Political Science

It is the systematic study of the state &

government
The word political came from the Greek
word
“polis” meaning city equivalent to a
sovereign state
It is the basic knowledge & understanding
of the state & the principles & ideas
which underlie its organization &
activities
It is primarily concerned with the
association of human beings in a body
Concepts of State &
Government
State is a community of persons more or less
numerous , permanently occupying a definite
portion of territory , having a government of
their own to which a great body of inhabitants
render obedience & enjoying freedom from
external control
Elements of the State:
1. People
2. Territory
3. Government
4. Sovereignty
Origin of States
1. Divine right theory
2. Necessity or force theory
3. Paternalistic theory
4. Social contract theory
State Distinguished from
Nation
1. A state is a political concept, whole a nation
an ethnic concept
2. A state is not subject to external control
while a nation may or may not be independent
from external control
3. A single state may consist of one or more
nations or peoples , a single nation maybe
made up of several states
State Distinguished from
Government
They are usually regarded as identical.
The government is only the agency through
which the state expresses its will
A state cannot exist without a government
It is possible to have a government without a
state
Purpose & Necessity of
Government
Advancement of the public welfare:
government exists for the welfare of the people
Consequence of absence: without an organized
structure of government anarchy & disorder &
a general feeling of fear & insecurity will prevail
in society
Forms of Government
A. As to the number of persons exercising
sovereign powers:
1. Monarchy
a. Absolute
b. Limited
2. Aristocracy :exercised by a few privileged
class
3. Democracy: exercised by a majority of the
people
Forms of Government
B. As to the extent of powers exercised by the
central or national powers:
1. Unitary government: control of national &
local affairs exercised by the national or central
government
2. Federal : powers of government divided: one
for national, the other for local affairs
As to relationship between the executive &
legislative branches of government:
1. Presidential
2. Parliamentary
The Government of the
Philippines in Transition
I. Pre-Spanish Government:
1. Unit of government :
Barangay – settlements or villages with more or
less 100 families
2. Datu – chief of the Barangay,also called rajah,
sultan or datu assisted by the council of Elders
(Maginoos )
3. Social classes: a. Nobility b. Freeman
 c. Serfs d. Slaves
4. Early laws: promulgated by the datus
 Laws were generally fair

