded in a separate book.

SEC. 128. The President as well as the Senatorsand the officials and employees of the Senate shallabsolutely refrain from divulging any of the confidential

matters taken up by the Senate, and all proceedings whichmight have taken place in the Senate in connection withthe said matters shall be likewise considered as strictlyconfidential until the Senate, by two-thirds (2/3) vote of allits Members, decides to lift the ban of secrecy.

SEC. 129. Any Senator who violates the provisionscontained in the preceding section may, by a two-thirds(2/3) vote of all the Senators, be expelled from the Senate,and if the violator is an official or employee of the Senate,he shall be dismissed.

SEC. 130. Whenever upon the request of the Senateor of any of its committees, the President of thePhilippines or a Department Secretary sends to theSenate or to any of its committees certain confidentialdocuments in connection with any matter pending therein,all proceedings relative to said documents shall be heldbehind closed doors and shall not be published withoutthe consent of a majority of the Senators present in thesession.

RULE XLVIIIDocuments Filed With The Senate

SEC. 131. All documents filed with the Senate afterconsideration shall be kept and preserved in the Archivesof the Senate. No memorial, petition or any otherdocument confidential in nature may be copied, withdrawnor taken away from the Archives or the Office of theSecretary or of any committee without the permission ofthe Secretary.

SEC. 132. When the documents sought to be copiedor withdrawn are in the opinion of the Senate not

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confidential in nature, the Secretary may issue certifiedcopies thereof.

SEC. 133. Legislative committee secretaries of theSenate Secretariat shall deliver to the Archives withinseven (7) days after final adjournment of the Congress,all papers and documents in their possession which arerelated to legislative measures referred to their respectivecommittees.

RULE XLIXProcedure On Vetoed Bills

SEC. 134. If the President of the Philippines vetoesa bill or any part thereof, he shall return the bill with hisobjections to the House where it originated. If the Senateis the House of origin, it shall enter the objections at largein the Journal, and proceed to reconsider the bill or itemor items vetoed.

During reconsideration, the Senate shall proceedto vote by yeas and nays on the bill or vetoed item oritems thereof. The yeas and nays with the names ofthe Members voting shall be recorded in the Journal. Ifthe bill or vetoed item or items thereof is passed by avote of two-thirds (2/3) of all the Senators, it shall besent together with the objections to the House ofRepresentatives, which shall likewise reconsider thesame.

RULE LSupplementary Rules

SEC. 135. If there is no Rule applicable to a specificcase, the precedents of the Legislative Department of the

Philippines shall be resorted to, and as supplement tothese, the Rules contained in Jefferson’s Manual,Riddick’s Precedents and Practices, and Hind’sPrecedents.

RULE LIAmendments To, Or Revision Of,

The Rules

SEC. 136. At the start of each session in which theSenators elected in the preceding elections shall begintheir term of office, the President may endorse the Rulesto the appropriate committee for amendment or revision.

The Rules may also be amended by means of amotion which should be presented at least one (1) daybefore its consideration, and the vote of the majority ofthe Senators present in the session shall be required forits approval.

RULE LIIDate Of Taking Effect

SEC. 137. These Rules shall take effect on the dateof their adoption and shall remain in force until they areamended or repealed.

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63

Resolution No. 5

RULES OF PROCEDURE

GOVERNING INQUIRIES

IN AID OF LEGISLATION

SECTION 1. Power to Conduct Formal Inquiriesor Investigations. The Senate or any of its Committeesmay conduct formal inquiries or investigations in aid oflegislation in accordance with these Rules.

Such inquiries may refer to the implementation or re-examination of any law or appropriation, or in connectionwith any proposed legislation or the formulation of, or inconnection with future legislation, or will aid in the reviewor formulation of a new legislative policy or enactment.They may also extend to any and all matters vested by theConstitution in Congress and/or in the Senate alone.

Sec. 2. Initiation of Inquiry. Inquiries may beinitiated by the Senate or any of its Committees if thematter is within its competence, or upon petition filed orupon information given by any Senator or by any personnot a member thereof.

Sec. 3. Jurisdictional Challenge. If the jurisdictionof the Committee is challenged on any ground, the saidissue must first be resolved by the Committee beforeproceeding with the inquiry.

Republic of the Philippines

SENATE

If the Committee, by a majority vote of its memberspresent there being a quorum, decides that its inquiry ispertinent or relevant to the implementation or re-examination of any law or appropriation or in connectionwith any pending or proposed legislation or will aid in thereview or formulation of a new legislative policy orenactment, or extends to any and all matters vested bythe Constitution in Congress and/or in the Senate alone,it shall overrule such objection and proceed with theinvestigation.

Only one challenge on the same ground shall bepermitted.

The filing or pendency or any prosecution of criminalor administrative action shall not stop or abate any inquiryto carry out a legislative purpose.

Sec. 4. Quorum. One third of all the regularmembers of the Committee shall constitute a quorum butin no case shall it be less than two. The presence of exofficio members may be considered in determining theexistence of a quorum.

Sec. 5. Petition by Senators. A petition filed orinformation given by a Senator shall set forth the factsupon which it is based. It need not be under oath but maybe accompanied by supporting affidavits.

Such petition or information shall be addressed tothe President, who shall refer the same to the appropriateCommittee.

Nothing in this provision shall preclude the Senatefrom referring to any Committee or Committees anyspeech or resolution filed by any Senator which in its

judgment requires an appropriate inquiry in aid oflegislation.

Sec. 6. Petition by Non-Members. A petition filedor information given by any person not a Member of theSenate shall be under oath, stating the facts upon which itis based, and shall be accompanied by supportingaffidavits.

If the President finds the petition or information to bein accordance with the requirements of this Section, heshall refer the same to the appropriate Committee.

Sec. 7. Inquiry by One or More Committees. ThePresident shall determine the Committee or Committeesto which a speech, resolution, petition or information, asthe case may be, shall be referred: Provided, however,That in case referral is made to two Committees, a jointinvestigation shall be held.

Sec. 8. Preliminary Determination. Except incases of bills and resolutions (which do not call for aninvestigation or inquiry) filed for consideration, theCommittee to which a speech, resolution, petition, orinformation has been referred by the President shall meetwithin five (5) days after such referral, with proper noticeto all its members, in an executive meeting to determinethe action it would take thereon.

A decision to conduct an inquiry shall require theconcurrence of a majority of the members presentprovided there is a quorum.

The decision of a Committee, whether or not toconduct an inquiry, shall be reported to the Committee onRules. The Committee on Rules shall then regularly informthe Senate of such action taken by the Committee.

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Sec. 9. Internal Rules. A Committee which decidesto conduct an inquiry may adopt internal rules of procedurefor such inquiry, subject to these Rules.

Sec. 10. Rule of Evidence. Technical rules ofevidence applicable to judicial proceedings which do notaffect substantive rights need not be observed by theCommittee.

Sec. 11. Executive Session and Public Hearing.(1) If the Committee believes that the interrogation of awitness in a public hearing might endanger nationalsecurity, it may, motu proprio or upon motion of anyinterested party, conduct its inquiry in an executive sessionfor the purpose of determining the necessity or advisabilityof conducting such interrogation thereafter in publichearing; (2) Attendance at executive sessions shall belimited to members of the Committee, its staff, otherMembers of the Senate, and other persons whosepresence is requested or allowed by the Chairman; and(3) Testimony taken or material presented in an executivesession, or any summary thereof, shall not be made public,in whole or in part, unless authorized by the Committee.

Sec. 12. Testimony Under Oath. All witnesses atexecutive sessions or public hearings who testify as tomatters of fact shall give such testimony under oath oraffirmation.

Witnesses may be called by the Committee on itsown initiative or upon the request of the petitioner orperson giving the information or any person who feels thathe may be affected by the said inquiry.

Sec. 13. Transcript of Testimony. A complete andaccurate record shall be kept of all testimonies and

proceedings at hearings, both in public and in executivesessions.

Any witness or his counsel, at his expense, may obtaina transcript of any public testimony of the witness fromthe Committee Secretary.

Any witness or his counsel may also obtain atranscript of his testimonies given in executive sessionsunder the following conditions:

1) When a special release of said testimony priorto public release is authorized by the Chairman;or

2) After said testimony has been made public bythe Committee.

Sec. 14. Right to Counsel. (1) At every hearing,public or executive, every witness shall be accorded theright of having a counsel of his own choice; and (2) Exceptas provided in the Internal Rules of the Committee onEthics and Privileges, the participation of counsel duringthe course of any hearing and while the witness is testifyingshall be limited to advising said witness as to his legalrights. Counsel shall not be permitted to engage in oralargument with the Committee, but shall confine his activityto the area of legal advice to his client.

Sec. 15. Conduct of Counsel. Counsel for awitness shall conduct himself in a professional, ethical andproper manner. His failure to do so shall subject suchcounsel to disciplinary action which may include a warning,censure, removal from the hearing room, or punishmentfor contempt.

In such case of such removal of counsel, the witnessshall have a reasonable time to obtain another counsel.

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Should the witness deliberately or capriciously fail orrefuse to obtain the services of another counsel, thehearing shall continue and the testimony of such witnessshall be taken.

Sec. 16. Statement of Witness. (1) Any witnessdesiring to make a prepared or written statement for therecord shall file a copy of such statement with theCommittee Secretary not less than twenty-four (24) hoursin advance of the hearing at which the statement is to bepresented; and (2) All such statements or portions thereofso received which are relevant and germane to the subjectof investigation may, at the conclusion of the testimony ofthe witness, be inserted in the official transcript of theproceedings.

Sec. 17. Powers of the Committee. TheCommittee shall have the powers of an investigatingcommittee, including the power to summon witnesses andtake their testimony and to issue subpoena and subpoenaduces tecum, signed by its Chairman, or in his absenceby the Acting Chairman, and approved by the President.Within Metro Manila, such process shall be served by theSergeant-at-Arms or his assistant. Outside of MetroManila, service may be made by the police of amunicipality or city, upon request of the Secretary.

Witnesses who are not government officialssummoned by the Committee shall be entitled, uponrequest, subject to the approval of the President, toreasonable transportation expenses, plus such amountsas may be deemed necessary to defray the cost of hisstay in Metro Manila on a day-to-day basis.

Sec. 18. Contempt. The Committee, by a vote of amajority of all its members, may punish for contempt any

witness before it who disobeys any order of theCommittee or refuses to be sworn or to testify or to answera proper question by the Committee or any of its members,or testifying, testifies falsely or evasively. A contempt ofthe Committee shall be deemed a contempt of the Senate.Such witness may be ordered by the Committee to bedetained in such place as it may designate under thecustody of the Sergeant-at-Arms until he agrees toproduce the required documents, or to be sworn or totestify, or otherwise purge himself of that contempt.

Sec. 19. Privilege Against Self-Incrimination. Awitness can invoke his right against self-incrimination onlywhen a question which tends to elicit an answer that willincriminate him is propounded to him. However, he mayoffer to answer any question in an executive session.

No person can refuse to testify or be placed underoath or affirmation or answer questions before anincriminatory question is asked. His invocation of suchright does not by itself excuse him from his duty to givetestimony.

In such a case, the Committee, by a majority vote ofthe members present there being a quorum, shalldetermine whether the right has been properly invoked. Ifthe Committee decides otherwise, it shall resume itsinvestigation and the question or questions previouslyrefused to be answered shall be repeated to the witness.If the latter continues to refuse to answer the question, theCommittee may punish him for contempt for contumaciousconduct.

Sec. 20. Subcommittees; Delegation ofAuthority. The Chairman of a Committee may createsubcommittees as may be deemed necessary for the

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purpose of performing any and all acts which theCommittee as a whole is authorized to do and perform,except the power to punish for contempt under Section18 hereof.

Sec. 21. General Counsel. The followingcommittees shall have their respective counsel:Committee on Accountability of Public Officers andInvestigations; Committee on Ethics and Privileges;Committee on Justice and Human Rights; and theOversight Committee on Government Operations.

Sec. 22. Report of Committee. Within fifteen (15)days after the conclusion of the inquiry, the Committeeshall meet to begin the consideration of its Report.

The Report shall be approved by a majority vote ofall its members. Concurring and dissenting reports maylikewise be made by the members who do not sign themajority report within seventy-two (72) hours from theapproval of the report. The number of members who signreports concurring in the conclusions of the CommitteeReport shall be taken into account in determining whetherthe Report has been approved by a majority of themembers: Provided, That the vote of a member whosubmits both a concurring and dissenting opinion shallnot be considered as part of the majority unless heexpressly indicates his vote for the majority position.

The Report, together with any concurring and/ordissenting opinions, shall be filed with the Secretary ofthe Senate, who shall include the same in the next Orderof Business.

Sec. 23. Action on Report. The Report, uponinclusion in the Order of Business, shall be referred to theCommittee on Rules for assignment in the Calendar.

* The Rules of Procedure Governing Inquiries in Aid ofLegislation was adopted by the Senate on 9 August 2010 and waspublished in the 11 August 2010 issue of the Malaya (p.B-3) and theManila Bulletin (p.7). This Rules can be accessed at the Senatewebsite: www.senate.gov.ph.

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Sec. 24. Effectivity. These Rules shall take effectafter seven (7) days following complete publication in two(2) newspapers of general circulation and shall remain inforce until amended or repealed. A copy of these Rulesshall be posted on the official website of the Senate ofthe Philipines.*

Adopted,

JUAN PONCE ENRILEPresident of the Senate

This Resolution was adopted by the Senate onAugust 9, 2010.

EMMA LIRIO-REYESSecretary of the Senate

Resolution No. 39

RESOLUTION ADOPTING

THE RULES OF PROCEDURE

ON IMPEACHMENT TRIALS

Resolved by the Senate, To adopt, as it herebyadopts, the following:

Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials

I. When the Senate receives articles ofimpeachment pursuant to Article XI, Sections2 and 3 of the Constitution, the President ofthe Senate shall inform the House ofRepresentatives that the Senate shall takeproper order on the subject of impeachmentand shall be ready to receive the prosecutorson such time and date as the Senate mayspecify.

II. When the President of the Philippines is on trial,the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shallpreside but shall not vote. Notice shall be givento him by the President of the Senate of thetime and place fixed for the consideration ofthe articles of impeachment, with a request toattend. The Chief Justice shall be administeredthe oath or affirmation, prescribed under these

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Republic of the Philippines

SENATE

Rules, by the President of the Senate and shallpreside over the Senate during theconsideration of said articles and upon the trialof the person impeached.

The President of the Senate shall preside in allother cases of impeachment and, for thatpurpose, placed under the prescribed oath oraffirmation by any person authorized by law toadminister an oath.

III. Before proceeding to the consideration of thearticles of impeachment, the Presiding Officershall administer the prescribed oath oraffirmation to the Members of the Senate thenpresent and to the other Members of theSenate as they shall appear, whose duty it shallbe to take the same.

Upon presentation of the articles to the Senate,the Senate shall specify the date and time forthe consideration of such articles. Unless theSenate provides otherwise, it shall continue insession from day to day (except Saturdays,Sundays, and nonworking holidays) until finaljudgment shall be rendered, and so muchlonger as may, in its judgment, be necessary.

Senators shall observe political neutrality duringthe course of the impeachment trial. “Politicalneutrality” shall be defined as exercise of publicofficial’s duty without unfair discrimination andregardless of party affiliation or preference.

IV. The Presiding Officer shall have the power tomake and issue, by himself or by the Secretaryof the Senate, all orders, mandates, and writs

authorized by these Rules or by the Senate,and to make and enforce such other regulationsand orders in the premises as the Senate mayauthorize or provide.

V. The Senate shall have power to compel theattendance of witnesses, to enforce obedienceto its orders, mandates, writs, and judgments,to preserve order, and to punish in a summaryway contempts of, and disobedience to, itsauthority, orders, mandates, writs, or judgments,and to make all lawful orders, rules, andregulations which it may deem essential orconducive to the ends of justice. And theSergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, under thedirection of the President of the Senate, mayemploy such aid and assistance as may benecessary to enforce, execute, and carry intoeffect the lawful orders, mandates, and writs ofthe Senate.

VI. The President of the Senate or the Chief Justicewhen presiding on the trial may rule on allquestions of evidence including, but not limitedto, questions of materiality, relevancy,competency or admissibility of evidence andincidental questions, which ruling shall standas the judgment of the Senate, unless aMember of the Senate shall ask that a formalvote be taken thereon, in which case it shall besubmitted to the Senate for decision after onecontrary view is expressed; or the PresidingOfficer may at his/her option, in the firstinstance, submit any such question to a vote ofthe Members of the Senate. The motion for avote and the contrary opinion shall not takemore than two (2) minutes each, with a one

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minute rebuttal allowed for the proponent of themotion. The provisions of the Rules of theSenate and the revised Rules of Court shallapply suppletorily whenever applicable.

VII. Upon the presentation of articles ofimpeachment and the organization of theSenate as hereinbefore provided, a writ ofsummons shall be issued to the personimpeached, reciting or incorporating saidarticles, and notifying him/her to appear beforethe Senate upon a day and at a place to befixed by the Senate and named in such writ,and to file his/her Answer to said articles ofimpeachment within a non-extendible periodof ten (10) days from receipt thereof; to whichthe prosecutors may Reply within a non-extendible period of five (5) days therefrom; andto stand to and abide by the orders andjudgments of the Senate.

Such writ shall be served by such officer orperson named in the order thereof, not laterthan three (3) days prior to the day fixed forsuch appearance of the person impeached,either by the delivery of an attested copy thereofto the person impeached, or if personal servicecannot be done, service of the writ may bemade by leaving a copy with a person ofsufficient age and discretion at his/her lastknown address or at his/her office or place ofbusiness; and if the service of such writ shallfail the proceedings shall not thereby abate, butfurther service may be made in such manneras the Senate shall direct. If the personimpeached, after service, shall fail to appear,

either in person or by counsel, on the day sofixed or, appearing, shall fail to file his answerto such articles of impeachment, the trial shallproceed nevertheless as upon a plea of notguilty. If a plea of guilty shall be entered,judgment may be entered thereon withoutfurther proceedings.

VIII. At the date and time designated by the Senatefor the return of the summons against theperson impeached, the Secretary of the Senateshall administer the following oath or affirmationto the returning officer:

“I, __________________, do solemnly swear(or affirm) that the return made by me uponthe process issued on the _______ day of______________, by the Senate of thePhilippines, against ________ __________was truly made, and that I have performedsuch service as therein described: (So helpme God).”

Which oath or affirmation shall be entered atlarge on the records.

IX. The person impeached shall then be called toappear and answer the articles ofimpeachment against him/her. If he/sheappears, or any person for him/her, theappearance shall be recorded, statingparticularly if by himself/herself, or by agent orcounsel, naming the person appearing and thecapacity in which he/she appears. If he/shedoes not appear, either personally or by agentor counsel, the same shall be recorded.

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X. At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, or at such otherhour as the Senate may order, of the dayappointed for the trial of an impeachment, thelegislative business of the Senate, if there beany, shall be suspended, and the Secretary ofthe Senate shall give notice to the House ofRepresentatives that the Senate is ready toproceed upon the impeachment trial of________ _________, in the SenateChamber.

XI. Unless otherwise fixed by the Senate, the hourof the day at which the Senate shall sit uponthe trial of an impeachment shall be 2 o’clockin the afternoon; and when the hour shall arrive,the Presiding Officer upon such trial shall causeproclamation to be made, and the business ofthe trial shall proceed. The adjournment of theSenate sitting in said trial shall not operate asan adjournment of the Senate as a legislativebody.

XII. The Secretary of the Senate shall record theproceedings in cases of impeachment as inthe case of legislative proceedings, and thesame shall be reported in the same manner asthe legislative proceedings of the Senate.

XIII. Counsel for the parties shall be admitted toappear and be heard upon an impeachment:Provided, That counsel for the prosecutors shallbe under the control and supervision of thepanel of prosecutors of the House ofRepresentatives.

XIV. All motions, objections, requests, orapplications whether relating to the procedureof the Senate or relating immediately to the trial(including questions with respect to admissionof evidence or other questions arising duringthe trial) made by the parties or their counselshall be addressed to the Presiding Officer only,and if he, or any Senator, shall require it, theyshall be committed to writing, and read at theSecretary’s table.

XV. Witnesses shall be examined by one personon behalf of the party producing them, and thencross-examined by one person on the otherside.

XVI. If a Senator is called as a witness, he/she shallbe sworn, and give his/her testimony standingin his/her place.

XVII. If a Senator wishes to put a question to awitness, he/she shall do so within two (2)minutes. A Senator may likewise put a questionto a prosecutor or counsel. He/she may alsooffer a motion or order, in writing, which shallbe submitted to the Presiding Officer.

XVIII.At all times while the Senate is sitting upon thetrial of an impeachment the doors of the Senateshall be open to the public. Silence shall beobserved by the visitors at all times, on pain ofeviction from the trial venue.

The Presiding Officer and the Members of theSenate shall refrain from making anycomments and disclosures in public pertainingto the merits of a pending impeachment trial.

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The same shall likewise apply to theprosecutors, to the person impeached, and totheir respective counsel and witnesses.

XIX. All preliminary or interlocutory questions, andall motions, shall be argued for not exceedingone hour on each side, unless the Senateotherwise orders.

XX. The case, on each side, shall be opened byone person. The final argument on the meritsmay be made by two (2) persons on each side(unless otherwise ordered by the Senate uponapplication for that purpose), and the argumentshall be opened and closed on the part of theHouse of Representatives.

