Article VI

Section 1-3
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

Legislative Powers
Definitions of Terms:
Legislative Power essentially the authority under
the Constitution to make laws and to alter and
repeal them.
Law written enactments of the legislature
governing the relations of the people among
themselves or the government and its agencies.
Congress a double-chamber body consisting of
the Senate and the House of Representative
making it a Bicameral Legislature.

Legislative Powers
Functions of Laws
Through laws, the legislature defines the:
Rights and duties of citizen
Impose taxes
Appropriate funds
Defines crimes and their punishment
Creates and abolishes government offices
In general laws regulate human conduct and use of
poverty for promotion for the poor
Laws are void or valid when tested by their conformity
to the constitution.
Legislative Powers
Bicameralism
Advantages and Disadvantages

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
Second Chamber or Senate is
needed to check hasty legislation
Not effective Fiscalizing
Machinery
Training ground for future leaders Not assured of better
consideration of legislation
Representation for Regional and
National interest
Double efforts and serious
deadlocks
Less susceptible to bribery and
there is control of big interest
More expensive to maintain than
Unicameral legislature
Traditional Form Only wealthy individuals can
make it to the Senate
Legislative Powers
Scope of Legislative Power
Plenary (General) grant of all legislative power
for all purposes of civil government
Except to the extent reserved to the people by the
provision on initiative and referendum
Not expressly delegated deemed granted
delegated power of Congress are broader than
legislative powers of the American Congress

Legislative Powers
Limits of Legislative Power
Substantive Limitations on the content of laws
Ex. No law shall be passed establishing a state religion

Procedural limitations on the manner of passing
laws
Ex. A bill must go through 3 readings on 3 separate days

Legislative Powers
Classification of Powers


General Specific Implied Inherent
power to enact
laws intended as
rules of conduct

powers which
the Constitution
expressly directs
or authorizes
Congress to
exercise power
powers that are
essential or
necessary to
effectively
exercise powers
that are
expressly granted
powers that are
possessed
because they are
attributes of
sovereignty.
Legislative Powers
Classification of Powers
General
Can enact law as long as it is
not contrary to the
constitution
Specific
Power to choose President in a
case of a tied election
Confirm certain appointments
by the President
Promote Social Justice
Declare existence of state of
war
Impose taxes
Appropriate Money
To Impeach
Act as a constituent assembly




Implied
To conduct inquiry and
investigation in aid of
legislation
To punish for contempt
Determine rules of its
proceedings

Inherent
Power of Taxation
Power of Eminent Domain
Police Power

Issue
Legislative Cha-cha wont violate law
The House committee on constitutional amendments has taken the position
that Charter change (Cha-cha) via the legislative process will not violate the
Constitution.
The resolution, authored principally by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.,
proposes to introduce a simple amendment that would empower Congress to
relax certain economic provisions of the Charter that limit foreign ownership
of land and businesses.
It does not require us to convene as a constituent assembly (con-ass) to
propose Charter changes. The manner of proposing amendments is all up to
us, members of Congress, Rep. Rodel Batocabe of party-list group response
Batocabe said the high court should uphold the power of Congress to propose
amendments, as long as it obtains three-fourths vote of all its members with
the House and the Senate voting separately.
However Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez argued that to propose Charter
Change is not included in the general grant of Legislative powers to
Congress.

Issue
Bangsamoro deal legal

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.

Composition
Composition
Senate shall be composed of 24 Senators

Election
The 24 senators are elected at large or nationwide
by qualified voters
Regular elections of senators shall be held on the
Second Monday of May


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.

Qualifications
A senator must be:
Natural-born citizen
At least 35 years old of age at day of election
Able to read and write
Registered voter
Resident of the Philippines for not less than 2
years before the day of the election

Issue
Santiago wants college degree enshrined in Constitution for elected
officials
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago believes that a college degree should be a
requirement enshrined in the Constitution for elected officials.
If we require members of local and national bureaucracies to be degree
holders, there is no reason why we should not do the same for mayors,
governors, congress people, senators, and presidents, Santiago said.
If we want global competitiveness, we should require our leaders to be, at
the very least, formally educated. This is because education is a powerful
constraint against narrow parochialism and a gateway to ideas that can
change communities, Santiago said.