NATURE OF ELECTIONS

1. Nature of Elections and
Political Parties in the
Philippines
Quarter 4, Week 5
Tagbina NHS

2. Objectives:
At the end of the week, you shall have:
•identified the nature of elections and political
parties in the Philippines;
•compared and contrasted the nature of national
and local elections in the Philippines; and
•created an artwork depicting the importance of
voter’s education for a clean and honest
elections.

3. Election is a process or mechanism for filling a
governmental office through choices made by
the majority of qualified voters exercising their
right to suffrage. On the other hand,
electoral system is a set of rules that governs
the conduct of elections (Heywood 2013).
In the case of the Philippines, rules and
procedures governing elections rest in the
management and supervision of the Commission
on Election (COMELEC).

4. Political Parties and Party System

5. Different types of political parties and party system
•one-party system,
•two-party system,
•dominant party system, and
•multi-party system

6. One-party system
– Only one party dominates and
there is no political competition
between parties. Single-party
systems are characterized by the
oppression of democratic freedom
(i.e. China)

7. Two-party system
– Two parties primarily dominate
the political landscape and
smaller parties only play a
subordinate role (i.e. USA,
Republic of South Korea).

8. Dominant party systems
– Other parties are present but only
one party dominates and enjoys
prolonged periods in power

9. Multiparty system
– More than two parties compete for
power over time. It reduces the
likelihood of a single-party government
and increases chances of coalition
formation.

10. Under the current Constitution, the system
of government in the country is being
characterized as a multi-party system. This
implies that any group or party can
participate in the political process or
political arena provided that they have
satisfied certain qualifications and provided
that they have been elected by the voting
population.

11. So, what is a
POLITICAL
PARTY?

12. A political party is a group of people that is
formally organized for the purpose of
winning government power through electoral
or other means. The political party is the
major organizing principle of modern
politics. It links the state and civil society, the
institutions of the government, and the
groups and interests that operate within
society.

13. Current Structure of the Philippine Electoral System

14. The structure of the current electoral system
is provided in the 1987 Constitution and the
Omnibus Election Code. The COMELEC is
given the task to enforce election laws and
exercise exclusive jurisdiction over the
qualifications of candidates, accreditation of
political parties, and canvassing of votes.

15. •The 1987 Constitution provides that the three
branches of the government are separate and
equal. The president and the vice president are
elected separately by a direct vote of the
people. Under the simple plurality method, the
candidates with the highest number of votes will
be proclaimed winners (first-past-the-post
system). Both officials are to serve for a term of
six years.

16. •The Transitory Provisions of the 1987
Constitution says that “of the senators
elected in the election of 1992, the first 12
obtaining the highest number of votes shall
serve for six years (full) and the remaining
12 for three years.” In 1995, elected
senators were then given six-year term.

17. Thus, 12 senators are elected every three years.
This scheme of concurrent six-year terms was
formulated so that the Senate would not be
vacated and continue with their law- and policy-
making functions. Remember that under a
bicameral system, the bills submitted by the
House of Representatives are still to be
considered by the Senate. It is thus important
that there are senators who could deal with the
bill; otherwise, no laws will be created.

18. •Of the 250 members of the House of
Representatives, 200 are elected through
district proportional representation, while 50
are elected from party-lists on a proportional
basis.
•Party lists are closed list (meaning, the people
vote for the political party as a whole) and
election of the representative is based on the
candidates’ placement in the party slate (Velasco
2006).

19. •Under the Party-List Act (RA 7941 otherwise
known as Party list System Act of the
Philippines), seats are allocated at one seat per
2% of the votes obtained. Only a maximum of
three seats are allowed per party. Unallocated
seats shall be distributed among the other
parties that have not yet obtained the maximum
of three seats (provided that they have reached
2% of votes).

20. • At present, there are almost 300 representatives in
the Philippines.
• The 1987 Constitution only provides for 250 members
of the House of Representatives, Article VI, Section 5
states that “each legislative district shall comprise, as
far as practicable, contiguous, compact and adjacent
territory. Each city with a population of at least 250
000, or each province, shall have at least one
representative.” Within three years following the
return of every census, the Congress shall make a
reapportion of legislative districts based on the
standards provided in Article VI, Section 5.

21. Population growth is thus a factor in such
increase in the number of representatives. Apart
from population growth, another reason for the
increase of seats is due to several contestations
on the Party-List Act. In 2009, while the Supreme
Court upheld the three-seat cap, it ruled that the
2% election threshold was unconstitutional and
stipulated that for every five legislative districts
created, one seat for sectoral representatives
should also be created. This increased the
sectoral seats in the 14th Congress from 22 to 55.

22. •the 1991 Local Government Code governs elections
for local government officials. The punong barangay,
vice mayor, mayor, vice governor, and governor are
elected in their respective localities through a
plurality vote (first-past-the-post system). The
members of the local assemblies (e.g., city and
municipal councils and the provincial board) are
elected by district and through a plurality vote.
Members of the barangay or village assembly are
elected at large in their areas. The local government
officials are to serve a maximum of three
consecutive three-year terms (Teehankee 2002).

23. •The current constitution encourages a
free and open party system. This led to
the rise of several political parties in
1986 period and the setting up of a
multiparty system. The introduction of
the party-list system furthered this.