XXI. The trial of all the articles of impeachment shallbe completed before the Senators vote on thefinal question on whether or not theimpeachment is sustained. On the finalquestion whether the impeachment issustained, the vote shall be taken on eacharticle of impeachment separately; and if theimpeachment shall not, upon any of the articlespresented, be sustained by the votes of two-thirds of all the Members, a judgment ofacquittal shall be entered; but if the personimpeached in such articles of impeachmentshall be convicted upon any of said articles bythe votes of two-thirds of all the Members, theSenate shall proceed to pronounce judgmentof conviction, and a certified copy of suchjudgment shall be deposited in the Office of theSecretary of the Senate. A motion to reconsiderthe vote by which any article of impeachmentis sustained or rejected shall not be in order.

Form of putting the question on each articleof impeachment.

The Presiding Officer shall first state thequestion. Thereafter, each Senator, as his/hername is called, shall rise in his/her place andanswer: guilty or not guilty. The vote of thePresident of the Senate on each article ofimpeachment, when acting as the presidingofficer, shall be last taken after all the Senatorshave stated their votes. If he/she so wishes, aSenator may explain his/her vote for not morethan two (2) minutes.

XXII. All the orders and decisions may be acted uponwithout objection, or, if objection is heard, theorders and decisions shall be voted on withoutdebate by yeas and nays, which shall beentered on the record, subject, however, to theoperation of Rule VI, and in that case noMember shall speak more than once on onequestion, and for not more than ten (10) minuteson an interlocutory question, and for not morethan fifteen (15) minutes on the final question,unless by consent of the Senate, to be hadwithout debate; but a motion to adjourn maybe decided without the yeas and nays, unlessthey be demanded by one-fifth of the Memberspresent. The fifteen minutes herein allowedshall be for the whole deliberation on the finalquestion, and not on the final question on eacharticle of impeachment.

XXIII. Witnesses shall be sworn in the following form:

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“You _______________, do swear (or affirm,as the case may be) that the evidence youshall give in the case now pending betweenthe Philippines and ________ _________,shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothingbut the truth: (so help you God).”

Which oath or affirmation shall be administeredby the Secretary of the Senate, or any otherduly authorized person.

Form of a subpoena to be issued on the applicationof the prosecutors of the impeachment, or of the partyimpeached, or of his/her counsel.

To ________ __________,

Greetings:

You are hereby commanded to appear before theSenate of the Philippines, on the _______ day of___________, at the Senate Chamber in____________________, then and there to testify yourknowledge in the case which is before the Senate inwhich the House of Representatives has impeached___________, and to bring with you the following___________, it being necessary to use the same astestimony.

Fail not.

Witness _______ ________, and Presiding Officerof the said Senate at ______________, Philippines,this ___ day of _______, in the year of our Lord___________________.

Presiding Officer of the Senate

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Form of direction for the service of said subpoena.

The Senate of the Philippines )

To ________ __________,

Greetings:

You are hereby commanded to serve and return thewithin subpoena according to law. Dated at___________, this ______ day of ______, in the yearof our Lord ______________.

Secretary of the Senate

Form of oath to be administered to the Members ofthe Senate and the Presiding Officer sitting in the trialof impeachments.

“I solemnly swear (or affirm, as the case may be)that in all things appertaining to the trial of theimpeachment of ______ ______, now pending, I willdo impartial justice according to the Constitution andlaws of the Philippines: (So help me God).”

Form of summons to be issued and served upon the personimpeached.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) S.S. The Senate of the Philippines )

To ________ __________,

Greetings:

Whereas the House of Representatives of the Philippinesdid, on the ____ day of ________, present to the Senatearticles of impeachment against you, the said ____________, in the words following:

[Here insert the articles]

And demand that you, the said ________ ________, shouldbe put to answer the accusations as set forth in said articles,and that such proceedings, examinations, trials, andjudgments might be thereupon had as are agreeable to lawand justice.

You, the said ________ ________, are therefore herebysummoned to be and appear before the Senate of thePhilippines, at their Chamber in _______________, on the____ day of __________________, at ____ o’clock ____,then and there to answer to the said articles of impeachment,and then and there to abide by, obey, and perform suchorders, directions, and judgments as the Senate of thePhilippines shall make in the premises according to theConstitution and laws of the Philippines.

Hereof you are not to fail.

Witness _______ ________, and Presiding Officer of thesaid Senate at _______________, Philippines, this ___ dayof _______, in the year of our Lord ___________________.

Presiding Officer of the Senate

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Form of Order to be indorsed on said writ ofsummons.

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) S.S. The Senate of the Philippines )

To ________ __________,

Greetings:

You are hereby commanded to deliver to and leavewith ________ __________, if conveniently to befound, or if not, to leave at his usual place of abode,or at his usual place of business in some conspicuousplace, a true and attested copy of the within writ ofsummons, together with a like copy of this order; andin whichsoever way you perform the service, let it bedone at least ____ days before the appearance daymentioned in the said writ of summons.

Fail not, and make return of this writ of summonsand order, with your proceedings thereon endorsed,on or before the appearance day mentioned in thesaid writ of summons.

Witness _______ ________, and Presiding Officerof the said Senate at _______________, this ___ dayof _______, in the year of our Lord___________________.

Presiding Officer of the Senate

All process shall be served by the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, unless otherwise orderedby the Senate.

XXIV. If the Senate shall, at any time, fail to sit for theconsideration of articles of impeachment on theday or hour fixed therefor, the Senate may, byan order to be adopted without debate, fix a dayand hour for resuming such consideration.

XXV. These Rules shall take effect immediately uponpublication in two (2) newspapers of generalcirculation and shall remain in force untilamended or repealed. A copy of these Rulesshall be posted on the official website of theSenate of the Philippines.*

Adopted,

JUAN PONCE ENRILEPresident of the Senate

This Resolution was adopted by the Senate on March23, 2011.

EMMA LIRIO-REYESSecretary of the Senate

* Senate Resolution 39, Adopting the Rules of Procedure onImpeachment Trials, was published in the 26 March 2011 issues ofthe Manila Bulletin (p. 9) and the Manila Times (p. A7). This Rulescan be accessed at the Senate website: www.senate.gov.ph

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We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring theaid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humanesociety and establish a Government that shall embodyour ideals and aspirations, promote the common good,conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure toourselves and our posterity, the blessings ofindependence and democracy under the rule of law anda regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, andpeace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution.

ARTICLE INational Territory

The national territory comprises the Philippinearchipelago, with all the islands and waters embracedtherein, and all other territories over which the Philippineshas sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial,fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, theseabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and othersubmarine areas. The waters around, between, andconnecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless oftheir breadth and dimensions, form part of the internalwaters of the Philippines.

The Constitutionof the

Republic of the Philippines

PREAMBLE

89

ARTICLE IIDeclaration Of Principles And State Policies

Principles

SECTION 1. The Philippines is a democratic andrepublican State. Sovereignty resides in the people andall government authority emanates from them.

SEC. 2. The Philippines renounces war as aninstrument of national policy, adopts the generallyaccepted principles of international law as part of the lawof the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality,justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations.

SEC. 3. Civilian authority is, at all times, supremeover the military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines isthe protector of the people and the State. Its goal is tosecure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of thenational territory.

SEC. 4. The prime duty of the Government is toserve and protect the people. The Government may callupon the people to defend the State, and, in the fulfillmentthereof, all citizens may be required, under conditionsprovided by law, to render personal, military or civil service.

SEC. 5. The maintenance of peace and order, theprotection of life, liberty, and property, and the promotionof the general welfare are essential for the enjoyment byall the people of the blessings of democracy.

SEC. 6. The separation of Church and State shallbe inviolable.

State Policies

SEC. 7. The State shall pursue an independentforeign policy. In its relations with other states, theparamount consideration shall be national sovereignty,territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to self-determination.

SEC. 8. The Philippines, consistent with thenational interest, adopts and pursues a policy of freedomfrom nuclear weapons in its territory.

SEC. 9. The State shall promote a just and dynamicsocial order that will ensure the prosperity andindependence of the nation and free the people frompoverty through policies that provide adequate socialservices, promote full employment, a rising standard ofliving, and an improved quality of life for all.

SEC. 10. The State shall promote social justice inall phases of national development.

SEC. 11. The State values the dignity of everyhuman person and guarantees full respect for humanrights.

SEC. 12. The State recognizes the sanctity offamily life and shall protect and strengthen the family as abasic autonomous social institution. It shall equally protectthe life of the mother and the life of the unborn fromconception. The natural and primary right and duty ofparents in the rearing of the youth for civic efficiency andthe development of moral character shall receive thesupport of the Government.

SEC. 13. The State recognizes the vital role of theyouth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their

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physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism andnationalism, and encourage their involvement in publicand civic affairs.

SEC. 14. The State recognizes the role of womenin nation-building, and shall ensure the fundamentalequality before the law of women and men.

SEC. 15. The State shall protect and promote theright to health of the people and instill health consciousnessamong them.

SEC. 16. The State shall protect and advance theright of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology inaccord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.

SEC. 17. The State shall give priority to education,science and technology, arts, culture, and sports to fosterpatriotism and nationalism, accelerate social progress,and promote total human liberation and development.

SEC. 18. The State affirms labor as a primarysocial economic force. It shall protect the rights of workersand promote their welfare.

SEC. 19. The State shall develop a self-reliant andindependent national economy effectively controlled byFilipinos.

SEC. 20. The State recognizes the indispensablerole of the private sector, encourages private enterprise,and provides incentives to needed investments.

SEC. 21. The State shall promote comprehensiverural development and agrarian reform.

SEC. 22. The State recognizes and promotes therights of indigenous cultural communities within theframework of national unity and development.

SEC. 23. The State shall encourage non-governmental, community-based, or sectoralorganizations that promote the welfare of the nation.

SEC. 24. The State recognizes the vital role ofcommunication and information in nation-building.

SEC. 25. The State shall ensure the autonomy oflocal governments.

SEC. 26. The State shall guarantee equal accessto opportunities for public service and prohibit politicaldynasties as may be defined by law.

SEC. 27. The State shall maintain honesty andintegrity in the public service and take positive andeffective measures against graft and corruption.

SEC. 28. Subject to reasonable conditionsprescribed by law, the State adopts and implements apolicy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involvingpublic interest.

ARTICLE IIIBill Of Rights

SEC. 1. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty,or property without due process of law, nor shall any personbe denied the equal protection of the laws.

SEC. 2. The right of the people to be secure intheir persons, houses, papers, and effects against

9392

unreasonable searches and seizures of whatever natureand for any purpose shall be inviolable, and no searchwarrant or warrant of arrest shall issue except uponprobable cause to be determined personally by the judgeafter examination under oath or affirmation of thecomplainant and the witnesses he may produce, andparticularly describing the place to be searched and thepersons or things to be seized.

SEC. 3. (1) The privacy of communication andcorrespondence shall be inviolable except upon lawfulorder of the court, or when public safety or order requiresotherwise as prescribed by law.

(2) Any evidence obtained in violation of this or thepreceding section shall be inadmissible for any purposein any proceeding.

SEC. 4. No law shall be passed abridging thefreedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or theright of the people peaceably to assemble and petitionthe government for redress of grievances.

SEC. 5. No law shall be made respecting anestablishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercisethereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religiousprofession and worship, without discrimination orpreference, shall forever be allowed. No religious test shallbe required for the exercise of civil or political rights.

SEC. 6. The liberty of abode and of changing thesame within the limits prescribed by law shall not beimpaired except upon lawful order of the court. Neithershall the right to travel be impaired except in the interestof national security, public safety, or public health, as maybe provided by law.

SEC. 7. The right of the people to information onmatters of public concern shall be recognized. Access toofficial records, and to documents and papers pertainingto official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as togovernment research data used as basis for policydevelopment, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to suchlimitations as may be provided by law.

SEC. 8. The right of the people, including thoseemployed in the public and private sectors, to form unions,associations, or societies for purposes not contrary to lawshall not be abridged.

SEC. 9. Private property shall not be taken forpublic use without just compensation.

SEC. 10. No law impairing the obligation ofcontracts shall be passed.

SEC. 11. Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance shall notbe denied to any person by reason of poverty.

SEC. 12. (1) Any person under investigation forthe commission of an offense shall have the right to beinformed of his right to remain silent and to have competentand independent counsel preferably of his own choice. Ifthe person cannot afford the services of counsel, he mustbe provided with one. These rights cannot be waivedexcept in writing and in the presence of counsel.

(2) No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation,or any other means which vitiate the free will shall be usedagainst him. Secret detention places, solitary,incommunicado, or other similar forms of detention areprohibited.

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(3) Any confession or admission obtained inviolation of this or Section 17 hereof shall be inadmissiblein evidence against him.

(4) The law shall provide for penal and civilsanctions for violations of this section as well ascompensation to and rehabilitation of victims of torture orsimilar practices, and their families.

SEC. 13. All persons, except those charged withoffenses punishable by reclusion perpetua when evidenceof guilt is strong, shall, before conviction, be bailable bysufficient sureties, or be released on recognizance as maybe provided by law. The right to bail shall not be impairedeven when the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus issuspended. Excessive bail shall not be required.

SEC. 14. (1) No person shall be held to answer fora criminal offense without due process of law.

(2) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shallbe presumed innocent until the contrary is proved, andshall enjoy the right to be heard by himself and counsel, tobe informed of the nature and cause of the accusationagainst him, to have a speedy, impartial and public trial,to meet the witnesses face to face, and to havecompulsory process to secure the attendance of witnessesand the production of evidence in his behalf. However,after arraignment, trial may proceed notwithstanding theabsence of the accused provided that he has been dulynotified and his failure to appear is unjustifiable.

SEC. 15. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpusshall not be suspended except in cases of invasion orrebellion when the public safety requires it.

SEC. 16. All persons shall have the right to a speedydisposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial,or administrative bodies.

SEC. 17. No person shall be compelled to be awitness against himself.

SEC. 18. (1) No person shall be detained solelyby reason of his political beliefs and aspirations.

(2) No involuntary servitude in any form shall existexcept as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shallhave been duly convicted.

SEC. 19. (1) Excessive fines shall not be imposed,nor cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment inflicted.Neither shall death penalty be imposed, unless, forcompelling reasons involving heinous crimes, theCongress hereafter provides for it. Any death penaltyalready imposed shall be reduced to reclusion perpetua.

(2) The employment of physical, psychological, ordegrading punishment against any prisoner or detaineeor the use of substandard or inadequate penal facilitiesunder subhuman conditions shall be dealt with by law.

SEC. 20. No person shall be imprisoned for debtor non-payment of a poll tax.

SEC. 21. No person shall be twice put in jeopardyof punishment for the same offense. If an act is punishedby a law and an ordinance, conviction or acquittal undereither shall constitute a bar to another prosecution for thesame act.

SEC. 22. No ex post facto law or bill of attaindershall be enacted.

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ARTICLE IVCitizenship

SEC. 1. The following are citizens of thePhilippines:

1) Those who are citizens of the Philippinesat the time of the adoption of thisConstitution;

2) Those whose fathers or mothers arecitizens of the Philippines;

3) Those born before January 17, 1973, ofFilipino mothers, who elect Philippinecitizenship upon reaching the age ofmajority; and

4) Those who are naturalized in accordancewith law.

SEC. 2. Natural-born citizens are those who arecitizens of the Philippines from birth without having toperform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippinecitizenship. Those who elect Philippine citizenship inaccordance with paragraph (3), Section 1 hereof shall bedeemed natural-born citizens.

SEC. 3. Philippine citizenship may be lost orreacquired in the manner provided by law.

SEC. 4. Citizens of the Philippines who marryaliens shall retain their citizenship, unless by their act oromission, they are deemed, under the law, to haverenounced it.

SEC. 5. Dual allegiance of citizens is inimical tothe national interest and shall be dealt with by law.

ARTICLE VSuffrage

SEC. 1. Suffrage may be exercised by all citizensof the Philippines not otherwise disqualified by law, whoare at least eighteen years of age, and who shall haveresided in the Philippines for at least one year and in theplace wherein they propose to vote for at least six monthsimmediately preceding the election. No literacy, property,or other substantive requirement shall be imposed on theexercise of suffrage.

SEC. 2. The Congress shall provide a system forsecuring the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well asa system for absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad.

The Congress shall also design a procedure forthe disabled and the illiterates to vote without theassistance of other persons. Until then, they shall beallowed to vote under existing laws and such rules as theCommission on Elections may promulgate to protect thesecrecy of the ballot.

ARTICLE VIThe Legislative Department

SEC. 1. The legislative power shall be vested inthe Congress of the Philippines which shall consist of aSenate and a House of Representatives, except to theextent reserved to the people by the provision on initiativeand referendum.

SEC. 2. The Senate shall be composed of twenty-four Senators who shall be elected at large by the qualifiedvoters of the Philippines, as may be provided by law.

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SEC. 3. No person shall be a Senator unless he isa natural-born citizen of the Philippines, and, on the dayof the election, is at least thirty-five years of age, able toread and write, a registered voter, and a resident of thePhilippines for not less than two years immediatelypreceding the day of the election.

SEC. 4. The term of office of the Senators shall besix years and shall commence, unless otherwise providedby law, at noon on the thirtieth day of June next followingtheir election.

No Senator shall serve for more than twoconsecutive terms. Voluntary renunciation of the office forany length of time shall not be considered as an interruptionin the continuity of his service for the full term of which hewas elected.

SEC. 5. (1) The House of Representatives shallbe composed of not more than two hundred and fiftymembers, unless otherwise fixed by law, who shall beelected from legislative districts apportioned among theprovinces, cities, and the Metropolitan Manila area inaccordance with the number of their respectiveinhabitants, and on the basis of a uniform and progressiveratio, and those who, as provided by law, shall be electedthrough a party-list system of registered national, regional,and sectoral parties or organizations.

(2) The party-list representatives shall constitutetwenty per centum of the total number of representativesincluding those under the party list. For three consecutiveterms after the ratification of this Constitution, one-half ofthe seats allocated to party-list representatives shall befilled, as provided by law, by selection or election from thelabor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural

communities, women, youth, and such other sectors asmay be provided by law, except the religious sector.

(3) Each legislative district shall comprise, as faras practicable, contiguous, compact, and adjacentterritory. Each city with a population of at least two hundredfifty thousand, or each province, shall have at least onerepresentative.

(4) Within three years following the return of everycensus, the Congress shall make a reapportionment oflegislative districts based on the standards provided inthis section.

SEC. 6. No person shall be a Member of the Houseof Representatives unless he is a natural-born citizen ofthe Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at leasttwenty-five years of age, able to read and write, and,except the party-list representatives, a registered voter inthe district in which he shall be elected, and a residentthereof for a period of not less than one year immediatelypreceding the day of the election.

SEC. 7. The Members of the House ofRepresentatives shall be elected for a term of three yearswhich shall begin, unless otherwise provided by law, atnoon on the thirtieth day of June next following theirelection.

No Member of the House of Representatives shallserve for more than three consecutive terms. Voluntaryrenunciation of the office for any length of time shall notbe considered as an interruption in the continuity of hisservice for the full term for which he was elected.

SEC. 8. Unless otherwise provided by law, theregular election of the Senators and the Members of the

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House of Representatives shall be held on the secondMonday of May.

SEC. 9. In case of vacancy in the Senate or in theHouse of Representatives, a special election may becalled to fill such vacancy in the manner prescribed bylaw, but the Senator or Member of the House ofRepresentatives thus elected shall serve only for theunexpired term.

SEC. 10. The salaries of Senators and Membersof the House of Representatives shall be determined bylaw. No increase in said compensation shall take effectuntil after the expiration of the full term of all the Membersof the Senate and the House of Representativesapproving such increase.

SEC. 11. A Senator or Member of the House ofRepresentatives shall, in all offenses punishable by notmore than six years imprisonment, be privileged fromarrest while the Congress is in session. No Member shallbe questioned nor be held liable in any other place forany speech or debate in the Congress or in any committeethereof.

SEC. 12. All Members of the Senate and the Houseof Representatives shall, upon assumption of office, makea full disclosure of their financial and business interests.They shall notify the House concerned of a potentialconflict of interest that may arise from the filing of aproposed legislation of which they are authors.

SEC. 13. No Senator or Member of the House ofRepresentatives may hold any other office or employmentin the Government, or any subdivision, agency, orinstrumentality thereof, including government-owned orcontrolled corporations or their subsidiaries, during his

term without forfeiting his seat. Neither shall he beappointed to any office which may have been created orthe emoluments thereof increased during the term forwhich he was elected.

SEC. 14. No Senator or Member of the House ofRepresentatives may personally appear as counsel beforeany court of justice or before the Electoral Tribunals, orquasi-judicial and other administrative bodies. Neithershall he, directly or indirectly, be interested financially inany contract with, or in any franchise or special privilegegranted by the Government, or any subdivision, agency,or instrumentality thereof, including any government-owned or controlled corporation, or its subsidiary, duringhis term of office. He shall not intervene in any matterbefore any office of the Government for his pecuniarybenefit or where he may be called upon to act on accountof his office.

SEC. 15. The Congress shall convene once everyyear on the fourth Monday of July for its regular session,unless a different date is fixed by law, and shall continueto be in session for such number of days as it maydetermine until thirty days before the opening of its nextregular session, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, andlegal holidays. The President may call a special sessionat any time.

SEC. 16. (1). The Senate shall elect its Presidentand the House of Representatives its Speaker, by amajority vote of all its respective Members.

