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ARTICLE VI

THE 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 referendu.
Section !. The Senate shall be coposed of twenty"four
Senators who shall be elected at large by the #uali$ed
voters of the Philippines, as ay be provided by law.
Section %. &o person shall be a Senator unless he is a
natural"born citi'en of the Philippines and, on the day of
the election, is at least thirty"$ve years of age, able to
read and write, a registered voter, and a resident of the
Philippines for not less than two years iediately
preceding the day of the election.
Section (. The ter of o)ce of the Senators shall be six
years and shall coence, unless otherwise provided
by law, at noon on the thirtieth day of *une next
following their election. &o Senator shall serve for ore
than two consecutive ters. +oluntary renunciation of
the o)ce for any length of tie shall not be considered
as an interruption in the continuity of his service for the
full ter of which he was elected.
Section ,. -1. The House of Representatives shall be
coposed of not ore than two hundred and $fty
ebers, unless otherwise $xed by law, who shall be
elected fro legislative districts apportioned aong the
provinces, cities, and the /etropolitan /anila area in
accordance with the nuber of their respective
inhabitants, and on the basis of a unifor and
progressive ratio, and those who, as provided by law,
shall be elected through a party"list syste of registered
national, regional, and sectoral parties or organi'ations.
-!. The party"list representatives shall constitute twenty
per centum of the total nuber of representatives
including those under the party list. 0or three
consecutive ters after the rati$cation of this
Constitution, one"half of the seats allocated to party"list
representatives shall be $lled, as provided by law, by
selection or election fro the labor, peasant, urban
poor, indigenous cultural counities, woen, youth,
and such other sectors as ay be provided by law,
except the religious sector.
-%. 1ach legislative district shall coprise, as far as
practicable, contiguous, copact, and ad2acent territory.
1ach city with a population of at least two hundred $fty
thousand, or each province, shall have at least one
representative.
-(. 3ithin three years following the return of every
census, the Congress shall a4e a reapportionent of
legislative districts based on the standards provided in
this section.
Section 5. &o person shall be a /eber of the House of
Representatives unless he is a natural"born citi'en of
the Philippines and, on the day of the election, is at
least twenty $ve 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
iediately preceding the day of the election.
Section 6. The /ebers of the House of Representatives
shall be elected for a ter of three years which shall
begin, unless otherwise provided by law, at noon on the
thirtieth day of *une next following their election. &o
/eber of the House of Representatives shall serve for
ore than three consecutive ters. +oluntary
renunciation of the o)ce for any length of tie shall not
be considered as an interruption in the continuity of his
service for the full ter for which he was elected.
Section 7. 8nless otherwise provided by law, the regular
election of the Senators and the /ebers of the House
of Representatives shall be held on the second /onday
of /ay.
Section 9. :n case of vacancy in the Senate or in the
House of Representatives, a special election ay be
called to $ll such vacancy in the anner prescribed by
law, but the Senator or /eber of the House of
Representatives thus elected shall serve only for the
unexpired ter.
Section 1;. The salaries of Senators and /ebers of the
House of Representatives shall be deterined by law.
&o increase in said copensation shall ta4e e<ect until
after the expiration of the full ter of all the /ebers of
the Senate and the House of Representatives approving
such increase.
Section 11. = Senator or /eber of the House of
Representatives shall, in all o<enses punishable by not
ore than six years iprisonent, be privileged fro
arrest while the Congress is in session. &o /eber shall
be #uestioned nor be held liable in any other place for
any speech or debate in the Congress or in any
coittee thereof.
Section 1!. =ll /ebers of the Senate and the House of
Representatives shall, upon assuption of o)ce, a4e
a full disclosure of their $nancial and business interests.
They shall notify the House concerned of a potential
con>ict of interest that ay arise fro the $ling of a
proposed legislation of which they are authors.
Section 1%. &o Senator or /eber of the House of
Representatives ay hold any other o)ce or
eployent in the ?overnent, or any subdivision,
agency, or instruentality thereof, including
governent"owned or controlled corporations or their
subsidiaries, during his ter without forfeiting his seat.
&either shall he be appointed to any o)ce which ay
have been created or the eoluents thereof increased
during the ter for which he was elected.
Section 1(. &o Senator or /eber of the House of
Representatives ay personally appear as counsel
before any court of 2ustice or before the 1lectoral
Tribunals, or #uasi2udicial and other adinistrative
bodies. &either shall he, directly or indirectly, be
interested $nancially in any contract with, or in any
franchise or special privilege granted by the
?overnent, or any subdivision, agency, or
instruentality thereof, including any governent"
owned or controlled corporation, or its subsidiary,
during his ter of o)ce. He shall not intervene in any
atter before any o)ce of the ?overnent for his
pecuniary bene$t or where he ay be called upon to act
on account of his o)ce.
