ARTICLE VITHE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
Section 1. The legislative power
shall be vested in the Congress of the Philippines which shall consist
of a Senate and a House of Representatives, except to the extent
reserved
to the people by the provision on initiative and referendum.
Section 2. The Senate shall
be composed of twenty-four Senators who shall be elected at large by
the
qualified voters of the Philippines, as may be provided by law.cralaw:red
Section 3. No person shall
be a Senator unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines
and,
on the day of the election, is at least thirty-five years of age, able
to read and write, a registered voter, and a resident of the
Philippines
for not less than two years immediately preceding the day of the
election.cralaw:red
Section 4. The term of office
of the Senators shall be six years and shall commence, unless otherwise
provided by law, at noon on the thirtieth day of June next following
their
election. No Senator shall serve for more than two consecutive terms.
Voluntary
renunciation of the office for any length of time shall not be
considered
as an interruption in the continuity of his service for the full term
of
which he was elected.cralaw:red
Section 5. (1) The House
of Representatives shall be composed of not more than two hundred and
fifty
members, unless otherwise fixed by law, who shall be elected from
legislative
districts apportioned among the provinces, cities, and the Metropolitan
Manila area in accordance with the number of their respective
inhabitants,
and on the basis of a uniform and progressive ratio, and those who, as
provided by law, shall be elected through a party-list system of
registered
national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations.cralaw:red
(2) The party-list representatives
shall constitute twenty per centum of the total number of
representatives
including those under the party list. For three consecutive terms after
the ratification of this Constitution, one-half of the seats allocated
to party-list representatives shall be filled, as provided by law, by
selection
or election from the labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural
communities,
women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law, except
the religious sector.cralaw:red
(3) Each legislative district
shall comprise, as far as practicable, contiguous, compact, and
adjacent
territory. Each city with a population of at least two hundred fifty
thousand,
or each province, shall have at least one representative.cralaw:red
(4) Within three years following
the return of every census, the Congress shall make a reapportionment
of
legislative districts based on the standards provided in this section.cralaw:red
Section 6. No person shall
be a Member of the House of Representatives unless he is a natural-born
citizen of the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at least
twenty-five years of age, able to read and write, and, except the
party-list
representatives, a registered voter in the district in which he shall
be
elected, and a resident thereof for a period of not less than one year
immediately preceding the day of the election.cralaw:red
Section 7. The Members of
the House of Representatives shall be elected for a term of three years
which shall begin, unless otherwise provided by law, at noon on the
thirtieth
day of June next following their election.
No Member of the House of
Representatives
shall serve for more than three consecutive terms. Voluntary
renunciation
of the office for any length of time shall not be considered as an
interruption
in the continuity of his service for the full term for which he was
elected.cralaw:red
Section 8. Unless otherwise
provided by law, the regular election of the Senators and the Members
of
the House of Representatives shall be held on the second Monday of May.cralaw:red
Section 9. In case of vacancy
in the Senate or in the House of Representatives, a special election
may
be called to fill such vacancy in the manner prescribed by law, but the
Senator or Member of the House of Representatives thus elected shall
serve
only for the unexpired term.cralaw:red
Section 10. The salaries
of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives shall be
determined
by law. No increase in said compensation shall take effect until after
the expiration of the full term of all the Members of the Senate and
the
House of Representatives approving such increase.cralaw:red
Section 11. A Senator or
Member of the House of Representatives shall, in all offenses
punishable
by not more than six years imprisonment, be privileged from arrest
while
the Congress is in session. No Member shall be questioned nor be held
liable
in any other place for any speech or debate in the Congress or in any
committee
thereof.cralaw:red
Section 12. All Members of
the Senate and the House of Representatives shall, upon assumption of
office,
make a full disclosure of their financial and business interests. They
shall notify the House concerned of a potential conflict of interest
that
may arise from the filing of a proposed legislation of which they are
authors.cralaw:red
Section 13. No Senator or
Member of the House of Representatives may hold any other office or
employment
in the Government, or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality
thereof,
including government-owned or controlled corporations or their
subsidiaries,
during his term without forfeiting his seat. Neither shall he be
appointed
to any office which may have been created or the emoluments thereof
increased
during the term for which he was elected.cralaw:red
Section 14. No Senator or
Member of the House of Representatives may personally appear as counsel
before any court of justice or before the Electoral Tribunals, or
quasi-judicial
and other administrative bodies. Neither shall he, directly or
indirectly,
be interested financially in any contract with, or in any franchise or
special privilege granted by the Government, or any subdivision,
agency,
or instrumentality thereof, including any government-owned or
controlled
corporation, or its subsidiary, during his term of office. He shall not
intervene in any matter before any office of the Government for his
pecuniary
benefit or where he may be called upon to act on account of his office.cralaw:red
Section 15. The Congress
shall convene once every year on the fourth Monday of July for its
regular
session, unless a different date is fixed by law, and shall continue to
be in session for such number of days as it may determine until thirty
days before the opening of its next regular session, exclusive of
Saturdays,
Sundays, and legal holidays. The President may call a special session
at
any time.cralaw:red
Section 16. (1). The Senate
shall elect its President and the House of Representatives, its
Speaker,
by a majority vote of all its respective Members. Each House shall
choose
such other officers as it may deem necessary.cralaw:red
(2) A majority of each House
shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may
adjourn
from day to day and may compel the attendance of absent Members in such
manner, and under such penalties, as such House may provide.cralaw:red
(3) Each House may determine
the rules of its proceedings, 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.cralaw:red
(4) Each House shall keep
a Journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same,
excepting
such parts as may, in its judgment, affect national security; and the yeas
and nays on any question shall, at the request of one-fifth of
the
Members present, be entered in the Journal.