Each House shall choose such other officers as itmay deem necessary.

(2) A majority of each House shall constitute aquorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn

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from day to day and may compel the attendance of absentMembers in such manner, and under such penalties, assuch House may provide.

(3) Each House may determine the rules of itsproceedings, punish its Members for disorderly behavior,and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its Members,suspend or expel a Member. A penalty of suspension,when imposed, shall not exceed sixty days.

(4) Each House shall keep a Journal of itsproceedings, and from time to time publish the same,excepting such parts as may, in its judgment, affect nationalsecurity; and the ayes and nays on any question shall, atthe request of one-fifth of the Members present, be enteredin the Journal.

Each House shall also keep a Record of itsproceedings.

(5) Neither House during the sessions of theCongress shall, without the consent of the other, adjournfor more than three days, nor to any other place than thatin which the two Houses shall be sitting.

SEC. 17. The Senate and the House ofRepresentatives shall each have an Electoral Tribunalwhich shall be the sole judge of all contests relating to theelection, returns, and qualifications of their respectiveMembers. Each Electoral Tribunal shall be composed ofnine Members, three of whom shall be Justices of theSupreme Court to be designated by the Chief Justice,and the remaining six shall be Members of the Senate orthe House of Representatives, as the case may be, whoshall be chosen on the basis of proportional representationfrom the political parties and the parties or organizationsregistered under the party-list system represented therein.

The senior Justice in the Electoral Tribunal shall be itsChairman.

SEC. 18. There shall be a Commission onAppointments consisting of the President of the Senate,as ex officio Chairman, twelve Senators, and twelveMembers of the House of Representatives, elected byeach House on the basis of proportional representationfrom the political parties and parties or organizationsregistered under the party-list system represented therein.The Chairman of the Commission shall not vote, exceptin case of a tie. The Commission shall act on allappointments submitted to it within thirty session days ofthe Congress from their submission. The Commissionshall rule by a majority vote of all the Members.

SEC. 19. The Electoral Tribunals and theCommission on Appointments shall be constituted withinthirty days after the Senate and the House ofRepresentatives shall have been organized with theelection of the President and the Speaker. TheCommission on Appointments shall meet only while theCongress is in session, at the call of its Chairman or amajority of all its Members, to discharge such powers andfunctions as are herein conferred upon it.

SEC. 20. The records and books of accounts ofthe Congress shall be preserved and be open to the publicin accordance with law, and such books shall be auditedby the Commission on Audit which shall publish annuallyan itemized list of amounts paid to and expenses incurredfor each Member.

SEC. 21. The Senate or the House ofRepresentatives or any of its respective committees mayconduct inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance withits duly published rules of procedure. The rights of persons

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appearing in or affected by such inquiries shall berespected.

SEC. 22. The heads of departments may, upontheir own initiative, with the consent of the President, orupon the request of either House, as the rules of eachHouse shall provide, appear before and be heard by suchHouse on any matter pertaining to their departments.Written questions shall be submitted to the President ofthe Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representativesat least three days before their scheduled appearance.Interpellations shall not be limited to written questions, butmay cover matters related thereto. When the security ofthe State or the public interest so requires and thePresident so states in writing, the appearance shall beconducted in executive session.

SEC. 23. (1) The Congress, by a vote of two-thirdsof both Houses in joint session assembled, votingseparately, shall have the sole power to declare theexistence of a state of war.

(2) In times of war or other national emergency,the Congress may, by law, authorize the President, for alimited period and subject to such restrictions as it mayprescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper tocarry out a declared national policy. Unless soonerwithdrawn by resolution of the Congress, such powersshall cease upon the next adjournment thereof.

SEC. 24. All appropriations, revenue or tariff bills,bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of localapplication, and private bills, shall originate exclusively inthe House of Representatives, but the Senate maypropose or concur with amendments.

SEC. 25. (1) The Congress may not increase theappropriations recommended by the President for theoperation of the Government as specified in the budget.The form, content, and manner of preparation of the budgetshall be prescribed by law.

(2) No provision or enactment shall be embracedin the general appropriations bill unless it relatesspecifically to some particular appropriation therein. Anysuch provision or enactment shall be limited in itsoperation to the appropriation to which it relates.

(3) The procedure in approving appropriations forthe Congress shall strictly follow the procedure forapproving appropriations for other departments andagencies.

(4) A special appropriations bill shall specify thepurpose for which it is intended, and shall be supportedby funds actually available as certified by the NationalTreasurer, or to be raised by a corresponding revenueproposal therein.

(5) No law shall be passed authorizing any transferof appropriations; however, the President, the Presidentof the Senate, the Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,and the heads of Constitutional Commissions may, by law,be authorized to augment any item in the generalappropriations law for their respective offices from savingsin other items of their respective appropriations.

(6) Discretionary funds appropriated for particularofficials shall be disbursed only for public purposes to besupported by appropriate vouchers and subject to suchguidelines as may be prescribed by law.

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(7) If, by the end of any fiscal year, the Congressshall have failed to pass the general appropriations billfor the ensuing fiscal year, the general appropriations lawfor the preceding fiscal year shall be deemed reenactedand shall remain in force and effect until the generalappropriations bill is passed by the Congress.

SEC. 26. (1) Every bill passed by the Congressshall embrace only one subject which shall be expressedin the title thereof.

(2) No bill passed by either House shall become alaw unless it has passed three readings on separate days,and printed copies thereof in its final form have beendistributed to its Members three days before its passage,except when the President certifies to the necessity of itsimmediate enactment to meet a public calamity oremergency. Upon the last reading of a bill, no amendmentthereto shall be allowed, and the vote thereon shall betaken immediately thereafter, and the yeas and naysentered in the Journal.

SEC. 27. (1) Every bill passed by the Congressshall, before it becomes a law, be presented to thePresident. If he approves the same, he shall sign it;otherwise, he shall veto it and return the same with hisobjections to the House where it originated, which shallenter the objections at large in its Journal and proceed toreconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds ofall the Members of such House shall agree to pass thebill, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to theother House by which it shall likewise be reconsidered,and if approved by two-thirds of all the Members of thatHouse, it shall become a law. In all such cases, the votesof each House shall be determined by yeas or nays, andthe names of the Members voting for or against shall beentered in its Journal. The President shall communicate

his veto of any bill to the House where it originated withinthirty days after the date of receipt thereof, otherwise, itshall become a law as if he had signed it.

(2) The President shall have the power to veto anyparticular item or items in an appropriation, revenue, ortariff bill, but the veto shall not affect the item or items towhich he does not object.

SEC. 28. (1) The rule of taxation shall be uniformand equitable. The Congress shall evolve a progressivesystem of taxation.

(2) The Congress may, by law, authorize thePresident to fix within specified limits, and subject to suchlimitations and restrictions as it may impose, tariff rates,import and export quotas, tonnage and wharfage dues,and other duties or imposts within the framework of thenational development program of the Government.

(3) Charitable institutions, churches andpersonages or convents appurtenant thereto, mosques,non-profit cemeteries, and all lands, buildings, andimprovements, actually, directly, and exclusively used forreligious, charitable, or educational purposes shall beexempt from taxation.

(4) No law granting any tax exemption shall bepassed without the concurrence of a majority of all theMembers of the Congress.

SEC. 29. (1) No money shall be paid out of theTreasury except in pursuance of an appropriation madeby law.

(2) No public money or property shall beappropriated, applied, paid, or employed, directly or

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indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect,church, denomination, sectarian institution, or system ofreligion, or of any priest, preacher, minister, other religiousteacher, or dignitary as such, except when such priest,preacher, minister, or dignitary is assigned to the armedforces, or to any penal institution, or governmentorphanage or leprosarium.

(3) All money collected on any tax levied for aspecial purpose shall be treated as a special fund andpaid out for such purpose only. If the purpose for which aspecial fund was created has been fulfilled or abandoned,the balance, if any, shall be transferred to the general fundsof the Government.

SEC. 30. No law shall be passed increasing theappellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as providedin this Constitution without its advice and concurrence.

SEC. 31. No law granting a title of royalty or nobilityshall be enacted.

SEC. 32. The Congress shall, as early as possible,provide for a system of initiative and referendum, and theexceptions therefrom, whereby the people can directlypropose and enact laws or approve or reject any act orlaw or part thereof passed by the Congress or locallegislative body after the registration of a petition thereforsigned by at least ten per centum of the total number ofregistered voters, of which every legislative district mustbe represented by at least three per centum of theregistered voters thereof.

ARTICLE VIIExecutive Department

SEC. 1. The executive power shall be vested inthe President of the Philippines.

SEC. 2. No person may be elected Presidentunless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, aregistered voter, able to read and write, at least forty yearsof age on the day of the election, and a resident of thePhilippines for at least ten years immediately precedingsuch election.

SEC. 3. There shall be a Vice-President who shallhave the same qualifications and term of office and beelected with and in the same manner as the President.He may be removed from office in the same manner asthe President.

The Vice-President may be appointed as aMember of the Cabinet. Such appointment requires noconfirmation.

SEC. 4. The President and the Vice-Presidentshall be elected by direct vote of the people for a term ofsix years which shall begin at noon on the thirtieth day ofJune next following the day of the election and shall end atnoon of the same date six years thereafter. The Presidentshall not be eligible for any reelection. No person whohas succeeded as President and has served as such formore than four years shall be qualified for election to thesame office at any time.

No Vice-President shall serve for more than twosuccessive terms. Voluntary renunciation of the office forany length of time shall not be considered as an interruptionin the continuity of the service for the full term for which hewas elected.

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Unless otherwise provided by law, the regularelection for President and Vice-President shall be heldon the second Monday of May.

The returns of every election for President and Vice-President, duly certified by the board of canvassers ofeach province or city, shall be transmitted to the Congress,directed to the President of the Senate. Upon receipt ofthe certificates of canvass, the President of the Senateshall, not later than thirty days after the day of the election,open all the certificates in the presence of the Senate andthe House of Representatives in joint public session, andthe Congress upon determination of the authenticity anddue execution thereof in the manner provided by law,canvass the votes.

The person having the highest number of votesshall be proclaimed elected, but in case two or more shallhave an equal and highest number of votes, one of themshall forthwith be chosen by the vote of a majority of all theMembers of both Houses of the Congress, votingseparately.

The Congress shall promulgate its rules for thecanvassing of the certificates.

The Supreme Court, sitting en banc, shall be thesole judge of all contests relating to the election, returns,and qualifications of the President or Vice-President, andmay promulgate its rules for the purpose.

SEC. 5. Before they enter on the execution of theiroffice, the President, the Vice-President, or the ActingPresident shall take the following oath or affirmation:

“I do solemnly swear [or affirm] that Iwill faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my

duties as President [or Vice-President orActing President] of the Philippines,preserve and defend its Constitution,execute its laws, do justice to every man,and consecrate myself to the service of theNation. So help me God.” (In case ofaffirmation, last sentence will be omitted).

SEC. 6. The President shall have an officalresidence. The salaries of the President and Vice-President shall be determined by law and shall not bedecreased during their tenure. No increase in saidcompensation shall take effect until after the expiration ofthe term of the incumbent during which such increase wasapproved. They shall not receive during their tenure anyother emolument from the Government or any other source.

SEC. 7. The President-elect and the Vice-President-elect shall assume office at the beginning oftheir terms.

If the President-elect fails to qualify, the Vice-President-elect shall act as President until the President-elect shall have qualified.

If a President shall not have been chosen, the VicePresident-elect shall act as President until a Presidentshall have been chosen and qualified.

If at the beginning of the term of the President, thePresident-elect shall have died or shall have becomepermanently disabled, the Vice President-elect shallbecome President.

Where no President and Vice-President shall havebeen chosen or shall have qualified, or where both shall

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have died or become permanently disabled, the Presidentof the Senate or, in case of his inability, the Speaker ofthe House of Representatives shall act as President untila President or a Vice-President shall have been chosenand qualified.

The Congress shall, by law, provide for the mannerin which one who is to act as President shall be selecteduntil a President or a Vice-President shall have qualified,in case of death, permanent disability, or inability of theofficials mentioned in the next preceding paragraph.

SEC. 8. In case of death, permanent disability,removal from office, or resignation of the President, theVice-President shall become the President to serve theunexpired term. In case of death, permanent disability,removal from office, or resignation of both the Presidentand Vice-President, the President of the Senate or, in caseof his inability, the Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, shall then act as President until thePresident or Vice-President shall have been elected andqualified.

The Congress shall, by law, provide who shall serveas President in case of death, permanent disability, orresignation of the Acting President. He shall serve untilthe President or the Vice-President shall have beenelected and qualified, and be subject to the samerestrictions of powers and disqualifications as the ActingPresident.

SEC. 9. Whenever there is a vacancy in the Officeof the Vice-President during the term for which he waselected, the President shall nominate a Vice-Presidentfrom among the Members of the Senate and the Houseof Representatives who shall assume office upon

confirmation by a majority vote of all the Members of bothHouses of the Congress, voting separately.

SEC. 10. The Congress shall, at ten o’clock in themorning of the third day after the vacancy in the offices ofthe President and Vice-President occurs, convene inaccordance with its rules without need of a call and withinseven days enact a law calling for a special election toelect a President and a Vice-President to be held notearlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days fromthe time of such call. The bill calling such special electionshall be deemed certified under paragraph 2, Section 26,Article VI of this Constitution and shall become law uponits approval on third reading by the Congress.Appropriations for the special election shall be chargedagainst any current appropriations and shall be exemptfrom the requirements of paragraph 4, Section 25, ArticleVI of this Constitution. The convening of the Congresscannot be suspended nor the special election postponed.No special election shall be called if the vacancy is withineighteen months before the date of the next presidentialelections.

SEC. 11. Whenever the President transmits to thePresident of the Senate and the Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives his written declaration that he is unableto discharge the powers and duties of his office, and untilhe transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary,such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.

Whenever a majority of all the Members of theCabinet transmit to the President of the Senate and tothe Speaker of the House of Representatives their writtendeclaration that the President is unable to discharge thepowers and duties of his office, the Vice-President shall

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immediately assume the powers and duties of the officeas Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to thePresident of the Senate and to the Speaker of the Houseof Representatives his written declaration that no inabilityexists, he shall reassume the powers and duties of hisoffice. Meanwhile, should a majority of all the Members ofthe Cabinet transmit within five days to the President ofthe Senate and to the Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives their written declaration that the Presidentis unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,the Congress shall decide the issue. For that purpose,the Congress shall convene, if it is not in session, withinforty-eight hours, in accordance with its rules and withoutneed of call.

If the Congress, within ten days after receipt of thelast written declaration, or, if not in session, within twelvedays after it is required to assemble, determines by atwo-thirds vote of both Houses, voting separately, that thePresident is unable to discharge the powers and dutiesof his office, the Vice-President shall act as President;otherwise, the President shall continue exercising thepowers and duties of his office.

SEC. 12. In case of serious illness of the President,the public shall be informed of the state of his health. Themembers of the Cabinet in charge of national security andforeign relations and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forcesof the Philippines, shall not be denied access to thePresident during such illness.

SEC. 13. The President, Vice-President, theMembers of the Cabinet, and their deputies or assistantsshall not, unless otherwise provided in this Constitution,

hold any other office or employment during their tenure.They shall not, during said tenure, directly or indirectly,practice any other profession, participate in any business,or be financially interested in any contract with, or in anyfranchise, or special privilege granted by the Governmentor any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof,including government-owned or controlled corporationsor their subsidiaries. They shall strictly avoid conflict ofinterest in the conduct of their office.

The spouse and relatives by consanguinity oraffinity within the fourth civil degree of the President shallnot, during his tenure, be appointed as Members of theConstitutional Commissions, or the Office of theOmbudsman, or as Secretaries, Undersecretaries,chairmen or heads of bureaus or offices, includinggovernment-owned or controlled corporations and theirsubsidiaries.

SEC. 14. Appointments extended by an ActingPresident shall remain effective, unless revoked by theelected President, within ninety days from his assumptionor reassumption of office.

SEC. 15. Two months immediately before the nextpresidential elections and up to the end of his term, aPresident or Acting President shall not makeappointments, except temporary appointments toexecutive positions when continued vacancies therein willprejudice public service or endanger public safety.

SEC. 16. The President shall nominate and, withthe consent of the Commission on Appointments, appointthe heads of the executive departments, ambassadors,other public ministers and consuls, or officers of the armedforces from the rank of colonel or naval captain, and other

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officers whose appointments are vested in him in thisConstitution. He shall also appoint all other officers of theGovernment whose appointments are not otherwiseprovided for by law, and those whom he may be authorizedby law to appoint. The Congress may, by law, vest theappointment of other officers lower in rank in the Presidentalone, in the courts, or in the heads of departments,agencies, commissions, or boards.

The President shall have the power to makeappointments during the recess of the Congress, whethervoluntary or compulsory, but such appointments shall beeffective only until disapproval by the Commission onAppointments or until the next adjournment of theCongress.

SEC. 17. The President shall have control of allthe executive departments, bureaus, and offices. He shallensure that the laws be faithfully executed.

SEC. 18. The President shall be the Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Philippines andwhenever it becomes necessary, he may call out sucharmed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence,invasion or rebellion. In case of invasion or rebellion, whenthe public safety requires it, he may, for a period notexceeding sixty days, suspend the privilege of the writ ofhabeas corpus or place the Philippines or any part thereofunder martial law. Within forty-eight hours from theproclamation of martial law or the suspension of theprivilege of the writ of habeas corpus, the President shallsubmit a report in person or in writing to the Congress.The Congress, voting jointly, by a vote of at least a majorityof all its Members in regular or special session, mayrevoke such proclamation or suspension, whichrevocation shall not be set aside by the President. Upon

the initiative of the President, the Congress may, in thesame manner, extend such proclamation or suspensionfor a period to be determined by the Congress, if theinvasion or rebellion shall persist and public safety requiresit.

The Congress, if not in session, shall, within twenty-four hours following such proclamation or suspension,convene in accordance with its rules without need of acall.

The Supreme Court may review, in an appropriateproceeding filed by any citizen, the sufficiency of the factualbasis of the proclamation of martial law or the suspensionof the privilege of the writ or the extension thereof, andmust promulgate its decision thereon within thirty daysfrom its filing.

A state of martial law does not suspend theoperation of the Constitution, nor supplant the functioningof the civil courts or legislative assemblies, nor authorizethe conferment of jurisdiction on military courts andagencies over civilians where civil courts are able tofunction, nor automatically suspend the privilege of thewrit.

The suspension of the privilege of the writ shallapply only to persons judicially charged for rebellion oroffenses inherent in or directly connected with invasion.

During the suspension of the privilege of the writ,any person thus arrested or detained shall be judiciallycharged within three days, otherwise he shall be released.

SEC. 19. Except in cases of impeachment, or asotherwise provided in this Constitution, the President may

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grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, and remitfines and forfeitures, after conviction by final judgment.

He shall also have the power to grant amnesty withthe concurrence of a majority of all the Members of theCongress.

SEC. 20. The President may contract or guaranteeforeign loans on behalf of the Republic of the Philippineswith the prior concurrence of the Monetary Board, andsubject to such limitations as may be provided by law.The Monetary Board shall, within thirty days from the endof every quarter of the calendar year, submit to theCongress a complete report of its decision on applicationsfor loans to be contracted or guaranteed by theGovernment or government-owned and controlledcorporations which would have the effect of increasingthe foreign debt, and containing other matters as may beprovided by law.

SEC. 21. No treaty or international agreement shallbe valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.

SEC. 22. The President shall submit to theCongress within thirty days from the opening of everyregular session, as the basis of the general appropriationsbill, a budget of expenditures and sources of financing,including receipts from existing and proposed revenuemeasures.

SEC. 23. The President shall address theCongress at the opening of its regular session. He mayalso appear before it at any other time.

ARTICLE VIIIJudicial Department

SEC. 1. The judicial power shall be vested in oneSupreme Court and in such lower courts as may beestablished by law.

Judicial power includes the duty of the courts ofjustice to settle actual controversies involving rights whichare legally demandable and enforceable, and to determinewhether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretionamounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part ofany branch or instrumentality of the Government.

SEC. 2. The Congress shall have the power todefine, prescribe, and apportion the jurisdiction of thevarious courts but may not deprive the Supreme Court ofits jurisdiction over cases enumerated in Section 5 hereof.No law shall be passed reorganizing the Judiciary when itundermines the security of tenure of its Members.

SEC. 3. The Judiciary shall enjoy fiscal autonomy.Appropriations for the Judiciary may not be reduced bythe legislature below the amount appropriated for theprevious year and, after approval, shall be automaticallyand regularly released.

SEC. 4. (1) The Supreme Court shall be composedof a Chief Justice and fourteen Associate Justices. It maysit en banc or in its discretion, in division of three, five, orseven Members. Any vacancy shall be filled within ninetydays from the occurrence thereof.

(2) All cases involving the constitutionality of a treaty,international or executive agreement, or law, which shallbe heard by the Supreme Court en banc, and all other

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cases which under the Rules of Court are required to beheard en banc, including those involving theconstitutionality, application, or operation of presidentialdecrees, proclamations, orders, instructions, ordinances,and other regulations, shall be decided with theconcurrence of a majority of the Members who actuallytook part in the deliberations on the issues in the caseand voted thereon.