Section 1,. The Congress shall convene once every year
on the fourth /onday of *uly for its regular session,
unless a di<erent date is $xed by law, and shall
continue to be in session for such nuber of days as it
ay deterine until thirty days before the opening of
its next regular session, exclusive of Saturdays,
Sundays, and legal holidays. The President ay call a
special session at any tie.
Section 15. -1.. The Senate shall elect its President and
the House of Representatives, its Spea4er, by a a2ority
vote of all its respective /ebers. 1ach House shall
choose such other o)cers as it ay dee necessary.
-!. = a2ority of each House shall constitute a #uoru
to do business, but a saller nuber ay ad2ourn fro
day to day and ay copel the attendance of absent
/ebers in such anner, and under such penalties, as
such House ay provide.
-%. 1ach House ay deterine the rules of its
proceedings, punish its /ebers for disorderly
behavior, and, with the concurrence of two"thirds of all
its /ebers, suspend or expel a /eber. = penalty of
suspension, when iposed, shall not exceed sixty days.
-(. 1ach House shall 4eep a *ournal of its proceedings,
and fro tie to tie publish the sae, excepting such
parts as ay, in its 2udgent, a<ect national security@
and the yeas and nays on any #uestion shall, at the
re#uest of one"$fth of the /ebers present, be entered
in the *ournal. 1ach House shall also 4eep a Record of its
proceedings.
-,. &either House during the sessions of the Congress
shall, without the consent of the other, ad2ourn for ore
than three days, nor to any other place than that in
which the two Houses shall be sitting.
Section 16. The Senate and the House of
Representatives shall each have an 1lectoral Tribunal
which shall be the sole 2udge of all contests relating to
the election, returns, and #uali$cations of their
respective /ebers. 1ach 1lectoral Tribunal shall be
coposed of nine /ebers, three of who shall be
*ustices of the Supree Court to be designated by the
Chief *ustice, and the reaining six shall be /ebers of
the Senate or the House of Representatives, as the case
ay be, who shall be chosen on the basis of
proportional representation fro the political parties
and the parties or organi'ations registered under the
party"list syste represented therein. The senior *ustice
in the 1lectoral Tribunal shall be its Chairan.
Section 17. There shall be a Coission on
=ppointents consisting of the President of the Senate,
as ex ofcio Chairan, twelve Senators, and twelve
/ebers of the House of Representatives, elected by
each House on the basis of proportional representation
fro the political parties and parties or organi'ations
registered under the party"list syste represented
therein. The chairan of the Coission shall not vote,
except in case of a tie. The Coission shall act on all
appointents subitted to it within thirty session days
of the Congress fro their subission. The Coission
shall rule by a a2ority vote of all the /ebers.
Section 19. The 1lectoral Tribunals and the Coission
on =ppointents shall be constituted within thirty days
after the Senate and the House of Representatives shall
have been organi'ed with the election of the President
and the Spea4er. The Coission on =ppointents
shall eet only while the Congress is in session, at the
call of its Chairan or a a2ority of all its /ebers, to
discharge such powers and functions as are herein
conferred upon it.
Section !;. The records and boo4s of accounts of the
Congress shall be preserved and be open to the public
in accordance with law, and such boo4s shall be audited
by the Coission on =udit which shall publish
annually an itei'ed list of aounts paid to and
expenses incurred for each /eber.
Section !1. The Senate or the House of Representatives
or any of its respective coittees ay conduct
in#uiries in aid of legislation in accordance with its duly
published rules of procedure. The rights of persons
appearing in, or a<ected by, such in#uiries shall be
respected.
Section !!. The heads of departents ay, upon their
own initiative, with the consent of the President, or upon
the re#uest of either House, as the rules of each House
shall provide, appear before and be heard by such
House on any atter pertaining to their departents.
3ritten #uestions shall be subitted to the President of
the Senate or the Spea4er of the House of
Representatives at least three days before their
scheduled appearance. :nterpellations shall not be
liited to written #uestions, but ay cover atters
related thereto. 3hen the security of the State or the
public interest so re#uires and the President so states in
writing, the appearance shall be conducted in executive
session.
Section !%. -1. The Congress, by a vote of two"thirds of
both Houses in 2oint session assebled, voting
separately, shall have the sole power to declare the
existence of a state of war.
-!. :n ties of war or other national eergency, the
Congress ay, by law, authori'e the President, for a
liited period and sub2ect to such restrictions as it ay
prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to
carry out a declared national policy. 8nless sooner
withdrawn by resolution of the Congress, such powers
shall cease upon the next ad2ournent thereof.
Section !(. =ll appropriation, revenue or tari< bills, bills
authori'ing increase of the public debt, bills of local
application, and private bills, shall originate exclusively
in the House of Representatives, but the Senate ay
propose or concur with aendents.
Section !,. -1. The Congress ay not increase the
appropriations recoended by the President for the
operation of the ?overnent as speci$ed in the budget.
The for, content, and anner of preparation of the
budget shall be prescribed by law.