The Government of the
Philippines in Transition
II. Government during the Spanish Period:
1. Spanish colonial administration:
1565 to 1821 – Philippines directly governed by
the King of Spain through Mexico
1821 to 1898 directly ruled by Spain
Council of the Indies responsible for the
administration, then the Council of Ministers &
the Ministry of Ultramar
The Government of the
Philippines in Transition
3. Government was unitary, centralized in
structure, national in scope
Barangays consolidated into towns (pueblos)
headed by a gobernadorcillo
Towns consolidated into provinces headed be the
governor, the representative of the Governor-
General
Cities governed under special charters each with
city councils or ayuntamiento
4. The governor-general/captain general or vice
royal patron :exercise executive, legislative &
judicial powers. As vice royal patron exercised
certain religious powers
Philippine Government in
Transition
5. The Judiciary: The Royal Audienciawas the
Supreme
Court.
Courts of First Instance were also established
There were special courts like the military, naval,
ecclesiastical courts.
III. Governments during the revolutionary era:
1. Katipunan
2. Biak na Bato /01/1897 to 12/15/1897
3. Dictatorial government- proclamation of
independence June 12, 1898
4. Revolutionary government
5. First Philippine Republic Jan, 23,1899 to March
Philippine Government in
Transition
IV. Government during the American regime:
1.Military Government
2. Civil government: July 14, 1901 headed by the
Governor-General with legislative powers
Lawmaking bodies during the American regime:
1901-1907- Phil. Commission headed by the
governor
1901-1916-Philippine commission as the Upper
House, Philippine Assembly as the Lower House
Spooner Law in 1916 gave way to Philippine
legislature.
The Philippines was represented in the US House of
Representatives by the two resident commissioners
elected
The Philippine Government
in Transition
Commonwealth Government created pursuant
to the Tydings=Mcduffie Law on March 24,1934
Transition period of ten years prior to granting
of independence
Inaugurated November 15, 1935 with Manuel
L. Quezon & Sergio Osmena as Vice President
It was republican in form,under the presidential
type
Legislative power vested initially in a
unicameral legislature: the National Assembly
later a bicameral congress. Filipinos had
complete control, the Americans on foreign
The Philippine Government
in Transition
The commonwealth government functioned in
exile during World War II
V. Governments during the Japanese
Occupation:
Japanese military administration established in
Manila January 3, 1942
Philippine Executive Commission –the civil
government headed by Jorge Vargas composed
of Filipinos It exercised both executive &
legislative powers
The Japanese sponsored Republic; October
14,1943 with Jose P. Laurel as President
The Philippine Government
in Transition
Previous Philippine Republics:
Republic of the Philippines was formally
inaugurated on July 04,1946 with Manuel Roxas as
first President & Elpidio Quirino as Vice President
Philippine republics established:
First- January 23,1899 under the Malolos
constitution
Second – October 14,1943 under the Japanese
sponsored Constitution
Third – July 14,1946
Fourth – Proclaimed by President Marcos
under the 1973 Constitution
The Philippine Government
in Transition
Provisional Government of 1986:
The government established under the President
Aquino was:
1. revolutionary
2. de jure/de facto
3. constitutional & transitory
4. Democratic
It derived its powers from the people to whom it
was accountable
A Provisional constitution was promulgated to
replace the 1973 Constitution
Concept of Constitution
It refers to the body of rules & principles in
accordance with which the powers of
sovereignty are regularly exercised
Constitution of the Philippines is a written
instrument by which the fundamental powers
of the government are established, limited and
defined and by which these powers are
distributed among the several departments or
branches for their safe & useful exercise for the
benefit of the people.
Nature & Purpose or
Function of the Constitution
1. Serves as the fundamental or supreme law
2. Establishes basic framework & underlying
principles of government
Constitutional Law – Branch of public law which
treats of constitutions, their nature, formation,
amendment & interpretation
Kinds of Constitution
1. As to origin & history:
a. Conventional or enacted
b. Cumulative or evolved
2. As to their form:
a. Written
b. Unwritten
3. As to manner of amending them:
a. Rigid or inclusive
b. Flexible or elastic
Requisites of a good
Constitution
As to form:
1. Brief
2. Broad
3. Definite
As to contents:
1. constitution of government
2. constitution of liberty
3. constitution of sovereignty
Constitution Distinguished
from Statute
1. constitution is legislation from the people,
statute from the people’s representatives
2. a constitution states the general framework
of the law, a statute provides the details of the
subject it treats
3. a constitution is intended to govern the
future, a statute to meet existing conditions
4. a constitution is the supreme or
fundamental law to which all statutes must
conform
Constitution of the Republic
of the Philippines
I. The 1935 Constitution
1. Framing & ratification:
a. Approval on March 24, 1934 by President
Franklin Roosevelt of the Tydings McDuffie Law
known as Philippine Independence Act
b. Approval on May 5, 1934 by the Phil. Legislature
of a bill calling a constitutional convention
c. Approval on February 8,1935 by the convention
of the Constitution
d. Approval on march 23,1935 by President
Roosevelt of the constitution
e. Ratification on May 14, 1935 of the constitution
by the Filipino electorate
Constitution of the Republic
of the Philippines
The TydingsMcDuffie Law empowered the Filipinos
to frame their constitution but it imposed certain
limitations like: the constitution being republican in
form, should contain bill of rights & define the
relationships between the US & the Philippines
Sources: constitution of the US, the 1898 Malolos
constitution, & three organic laws as: Instruction of
President Mckinley to the 2nd Phil. Commission,Phil.
Bill of 1902, & Jones Law of August 26,1916
The constitution was intended for the
Commonwealth & the Republic
However it ceased to operate during the Japanese
Occupation :1942-1944
The Constitution of the
Republic of the Philippines
 Amendments to the 1935 Constitution:
1. Establishment of a bicameral legislature
2. Reeligibility of the President & Vice President
for a second four-year term
3. Creation of the Commission on elections
4. Parity amendments
5. Right of suffrage granted to women
Constitution of the Republic
of the Philippines
The 1973 constitution:
1. Framing of the Constitution:
a. Congress on June 17,1969 authorized the
holding of a constitutional convention in 1971
b. Republic Act no. 6132 – set Nov. 10,1970 as
election day for the 320 delegates to the
convention
c. Rewriting of the Constitution by the convention
started June 01,1971 & was signed Nov. 30,1972
The 1935 Constitution was made the basis
The constitution was approved by the Citizen
Assemblies
Constitution of the Republic
of the Philippines
Amendments to the 1973 Constitution:
1. making of the President as the regular President
& Vice President
2. granting of legislative powers to the President
3. establishing of a modified parliamentary form of
government
4. permitting natural born citizens who have lost
their citizenship to be transferees of private lands
5. allowing the “grants “ of lands of public domain
to qualified citizens
6. providing land reforms & urban housing
programs
Constitution of the Republic
of the Philippines
The 1987 constitution:
Framing & ratification:
1. Under Article 5 of Presidential Proclamation
on March 25,1986, the 1987 was drafted by the
Constitutional Commission
The proposed Constitution was approved
October 12, 1986 & was approved by the
President October 15 ratified by the people
February 02,1987