(3) Cases or matters heard by a division shall bedecided or resolved with the concurrence of a majority ofthe Members who actually took part in the deliberationson the issues in the case and voted thereon, and in nocase, without the concurrence of at least three of suchMembers. When the required number is not obtained, thecase shall be decided en banc: Provided, that no doctrineor principle of law laid down by the court in a decisionrendered en banc or in division may be modified orreversed except by the court sitting en banc.

Sec. 5. The Supreme Court shall have the followingpowers:

(1) Exercise original jurisdiction over casesaffecting ambassadors, other public ministers andconsuls, and over petitions for certiorari, prohibition,mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas corpus.

(2) Review, revise, reverse, modify, or affirm onappeal or certiorari as the law or the Rules of Court mayprovide, final judgments and orders of lower courts in:

a) All cases in which the constitutionalityor validity of any treaty, international orexecutive agreement, law, presidentialdecree, proclamation, order, instruction,ordinance, or regulation is in question.

b) All cases involving the legality of any tax,impost, assessment, or toll, or anypenalty imposed in relation thereto.

c) All cases in which the jurisdiction of anylower court is in issue.

d) All criminal cases in which the penaltyimposed is reclusion perpetua orhigher.

e) All cases in which only an error orquestion of law is involved.

(3) Assign temporarily judges of lower courts toother stations as public interest may require. Suchtemporary assignment shall not exceed six months withoutthe consent of the judge concerned.

(4) Order a change of venue or place of trial toavoid a miscarriage of justice.

(5) Promulgate rules concerning the protection andenforcement of constitutional rights, pleading, practice,and procedure in all courts, the admission to the practiceof law, the Integrated Bar, and legal assistance to theunderprivileged. Such rules shall provide a simplified andinexpensive procedure for the speedy disposition ofcases, shall be uniform for all courts of the same grade,and shall not diminish, increase, or modify substantiverights. Rules of procedure of special courts and quasi-judicial bodies shall remain effective unless disapprovedby the Supreme Court.

(6) Appoint all officials and employees of theJudiciary in accordance with the Civil Service Law.

SEC. 6. The Supreme Court shall haveadministrative supervision over all courts and thepersonnel thereof.

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SEC. 7. (1) No person shall be appointed Memberof the Supreme Court or any lower collegiate court unlesshe is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines. A Memberof the Supreme Court must be at least forty years of age,and must have been for fifteen years or more, a judge of alower court or engaged in the practice of law in thePhilippines.

(2) The Congress shall prescribe the qualificationsof judges of lower courts, but no person may be appointedjudge thereof unless he is a citizen of the Philippines anda member of the Philippine Bar.

(3) A Member of the Judiciary must be a person ofproven competence, integrity, probity, and independence.

SEC. 8. (1) A Judicial and Bar Council is herebycreated under the supervision of the Supreme Courtcomposed of the Chief Justice as ex officio Chairman,the Secretary of Justice, and a representative of theCongress as ex officio Members, a representative of theIntegrated Bar, a professor of law, a retired Member ofthe Supreme Court, and a representative of the privatesector.

(2) The regular Members of the Council shall beappointed by the President for a term of four years withthe consent of the Commission on Appointments. Of theMembers first appointed, the representative of theIntegrated Bar shall serve for four years, the professor oflaw for three years, the retired Justice for two years, andthe representative of the private sector for one year.

(3) The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall be theSecretary ex officio of the Council and shall keep a recordof its proceedings.

(4) The regular Members of the Council shallreceive such emoluments as may be determined by theSupreme Court. The Supreme Court shall provide in itsannual budget the appropriations for the Council.

(5) The Council shall have the principal function ofrecommending appointees to the Judiciary. It mayexercise such other functions and duties as the SupremeCourt may assign to it.

SEC. 9. The Members of the Supreme Court andjudges of the lower courts shall be appointed by thePresident from a list of at least three nominees preparedby the Judicial and Bar Council for every vacancy. Suchappointments need no confirmation.

For the lower courts, the President shall issue theappointments within ninety days from the submission ofthe list.

SEC. 10. The salary of the Chief Justice and ofthe Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, and ofjudges of lower courts shall be fixed by law. During theircontinuance in office, their salary shall not be decreased.

SEC. 11. The Members of the Supreme Court andjudges of lower courts shall hold office during goodbehavior until they reach the age of seventy years orbecome incapacitated to discharge the duties of theiroffice. The Supreme Court en banc shall have the powerto discipline judges of lower courts, or order their dismissalby a vote of a majority of the Members who actually tookpart in the deliberations on the issues in the case andvoted thereon.

SEC. 12. The Members of the Supreme Court andof other courts established by law shall not be designated

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to any agency performing quasi-judicial or administrativefunctions.

SEC. 13. The conclusions of the Supreme Courtin any case submitted to it for decision en banc or indivision shall be reached in consultation before the caseis assigned to a Member for the writing of the opinion ofthe Court. A certification to this effect signed by the ChiefJustice shall be issued and a copy thereof attached to therecord of the case and served upon the parties. AnyMember who took no part, or dissented, or abstained froma decision or resolution must state the reason therefor.The same requirements shall be observed by all lowercollegiate courts.

SEC. 14. No decision shall be rendered by anycourt without expressing therein clearly and distinctly thefacts and the law on which it is based.

No petition for review or motion for reconsiderationof a decision of the court shall be refused due course ordenied without stating the legal basis therefor.

SEC. 15. (1) All cases or matters filed after theeffectivity of this Constitution must be decided or resolvedwithin twenty-four months from date of submission for theSupreme Court, and, unless reduced by the SupremeCourt, twelve months for all lower collegiate courts, andthree months for all other lower courts.

(2) A case or matter shall be deemed submittedfor decision or resolution upon the filing of the lastpleading, brief, or memorandum required by the Rules ofCourt or by the court itself.

(3) Upon the expiration of the correspondingperiod, a certification to this effect signed by the Chief

Justice or the presiding judge shall forthwith be issuedand a copy thereof attached to the record of the case ormatter, and served upon the parties. The certification shallstate why a decision or resolution has not been renderedor issued within said period.

(4) Despite the expiration of the applicablemandatory period, the court, without prejudice to suchresponsibility as may have been incurred in consequencethereof, shall decide or resolve the case or mattersubmitted thereto for determination, without further delay.

SEC. 16. The Supreme Court shall, within thirtydays from the opening of each regular session of theCongress, submit to the President and the Congress anannual report on the operations and activities of theJudiciary.

ARTICLE IXConstitutional Commissions

A. Common Provisions

SEC. 1. The Constitutional Commissions, whichshall be independent, are the Civil Service Commission,the Commission on Elections, and the Commission onAudit.

SEC. 2. No member of a ConstitutionalCommission shall, during his tenure, hold any other officeor employment. Neither shall he engage in the practice ofany profession or in the active management or control ofany business which in any way may be affected by thefunctions of his office, nor shall he be financially interested,directly or indirectly, in any contract with, or in any franchiseor privilege granted by the Government, any of its

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subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, includinggovernment-owned or controlled corporations or theirsubsidiaries.

SEC. 3. The salary of the Chairman and theCommissioners shall be fixed by law and shall not bedecreased during their tenure.

SEC. 4. The Constitutional Commissions shallappoint their officials and employees in accordance withlaw.

SEC. 5. The Commission shall enjoy fiscalautonomy. Their approved annual appropriations shall beautomatically and regularly released.

SEC. 6. Each Commission en banc maypromulgate its own rules concerning pleadings andpractice before it or before any of its offices. Such rules,however, shall not diminish, increase, or modify substantiverights.

SEC. 7. Each Commission shall decide by amajority vote of all its Members any case or matter broughtbefore it within sixty days from the date of its submissionfor decision or resolution. A case or matter is deemedsubmitted for decision or resolution upon the filing of thelast pleading, brief or memorandum required by the rulesof the Commission or by the Commission itself. Unlessotherwise provided by this Constitution or by law, anydecision, order, or ruling of each Commission may bebrought to the Supreme Court on certiorari by theaggrieved party within thirty days from receipt of a copythereof.

SEC. 8. Each Commission shall perform suchother functions as may be provided by law.

B. The Civil Service Commission

SEC. 1. (1) The civil service shall be administeredby the Civil Service Commission composed of aChairman and two Commissioners who shall be natural-born citizens of the Philippines and, at the time of theirappointment, at least thirty-five years of age, with provencapacity for public administration, and must not have beencandidates for any elective position in the electionsimmediately preceding their appointment.

(2) The Chairman and the Commissioners shallbe appointed by the President with the consent of theCommission on Appointments for a term of seven yearswithout reappointment. Of those first appointed, theChairman shall hold office for seven years, aCommissioner for five years, and another Commissionerfor three years, without reappointment. Appointment to anyvacancy shall be only for the unexpired term of thepredecessor. In no case shall any Member be appointedor designated in a temporary or acting capacity.

SEC. 2. (1) The civil service embraces allbranches, subdivisions, instrumentalities, and agenciesof the Government, including government-owned orcontrolled corporations with original charters.

(2) Appointments in the civil service shall be madeonly according to merit and fitness to be determined, asfar as practicable, and, except to positions which arepolicy-determining, primarily confidential, or highlytechnical, by competitive examination.

(3) No officer or employee of the civil service shallbe removed or suspended except for cause provided bylaw.

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(4) No officer or employee in the civil service shallengage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering orpartisan political campaign.

(5) The right to self-organization shall not be deniedto government employees.

(6) Temporary employees of the Government shallbe given such protection as may be provided by law.

SEC. 3. The Civil Service Commission, as thecentral personnel agency of the Government, shallestablish a career service and adopt measures to promotemorale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness,progressiveness, and courtesy in the civil service. It shallstrengthen the merit and rewards system, integrate allhuman resources development programs for all levels andranks, and institutionalize a management climateconducive to public accountability. It shall submit to thePresident and the Congress an annual report on itspersonnel programs.

SEC. 4. All public officers and employees shalltake an oath or affirmation to uphold and defend thisConstitution.

SEC. 5. The Congress shall provide for thestandardization of compensation of government officialsand employees, including those in government-owned orcontrolled corporations with original charters, taking intoaccount the nature of the responsibilities pertaining to,and the qualifications required for their positions.

SEC. 6. No candidate who has lost in any electionshall, within one year after such election, be appointed toany office in the Government or any government-ownedor controlled corporations or in any of their subsidiaries.

SEC. 7. No elective official shall be eligible forappointment or designation in any capacity to any publicoffice or position during his tenure.

Unless otherwise allowed by law or by the primaryfunctions of his position, no appointive official shall holdany other office or employment in the Government or anysubdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, includinggovernment-owned or controlled corporations or theirsubsidiaries.

SEC. 8. No elective or appointive public officer oremployee shall receive additional, double, or indirectcompensation, unless specifically authorized by law, noraccept without the consent of the Congress, any present,emolument, office, or title of any kind from any foreigngovernment.

Pensions or gratuities shall not be considered asadditional, double, or indirect compensation.

C. The Commission On Elections

SEC. 1. (1) There shall be a Commission onElections composed of a Chairman and sixCommissioners who shall be natural-born citizens of thePhilippines and, at the time of their appointment, at leastthirty-five years of age, holders of a college degree, andmust not have been candidates for any elective positionsin the immediately preceding elections. However, amajority thereof, including the Chairman, shall bemembers of the Philippine Bar who have been engagedin the practice of law for at least ten years.

(2) The Chairman and the Commissioners shallbe appointed by the President with the consent of the

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Commission on Appointments for a term of seven yearswithout reappointment. Of those first appointed, threeMembers shall hold office for seven years, two Membersfor five years, and the last Members for three years, withoutreappointment. Appointment to any vacancy shall be onlyfor the unexpired term of the predecessor. In no case shallany Member be appointed or designated in a temporaryor acting capacity.

SEC. 2. The Commission on Elections shallexercise the following powers and functions:

(1) Enforce and administer all laws and regulationsrelative to the conduct of an election, plebiscite, initiative,referendum, and recall.

(2) Exercise exclusive original jurisdiction over allcontests relating to the elections, returns, and qualificationsof all elective regional, provincial, and city officials, andappellate jurisdiction over all contests involving electivemunicipal officials decided by trial courts of generaljurisdiction, or involving elective barangay officials decidedby trial courts of limited jurisdiction.

Decisions, final orders, or rulings of theCommission on election contests involving electivemunicipal and barangay offices shall be final, executory,and not appealable.

(3) Decide, except those involving the right to vote,all questions affecting elections, including determinationof the number and location of polling places, appointmentof election officials and inspectors, and registration ofvoters.

(4) Deputize, with the concurrence of the President,law enforcement agencies and instrumentalities of theGovernment, including the Armed Forces of thePhilippines, for the exclusive purpose of ensuring free,orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.

(5) Register, after sufficient publication, politicalparties, organizations, or coalitions which, in addition toother requirements, must present their platform or programof government; and accredit citizens’ arms of theCommission on Elections. Religious denominations andsects shall not be registered. Those which seek to achievetheir goals through violence or unlawful means, or refuseto uphold and adhere to this Constitution, or which aresupported by any foreign government shall likewise berefused registration.

Financial contributions from foreign governmentsand their agencies to political parties, organizations,coalitions, or candidates related to elections constituteinterference in national affairs, and, when accepted, shallbe an additional ground for the cancellation of theirregistration with the Commission, in addition to otherpenalties that may be prescribed by law.

(6) File, upon a verified complaint, or on its owninitiative, petitions in court for inclusion or exclusion ofvoters; investigate and, where appropriate, prosecutecases of violations of election laws, including acts oromissions constituting election frauds, offenses, andmalpractices.

(7) Recommend to the Congress effectivemeasures to minimize election spending, includinglimitation of places where propaganda materials shall beposted, and to prevent and penalize all forms of electionfrauds, offenses, malpractices, and nuisancecandidacies.

(8) Recommend to the President the removal ofany officer or employee it has deputized, or the impositionof any other disciplinary action, for violation or disregardof, or disobedience to its directive, order, or decision.

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(9) Submit to the President and the Congress acomprehensive report on the conduct of each election,plebiscite, initiative, referendum, or recall.

SEC. 3. The Commission on Elections may sit enbanc or in two divisions, and shall promulgate its rules ofprocedure in order to expedite disposition of electioncases, including pre- proclamation controversies. All suchelection cases shall be heard and decided in division,provided that motions for reconsideration of decisionsshall be decided by the Commission en banc.

SEC. 4. The Commission may, during the electionperiod, supervise or regulate the enjoyment or utilizationof all franchises or permits for the operation oftransportation and other public utilities, media ofcommunication or information, all grants, specialprivileges, or concessions granted by the Government orany subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof,including any government-owned or controlled corporationor its subsidiary. Such supervision or regulation shall aimto ensure equal opportunity, time and space, and the rightto reply, including reasonable, equal rates therefor, forpublic information campaigns and forums amongcandidates in connection with the objective of holding free,orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.

SEC. 5. No pardon, amnesty, parole, orsuspension of sentence for violation of election laws, rules,and regulations shall be granted by the President withoutthe favorable recommendation of the Commission.

SEC. 6. A free and open party system shall beallowed to evolve according to the free choice of thepeople, subject to the provisions of this Article.

SEC. 7. No votes cast in favor of a political party,organization, or coalition shall be valid, except for thoseregistered under the party-list system as provided in thisConstitution.

SEC. 8. Political parties, or organizations orcoalitions registered under the party-list system, shall notbe represented in the voters’ registration boards, boardsof election inspectors, boards of canvassers, or othersimilar bodies. However, they shall be entitled to appointpoll watchers in accordance with law.

SEC. 9. Unless otherwise fixed by the Commissionin special cases, the election period shall commenceninety days before the day of election and shall end thirtydays thereafter.

SEC. 10. Bona fide candidates for any public officeshall be free from any form of harassment anddiscrimination.

SEC. 11. Funds certified by the Commission asnecessary to defray the expenses for holding regular andspecial elections, plebiscites, initiatives, referenda, andrecalls, shall be provided in the regular or specialappropriations and, once approved, shall be releasedautomatically upon certification by the Chairman of theCommission.

D. The Commission On Audit

SEC. 1. (1) There shall be a Commission on Auditcomposed of a Chairman and two Commissioners, whoshall be natural-born citizens of the Philippines and, atthe time of their appointment, at least thirty-five years of

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age, certified public accountants with not less than tenyears of auditing experience, or members of the PhilippineBar who have been engaged in the practice of law for atleast ten years, and must not have been candidates forany elective position in the elections immediatelypreceding their appointment. At no time shall all Membersof the Commission belong to the same profession.

(2) The Chairman and the Commissioners shallbe appointed by the President with the consent of theCommission on Appointments for a term of seven yearswithout reappointment. Of those first appointed, theChairman shall hold office for seven years, oneCommissioner for five years, and the other Commissionerfor three years, without reappointment. Appointment to anyvacancy shall be only for the unexpired portion of the termof the predecessor. In no case shall any Member beappointed or designated in a temporary or acting capacity.

SEC. 2. (1) The Commission on Audit shall havethe power, authority, and duty to examine, audit, and settleall accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, andexpenditures or uses of funds and property, owned or heldin trust by, or pertaining to, the Government, or any of itssubdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, includinggovernment-owned or controlled corporations with originalcharters, and on a post-audit basis: (a) constitutionalbodies, commissions and offices that have been grantedfiscal autonomy under this Constitution; (b) autonomousstate colleges and universities; (c) other government-owned or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries;and (d) such non-governmental entities receiving subsidyor equity, directly or indirectly, from or through theGovernment, which are required by law or the grantinginstitution to submit to such audit as a condition of subsidyor equity. However, where the internal control system of

the audited agencies is inadequate, the Commission mayadopt such measures, including temporary or special pre-audit, as are necessary and appropriate to correct thedeficiencies. It shall keep the general accounts of theGovernment and, for such period as may be provided bylaw, preserve the vouchers and other supporting paperspertaining thereto.

(2) The Commission shall have exclusive authority,subject to the limitations in this Article, to define the scopeof its audit and examination, establish the techniques andmethods required therefor, and promulgate accountingand auditing rules and regulations, including those for theprevention and disallowance of irregular, unnecessary,excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable expenditures,or uses of government funds and properties.

SEC. 3. No law shall be passed exempting anyentity of the Government or its subsidiary in any guisewhatever, or any investment of public funds, from thejurisdiction of the Commission on Audit.

SEC. 4. The Commission shall submit to thePresident and the Congress, within the time fixed by law,an annual report covering the financial condition andoperation of the Government, its subdivisions, agencies,and instrumentalities, including government-owned orcontrolled corporations, and non-governmental entitiessubject to its audit, and recommend measures necessaryto improve their effectiveness and efficiency. It shall submitsuch other reports as may be required by law.

ARTICLE XLocal Government

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General Provisions

SEC. 1. The territorial and political subdivisionsof the Republic of the Philippines are the provinces, cities,municipalities, and barangays. There shall be autonomousregions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras ashereinafter provided.

SEC. 2. The territorial and political subdivisionsshall enjoy local autonomy.

SEC. 3. The Congress shall enact a localgovernment code which shall provide for a moreresponsive and accountable local government structureinstituted through a system of decentralization witheffective mechanisms of recall, initiative, and referendum,allocate among the different local government units theirpowers, responsibilities, and resources, and provide forthe qualifications, election, appointment and removal,term, salaries, powers and functions and duties of localofficials, and all other matters relating to the organizationand operation of the local units.

SEC. 4. The President of the Philippines shallexercise general supervision over local governments.Provinces with respect to component cities andmunicipalities, and cities and municipalities with respectto component barangays shall ensure that the acts of theircomponent units are within the scope of their prescribedpowers and functions.

SEC. 5. Each local government unit shall have thepower to create its own sources of revenues and to levytaxes, fees, and charges subject to such guidelines andlimitations as the Congress may provide, consistent with

the basic policy of local autonomy. Such taxes, fees, andcharges shall accrue exclusively to the local governments.

SEC. 6. Local government units shall have a justshare, as determined by law, in the national taxes whichshall be automatically released to them.

SEC. 7. Local governments shall be entitled to anequitable share in the proceeds of the utilization anddevelopment of the national wealth within their respectiveareas, in the manner provided by law, including sharingthe same with the inhabitants by way of direct benefits.

SEC. 8. The term of office of elective local officials,except barangay officials, which shall be determined bylaw, shall be three years and no such official shall servefor more than three consecutive terms. Voluntaryrenunciation of the office for any length of time shall notbe considered as an interruption in the continuity of hisservice for the full term for which he was elected.

SEC. 9. Legislative bodies of local governmentsshall have sectoral representation as may be prescribedby law.

SEC. 10. No province, city, municipality, orbarangay may be created, divided, merged, abolished,or its boundary substantially altered, except in accordancewith the criteria established in the local government codeand subject to approval by a majority of the votes cast in aplebiscite in the political units directly affected.

SEC. 11. The Congress may, by law, createspecial metropolitan political subdivisions, subject to aplebiscite as set forth in Section 10 hereof. The componentcities and municipalities shall retain their basic autonomy

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and shall be entitled to their own local executives andlegislative assemblies. The jurisdiction of the metropolitanauthority that will thereby be created shall be limited tobasic services requiring coordination.

SEC. 12. Cities that are highly urbanized, asdetermined by law, and component cities whose chartersprohibit their voters from voting for provincial electiveofficials, shall be independent of the province. The votersof component cities within a province, whose charterscontain no such prohibition, shall not be deprived of theirright to vote for elective provincial officials.

SEC. 13. Local government units may groupthemselves, consolidate or coordinate their efforts,services, and resources for purposes commonly beneficialto them in accordance with law.

