The document provides an overview of the presidential system of government in the Philippines, detailing the powers, qualifications, and election process of the president. It emphasizes the president's role as the head of state, chief executive, and commander-in-chief, along with listing various powers such as appointment, supervision of local governments, and control over the executive branch. The document compares the Philippine system with that of the United States, highlighting key differences, and includes opinions from citizens regarding the current presidency of Rodrigo Duterte.

1.  He is the 7th president of the Philippines.
 Military governor of Zambales.
 Secretary of Department of National Defense.
WHO IS HE?
RAMON MAGSAYSAY

2.  Official residence and principal
workplace of the president.
 Located in the capital city of
Manila.
WHAT IS THIS?
MALACAÑANG

3. The government has three interdependent branches:
• LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
• EXECUTIVE BRANCH
• JUDICIAL BRANCH

4. EXECUTIVE

5. Executive Power
Vested in the President of the Philippines. The
President is elected by popular vote. The principal
workplace of the President is the Malacañang Palace
in San Miguel, Manila. The executive branch is
currently headed by President Rodrigo Duterte. The
President is also the Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines.
D
E
F
I
N
I
T
I
O
N

6. Executive Branch of Government
Article VII, Section 1, of the 1987 Constitution vests
executive power on the President of the Philippines.
The President is the head of State and head of
Government. As chief executive, the President
exercises control over all the executive departments,
bureaus, and offices.

7. THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
The President of the Philippines is elected by direct
vote by the people for a term of six years. He may only
serve for one term, and is ineligible for reelection. The
term of the President of the Philippines starts at noon of
the 30th day of June after the election.

8. The qualifications for an individual aspiring to
become the President of the Philippines are outlined
in Article VII, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution.
According to the constitution, an individual may
become President provided he meets the following
criteria:
Q
U
A
L
I
F
I
C
A
T
I
O
N

9. 1. natural born Filipino;
2. a registered voter;
3. must be able to read and write;
4. 40 years of age at the day of
the election; and
5. must have resided in the
Philippines ten years before the
election is held.
Q
U
A
L
I
F
I
C
A
T
I
O
N

10. POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT
Executive Order No. 292
Known as the Administrative Code of 1987

11. 1. Power of control over the executive branch
The President of the Philippines has the mandate of
control over all the executive departments, bureaus, and
offices. This includes restructuring, reconfiguring, and
appointments of their respective
officials. The Administrative Code also provides for the
President to be responsible for the abovementioned
offices’ strict implementation of laws.

12. 2. Power ordinance power
The President of the Philippines has the power to give
executive issuances, which are means to streamline the
policy and programs of an administration. There are six
issuances that the President may issue. They are the
following as defined in the Administrative Code of 1987:

13. Executive orders
Acts of the President providing for rules of a general or
permanent character in implementation or execution of
constitutional or statutory powers shall be promulgated in
executive orders.

14. Administrative orders
Acts of the President which relate to particular aspects
of governmental operations in pursuance of his duties
as the administrative head shall be promulgated in
administrative orders.

15. Proclamations
Acts of the President fixing a date or declaring a status
or condition of public moment or interest, upon the
existence of which the operation of a specific law or
regulation is made to depend, shall be promulgated in
proclamations which shall have the force of an
executive order.

16. Memorandum orders
Acts of the President on matters of administrative
detail, or of subordinate or temporary interest which
only concern a particular officer or government office
shall be embodied in memorandum orders.

17. Memorandum circulars
Acts of the President on matters relating to internal
administration, which the President desires to bring to
the attention of all or some of the departments,
agencies, bureaus, or offices of the government, for
information or compliance, shall be embodied in
memorandum circulars.

18. General or special orders
Acts and commands of the President in his capacity as
commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines shall be issued as general or special orders.

19. 3. Power over aliens
The President of the Philippines has certain
powers over non-Filipinos in the Philippines. The
powers he
may exercise over foreigners in the country are as
follows:
• an alien in the Philippines deported from the
country after due process.
• status of a foreigner, as prescribed by law, from a
non-immigrant status to a permanent resident status
without necessity of visa.