Each House shall also keep
a
Record of its proceedings.cralaw:red
(5) Neither House during
the sessions of the Congress shall, without the consent of the other,
adjourn
for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the
two Houses shall be sitting.cralaw:red
Section 17. The Senate and
the House of Representatives shall each have an Electoral Tribunal
which
shall be the sole judge of all contests relating to the election,
returns,
and qualifications of their respective Members. Each Electoral Tribunal
shall be composed of nine Members, three of whom shall be Justices of
the
Supreme Court to be designated by the Chief Justice, and the remaining
six shall be Members of the Senate or the House of Representatives, as
the case may be, who shall be chosen on the basis of proportional
representation
from the political parties and the parties or organizations registered
under the party-list system represented therein. The senior Justice in
the Electoral Tribunal shall be its Chairman.cralaw:red
Section 18. There shall be
a Commission on Appointments consisting of the President of the Senate,
as ex officio Chairman, twelve Senators, and twelve Members of
the
House of Representatives, elected by each House on the basis of
proportional
representation from the political parties and parties or organizations
registered under the party-list system represented therein. The
chairman
of the Commission shall not vote, except in case of a tie. The
Commission
shall act on all appointments submitted to it within thirty session
days
of the Congress from their submission. The Commission shall rule by a
majority
vote of all the Members.cralaw:red
Section 19. The Electoral
Tribunals and the Commission on Appointments shall be constituted
within
thirty days after the Senate and the House of Representatives shall
have
been organized with the election of the President and the Speaker. The
Commission on Appointments shall meet only while the Congress is in
session,
at the call of its Chairman or a majority of all its Members, to
discharge
such powers and functions as are herein conferred upon it.cralaw:red
Section 20. The records and
books of accounts of the Congress shall be preserved and be open to the
public in accordance with law, and such books shall be audited by the
Commission
on Audit which shall publish annually an itemized list of amounts paid
to and expenses incurred for each Member.cralaw:red
Section 21. The Senate or
the House of Representatives or any of its respective committees may
conduct
inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance with its duly published
rules
of procedure. The rights of persons appearing in, or affected by, such
inquiries shall be respected.cralaw:red
Section 22. The heads of
departments may, upon their own initiative, with the consent of the
President,
or upon the request of either House, as the rules of each House shall
provide,
appear before and be heard by such House on any matter pertaining to
their
departments. Written questions shall be submitted to the President of
the
Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives at least three
days
before their scheduled appearance. Interpellations shall not be limited
to written questions, but may cover matters related thereto. When the
security
of the State or the public interest so requires and the President so
states
in writing, the appearance shall be conducted in executive session.cralaw:red
Section 23. (1) The Congress,
by a vote of two-thirds of both Houses in joint session assembled,
voting
separately, shall have the sole power to declare the existence of a
state
of war.cralaw:red
(2) In times of war or other
national emergency, the Congress may, by law, authorize the President,
for a limited period and subject to such restrictions as it may
prescribe,
to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out a declared
national
policy. Unless sooner withdrawn by resolution of the Congress, such
powers
shall cease upon the next adjournment thereof.cralaw:red
Section 24. All appropriation,
revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public debt,
bills of local application, and private bills, shall originate
exclusively
in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur
with
amendments.cralaw:red
Section 25. (1) The Congress
may not increase the appropriations recommended by the President for
the
operation of the Government as specified in the budget. The form,
content,
and manner of preparation of the budget shall be prescribed by law.cralaw:red
(2) No provision or enactment
shall be embraced in the general appropriations bill unless it relates
specifically to some particular appropriation therein. Any such
provision
or enactment shall be limited in its operation to the appropriation to
which it relates.cralaw:red
(3) The procedure in approving
appropriations for the Congress shall strictly follow the procedure for
approving appropriations for other departments and agencies.cralaw:red
(4) A special appropriations
bill shall specify the purpose for which it is intended, and shall be
supported
by funds actually available as certified by the National Treasurer, or
to be raised by a corresponding revenue proposal therein.cralaw:red
(5) No law shall be passed
authorizing any transfer of appropriations; however, the President, the