SEC. 14. The President shall provide for regionaldevelopment councils or other similar bodies composedof local government officials, regional heads ofdepartments and other government offices, andrepresentatives from non-governmental organizationswithin the regions for purposes of administrativedecentralization to strengthen the autonomy of the unitstherein and to accelerate the economic and social growthand development of the units in the region.

Autonomous Regions

SEC. 15. There shall be created autonomousregions in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordillerasconsisting of provinces, cities, municipalities, andgeographical areas sharing common and distinctivehistorical and cultural heritage, economic and social

structures, and other relevant characteristics within theframework of this Constitution and the national sovereigntyas well as territorial integrity of the Republic of thePhilippines.

SEC. 16. The President shall exercise generalsupervision over autonomous regions to ensure that lawsare faithfully executed.

SEC. 17. All powers, functions, and responsibilitiesnot granted by this Constitution or by law to theautonomous regions shall be vested in the NationalGovernment.

SEC. 18. The Congress shall enact an organic actfor each autonomous region with the assistance andparticipation of the regional consultative commissioncomposed of representatives appointed by the Presidentfrom a list of nominees from multisectoral bodies. Theorganic act shall define the basic structure of governmentfor the region consisting of the executive department andlegislative assembly, both of which shall be elective andrepresentative of the constituent political units. The organicacts shall likewise provide for special courts with personal,family, and property law jurisdiction consistent with theprovisions of this Constitution and national laws.

The creation of the autonomous region shall beeffective when approved by majority of the votes cast bythe constituent units in a plebiscite called for the purpose,provided that only provinces, cities, and geographicalareas voting favorably in such plebiscite shall be includedin the autonomous region.

SEC. 19. The first Congress elected under thisConstitution shall, within eighteen months from the time

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of organization of both Houses, pass the organic acts forthe autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and theCordilleras.

SEC. 20. Within its territorial jurisdiction andsubject to the provisions of this Constitution and nationallaws, the organic act of autonomous regions shall providefor legislative powers over:

1) Administrative organization;

2) Creation of sources of revenues;

3) Ancestral domain and natural resources;

4) Personal, family, and property relations;

5) Regional urban and rural planningdevelopment;

6) Economic, social, and tourism development;

7) Educational policies;

8) Preservation and development of the culturalheritage; and

9) Such other matters as may be authorized bylaw for the promotion of the general welfareof the people of the region.

SEC. 21. The preservation of peace and orderwithin the regions shall be the responsibility of the localpolice agencies which shall be organized, maintained,supervised, and utilized in accordance with applicable

laws. The defense and security of the regions shall be theresponsibility of the National Government.

ARTICLE XIAccountability Of Public Officers

SEC. 1. Public office is a public trust. Public officersand employees must at all times be accountable to thepeople, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity,loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, andlead modest lives.

SEC. 2. The President, the Vice-President, theMembers of the Supreme Court, the Members of theConstitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman maybe removed from office, on impeachment for, andconviction of, culpable violation of the Constitution, treason,bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayalof public trust. All other public officers and employees maybe removed from office as provided by law, but not byimpeachment.

SEC. 3. (1) The House of Representatives shallhave the exclusive power to initiate all cases ofimpeachment.

(2) A verified complaint for impeachment may befiled by any Member of the House of Representatives orby any citizen upon a resolution of endorsement by anyMember thereof, which shall be included in the Order ofBusiness within ten session days, and referred to theproper Committee within three session days thereafter.The Committee, after hearing, and by a majority vote ofall its Members, shall submit its report to the House withinsixty session days from such referral, together with the

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corresponding resolution. The resolution shall becalendared for consideration by the House within tensession days from receipt thereof.

(3) A vote of at least one-third of all the Membersof the House shall be necessary either to affirm a favorableresolution with the Articles of Impeachment of theCommittee, or override its contrary resolution. The voteof each Member shall be recorded.

(4) In case the verified complaint or resolution ofimpeachment is filed by at least one-third of all theMembers of the House, the same shall constitute theArticles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shallforthwith proceed.

(5) No impeachment proceedings shall be initiatedagainst the same official more than once within a periodof one year.

(6) The Senate shall have the sole power to try anddecide all cases of impeachment. When sitting for thatpurpose, the Senators shall be on oath or affirmation.When the President of the Philippines is on trial, the ChiefJustice of the Supreme Court shall preside, but shall notvote. No person shall be convicted without the concurrenceof two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.

(7) Judgment in cases of impeachment shall notextend further than removal from office and disqualificationto hold any office under the Republic of the Philippines,but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable andsubject to prosecution, trial, and punishment according tolaw.

(8) The Congress shall promulgate its rules onimpeachment to effectively carry out the purpose of thissection.

SEC. 4. The present anti-graft court known as theSandiganbayan shall continue to function and exerciseits jurisdiction as now or hereafter may be provided bylaw.

SEC. 5. There is hereby created the independentOffice of the Ombudsman, composed of the Ombudsmanto be known as Tanodbayan, one overall Deputy and atleast one Deputy each for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.A separate Deputy for the military establishment maylikewise be appointed.

SEC. 6. The officials and employees of the Officeof the Ombudsman, other than the Deputies, shall beappointed by the Ombudsman according to the CivilService Law.

SEC. 7. The existing Tanodbayan shall hereafterbe known as the Office of the Special Prosecutor. It shallcontinue to function and exercise its powers as now orhereafter may be provided by law, except those conferredon the Office of the Ombudsman created under thisConstitution.

SEC. 8. The Ombudsman and his Deputies shallbe natural-born citizens of the Philippines, and at the timeof their appointment, at least forty years old, of recognizedprobity and independence, and members of the PhilippineBar, and must not have been candidates for any electiveoffice in the immediately preceding election. TheOmbudsman must have for ten years or more been a judgeor engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines.

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During their tenure, they shall be subject to thesame disqualifications and prohibitions as provided forin Section 2 of Article IX-A of this Constitution.

SEC. 9. The Ombudsman and his Deputies shallbe appointed by the President from a list of at least sixnominees prepared by the Judicial and Bar Council, andfrom a list of three nominees for every vacancy thereafter.Such appointments shall require no confirmation. Allvacancies shall be filled within three months after theyoccur.

SEC. 10. The Ombudsman and his Deputies shallhave the rank of Chairman and Members, respectively, ofthe Constitutional Commissions, and they shall receivethe same salary, which shall not be decreased during theirterm of office.

SEC. 11. The Ombudsman and his Deputies shallserve for a term of seven years without reappointment.They shall not be qualified to run for any office in theelection immediately succeeding their cessation fromoffice.

SEC. 12. The Ombudsman and his Deputies, asprotectors of the people, shall act promptly on complaintsfiled in any form or manner against public officials oremployees of the Government, or any subdivision, agencyor instrumentality thereof, including government-owned orcontrolled corporations, and shall, in appropriate cases,notify the complainants of the action taken and the resultthereof.

SEC. 13. The Office of the Ombudsman shall havethe following powers, functions, and duties:

1) Investigate on its own, or on complaint by anyperson, any act or omission of any publicofficial, employee, office or agency, when suchact or omission appears to be illegal, unjust,improper, or inefficient;

2) Direct, upon complaint or at its own instance,any public official or employee of theGovernment, or any subdivision, agency orinstrumentality thereof, as well as of anygovernment-owned or controlled corporationwith original charter, to perform and expediteany act or duty required by law, or to stop,prevent, and correct any abuse or improprietyin the performance of duties;

3) Direct the officer concerned to take appropriateaction against a public official or employee atfault, and recommend his removal, suspension,demotion, fine, censure, or prosecution, andensure compliance therewith;

4) Direct the officer concerned, in any appropriatecase, and subject to such limitations as maybe provided by law, to furnish it with copies ofdocuments relating to contracts or transactionsentered into by his office involving thedisbursement or use of public funds orproperties, and report any irregularity to theCommission on Audit for appropriate action;

5) Request any government agency forassistance and information necessary in thedischarge of its responsibilities, and toexamine, if necessary, pertinent records anddocuments;

6) Publicize matters covered by its investigationwhen circumstances so warrant and with dueprudence;

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7) Determine the causes of inefficiency, red tape,mismanagement, fraud, and corruption in theGovernment and make recommendations fortheir elimination and the observance of highstandards of ethics and efficiency; and

8) Promulgate its rules of procedure and exercisesuch other powers or perform such functionsor duties as may be provided by law.

SEC. 14. The Office of the Ombudsman shall enjoyfiscal autonomy. Its approved annual appropriations shallbe automatically and regularly released.

SEC. 15. The right of the State to recoverproperties unlawfully acquired by public officials oremployees from them or from their nominees ortransferees, shall not be barred by prescription, latches,or estoppel.

SEC. 16. No loan, guaranty, or other form offinancial accommodation for any business purpose maybe granted, directly or indirectly, by any government-ownedor controlled bank or financial institution to the President,the Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, theCongress, the Supreme Court, and the ConstitutionalCommissions, the Ombudsman, or to any firm or entity inwhich they have controlling interest, during their tenure.

SEC. 17. A public officer or employee shall, uponassumption of office and as often thereafter as may berequired by law, submit a declaration under oath of hisassets, liabilities, and net worth. In the case of thePresident, the Vice-President, the Members of theCabinet, the Congress, the Supreme Court, theConstitutional Commissions and other constitutionaloffices, and officers of the armed forces with general or

flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the publicin the manner provided by law.

SEC. 18. Public officers and employees owe theState and this Constitution allegiance at all times and anypublic officer or employee who seeks to change hiscitizenship or acquire the status of an immigrant of anothercountry during his tenure shall be dealt with by law.

ARTICLE XIINational Economy And Patrimony

SEC. 1. The goals of the national economy are amore equitable distribution of opportunities, income, andwealth; a sustained increase in the amount of goods andservices produced by the nation for the benefit of thepeople; and an expanding productivity as the key to raisingthe quality of life for all, especially the underprivileged.

The State shall promote industrialization and fullemployment based on sound agricultural development andagrarian reform, through industries that make full andefficient use of human and natural resources, and whichare competitive in both domestic and foreign markets.However, the State shall protect Filipino enterprisesagainst unfair foreign competition and trade practices.

In the pursuit of these goals, all sectors of theeconomy and all regions of the country shall be givenoptimum opportunity to develop. Private enterprises,including corporations, cooperatives, and similarcollective organizations, shall be encouraged to broadenthe base of their ownership.

SEC. 2. All lands of the public domain, waters,minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces

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of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife,flora and fauna, and other natural resources are ownedby the State. With the exception of agricultural lands, allother natural resources shall not be alienated. Theexploration, development, and utilization of naturalresources shall be under the full control and supervisionof the State. The State may directly undertake suchactivities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture,or production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens,or corporations or associations at least sixty per centumof whose capital is owned by such citizens. Suchagreements may be for a period not exceeding twenty-five years, renewable for not more than twenty-five years,and under such terms and conditions as may be providedby law. In cases of water rights for irrigation, water supply,fisheries, or industrial uses other than the development ofwater power, beneficial use may be the measure and limitof the grant.

The State shall protect the nation’s marine wealthin its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusiveeconomic zone, and reserve its use and enjoymentexclusively to Filipino citizens.

The Congress may, by law, allow small-scaleutilization of natural resources by Filipino citizens, as wellas cooperative fish farming, with priority to subsistencefishermen and fishworkers in rivers, lakes, bays, andlagoons.

The President may enter into agreements withforeign-owned corporations involving either technical orfinancial assistance for large-scale exploration,development, and utilization of minerals, petroleum, andother mineral oils according to the general terms andconditions provided by law, based on real contributions

to the economic growth and general welfare of the country.In such agreements, the State shall promote thedevelopment and use of local scientific and technicalresources.

The President shall notify the Congress of everycontract entered into in accordance with this provision,within thirty days from its execution.

SEC. 3. Lands of the public domain are classifiedinto agricultural, forest or timber, mineral lands, andnational parks. Agricultural lands of the public domain maybe further classified by law according to the uses to whichthey may be devoted. Alienable lands of the public domainshall be limited to agricultural lands. Private corporationsor associations may not hold such alienable lands of thepublic domain except by lease, for a period not exceedingtwenty-five years, renewable for not more than twenty-fiveyears, and not to exceed one thousand hectares in area.Citizens of the Philippines may lease not more than fivehundred hectares, or acquire not more than twelvehectares thereof, by purchase, homestead, or grant.

Taking into account the requirements ofconservation, ecology, and development, and subject tothe requirements of agrarian reform, the Congress shalldetermine, by law, the size of lands of the public domainwhich may be acquired, developed, held, or leased andthe conditions therefor.

SEC. 4. The Congress shall, as soon as possible,determine by law, the specific limits of forest lands andnational parks, marking clearly their boundaries on theground. Thereafter, such forest lands and national parksshall be conserved and may not be increased nordiminished, except by law. The Congress shall provide,

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for such period as it may determine, measures to prohibitlogging in endangered forests and watershed areas.

SEC. 5. The State, subject to the provisions of thisConstitution and national development policies andprograms, shall protect the rights of indigenous culturalcommunities to their ancestral lands to ensure theireconomic, social, and cultural well-being.

The Congress may provide for the applicability ofcustomary laws governing property rights or relations indetermining the ownership and extent of ancestral domain.

SEC. 6. The use of property bears a socialfunction, and all economic agents shall contribute to thecommon good. Individuals and private groups, includingcorporations, cooperatives, and similar collectiveorganizations, shall have the right to own, establish, andoperate economic enterprises, subject to the duty of theState to promote distributive justice and to intervene whenthe common good so demands.

SEC. 7. Save in cases of hereditary succession,no private lands shall be transferred or conveyed exceptto individuals, corporations, or associations qualified toacquire or hold lands of the public domain.

SEC. 8. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section7 of this Article, a natural-born citizen of the Philippineswho has lost his Philippine citizenship may be a transfereeof private lands, subject to limitations provided by law.

SEC. 9. The Congress may establish anindependent economic and planning agency headed bythe President, which shall, after consultations with theappropriate public agencies, various private sectors, andlocal government units, recommend to Congress, and

implement continuing integrated and coordinatedprograms and policies for national development.

Until the Congress provides otherwise, the NationalEconomic and Development Authority shall function asthe independent planning agency of the government.

SEC. 10. The Congress shall, uponrecommendation of the economic and planning agency,when the national interest dictates, reserve to citizens ofthe Philippines or to corporations or associations at leastsixty per centum of whose capital is owned by suchcitizens, or such higher percentage as Congress mayprescribe, certain areas of investments. The Congressshall enact measures that will encourage the formationand operation of enterprises whose capital is wholly-owned by Filipinos.

In the grant of rights, privileges, and concessionscovering the national economy and patrimony, the Stateshall give preference to qualified Filipinos.

The State shall regulate and exercise authority overforeign investments within its national jurisdiction and inaccordance with its national goals and priorities.

SEC. 11. No franchise, certificate, or any other formof authorization for the operation of a public utility shall begranted except to citizens of the Philippines or tocorporations or associations organized under the laws ofthe Philippines at least sixty per centum of whose capitalis owned by such citizens, nor shall such franchise,certificate, or authorization be exclusive in character orfor a longer period than fifty years. Neither shall any suchfranchise nor right be granted except under the conditionthat it shall be subject to amendment, alteration, or repeal

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by the Congress when the common good so requires.The State shall encourage equity participation in publicutilities by the general public. The participation of foreigninvestors in the governing body of any public utilityenterprise shall be limited to their proportionate share inits capital, and all executive and managing officers of suchcorporation or association must be citizens of thePhilippines.

SEC. 12. The State shall promote the preferentialuse of Filipino labor, domestic materials and locallyproduced goods, and adopt measures that help makethem competitive.

SEC. 13. The State shall pursue a trade policy thatserves the general welfare and utilizes all forms andarrangements of exchange on the basis of equality andreciprocity.

SEC. 14. The sustained development of areservoir of national talents consisting of Filipinoscientists, entrepreneurs, professionals, managers, highlevel technical manpower and skilled workers andcraftsmen in all fields shall be promoted by the State. TheState shall encourage appropriate technology and regulateits transfer for the national benefit.

The practice of all professions in the Philippinesshall be limited to Filipino citizens, save in casesprescribed by law.

SEC. 15. The Congress shall create an agencyto promote the viability and growth of cooperatives asinstruments for social just ice and economicdevelopment.

SEC. 16. The Congress shall not, except bygeneral law, provide for the formation, organization, orregulation of private corporations. Government-owned orcontrolled corporations may be created or establishedby special charters in the interest of the common goodand subject to the test of economic viability.

SEC. 17. In times of national emergency, when thepublic interest so requires, the State may, during theemergency and under reasonable terms prescribed by it,temporarily take over or direct the operation of anyprivately owned public utility or business affected withpublic interest.

SEC. 18. The State may, in the interest of nationalwelfare or defense, establish and operate vital industriesand, upon payment of just compensation, transfer to publicownership utilities and other private enterprises to beoperated by the Government.

SEC. 19. The State shall regulate or prohibitmonopolies when the public interest so requires. Nocombinations in restraint of trade or unfair competitionshall be allowed.

SEC. 20. The Congress shall establish anindependent central monetary authority, the membersof whose governing board must be natural-born Filipinocitizens, of known probity, integrity, and patriotism, themajority of whom shall come from the private sector.They shall also be subject to such other qualificationsand disabilities as may be prescribed by law. Theauthority shall provide policy direction in the areas ofmoney, banking, and credit. It shall have supervisionover the operations of banks and exercise suchregulatory powers as may be provided by law over the

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operations of finance companies and other institutionsperforming similar functions.

Until the Congress otherwise provides, the CentralBank of the Philippines, operating under existing laws,shall function as the central monetary authority.

SEC. 21. Foreign loans may only be incurred inaccordance with law and the regulation of the monetaryauthority. Information on foreign loans obtained orguaranteed by the Government shall be made availableto the public.

SEC. 22. Acts which circumvent or negate any ofthe provisions of this Article shall be considered inimicalto the national interest and subject to criminal and civilsanctions, as may be provided by law.

ARTICLE XIIISocial Justice And Human Rights

SEC. 1. The Congress shall give highest priorityto the enactment of measures that protect and enhancethe right of all the people to human dignity, reduce social,economic, and political inequalities, and remove culturalinequities by equitably diffusing wealth and political powerof the common good.

To this end, the State shall regulate the acquisition,ownership, use, and disposition of property and itsincrements.

SEC. 2. The promotion of social justice shallinclude the commitment to create economic opportunitiesbased on freedom of initiative and self-reliance.

Labor

SEC. 3. The State shall afford full protection tolabor, local and overseas, organized and unorganized,and promote full employment and equality of employmentopportunities for all.

It shall guarantee the rights of all workers to self-organization, collective bargaining and negotiations, andpeaceful concerted activities, including the right to strikein accordance with law. They shall be entitled to securityof tenure, humane conditions of work, and a living wage.They shall also participate in policy and decision-makingprocesses affecting their rights and benefits as may beprovided by law.

The State shall promote the principle of sharedresponsibility between workers and employers and thepreferential use of voluntary modes in settling disputes,including conciliation, and shall enforce their mutualcompliance therewith to foster industrial peace.

The State shall regulate the relations betweenworkers and employers, recognizing the right of labor toits just share in the fruits of production and the right ofenterprises to reasonable returns on investments, and toexpansion and growth.

Agrarian And Natural Resources Reform

SEC. 4. The State shall, by law, undertake anagrarian reform program founded on the right of farmersand regular farmworkers, who are landless, to own directlyor collectively the lands they till or, in the case of otherfarmworkers, to receive a just share of the fruits thereof.

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To this end, the State shall encourage and undertake thejust distribution of all agricultural lands, subject to suchpriorities and reasonable retention limits as the Congressmay prescribe, taking into account ecological,developmental, or equity considerations, and subject tothe payment of just compensation. In determining retentionlimits, the State shall respect the right of small landowners.The State shall further provide incentives for voluntary land-sharing.

SEC. 5. The State shall recognize the right offarmers, farmworkers, and landowners, as well ascooperatives, and other independent farmers’organizations to participate in the planning, organization,and management of the program, and shall providesupport to agriculture through appropriate technology andresearch, and adequate financial, production, marketing,and other support services.

SEC. 6. The State shall apply the principles ofagrarian reform or stewardship, whenever applicable inaccordance with law, in the disposition or utilization ofother natural resources, including lands of the publicdomain under lease or concession suitable to agriculture,subject to prior rights, homestead rights of small settlers,and the rights of indigenous communities to their ancestrallands.

The State may resettle landless farmers andfarmworkers in its own agricultural estates which shall bedistributed to them in the manner provided by law.

SEC. 7. The State shall protect the rights ofsubsistence fishermen, especially of local communities,to the preferential use of the communal marine and fishingresources, both inland and offshore. It shall provide support

to such fishermen through appropriate technology andresearch, adequate financial, production, and marketingassistance, and other services. The State shall alsoprotect, develop, and conserve such resources. Theprotection shall extend to offshore fishing grounds ofsubsistence fishermen against foreign intrusion.Fishworkers shall receive a just share from their labor inthe utilization of marine and fishing resources.

SEC. 8. The State shall provide incentives tolandowners to invest the proceeds of the agrarian reformprogram to promote industrialization, employmentcreation, and privatization of public sector enterprises.Financial instruments used as payment for their lands shallbe honored as equity in enterprises of their choice.