-!. &o provision or enactent shall be ebraced in the
general appropriations bill unless it relates speci$cally
to soe particular appropriation therein. =ny such
provision or enactent shall be liited in its operation
to the appropriation to which it relates.
-%. The procedure in approving appropriations for the
Congress shall strictly follow the procedure for
approving appropriations for other departents and
agencies.
-(. = special appropriations bill shall specify the purpose
for which it is intended, and shall be supported by funds
actually available as certi$ed by the &ational Treasurer,
or to be raised by a corresponding revenue proposal
therein.
-,. &o law shall be passed authori'ing any transfer of
appropriations@ however, the President, the President of
the Senate, the Spea4er of the House of
Representatives, the Chief *ustice of the Supree Court,
and the heads of Constitutional Coissions ay, by
law, be authori'ed to augent any ite in the general
appropriations law for their respective o)ces fro
savings in other ites of their respective appropriations.
-5. Aiscretionary funds appropriated for particular
o)cials shall be disbursed only for public purposes to be
supported by appropriate vouchers and sub2ect to such
guidelines as ay be prescribed by law.
-6. :f, by the end of any $scal year, the Congress shall
have failed to pass the general appropriations bill for
the ensuing $scal year, the general appropriations law
for the preceding $scal year shall be deeed re"enacted
and shall reain in force and e<ect until the general
appropriations bill is passed by the Congress.
Section !5. -1. 1very bill passed by the Congress shall
ebrace only one sub2ect which shall be expressed in
the title thereof.
-!. &o bill passed by either House shall becoe a law
unless it has passed three readings on separate days,
and printed copies thereof in its $nal for have been
distributed to its /ebers three days before its
passage, except when the President certi$es to the
necessity of its iediate enactent to eet a public
calaity or eergency. 8pon the last reading of a bill,
no aendent thereto shall be allowed, and the vote
thereon shall be ta4en iediately thereafter, and the
yeas and nays entered in the *ournal.
Section !6. -1. 1very bill passed by the Congress shall,
before it becoes a law, be presented to the President.
:f he approves the sae he shall sign it@ otherwise, he
shall veto it and return the sae with his ob2ections to
the House where it originated, which shall enter the
ob2ections at large in its *ournal and proceed to
reconsider it. :f, after such reconsideration, two"thirds of
all the /ebers of such House shall agree to pass the
bill, it shall be sent, together with the ob2ections, to the
other House by which it shall li4ewise be reconsidered,
and if approved by two"thirds of all the /ebers of that
House, it shall becoe a law. :n all such cases, the votes
of each House shall be deterined by yeas or nays, and
the naes of the /ebers voting for or against shall be
entered in its *ournal. The President shall counicate
his veto of any bill to the House where it originated
within thirty days after the date of receipt thereof,
otherwise, it shall becoe a law as if he had signed it.
-!. The President shall have the power to veto any
particular ite or ites in an appropriation, revenue, or
tari< bill, but the veto shall not a<ect the ite or ites
to which he does not ob2ect.
Section !7. -1. The rule of taxation shall be unifor and
e#uitable. The Congress shall evolve a progressive
syste of taxation.
-!. The Congress ay, by law, authori'e the President
to $x within speci$ed liits, and sub2ect to such
liitations and restrictions as it ay ipose, tari< rates,
iport and export #uotas, tonnage and wharfage dues,
and other duties or iposts within the fraewor4 of the
national developent progra of the ?overnent.
-%. Charitable institutions, churches and personages or
convents appurtenant thereto, os#ues, non"pro$t
ceeteries, and all lands, buildings, and iproveents,
actually, directly, and exclusively used for religious,
charitable, or educational purposes shall be exept
fro taxation.
-(. &o law granting any tax exeption shall be passed
without the concurrence of a a2ority of all the
/ebers of the Congress.
Section !9. -1. &o oney shall be paid out of the
Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation ade
by law.
-!. &o public oney or property shall be appropriated,
applied, paid, or eployed, directly or indirectly, for the
use, bene$t, or support of any sect, church,
denoination, sectarian institution, or syste of
religion, or of any priest, preacher, inister, other
religious teacher, or dignitary as such, except when
such priest, preacher, inister, or dignitary is assigned
to the ared forces, or to any penal institution, or
governent orphanage or leprosariu.
-%. =ll oney collected on any tax levied for a special
purpose shall be treated as a special fund and paid out
for such purpose only. :f the purpose for which a special
fund was created has been ful$lled or abandoned, the
balance, if any, shall be transferred to the general funds
of the ?overnent.
Section %;. &o law shall be passed increasing the
appellate 2urisdiction of the Supree Court as provided
in this Constitution without its advice and concurrence.
Section %1. &o law granting a title of royalty or nobility
shall be enacted.
Section %!. The Congress shall, as early as possible,
provide for a syste of initiative and referendu, and
the exceptions therefro, whereby the people can
directly propose and enact laws or approve or re2ect 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
nuber of registered voters, of which every legislative
district ust be represented by at least three per
centum of the registered voters thereof.

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