President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the heads of Constitutional
Commissions
may, by law, be authorized to augment any item in the general
appropriations
law for their respective offices from savings in other items of their
respective
appropriations.cralaw:red
(6) Discretionary funds appropriated
for particular officials shall be disbursed only for public purposes to
be supported by appropriate vouchers and subject to such guidelines as
may be prescribed by law.cralaw:red
(7) If, by the end of any
fiscal year, the Congress shall have failed to pass the general
appropriations
bill for the ensuing fiscal year, the general appropriations law for
the
preceding fiscal year shall be deemed re-enacted and shall remain in
force
and effect until the general appropriations bill is passed by the
Congress.cralaw:red
Section 26. (1) Every bill
passed by the Congress shall embrace only one subject which shall be
expressed
in the title thereof.cralaw:red
(2) No bill passed by either
House shall become a law unless it has passed three readings on
separate
days, and printed copies thereof in its final form have been
distributed
to its Members three days before its passage, except when the President
certifies to the necessity of its immediate enactment to meet a public
calamity or emergency. Upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment
thereto
shall be allowed, and the vote thereon shall be taken immediately
thereafter,
and the yeas and nays entered in the Journal.cralaw:red
Section 27. (1) Every bill
passed by the Congress shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to
the President. If he approves the same he shall sign it; otherwise, he
shall veto it and return the same with his objections to the House
where
it originated, which shall enter the objections at large in its Journal
and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration,
two-thirds
of all the Members of such House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall
be sent, together with the objections, to the other House by which it
shall
likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of all the
Members
of that House, it shall become a law. In all such cases, the votes of
each
House shall be determined by yeas or nays, and the
names
of the Members voting for or against shall be entered in its Journal.
The
President shall communicate his veto of any bill to the House where it
originated within thirty days after the date of receipt thereof,
otherwise,
it shall become a law as if he had signed it.cralaw:red
(2) The President shall have
the power to veto any particular item or items in an appropriation,
revenue,
or tariff bill, but the veto shall not affect the item or items to
which
he does not object.cralaw:red
Section 28. (1) The rule
of taxation shall be uniform and equitable. The Congress shall evolve a
progressive system of taxation.cralaw:red
(2) The Congress may, by
law, authorize the President to fix within specified limits, and
subject
to such limitations 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 the national development program of the
Government.cralaw:red
(3) Charitable institutions,
churches and personages or convents appurtenant thereto, mosques,
non-profit
cemeteries, and all lands, buildings, and improvements, actually,
directly,
and exclusively used for religious, charitable, or educational purposes
shall be exempt from taxation.cralaw:red
(4) No law granting any tax
exemption shall be passed without the concurrence of a majority of all
the Members of the Congress.cralaw:red
Section 29. (1) No money
shall be paid out of the Treasury except in pursuance of an
appropriation
made by law.cralaw:red
(2) No public money or property
shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or employed, directly or
indirectly,
for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination,
sectarian
institution, or system of religion, or of any priest, preacher,
minister,
other religious teacher, or dignitary as such, except when such priest,
preacher, minister, or dignitary is assigned to the armed forces, or to
any penal institution, or government orphanage or leprosarium.cralaw:red
(3) All money collected on
any tax levied for a special purpose shall be treated as a special fund
and paid out for such purpose only. If the purpose for which a special
fund was created has been fulfilled or abandoned, the balance, if any,
shall be transferred to the general funds of the Government.cralaw:red
Section 30. No law shall
be passed increasing the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as
provided in this Constitution without its advice and concurrence.cralaw:red
Section 31. No law granting
a title of royalty or nobility shall be enacted.cralaw:red
Section 32. The Congress
shall, as early as possible, provide for a system of initiative and
referendum,
and the exceptions therefrom, whereby the people can directly propose
and
enact laws or approve or reject any act or law or part thereof passed
by
the Congress or local legislative body after the registration of a
petition
therefor signed by at least ten per centum of the total number
of
registered voters, of which every legislative district must be
represented
by at least three per centum of the registered voters thereof.
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