Urban Land Reform And Housing

SEC. 9. The State shall, by law, and for thecommon good, undertake, in cooperation with theprivate sector, a continuing program of urban landreform and housing which will make available ataffordable cost decent housing and basic services tounderprivileged and homeless citizens in urban centersand resettlement areas. It shall also promote adequateemployment opportunities to such citizens. In theimplementation of such program the State shall respectthe rights of small property owners.

SEC. 10. Urban or rural poor dwellers shall not beevicted nor their dwellings demolished, except inaccordance with law and in a just and humane manner.

No resettlement of urban or rural dwellers shall beundertaken without adequate consultation with them andthe communities where they are to be relocated.

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Health

SEC. 11. The State shall adopt an integrated andcomprehensive approach to health development whichshall endeavor to make essential goods, health and othersocial services available to all the people at affordablecost. There shall be priority for the needs of the under-privileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women, and children.The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care topaupers.

SEC. 12. The State shall establish and maintainan effective food and drug regulatory system andundertake appropriate health manpower development andresearch, responsive to the country’s health needs andproblems.

SEC. 13. The State shall establish a specialagency for disabled persons for their rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance, and their integration intothe mainstream of society.

Women

SEC. 14. The State shall protect working womenby providing safe and healthful working conditions, takinginto account their maternal functions, and such facilitiesand opportunities that will enhance their welfare andenable them to realize their full potential in the service ofthe nation.

Role And Rights Of People’s Organizations

SEC. 15. The State shall respect the role ofindependent people’s organizations to enable the peopleto pursue and protect, within the democratic framework,

their legitimate and collective interests and aspirationsthrough peaceful and lawful means.

People’s organizations are bona fide associationsof citizens with demonstrated capacity to promote thepublic interest and with identifiable leadership,membership, and structure.

SEC. 16. The right of the people and theirorganizations to effective and reasonable participationat all levels of social, political, and economic decision-making shall not be abridged. The State shall, by law,facilitate the establishment of adequate consultationmechanisms.

Human Rights

SEC. 17. (1) There is hereby created anindependent office called the Commission on HumanRights.

(2) The Commission shall be composed of aChairman and four Members who must be natural-borncitizens of the Philippines and a majority of whom shallbe members of the Bar. The term of office and otherqualifications and disabilities of the Members of theCommission shall be provided by law.

(3) Until this Commission is constituted, the existingPresidential Committee on Human Rights shall continueto exercise its present functions and powers.

(4) The approved annual appropriations of theCommission shall be automatically and regularlyreleased.

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SEC. 18. The Commission on Human Rights shallhave the following powers and functions:

(1) Investigate, on its own or on complaint by anyparty, all forms of human rights violationsinvolving civil and political rights;

(2) Adopt its operational guidelines and rules ofprocedure, and cite for contempt for violationsthereof in accordance with the Rules of Court;

(3) Provide appropriate legal measures for theprotection of human rights of all persons withinthe Philippines, as well as Filipinos residingabroad, and provide for preventive measuresand legal aid services to the underprivilegedwhose human rights have been violated or needprotection;

(4) Exercise visitorial powers over jails, prisons,or detention facilities;

(5) Establish a continuing program of research,education, and information to enhance respectfor the primacy of human rights;

(6) Recommend to Congress effective measuresto promote human rights and to provide forcompensation to victims of violations of humanrights, or their families;

(7) Monitor the Philippine Government’scompliance with international treaty obligationson human rights;

(8) Grant immunity from prosecution to any personwhose testimony or whose possession ofdocuments or other evidence is necessary orconvenient to determine the truth in anyinvestigation conducted by it or under itsauthority;

(9) Request the assistance of any department,bureau, office, or agency in the performanceof its functions;

(10) Appoint its officers and employees inaccordance with law; and

(11) Perform such other duties and functions asmay be provided by law.

SEC. 19. The Congress may provide for othercases of violations of human rights that should fall withinthe authority of the Commission, taking into account itsrecommendations.

ARTICLE XIVEducation, Science And Technology,

Arts, Culture, And Sports

Education

SEC. 1. The State shall protect and promote theright of all citizens to quality education at all levels andshall take appropriate steps to make such educationaccessible to all.

SEC. 2. The State shall:

(1) Establish, maintain, and support a complete,adequate, and integrated system of educationrelevant to the needs of the people and society;

(2) Establish and maintain a system of free publiceducation in the elementary and high schoollevels. Without limiting the natural rights ofparents to rear their children, elementaryeducation is compulsory for all children ofschool age;

(3) Establish and maintain a system of scholarshipgrants, student loan programs, subsidies andother incentives which shall be available to

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deserving students in both public and privateschools, especially to the underprivileged;

(4) Encourage non-formal, informal and indigenouslearning systems, as well as self-learning,independent, and out-of-school studyprograms particularly those that respond tocommunity needs; and

(5) Provide adult citizens, the disabled, and out-of-school youth with training in civics,vocational efficiency, and other skills.

SEC. 3. (1) All educational institutions shall includethe study of the Constitution as part of the curricula.

(2) They shall inculcate patr iot ism andnationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for humanrights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in thehistorical development of the country, teach the rightsand duties of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritualvalues, develop moral character and personaldiscipline, encourage critical and creative thinking,broaden scientific and technological knowledge, andpromote vocational efficiency.

(3) At the option expressed in writing by the parentsor guardians, religion shall be allowed to be taught to theirchildren or wards in public elementary and high schoolswithin the regular class hours by instructors designatedor approved by the religious authorities of the religion towhich the children or wards belong, without additional costto the Government.

SEC. 4.(1) The State recognizes thecomplementary roles of public and private institutions inthe educational system and shall exercise reasonablesupervision and regulation of all educational institutions.

(2) Educational institutions, other than thoseestablished by religious groups and mission boards, shallbe owned solely by citizens of the Philippines orcorporations or associations at least sixty per centum ofthe capital of which is owned by such citizens. TheCongress may, however, require increased Filipino equityparticipation in all educational institutions.

The control and administration of educationalinstitutions shall be vested in citizens of the Philippines.

No educational institution shall be establishedexclusively for aliens and no group of aliens shall comprisemore than one-third of the enrollment in any school. Theprovisions of this subsection shall not apply to schoolsestablished for foreign diplomatic personnel and theirdependents and, unless otherwise provided by law, forother foreign temporary residents.

(3) All revenues and assets of non-stock, non-profiteducational institutions used actually, directly, andexclusively for educational purposes shall be exempt fromtaxes and duties. Upon the dissolution or cessation of thecorporate existence of such institutions, their assets shallbe disposed of in the manner provided by law.

Proprietary educational institutions, including thosecooperatively owned, may likewise be entitled to suchexemptions subject to the limitations provided by lawincluding restrictions on dividends and provisions forreinvestment.

(4) Subject to conditions prescribed by law, allgrants, endowments, donations, or contributions usedactually, directly, and exclusively for educational purposesshall be exempt from tax.

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SEC. 5. (1) The State shall take into accountregional and sectoral needs and conditions and shallencourage local planning in the development ofeducational policies and programs.

(2) Academic freedom shall be enjoyed in allinstitutions of higher learning.

(3) Every citizen has a right to select a professionor course of study, subject to fair, reasonable, andequitable admission and academic requirements.

(4) The State shall enhance the right of teachers toprofessional advancement. Non-teaching academic andnon-academic personnel shall enjoy the protection of theState.

(5) The State shall assign the highest budgetarypriority to education and ensure that teaching will attractand retain its rightful share of the best available talentsthrough adequate remuneration and other means of jobsatisfaction and fulfillment.

Language

SEC. 6. The national language of the Philippinesis Filipino. As it evolves, it shall be further developed andenriched on the basis of existing Philippine and otherlanguages.

Subject to provisions of law and as the Congressmay deem appropriate, the Government shall take stepsto initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium ofofficial communication and as language of instruction inthe educational system.

SEC. 7. For purposes of communication andinstruction, the official languages of the Philippines areFilipino and, until otherwise provided by law, English.

The regional languages are the auxiliary officiallanguages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary mediaof instruction therein.

Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on avoluntary and optional basis.

SEC. 8. This Constitution shall be promulgated inFilipino and English and shall be translated into majorregional languages, Arabic, and Spanish.

SEC. 9. The Congress shall establish a nationallanguage commission composed of representatives ofvarious regions and disciplines which shall undertake,coordinate, and promote researches for the development,propagation, and preservation of Filipino and otherlanguages.

Science And Technology

SEC. 10. Science and Technology are essentialfor national development and progress. The State shallgive priority to research and development, invention,innovation, and their utilization; and to science andtechnology education, training, and services. It shallsupport indigenous, appropriate, and self-reliant scientificand technological capabilities, and their application to thecountry’s productive systems and national life.

SEC. 11. The Congress may provide for incentives,including tax deductions, to encourage private participation

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in programs of basic and applied scientific research.Scholarships, grants-in-aid, or other forms of incentivesshall be provided to deserving science students,researchers, scientists, inventors, technologists, andspecially gifted citizens.

SEC. 12. The State shall regulate the transfer andpromote the adaptation of technology from all sources forthe national benefit. It shall encourage the widestparticipation of private groups, local governments, andcommunity-based organizations in the generation andutilization of science and technology.

SEC. 13. The State shall protect and secure theexclusive rights of scientists, inventors, artists, and othergifted citizens to their intellectual property and creations,particularly when beneficial to the people, for such periodas may be provided by law.

Arts And Culture

SEC. 14. The State shall foster the preservation,enrichment, and dynamic evolution of a Filipino nationalculture based on the principle of unity in diversity in aclimate of free artistic and intellectual expression.

SEC. 15. Arts and letters shall enjoy the patronageof the State. The State shall conserve, promote, andpopularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage andresources, as well as artistic creations.

SEC. 16. All the country’s artistic and historicwealth constitutes the cultural treasure of the nation andshall be under the protection of the State which mayregulate its disposition.

SEC. 17. The State shall recognize, respect, andprotect the rights of indigenous cultural communities topreserve and develop their cultures, traditions andinstitutions. It shall consider these rights in the formulationof national plans and policies.

SEC. 18. (1) The State shall ensure equal accessto cultural opportunities through the educational system,public or private cultural entities, scholarships, grants andother incentives, and community cultural centers, and otherpublic venues.

(2) The State shall encourage and supportresearches and studies on the arts and culture.

Sports

SEC. 19. (1) The State shall promote physicaleducation and encourage sports programs, leaguecompetitions, and amateur sports, including training forinternational competitions, to foster self-discipline,teamwork, and excellence for the development of a healthyand alert citizenry.

(2) All educational institutions shall undertakeregular sports activities throughout the country incooperation with athletic clubs and other sectors.

ARTICLE XVThe Family

SEC. 1. The State recognizes the Filipino familyas the foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shallstrengthen its solidarity and actively promote its totaldevelopment.

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SEC. 2. Marriage, as an inviolable socialinstitution, is the foundation of the family and shall beprotected by the State.

SEC. 3. The State shall defend:

(1) The right of spouses to found a family inaccordance with their religious convictions andthe demands of responsible parenthood;

(2) The right of children to assistance, includingproper care and nutrition, and specialprotection from all forms of neglect, abuse,cruelty, exploitation, and other conditionsprejudicial to their development;

(3) The right of the family to a family living wageand income; and

(4) The right of families or family associations toparticipate in the planning and implementationof policies and programs that affect them.

SEC. 4. The family has the duty to care for its elderlymembers but the State may also do so through justprograms of social security.

ARTICLE XVIGeneral Provisions

SEC. 1. The flag of the Philippines shall be red,white and blue, with a sun and three stars, as consecratedand honored by the people and recognized by law.

SEC. 2. The Congress may, by law, adopt a newname for the country, a national anthem, or a national seal,which shall all be truly reflective and symbolic of the ideals,history, and traditions of the people. Such law shall take

effect only upon its ratification by the people in a nationalreferendum.

SEC. 3. The State may not be sued without itsconsent.

SEC. 4. The Armed Forces of the Philippines shallbe composed of a citizen armed force which shall undergomilitary training and serve, as may be provided by law. Itshall keep a regular force necessary for the security ofthe State.

SEC. 5. (1) All members of the armed forces shalltake an oath or affirmation to uphold and defend thisConstitution.

(2) The State shall strengthen the patriotic spirit andnationalist consciousness of the military, and respect forpeople’s rights in the performance of their duty.

(3) Professionalism in the armed forces andadequate remuneration and benefits of its members shallbe a prime concern of the State. The armed forces shallbe insulated from partisan politics.

No member of the military shall engage directly orindirectly in any partisan political activity, except to vote.

(4) No member of the armed forces in the activeservice shall, at any time, be appointed or designated inany capacity to a civilian position in the Government,including government-owned or controlled corporationsor any of their subsidiaries.

(5) Laws on retirement of military officers shall notallow extension of their service.

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(6) The officers and men of the regular force of thearmed forces shall be recruited proportionately from allprovinces and cities as far as practicable.

(7) The tour of duty of the Chief of Staff of the armedforces shall not exceed three years. However, in times ofwar or other national emergency declared by theCongress, the President may extend such tour of duty.

SEC. 6. The State shall establish and maintain onepolice force, which shall be national in scope and civilianin character, to be administered and controlled by anational police commission. The authority of localexecutives over the police units in their jurisdiction shallbe provided by law.

SEC. 7. The State shall provide immediate andadequate care, benefits, and other forms of assistanceto war veterans and veterans of military campaigns,their surviving spouses and orphans. Funds shall beprovided therefor and due consideration shall be giventhem in the disposition of agricultural lands of the publicdomain and, in appropriate cases, in the utilization ofnatural resources.

SEC. 8. The State shall, from time to time, reviewto upgrade the pensions and other benefits due to retireesof both the government and the private sectors.

SEC. 9. The State shall protect consumers frommalpractices and from substandard or hazardousproducts.

SEC. 10. The State shall provide the policyenvironment for the full development of Filipino capabilityand the emergence of communication structures suitable

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to the needs and aspirations of the nation and thebalanced flow of information into, out of, and across thecountry, in accordance with a policy that respects thefreedom of speech and of the press.

SEC. 11. (1) The ownership and management ofmass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines,or to corporations, cooperatives or associations, wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.

The Congress shall regulate or prohibit monopoliesin commercial mass media when the public interest sorequires. No combinations in restraint of trade or unfaircompetition therein shall be allowed.

(2) The advertising industry is impressed withpublic interest, and shall be regulated by law for theprotection of consumers and the promotion of the generalwelfare.

Only Filipino citizens or corporations orassociations at least seventy per centum of the capital ofwhich is owned by such citizens shall be allowed to engagein the advertising industry.

The participation of foreign investors in thegoverning body of entities in such industry shall be limitedto their proportionate share in the capital thereof, and allthe executive and managing officers of such entities mustbe citizens of the Philippines.

SEC. 12. The Congress may create a consultativebody to advise the President on policies affectingindigenous cultural communities, the majority of themembers of which shall come from such communities.

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ARTICLE XVIIAmendments Or Revisions

SEC. 1. Any amendment to, or revision of, thisConstitution may be proposed by:

(1) The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths ofall its Members; or

(2) A constitutional convention.

SEC. 2. Amendments to this Constitution maylikewise be directly proposed by the people throughinitiative upon a petition of at least twelve per centum ofthe total number of registered voters, of which everylegislative district must be represented by at least threeper centum of the registered voters therein. Noamendment under this section shall be authorized withinfive years following the ratification of this Constitution noroftener than once every five years thereafter.

The Congress shall provide for the implementationof the exercise of this right.

SEC. 3. The Congress may, by a vote of two-thirdsof all its Members, call a constitutional convention, or by amajority vote of all its Members, submit to the electoratethe question of calling such a convention.

SEC. 4. Any amendment to, or revision of, thisConstitution under Section 1 hereof shall be valid whenratified by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscitewhich shall be held not earlier than sixty days nor laterthan ninety days after the approval of such amendmentor revision.

Any amendment under Section 2 hereof shall bevalid when ratified by a majority of the votes cast in a

plebiscite which shall be held not earlier than sixty daysnor later than ninety days after the certification by theCommission on Elections of the sufficiency of thepetition.

ARTICLE XVIIITransitory Provisions

SEC. 1. The first elections of Members of theCongress under this Constitution shall be held on thesecond Monday of May, 1987.

The first local elections shall be held on a date tobe determined by the President, which may besimultaneous with the election of the Members of theCongress. It shall include the election of all Members ofthe city or municipal councils in the Metropolitan Manilaarea.

SEC. 2. The Senators, Members of the House ofRepresentatives, and the local officials first elected underthis Constitution shall serve until noon of June 30, 1992.

Of the Senators elected in the election in 1992,the first twelve obtaining the highest number of votesshall serve for six years and the remaining twelve forthree years.

SEC. 3. All existing laws, decrees, executiveorders, proclamations, letters of instructions, and otherexecutive issuances not inconsistent with this Constitutionshall remain operative until amended, repealed, orrevoked.

SEC. 4. All existing treaties or internationalagreements which have not been ratified shall not be

renewed or extended without the concurrence of at leasttwo-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.

SEC. 5. The six-year term of the incumbentPresident and Vice-President elected in the February 7,1986 election is, for purposes of synchronization ofelections, hereby extended to noon of June 30, 1992.

The first regular elections for the President andVice-President under this Constitution shall be held onthe second Monday of May, 1992.

SEC. 6. The incumbent President shall continueto exercise legislative powers until the first Congress isconvened.

SEC. 7. Until a law is passed, the President mayfill by appointment from a list of nominees by therespective sectors the seats reserved for sectoralrepresentation in paragraph (2), Section 5 of Article VIof this Constitution.

SEC. 8. Until otherwise provided by the Congress,the President may constitute the Metropolitan Authority tobe composed of the heads of all local government unitscomprising the Metropolitan Manila area.

SEC. 9. A sub-province shall continue to exist andoperate until it is converted into a regular province or untilits component municipalities are reverted to the motherprovince.

SEC. 10. All courts existing at the time of theratification of this Constitution shall continue to exercisetheir jurisdiction, until otherwise provided by law. Theprovisions of the existing Rules of Court, judiciary acts,

and procedural laws not inconsistent with this Constitutionshall remain operative unless amended or repealed bythe Supreme Court or the Congress.

SEC. 11. The incumbent Members of the Judiciaryshall continue in office until they reach the age of seventyyears or become incapacitated to discharge the dutiesof their office or are removed for cause.

SEC. 12. The Supreme Court shall, within one yearafter the ratification of this Constitution, adopt a systematicplan to expedite the decision or resolution of cases ormatters pending in the Supreme Court or the lower courtsprior to the effectivity of this Constitution. A similar planshall be adopted for all special courts and quasi-judicialbodies.

SEC. 13. The legal effect of the lapse, beforethe ratification of this Constitution, of the applicableperiod for the decision or resolution of the cases ormatters submitted for adjudication by the courts, shallbe determined by the Supreme Court as soon aspracticable.

SEC. 14. The provisions of paragraphs (3) and(4), Section 15 of Article VIII of this Constitution shall applyto cases or matters filed before the ratification of thisConstitution, when the applicable period lapses after suchratification.

SEC. 15. The incumbent Members of the CivilService Commission, the Commission on Elections, andthe Commission on Audit shall continue in office for oneyear after the ratification of this Constitution, unless theyare sooner removed for cause or become incapacitatedto discharge the duties of their office or appointed to a

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new term thereunder. In no case shall any Member servelonger than seven years including service before theratification of this Constitution.

SEC. 16. Career civil service employeesseparated from the service not for cause but as a result ofthe reorganization pursuant to Proclamation No. 3 datedMarch 25, 1986 and the reorganization following theratification of this Constitution shall be entitled toappropriate separation pay and to retirement and otherbenefits accruing to them under the laws of generalapplication in force at the time of their separation. In lieuthereof, at the option of the employees, they may beconsidered for employment in the Government or in anyof its subdivisions, instrumentalities, or agencies,including government-owned or controlled corporationsand their subsidiaries. This provision also applies to careerofficers whose resignation, tendered in line with theexisting policy, had been accepted.

SEC. 17. Until the Congress provides otherwise,the President shall receive an annual salary of threehundred thousand pesos; the Vice-President, thePresident of the Senate, the Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, and the Chief Justice of the SupremeCourt, two hundred forty thousand pesos each; theSenators, the Members of the House of Representatives,the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court, and theChairmen of the Constitutional Commissions, two hundredfour thousand pesos each; and the Members of theConstitutional Commissions, one hundred eightythousand pesos each.

SEC. 18. At the earliest possible time, theGovernment shall increase the salary scales of the otherofficials and employees of the National Government.

SEC. 19. All properties, records, equipment,buildings, facilities and other assets of any office or bodyabolished or reorganized under Proclamation No. 3 datedMarch 25, 1986 or this Constitution shall be transferredto the office or body to which its powers, functions andresponsibilities substantially pertain.

SEC. 20. The first Congress shall give priority tothe determination of the period for the full implementationof free public secondary education.

SEC. 21. The Congress shall provide efficaciousprocedures and adequate remedies for the reversion tothe State of all lands of the public domain and real rightsconnected therewith which were acquired in violation ofthe Constitution or the public land laws, or through corruptpractices. No transfer or disposition of such lands or realrights shall be allowed until after the lapse of one yearfrom the ratification of this Constitution.

SEC. 22. At the earliest possible time, theGovernment shall expropriate idle or abandonedagricultural lands as may be defined by law, for distributionto the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program.

SEC. 23. Advertising entities affected byparagraph (2), Section 11 of Article XVI of this Constitutionshall have five years from its ratification to comply on agraduated and proportionate basis with the minimumFilipino ownership requirement therein.