20. • overrule the Board of Commissioners of the Bureau
of Immigration before their decision becomes final
and executory (after 30 days of the issuance of the
decision). The Board of Commissioners of the
Bureau of Immigration has jurisdiction over all
deportation cases.
• The president is also mandated by the
Administrative Code of 1987 to exercise powers as
recognized by the generally accepted principles of
international law.

21. 4. Powers of eminent domain, escheat, land reservation
and recovery of ill-gotten wealth
The President of the Philippines has the authority to
exercise the power of eminent domain. The power of
eminent domains means the state has the power to
seize or authorize the seizure of private property for
public use with just compensation.

22. There are two constitutional provisions, however, that
limit the exercise of such power: Article III, Section 9
of the Constitution
(1) provides that no person shall be deprived of
his/her life, liberty, or property without due
process of law. Furthermore, Article III, Section 9
(2), provides that private property shall not be taken
for public use without just compensation.

23. 5. Power of appointment
The President may appoint officials of the Philippine
government as provided by the constitution and laws of
the Philippines. Some of these appointments, however,
may need the approval of the Committee on
Appointments (a committee composed of members from
the House of Representatives and the Senate of the
Philippines).

24. 6. Power of general supervision
over local governments The President of the Philippines,
as chief executive, has the mandate to supervise local
governments in the Philippines, despite their autonomous
status as provided by Republic Act No. 7160 otherwise
known as the Local Government Code of 1991.
Traditionally, this is done by the Department of the
Interior and Local Government, headed by a cabinet
secretary—an alter ego of the President.

25. 7. Other powers
Aside from the aforementioned powers of the
President of the Philippines, he can also exercise
powers enumerated in the constitution, and powers
given to him by law.

26. Critique of the Presidential Form of Government
by Alan S. Cajes

27. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty
and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights,
Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever
any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it
is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to
institute new Government, laying its foundation on such
principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them
shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”

28. A republic refers to “a government having a
chief of state who is not a monarch and is
usually a president” and to “a government
in which supreme power is held by the citizens
entitled to vote and is exercised by elected
officers and representatives governing
according to law”

29. Government, therefore, exists by the consent of the
people who are governed. It is the people who
constitute themselves into a State. This is expressly
stated in Article 2, Section 1 of the 1987
Constitution: “The Philippines is a democratic and
republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people
and all government authority emanates from them”.

30. The Philippine Constitution (and the Philippine
government) is inspired by that of the Americans. This
needs to be clarified.
The Philippines and the US are similar in the sense that
both mandate the separation of co-equal powers that are
lodged in co-equal branches of the government, namely,
the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. Under this
rule, an executive can neither be a legislator nor be a
member of the court. But there are also glaring differences
in the constitutional provisions of the two countries. These
differences include the following:

31. In the US, the president is elected for a term of four
years and can be elected for another term. In the
Philippines, the president is elected for a single term
of six years. In the US, the vice president serves as
president of the US Senate. In the Philippines, the
vice president may not even be appointed to any
position.

32. Filipinos think about President Duterte

33. Jerome, a teacher, has this to say:
I didn’t think Duterte had the kind of judgments and
discernment that a president needed so I didn’t vote for
him. I’d also heard of the Davao Death Squads and was
pretty sure he was directing them. He has a septic tank
for a mind and a sewer for a mouth. He is a boor, a bully,
a buffoon, and worst of all a butcher.

34. Mar, who holds a high-level position in tourism, has this
to say:
I did not vote for Duterte because I viewed him as not
worthy of being elevated to the highest post in the land.
Duterte’s presidency is a total disaster and I wish this
nightmare was over.

35. Rose, an artist,
I voted for Duterte because there is a need for change. I
was disappointed with the corruption of all past
administrations. I have faith in Duterte’s desire to bring
back the Philippines to a better economic situation and
spread the wealth among other provinces. What I like
about him is that his heart is with the poor, so hopefully
he will also establish social reforms that will lift people
from extreme poverty.