SEC. 24. Private armies and other armed groupsnot recognized by duly constituted authority shall bedismantled. All paramilitary forces including Civilian HomeDefense Forces not consistent with the citizen armed force

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established in this Constitution, shall be dissolved or,where appropriate, converted into the regular force.

SEC. 25. After the expiration in 1991 of theAgreement between the Republic of the Philippines andthe United States of America concerning Military Bases,foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not beallowed in the Philippines except under a treaty dulyconcurred in by the Senate and, when the Congress sorequires, ratified by a majority of the votes cast by thepeople in a national referendum held for that purpose,and recognized as a treaty by the other contractingState.

SEC. 26. The authority to issue sequestration orfreeze order under Proclamation No. 3 dated March 25,1986 in relation to the recovery of ill-gotten wealth shallremain operative for not more than eighteen months afterthe ratification of this Constitution. However, in the nationalinterest, as certified by the President, the Congress mayextend said period.

A sequestration or freeze order shall be issued onlyupon showing of a prima facie case. The order and thelist of the sequestered or frozen properties shall forthwithbe registered with the proper court. For orders issuedbefore the ratification of this Constitution, thecorresponding judicial action or proceeding shall be filedwithin six months from its ratification. For those issuedafter such ratification, the judicial action or proceedingshall be commenced within six months from the issuancethereof.

The sequestration or freeze order is deemedautomatically lifted if no judicial action or proceeding iscommenced as herein provided.

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SEC. 27. This Constitution shall take effectimmediately upon its ratification by a majority of the votescast in a plebiscite held for the purpose and shallsupersede all previous Constitutions.

The foregoing proposed Constitution of theRepublic of the Philippines was approved by theConstitutional Commission of 1986 on the twelfth day ofOctober Nineteen hundred and eighty-six, and accordinglysigned on the fifteenth day of October Nineteen hundredand eighty-six at the Plenary Hall, National GovernmentCenter, Quezon City, by the Commissioners whosesignatures are hereunder affixed.

ORDINANCE

APPORTIONING THE SEATS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESOF THE CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES TO THE DIFFERENTLEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS IN PROVINCES AND CITIES AND THE

METROPOLITAN MANILA AREA

Section 1. For purposes of the election of Members of theHouse of Representatives of the First Congress of the Philippinesunder the Constitut ion proposed by the 1986 Constitut ionalCommission and subsequent elections, and until otherwise providedby law, the Members thereof shall be elected from legislative districtsapportioned among the provinces, cities, and the Metropolitan ManilaArea as follows:

Metropolitan Manila Area

MANILA, six (6) - First District: Barangays Nos. 1-146, N-CityBoundary between Manila and Caloocan; E - From Estero de SunogApog going South to Estero de Vitas up to the bridge spanning JuanLuna Street, eastward to Tayuman Street up to the Railroad Tracksalong Dagupan Street, thence southward to Claro M. Recto Avenue; SE- From point Claro M. Recto Avenue extending westward to Manila Bay;W - Manila Bay northward to City boundary between Manila andCaloocan. Second District: Barangays Nos. 147-267, N - City boundarybetween Manila and Caloocan; E - From end of Rizal Avenue Extensionextending southward to Railroad Tracks at Antipolo Street; from cornerAntipolo Street and Rizal Avenue on southern side of Railroad Tracksextending westward to Estero de San Lazaro, southward along Esterode San Lazaro up to corner of C. M. Recto Avenue westward to bridgespanning Claro M. Recto at Estero de la Reina; W - Estero de la Reinato Estero de Vitas to Estero Sunog Apog to City boundary betweenManila and Caloocan; Third District: Barangays Nos. 268-394, N - Cityboundary between Manila and Caloocan; E - A. Bonifacio Street extendingsouthward to Dimasalang, to Anda-lucia, Claro M. Recto Avenueeastward to Estero de San Miguel ending at Pasig River; S - Mouth ofEstero de San Miguel at Pasig River, westward to Del Pan Bridge,thence to Del Pan Street; W - Del Pan Street northward up to Claro M.Recto Extension to Estero de San Lazaro, northward to Antipolo Street,eastward to Rizal Avenue Extension, northward to boundary betweenManila and Caloocan; Fourth District: Barangays Nos. 395 - 586 SW- Estero de San Miguel up to Mendiola Bridge, thence to C. M. RectoAvenue to Quezon Boulevard; W - Quezon Boulevard, Andalucia,Dimasalang up to boundary between Manila and Quezon City; NE -City boundary between Manila and Quezon City up to RamonMagsaysay Boulevard; SE - Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard up to V.Mapa Street; S - Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard up to point Estero de

San Miguel where Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard spans Estero deSan Miguel; Fifth District: Barangays Nos. 649-828 N - Mouth of PasigRiver inland to point Paz M. Guanzon Street extending to Estero dePandacan; NE - Estero de Pandacan up to Pedro Gil Street to TejeronStreet up to boundary of Manila and Makati; SE - City boundarybetween Manila and Makati up to Estero de Tripa de Gallina; S - Cityboundary between Pasay and Manila down to Roxas Boulevard up toedge of reclaimed areas westward to Manila Bay; W - Manila Bay upto mouth of Pasig River, Sixth District: Barangays Nos. 587-648; and829-905 N - Starting from point which is mouth of Estero de SanMiguel going eastward to Mendiola Bridge, following line along Esterode San Miguel up to point where Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard spansEstero de San Miguel, thence Ramon Magsaysay Boulevard eastwardto City boundary between Manila and Quezon Cityl; NE - City boundaryup to point city boundary of Manila, San Juan and Quezon City; E -Manila-San Juan-Mandaluyong-Makati boundaries up to TejeronStreet; SE - Tejeron Street to Pedro Gil Street up to bridge spanningEstero de Pandacan; SW & W - Estero de Pandacan going northwardto Paz M. Guanzon Street, then northward on Paz M. Guazon Street upto Pasig River to mouth of Estero de San Miguel on Pasig River.

QUEZON CITY, four (4) - First District : Barangays Del Monte,Paltok, Bungad, San Antonio, Katipunan, Veterans Village, Talayan,Damayan, Mariblo, Paraiso, Sta. Cruz, Nayong Kanluran, Philam, WestTriangle, N.S. Amoranto, Paang Bundok, San Isidro Labrador, Sta.Teresita, Salvacion, Maharlika, St. Peter, Lourdes, Sto. Domingo, Sienna,San Jose, Manresa, Pag-ibig sa Nayon, Balingasa, Masambong, Damar,Bahay Toro, St. Cristo, Ramon Magsaysay, Project 6, Vasra, Alicia, andBagong Pag-asa; Second District: Barangays Fairview, New Era, HolySpirit, Batasan Hills, Commonwealth, Payatas, Bagong Silangan,Sauyo, Talipapa, Bagbag, San Bartolome, Sta. Lucia, Gulod, NovalichesProper, San Agustin, Nagkaisang Nayon, Sta. Monica, Kaligayahan,Pasong Putik, Apolonio Samson, Unang Sigaw, Tandang Sora, PasongTamo, Culiat, Baesa, Capri, Balumbato, and Sangandaan: Third District:Barangays E. Rodriguez, Silangan, Quirino 3-A, Duyan-Duyan, Quirino3-B, Amihan, Socorro, San Roque, Mangga, Zobel Dioquino, Tagumpay,Aguinaldo, Escopa 1, Escopa 2, Escopa 3, Escopa 4, West Kamias,East Kamias, Quirino 2- A, Quirino 2-B, Quirino 2-C, Ugong Norte,Bagumbayan, Libis, Villa Maria Clara, Masagana, Milagrosa, Marilag,Bagumbayan, Loyola Heights, Pansol, and Matandang Balara; FourthDistrict: Barangays Bagong Lipunan, Kaunlaran, San Martin,Immaculate Concepcion, South Triangle, Sacred Heart, Laging Handa,Paligsahan, Obrero, Roxas, Kamuning Kanluran, Kamuning Silangan,Tatalon, Don Manuel, Dona Josefa, San Isidro, Dona Aurora, SantoNino, Santol, Dona Imelda, Kristong Hari, Kalusugan, Damayang Lagi,Mariana, Valencia, Horseshoe, Pinagkaisahan, San Vicente, U.P.Campus, Krus Na Ligas, Central, Old Capitol Site, U.P. Village,Teacher’s East, Teacher’s West, Sikatuna, Malaya, Pinahan, andBotocan.

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CALOOCAN CITY, two (2) - First District : 70 Barangays; All ofCaloocan North of EDSA; Second District: 118 Barangays; All of CaloocanSouth of EDSA.

PASAY CITY, one (1)MALABON and NAVOTAS, one (1)

SAN JUAN and MANDALUYONG, one (1)

MARIKINA, one (1)

MAKATI, one (1)

PASIG, one (1) PARANAQUE, one (1)

LAS PINAS and MUNTINGLUPA, one (1)

PATEROS and TAGUIG, one (1)

VALENZUELA, one (1)

Region I

ABRA, one (1)

BENGUET, with the City of Baguio, two (2) - First District: BaguioCity; Second District: all the Municipalities of Benguet.

ILOCOS NORTE, with Laog City, two (2) - First District: LaoagCity and the Municipalities of Bacarra, Bangui, Burgos, Pagudpud,Pasuquin, Piddig, Sarrat, Vintar, Adams, Carasi and Dumalneg; SecondDistrict: Municipalities of Badoc, Batac, Currimao, Dingras, Espiritu,Marcos, Nueva Era, Paoay, Pinili, San Nicolas and Solsona.

ILOCOS SUR, two (2) - First District: Municipalities of Bantay,Cabugao, Caoayan, Magsingal, San Ildefonso, San Juan, San Vicente,San Catalina, Santo Domingo, Sinait and Vigan; Second District:Municipalities of Alilem, Banayoyo, Burgos, Candon, Cervantes,Galimuyod, Gregorio del Pilar, Lidlidda, Nagbukel, Narvacan, Quirino,Salcedo, San Emilio, San Esteban, Santa, Santa Cruz, Santa Lucia,Santa Maria, Santiago, Suyo, Tagudin, Sigay and Sugpon.

LA UNION, two (2) - First District : Municipalities of Bacnotan,Balaoan, Bangar, Luna, San Fernando, San Gabriel, San Juan, Santol,and Sudipen; Second District: Municipalities of Agoo, Aringay, Bagulin,Bauang, Burgos, Caba, Naguilian, Pugo, Rosario, Santo Tomas andTubao.

MOUNTAIN PROVINCE, one (1)

PANGASINAN, with the Cities of Dagupan and San Carlos,six (6) - First District: Municipalities of Bolinao, Bani, Agno, Burgos,Dasol, Infanta, Mabini, Alaminos, Anda and Sual; Second District:Municipalities of Labrador, Lingayen, Bugallon, Aguilar, Mangatarem,Binmaley, Urbiztondo and Basista; Third District: San Carlos City,and the Municipal i t ies of Malasiqui, Bayambang, Calasiao,Mapandan and Sta. Barbara; Fourth District: Dagupan City and theMunicipalities of Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto and Manaoag;Fifth District: Municipalities of Binalonan, Laoac, Urdaneta, Villasis,Sison, Pozorrubio, Bautista, Alcala and Sto. Tomas; Sixth District:Municipalities of Rosales, Asingan, Balungao, Sta. Maria, Umingan,San Quintin, Natividad, Tayug, San Nicolas and San Manuel.

Region II

BATANES, one (1)

CAGAYAN, three (3) - First District: Municipalities of Aparri,Camalaniugan, Lallo, Buguey, Sta. Teresita, Gonzaga, Sta. Ana, Gattaran,Baggao, and Alcala; Second District: Municipalities of Sta. Praxedes,Sanchez Mira, Claveria, Pamplona, Abulug, Ballesteros, Allacapan,Lasam, Sto. Nino, Rizal, Piat, and Calayan; Third District: Municipalitiesof Tuguegarao, Solana, Enrile, Penablanca, Iguig, Amulung, and Tuao.

IFUGAO, one (1)ISABELA, four (4) - First District: Municipalities of Sta. Maria,

San Pablo, Cabagan, Sto. Tomas, Albano, Tumauini, Ilagan, Divilican,Maconacon, and Palanan; Second District: Municipalities of Aurora, SanManuel, Roxas, Mallig, Quezon, Quirino, Burgos, Gamu, Naguilian,Benito Soliven and San Mariano; Third District: Municipalities of ReinaMercedes, Cauayan, Luna, Cabatuan, San Mateo, Alicia, Angadananand San Guillermo; Fourth District: Municipalities of Cordon, Santiago,Ramon, San Isidro, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, and Dinapigui.

KALINGA-APAYAO, one (1)

NUEVA VIZCAYA, one (1)

QUIRINO, one (1)

Region III

BATAAN, two (2) - First District: Municipalities of Dinalupihan,Hermosa, Orani, Samal, Abucay and Morong; Second District:Municipalities of Pilar, Orion, Limay, Bagac, Mariveles and Balanga.

BULACAN, four (4) - First District : Municipalities of Hagonoy,Paombong, Malolos, Calumpit, Pulilan and Bulacan; Second Distict:Municipalities of Baliuag, Bustos, Plaridel, Guiguinto, Balagtas, Pandi

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and Bocaue; Third District: Municipalities of San Miguel, San Ildefonso,San Rafael, Angat, Norzagaray and Remedios Trinidad; Fourth District:Municipalities of San Jose del Monte, Sta. Maria, Marilao, Meycauayanand Obando.

NUEVA ECIJA, with the Cities of Cabanatuan, Palayan andSan Jose, four (4) - First District: Municipalities of Nampicuan, Cuyapo,Guimba, Quezon, Talavera, Licab, Sto. Domingo, Aliaga and Zaragoza;Second District: San Jose City and the Municipalities of Lupao, Munoz,Talugtog, Caranglan, Pantabangan, Llanera, and Rizal; Third District:Cabanatuan City; Palayan City, and the Municipalities of GeneralNatividad, Bongabong, Laur, Gabaldon and Sta. Rosa; Fourth District:Municipalities of San Leonardo, General Tinio, Penaranda, Gapan, SanIsidro, Cabiao, San Antonio, and Jaen.

PAMPANGA, with Angeles City, four (4) - First District : AngelesCity and the Municipalities of Mabalacat and Magalang; Second District:Municipalities of Lubao, Guagua, Floridablanca, Porac, Sta. Rita, andSasmuan; Third District: Municipalities of San Fernando, Arayat, Mexico,Bacolor and Sta. Ana; Fourth District: Municipalities of Candaba, Apalit,Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, Sto. Tomas, San Luis and San Simon.

TARLAC, three (3) - First District: Municipalities of Mayantoc,Sta. Ignacia, Camiling, Moncada, San Manuel, Anao, Paniqui, Ramos,San Clemente and Pura; Second District: Municipalities of Tarlac,Gerona and Victoria; Third District: Municipalities of Bamban, Capas,Concepcion and La Paz.

ZAMBALES, with Olongapo City, two (2) - First District: OlongapoCity and the Municipalities of Subic, Castillejos and San Marcelino;Second District: Municipalities of Botolan, Cabangan, Candelaria, Iba,Masinloc, Palauig, San Antonio, San Felipe, San Narciso and Sta. Cruz.

Region IV

AURORA, one (1)

BATANGAS, with the Cities of Batangas and Lipa, four (4) -First District: Municipalities of Nasugbu, Lian, Calatagan, Balayan, Tuy,Calaca, Lemery and Taal; Second District: Batangas City and theMunicipalities of Lobo, San Pascual, Bauan, Mabini, San Luis andTingloy; Third District: Municipalities of Balete, Malvar, Sto. Tomas,Tanauan, Talisay, Laurel, Agoncillo, San Nicolas, Sta. Teresita, Alitagtag,Cuenca and Mataas na Kahoy; Fourth District : Lipa City and theMunicipalities of San Juan, Taysan, Rosario, P. Garcia, Ibaan and SanJose.

CAVITE, with the Cities of Tagaytay, Cavite and Trece Martires,three (3) - First District: Cavite City and the Municipalities of Bacoor,

Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario; Second District: Trece Martires City andthe Municipalities of Imus, Dasmarinas, Carmona, Gen. Mariano Alvarez,General Trias and Tanza; Third District: Tagaytay City and theMunicipalities of Alfonso, Amadeo, General Aguinaldo, Indang,Magallanes, Maragondon, Mendez-Nunez, Naic, Silang and Ternate.

LAGUNA, with San Pablo City, four (4) - First District:Municipalities of Binan, San Pedro and Sta. Rosa; Second District:Municipalities of Bay, Cabuyao, Calamba and Los Banos; Third District:San Pablo City and the Municipalities of Calauan, Alaminos, Rizal,Nagcarlan, Liliw and Victoria: Fourth District: Municipalities of Sta. Cruz,Pila, Lumban, Pagsanjan, Cavinti, Kalayaan, Paete, Pakil, Pangil,Siniloan, Famy, Mabitac, Sta. Maria, Magdalena, Luisiana and Majayjay.

MARINDUQUE, one (1)

OCCIDENTAL MINDORO, one (1)

ORIENTAL MINDORO, two (2) - First District: Municipalities ofBaco, Calapan, Naujan, Puerto Galera, San Teodoro, Victoria, Pola andSocorro; Second District: Municipalities of Bansud, Bongabon,Bulalakao, Gloria, Mansalay, Pinamalayan, and Roxas.

PALAWAN, with Puerto Princesa City, two (2) - First District:Municipalities of Agutaya, Araceli, Busuanga, Cagayancillo, Coron, Cuyo,Dumaran, El Nido, Linapacan, Magsaysay, Roxas, San Vicente, Taytayand Kalayaan; Second District: Puerto Princesa City and theMunicipalities of Aborlan, Balabac, Batarasa, Brooke’s Point, Narra,Quezon and Marcos.

QUEZON, with Lucena City, four (4) - First District: Municipalitiesof Burdeos, Gen. Nakar, Infanta, Jumalig, Panukulan, Patnanungan,Polilio, Real, Sampaloc, Mauban, Pagbilao, Lucban and Tayabas;Second District: Lucena City and Municipalities of Candelaria, Dolores,San Antonio, Sariaya and Tiaong; Third District: Municipalities ofCatanauan, Gen. Luna, Macalelon, Mulanay, Pitogo, San Andres, SanFrancisco, San Narciso, Buenavista, Padre Burgos, Agdangan andUnisan; Fourth District: Municipalities of Calauag, Guinayangan,Gumaca, Lopez, Tagkawayan, Atimonan, Plaridel, Alabat, Perez andQuezon

RIZAL, two (2) - First District: Municipalities of Antipolo, Taytay,Cainta, Angono and Binangonan; Second District: Municipalities of E.Rodriguez, San Mateo, Morong, Cardona, Teresa, Baras, Tanay,Pililla,and Jala-Jala.

ROMBLON, one (1)

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Region V

ALBAY, with Legazpi City, three (3) - First District: Municipalitiesof Bacacay, Malinao, Malilipot, Santo Domingo, Tabaco and Tiwi; SecondDistrict: Legazpi City and the Municipalities of Camalig, Daraga, Manitoand Rapu-Rapu; Third District: Municipalities of Guinobatan, Jovellar,Libon, Ligao, Oas, Pio Duran and Polangui.

CAMARINES NORTE, one (1)

CAMARINES SUR, including the Cities of Naga and Iriga, four (4) - FirstDistrict: Municipalities of Del Gallego, Ragay, Lupi, Sipocot, Libmanan,Cabusao, Pamplona, Pasacao, Minalabac and San Fernando, SecondDistrict : Naga City and the Municipalities of Bombon, Calabanga,Camaligan, Canaman, Gainza, Magarao, Milaor, Ocampo and Pili; ThirdDistrict: Municipalities of Caramoan, Garchitorena, Goa, Lagonoy,Presentacion, Sangay, San Jose, Tigaon, Tinambac and Siruma; FourthDistrict: Iriga City and the Municipalities of Baao, Balatan, Bato, Buhi,Bula and Nabua.

CATANDUANES, one (1)

MASBATE, three (3) - First District: Municipalities of SanPascual, Claveria, Monreal, San Jacinto, San Fernando and Batuan;Second District: Municipalities of Masbate, Mobo, Milagros, Aroroy,Baleno, Balud and Mandaon; Third District: Municipalities of Uson,Dimasalang, Palanas, Cataingan, Pio V. Corpuz, Esperanza, Placerand Cawayan.

SORSOGON, two (2) - First District: Municipalities of Sorsogon,Pilar, Donsol, Castilla, Bacon, Casiguran and Magallanes; SecondDistrict: Municipalities of Barcelona, Prieto Diaz, Gubat, Juban, Bulusan,Irosin, Sta. Magdalena, Matnog and Bulan.

Region VI

AKLAN, one (1)

ANTIQUE, one (1)

CAPIZ, including Roxas City, two (2) - First District: Roxas Cityand the Municipalities of Panay, Pilar, Pontevedra, President Roxas,Ma-ayon, and Panitan; Second District: Municipalities of Dumalag,Jamindan, Mambusao, Sapian, Sigma, Tapaz, Cuartero, Dao, Dumaraoand Ivisan.

ILOILO, five (5) - First District: Municipalities of Guimbal,Igbaras, San Joaquin, Tigbauan, Tubungan, Miagao, and Oton; Second

District; Municipalities of Jordan, Nueva Valencia, Buenavista, Pavia,Leganes, Sta. Barbara, New Lucena, Zarraga, Alimodian, Leon andSan Miguel; Third District: Municipalities of Maasin, Cabatuan, Janiuay,Badiangan, Mina, Pototan, Calinog, Lambunao and Bingawan; FourthDistrict: Municipalities of Passi, San Enrique, Duenas, Dingle, BarotacNuevo, Dumangas, Anilao and Banate; Fifth District: Municipalities ofBarotac Viejo, San Rafael, Ajuy, Lemery, Concepcion, Sara, San Dionisio,Batad, Estancia, Balasan and Carles.

ILOILO CITY, one (1)

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, with the Cities of San Carlos, Cadiz,Bago, La Carlota and Silay, six (6) - First District: San Carlos City andthe Municipalities of Toboso, Calatrava, Escalante and S. Benedicto;Second District: Cadiz City and the Municipalities of Sagay and Manapla;Third District: Silay City and the Municipalities of Victorias, Enrique B.Magalona, Talisay and Murcia; Fourth District: Bago City and theMunicipalities of Valladolid, San Enrique, Pontevedra, Pulupandan andLa Carlota; Fifth District: Municipalities of La Castellana, Moises Padilla,Isabela, Binalbagan, Himamaylan and Hinigaran; Sixth District:Municipalities of Kabankalan, Ilog, Cauayan, Candoni, Sipalay andHinobaan.

BACOLOD CITY, one (1)

Region VII

BOHOL, with Tagbilaran City, three (3) - First District: TagbilaranCity and the Municipalities of Alburquerque, Antequera, Baclayon,Balilihan, Calape, Catigbian, Corella, Cortes, Dauis, Loon, Maribojoc,Panglao, Sikatuna and Tubigon; Second District: Municipalities of Clarin,Inabanga, Sagbayan, Buenavista, Jetafe, Dagohoy, Danao, San Miguel,Trinidad, Talibon, Ubay, Bien Unido, San Isidro and Pres. C. P. Garcia;Third District: Municipalities of Loay, Loboc, Bilar, Batuan, Carmen,Sevilla, Lila, Dimiao, Valencia, Garcia-Hernandez, Jagna, Duero,Guindulman, Candijay, Mabini, Alicia, Anda, Sierra Bullones and Pilar.

CEBU, with the Cities of Danao, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue andToledo, six (6) - First District: Municipalities of Talisay, Minglanilla, Naga,San Fernando, Carcar, and Sibongan; Second District: Municipalitiesof Argao, Dalaguete, Alcoy, Boljoon, Oslob, Santander, Samboan,Ginatilan, Malabuyoc, Alegria, Badian, Moalboal, Alcantara, Rondaand Dumanjug; Third District: Toledo City and the Municipalities ofBarili, Alonguinsan, Pinamungajan, Balamban, Asturias and Tuburan;Fourth District: Municipalities of Tabuelan, San Remigio, Sta. Fe,Bantayan, Madridejos, Daan- bantayan, Medellin, Bogo and Tabogon;Fifth District: Danao City and the Municipalities of Borbon, Sogod,Catmon, Carmen, Compostela, Liloan, San Francisco, Poro, Tudela

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and Pilar; Sixth District: Lapu-lapu City, Mandanue City, and theMunicipalities of Cordova and Consolacion.

CEBU CITY, two (2) - First District: Barangays of Adlawon,Agsungot, Apas, Bacayan, Banilad, Binaliw, Budla-an, Busay, Cambinocot,Camputhaw, Capitol Site, Carreta, Central Proper, Cogon-Ramos, Day-as, Ermita, Guba, Hipodromo, Kalubihan, Kamagayan, Kasambagan,Lahug, Lorega, Lusaran, Luz, Mabini, Mabolo, Malubog, Pahina Central,Parian, Paril, Pit-os, Pulang Bato, Sambag 1, Sambag 11, San Antonio,San Jose, San Roque, Sta. Cruz, Sirao, T. Padilla, Talamban, Taptap,Tejero, Tinago and Zapatera; Second District: Barangays of Babag, BasakPardo, Basak San Nicolas, Bonbon, Buhisan, Bulacao Pardo, Bout-Taup,Calamba, Cogon Pardo, Duljo Fatima, Guadalupe, Inayawan, Kalunasan,Kinasang-an Pardo, Labangon, Mambaling, Pahina San Nicolas,Pamutan, Pardo, Pasil Abuno, Sibugay, Punta Princesa, Quiot, SanNicolas, Sawang Calero, Sinsin, Suba Pasil, Sudlon, Sapangdako,Tabunan, Tigbao, Tisa and Toong.

NEGROS ORIENTAL, with the Cities of Bais, Canlaon andDumaguete, three (3) - First Distr ict: Canlaon City and theMunicipalities of Vallehermoso, Guihulngan, La Libertad, Jimalalud,Tayasan, Ayungon, Bindoy and Manjuyod; Second District: Bais City,Dumaguete City, and the Municipalities of Mabinay, Tanjay, Pamplona,Amlan, San Jose and Sibulan; Third District: Municipalities ofValencia, Bacong, Dauin, Zamboanguita, Siaton, Sta. Catalina,Bayawan and Basay.

SIQUIJOR, one (1)

Region VIII

LEYTE, with the Cities of Tacloban and Ormoc, five (5) - FirstDistrict: Tacloban City and the Municipalities of Alangalang, Babatngon,Palo, San Miguel, Sta. Fe, Tanauan, and Tolosa; Second District:Municipalities of Barugo, Barauen, Capoocan, Carigara, Dagami, Dulag,Jaro, Julita, La Paz, Mayorga, MacArthur, Pastrana, Tabontabon andTunga; Third District: Municipalities of Almeria, Biliran, Cabucgayan,Caibiran, Calubian, Culaba, Kawayan, Leyte, Maripipi, Naval, San Isidro,Tabango and Villaba; Fourth District: Ormoc City and the Municipalitiesof Albuera, Isabel, Kananga, Matagob, Merida and Palompon; FifthDistrict: Municipalities of Abuyog, Bato, Baybay, Hilongos, Hindang,Inopacan, Javier, Mahaplag and Matalom.

SOUTHERN LEYTE, one (1)

EASTERN SAMAR, one (1)

NORTHERN SAMAR, two (2) - First District: Municipalities ofAllen, Biri, Bobon, Capul, Catarman, Lavezares, Lope de Vega, Rosario,

San Antonio, San Isidro, San Jose, San Vicente, Victoria and Mondragon;Second District: Municipalities of Silvino Lobos, San Roque, Pambuyan,Las Navas, Catubig, Laoang, Palapag, Mapanas, Gamay and Lapinig.

SAMAR, with Calbayog City, two (2) - First District: CalbayogCity and the Municipalities of Almagro, Gandara, Matuguinao,Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Santa Margarita, Sto. Nino, Tagapul-an andTarangnan; Second District: Municipalities of Basey, Calbiga,Catbalogan, Daram, Hinabangan, San Jose de Buan, Jiabong, Marabut,Motiong, Pinabacdao, San Sebastian, Sta. Rita, Talalora, Villareal,Wright, and Zumarraga.

Region IX

BASILAN, one (1)

SULU, two (2) - First District: Municipalities of Jolo, Marungas,Indanan, Pangutaran, Parang, Talipao, Maimbung and Patikul; SecondDistrict: Municipalities of Siasi, Pandami, Pata, Luuk, K. Caluang,Panamao, New Panamao, Tapul, Lungus and Tongkil.

TAWI-TAWI, one (1)

ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, with the Cities of Dapitan andDipolog, three (3) - First District: Dapitan City and the Municipalities ofSibutad, Rizal, La Libertad, Mutia, Pinan, Sergio Osmena, Sr., andPolanco; Second District: Dipolog City and the Municipalities ofKatipunan, Pres. Manuel A. Roxas, Manukan, Ponot, Siayan andSindangan; Third District: Municipalities of Salug; Godod, Liloy,Tampilisan, Labason, Gutalac, Siocon, Baliquian, Siraway, Bacunganand Sibuco.

ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR, with Pagadian City, three (3) - FirstDistrict: Pagadian City and the Municipalities of Dumingag, Mahayag,Molave, Tambulig, Midsalip, R. Magsaysay, Labangan, Aurora, Tukuran,Josefina and Don Mariano Marcos; Second District: Municipalities ofDumalinao, San Pablo, Tabina, Dimataling, Dinas, San Miguel,Margosatubig, Lapuyan, Kumalarang, Bayog, Lakewood, Pitogo andVincenzo A. Sagun; Third District: Municipalities of Malangas, Alicia,Olutanga, Mabuhay, Siay, Kabasalan, Naga, Ipil, Titay, Tungawan, Buug,Imelda, Payao, Talusan, Diplahan and Roseller Lim.

ZAMBOANGA CITY, one (1)

Region X

AGUSAN DEL NORTE, with the City of Butuan, two (2) - FirstDistrict: Butuan City and the Municipality of Las Nieves, Second District:

Municipalities of Buenavista, Cabadbaran, Carmen, Jabonga,Kitcharao, Magallanes, Nasipit, Santiago, Tubay and Remedios T.Romualdez.

AGUSAN DEL SUR, one (1)

BUKIDNON, three (3) - First District: Municipalities of Talakag,Baungon, Malitbog, Libona, Manolo Fortich, Sumilao, Pangantocan,and Kalilangan; Second District: Municipalities of Malaybalay, Lantapan,Cabanglasan, Valencia, San Fernando, and Impasugong; Third District:Municipalities of Maramag, Quezon, Don Carlos, Kitaotao, Dangcagan,Kibawe, Damulog and Kadingilan.

CAMIGUIN, one (1)

MISAMIS OCCIDENTAL, with the Cities of Oroquieta, Ozamizand Tangub, two (2) - First District: Oroquieta City and the Municipalitiesof Baliangao, Plaridel, Calamba, Sapang Dalaga, Lopez Jaena, Aloran,Concepcion, Panaon, and Jimenez; Second District: Ozamiz City,Tangub City and the Municipalities of Bonifacio, Tudela, Clarin,Sinacaban and Don Mariano Marcos.

MISAMIS ORIENTAL, with Gingoog City, two (2) - First District:Gingoog City and the Municipalities of Magsaysay, Talisayan, Balingoan,Medina, Kinogitan, Sugbongcogon, Binuangan, Salay, Lagonglong andBalingasag; Second District: Municipalities of Claveria, Jasaan,Villanueva, Tagoloan, Alubijid, El Salvador, Gitagum, Initao,Laguindingan, Libertad, Lugait, Manticao, Naawan and Opol.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, one (1)

SURIGAO DEL NORTE, with the City of Surigao, two (2) - FirstDistrict: Municipalities of Sta. Monica, San Isidro, Del Carme, Pilar,General Luna, Dapa, Socorro, Burgos, San Benito, Loreto, Libjo,Dinagat, Cagdianao, Tubajon and Basilisa; Second District: SurigaoCity and the Municipalities of San Francisco, Tagana-an, Sison, Placer,Malimono, Bacuag, Gigaquit, Tubod, Mainit, Alegria and Claver.

Region XI

DAVAO DEL NORTE, three (3) - First District: Municipalities ofMoncayo, Montevista, Compostela, Nabunturan, New Bataan, Mawaband San Mariano; Second District: Municipalities of San Vicente,Capalong, Asuncion, New Corella, Tagum, Maco, Mabini and Pantukan;Third District: Municipalities of Sto. Tomas, Carmen, Panabo, Babak,Samal and Kaputian.

DAVAO ORIENTAL, two (2) - First District: Municipalities ofBoston, Cateel, Baganga, Caraga, Manay and Tarragona; Second

193192

District: Municipalities of Mati, Banaybanay, Lupon, San Isidro andGovernor Generoso.

DAVAO DEL SUR, two (2) - First District: Municipalities ofMagsaysay, Bansalan, Sta. Cruz, Matanao, Digos, Hagonoy and Padada;Second District: Municipalities of Kiblawan, Sulop, Malalag, Sta. Maria,Malita, Jose Abad Santos, Don Marcelino and Saranggani.

DAVAO CITY, three (3) - First District: Districts ofPoblacion and Talomo; Second District: Districts of Buhangin, Bunawanand Paquibato; Third District: Districts of Toril, Tugbok, Calinan andBaguio.

SOUTH COTABATO, with General Santos City, three (3) - FirstDistrict: General Santos City and the Municipalities of Polomolok,Tampakan and Tupi; Second District: Municipalities of Tantangan,Norala, Banga, Sto. Nino, Surallah, Koronadal, Tiboli and Lake Sebu;Third District: Municipalities of Alabel, Malapatan, Glan, Maasim, Kiamba,Maitum and Malungon.

SURIGAO DEL SUR, two (2) - First District: Municipalities ofBayabas, Cantilan, Carrascal, Cortes, Lanuza, Madrid, San Miguel, Tago,Tandag, Cagwait, Marihatag, San Agustin, Carmen and Lianga; SecondDistrict: Municipalities of Barobo, Bislig, Hinatuan, Lingig and Tagbina.

Region XII

LANAO DEL NORTE, with Iligan City, two (2) - First District:Iligan City and the Municipalities of Linamon, Kauswagan, Bacolod,Maigo, Kolambugan, Tubod and Baroy; Second District: Municipalitiesof Baloi, Pantar, Tagoloan, Poona-Piagapo, Pantao-Ragat, Matungao,Tangkal, Munai, Nunungan, Magsaysay, Salvador, Kapatagan,Karomatan. Sapad and Lala.

LANAO DEL SUR, with Marawi City, two (2) - First District: MarawiCity and the Municipalities of Marantao, Piagapo, Saguiaran, Tagoloan,Kapai, Ditsaan - Ramain, Bubong, Buadiposo-Buntong, Bumbaran,Maguing, Wao, Molundo, Taraka, Lumba-Bayabao, Poona-Bayabao,Masiu and Tamparan; Second District: Municipalities of Balindong,Tugaya, Bacolod Grande, Madalum, Madamba, Pualas, Ganassi,Pagayawan, Sultan Gumander, Malabang, Balabagan, Kapatagan,Marogong, Tubaran, Binidayan, Lumbatan, Lumbayanague, Butig,Bayang and Calanogas.

MAGUINDANAO, with Cotabato City, two (2) - First District:Cotabato City and the Municipalities of Parang, Sultan Kudarat, Buldon,Barira, Dinaig, Kabuntalan, Matanog and Upi; Second District:Municipalities of Pagalungan, Buluan, Sultan sa Barongis, Maganoy,Talayam, South Upi, Datu Piang, Datu Paglas and Ampatuan.

NORTH COTABATO, two (2) - First District: Municipalities ofCarmen, Kabacan, Libungan, Midsayap, Pigkawayan, Pikit, Aleosan,Banisilan and Alamada; Second District: Municipalities of Kidapawan,Makilala, Matalam, Antipas, M’lang, Pres. Roxas, Tulunan and Magpet.

SULTAN KUDARAT, one (1)

SEC 2. The Commission on Elections is hereby empoweredto make minor adjustments of the reapportionment herein made.

SEC 3. Any province that may hereafter be created, or any citywhose population may hereafter increase to more than two hundredfifty thousand shall be entitiled in the immediately following election toat least one Member or such number of Members as it may be entitledto on the basis of the number of its inhabitants and according to thestandards set forth in paragraph (3), Section 5 of Article VI of theConstitution. The number of Members apportioned to the province outof which such new province was created or where the city, whosepopulation has so increased, is geographically located shall becorrespondingly adjusted by the Commission on Elections but suchadjustment shall not be made within one hundred and twenty daysbefore the election.

SEC. 4. This Ordinance shall be appended to the Constitutionproposed by the 1986 Constitutional Commission, and shall besubmitted to a plebiscite simultaneously with such Constitution, andshall take effect upon its ratification by a majority of the votes cast insuch plebiscite.

194

THE RULES

OF THE SENATE

Rule I Elective Officers ...................................................................... 7

Rule II Election Of Officers ................................................................ 7

Rule III The President, His Duties And Powers ................................ 8

Rule IV The President Pro Tempore, His Duties And Powers ...... 9

Rule V The Secretary, His Duties And Powers .............................. 10

Rule VI The Sergeant-At-Arms, His Duties And Powers .............. 12

Rule VII The Acting Secretary AndThe Acting Sergeant-At-Arms ............................................ 13

Rule VIII Term Of Office Of Elective Officers .................................. 13

Rule IX Organization Of The Senate .............................................. 14

Rule X The Committees ..................................................................... 14

1) Committee on Rules ............................................................. 14

2) Committee on Ethics And Privileges ................................ 15

3) Committee on Accounts ....................................................... 15

4) Committee on Finance ......................................................... 15

5) Committee on Ways And Means ........................................ 15

6) Committee on Economic Affairs ........................................ 15

7) Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions

And Currencies ...................................................................... 16

8) Committee on Government Corporations

And Public Enterprises ........................................................ 16

9) Committee on Trade And Commerce ............................... 16

10) Committee on Agriculture And Food ............................... 16

11) Committee on Cooperatives ............................................... 17

12) Committee on Foreign Relations ...................................... 17

13) Committee on National Defense And Security ............... 17

14) Committee on Peace, Unification

And Reconciliation .............................................................. 18

15) Committee on Justice And Human Rights ....................... 18

16) Committee on Public Works .............................................. 18

17) Committee on Local Government ..................................... 18

18) Committee on Urban Planning,

Housing And Resettlement .................................................. 19

19) Committee on Cultural Communities .............................. 19

Contents

Page

20) Committee on Agrarian Reform ........................................ 19

21) Committee on Labor, Employment

And Human Resources Development ................................ 19

22) Committee on Education, Arts And Culture ................... 20

23) Committee on Health And Demography .......................... 20

24) Committee on Environment And

Natural Resources ................................................................ 20

25) Committee on Energy ........................................................... 21

26) Committee on Science And Technology .......................... 21

27) Committee on Social Justice, Welfare And

Rural Development ............................................................... 21

28) Committee on Public Services ........................................... 22

29) Committee on Public Information

And Mass Media ................................................................... 22

30) Committee on Constitutional Amendments,

Revision Of Codes And Laws .............................................. 22

31) Committee on Civil Service And

Government Reorganization ............................................. 22

32) Committee on Public Order And Illegal Drugs .............. 23

33) Committee on Youth, Women And

Family Relations ................................................................... 24

34) Committee on Tourism ........................................................ 24

35) Committee on Games and Amusement ............................ 24

36) Committee on Accountability Of Public

Officers And Investigations ................................................ 24

37) Committee on Climate Change .......................................... 24

38) Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s

Participation ......................................................................... 25

39) Committee on Amateur Sports Competitiveness ........... 25

Rule XI Meetings And Reports Of The Committees ..................... 27

Rule XII Reports Of Conference Committees .................................. 30

Rule XIII Special Orders ....................................................................... 31

Rule XIV Senate Sessions ..................................................................... 32

Rule XV Quorum ................................................................................... 34

Rule XVI Calendars ............................................................................... 34

Rule XVII Messages ................................................................................. 35

Rule XVIII Order Of Business ................................................................. 35

Rule XIX Journal .................................................................................... 36

Rule XX Record Of The Senate ...................................................... 38

Rule XXI Requisites Of Bills ............................................................ 39

Rule XXII Filing And Consideration Of BillsAnd Resolutions ................................................................ 40

Rule XXIII Reading Of Bills And Joint Resolutions ...................... 40

Rule XXIV Consideration Of The Matters AppearingIn The Calendar For Special Orders ............................. 42

Rule XXV Consideration Of, And Debates On, Bills .................... 42

Rule XXVI Manner Of Having The Floor ......................................... 43

Rule XXVII Duration Of Debates ......................................................... 44

Rule XXVIII Bills With Preamble ......................................................... 45

Rule XXIX Amendments ....................................................................... 45

Rule XXX Manner Of Presenting Motions ..................................... 46

Rule XXXI Precedence Of Motions ................................................... 47

Rule XXXII Privileged Motions ........................................................... 47

Rule XXXIII Motion To Reconsider And Its Requisites ................... 48

Rule XXXIV Unparliamentary Acts And Language ......................... 48

Rule XXXV Suspension And Adjournment Of The Session ........... 49

Rule XXXVI Concurrence In Treaties .................................................. 51

Rule XXXVII Reading And Inclusion Of Certain Documents .......... 52

Rule XXXVIII Point Of Order ................................................................... 52

Rule XXXIX Question Of Privilege ...................................................... 53

Rule XL Privilege To Speak On Matters Of Public Interest .... 53

Rule XLI Voting .................................................................................. 54

Rule XLII Unanimous Consent ......................................................... 55

Rule XLIII Suspension Of The Rules ................................................. 55

Rule XLIV Unfinished Business ......................................................... 56

Rule XLV Petitions And Memorials OfPrivate Persons Or Foreign States ............................... 56

Rule XLVI Appearance of Cabinet Members ................................. 56

Rule XLVII Executive Session .............................................................. 58

Page Page

Rule XLVIII Documents Filed With The Senate .................................... 59

Rule XLIX Procedure On Vetoed Bills ................................................. 60

Rule L Supplementary Rules ........................................................... 60

Rule LI Amendments To, Or Revision Of, The Rules ................... 61

Rule LII Date Of Taking Effect ........................................................... 61

• Rules Of Procedure

Governing Inquiries In Aid Of Legislation ..................... 63

• Resolution Adopting the Rules

of Procedure on ImpeachmentTrials ........................................................................................ 73

• The Constitution Of The Republic Of The

Philippines ............................................................................ 89

Page