IN RE: SATURNINO V. BERMUDEZ, petitioner.

PER CURIAM: In a petition for declaratory relief impleading no respondents, petitioner, as a lawyer, quotes the first paragraph of Section 5 (not Section 7 as erroneously stated) of Article XVIII of the proposed 1986 Constitution, which provides in full as follows: Sec. 5. The six-year term of the incumbent President and Vice-President elected in the February 7, 1986 election is, for purposes of synchronization of elections, hereby extended to noon of June 30, 1992. The first regular elections for the President and Vice-President under this Constitution shall be held on the second Monday of May, 1992. Claiming that the said provision "is not clear" as to whom it refers, he then asks the Court "to declare and answer the question of the construction and definiteness as to who, among the present incumbent President Corazon Aquino and Vice-President Salvador Laurel and the elected President Ferdinand E. Marcos and Vice-President Arturo M. Tolentino being referred to under the said Section 7 (sic) of ARTICLE XVIII of the TRANSITORY PROVISIONS of the proposed 1986 Constitution refers to, . ... The petition is dismissed outright for lack of jurisdiction and for lack for cause of action. Prescinding from petitioner's lack of personality to sue or to bring this action, (Tan vs. Macapagal, 43 SCRA 677), it is elementary that this Court assumes no jurisdiction over petitions for declaratory relief. More importantly, the petition amounts in effect to a suit against the incumbent President of the Republic, President Corazon C. Aquino, and it is equally elementary that incumbent Presidents are immune from suit or from being brought to court during the period of their incumbency and tenure. The petition furthermore states no cause of action. Petitioner's allegation of ambiguity or vagueness of the aforequoted provision is manifestly gratuitous, it being a matter of public record and common public knowledge that the Constitutional Commission refers therein to incumbent President Corazon C. Aquino and Vice-President Salvador H. Laurel, and to no other persons, and provides for the extension of their term to noon of June 30, 1992 for purposes of synchronization of elections. Hence, the second paragraph of the cited section provides for the holding on the second Monday of May, 1992 of the first regular elections for the President and Vice-President under said 1986 Constitution. In previous cases, the legitimacy of the government of President Corazon C. Aquino was likewise sought to be questioned with the claim that it was not established pursuant to the 1973 Constitution. The said cases were dismissed outright by this court which held that: Petitioners have no personality to sue and their petitions state no cause of action. For the legitimacy of the Aquino government is not a justiciable matter. It belongs to the realm of

politics where only the people of the Philippines are the judge. And the people have made the judgment; they have accepted the government of President Corazon C. Aquino which is in effective control of the entire country so that it is not merely a de facto government but in fact and law a de jure government. Moreover, the community of nations has recognized the legitimacy of tlie present government. All the eleven members of this Court, as reorganized, have sworn to uphold the fundamental law of the Republic under her government. (Joint Resolution of May 22, 1986 in G.R. No. 73748 [Lawyers League for a Better Philippines, etc. vs. President Corazon C. Aquino, et al.]; G.R. No. 73972 [People's Crusade for Supremacy of the Constitution. etc. vs. Mrs. Cory Aquino, et al.]; and G.R. No. 73990 [Councilor Clifton U. Ganay vs. Corazon C. Aquino, et al.]) For the above-quoted reason, which are fully applicable to the petition at bar, mutatis mutandis, there can be no question that President Corazon C. Aquino and Vice-President Salvador H. Laurel are the incumbent and legitimate President and Vice-President of the Republic of the Philippines.or the above-quoted reasons, which are fully applicable to the petition at bar, ACCORDINGLY, the petition is hereby dismissed. Teehankee, C.J., Feria, Yap, Fernan, Narvasa, Alampay and Paras, JJ., concur. MELENCIO-HERRERA, J., concurring: GUTIERREZ, Jr., J., concurring: FELICIANO, JJ., concurring. The petitioner asks the Court to declare who are "the incumbent President and Vice President elected in the February 7, 1986 elections" as stated in Article XVIII, Section 5 of the Draft Constitution adopted by the Constitutional Commission of 1986. We agree that the petition deserves outright dismissal as this Court has no original jurisdiction over petitions for declaratory relief. As to lack of cause of action, the petitioner's prayer for a declaration as to who were elected President and Vice President in the February 7, 1986 elections should be addressed not to this Court but to other departments of government constitutionally burdened with the task of making that declaration. The 1935 Constitution, the 1913 Constitution as amended, and the 1986 Draft Constitution uniformly provide 'that boards of canvassers in each province and city shall certified who were elected President and Vice President in their respective areas. The certified returns are transmitted to the legislature which proclaims, through the designated Presiding Head, who were duty elected.

Copies of the certified returns from the provincial and city boards of canvassers have not been furnished this Court nor is there any need to do so. In the absence of a legislature, we cannot assume the function of stating, and neither do we have any factual or legal capacity to officially declare, who were elected President and Vice President in the February 7, 1986 elections. As to who are the incumbent President and Vice President referred to in the 1986 Draft Constitution, we agree that there is no doubt the 1986 Constitutional Commission referred to President Corazon C. Aquino and Vice President Salvador H. Laurel. Finally, we agree with the Resolution of the Court in G.R. Nos. 73748, 73972, and 73990. For the foregoing reasons, we vote to DISMISS the instant petition. CRUZ, J., concurring: I vote to dismiss this petition on the ground that the Constitution we are asked to interpret has not yet been ratified and is therefore not yet effective. I see here no actual conflict of legal rights susceptible of judicial determination at this time. (Aetna Life Insurance Co. vs. Haworth, 300 U.S. 227; PACU vs. Secretary of Education, 97 Phil. 806.) Facts: This is a petition for declaratory relief filed by the petitioner Bermudez seeking for the clarification of Sec. 5, Art. 18 of the proposed 1986 Constitution, as quoted: Sec. 5. The six-year term of the incumbent President and Vice-President elected in the February 7, 1986 election is, for purposes of synchronization of elections, hereby extended to noon of June 30, 1992. The first regular elections for the President and Vice-President under this Constitution shall be held on the second Monday of May, 1992. Petitioner sought the aid of the Court to determine as to whom between the incumbent Pres. Aquino and VP Laurel and elected Pres. Marcos and VP Tolentino the said provision refers to. Issue: Whether the Court should entertain the petition for declaratory relief? Held: It is elementary that this Court assumes no jurisdiction over petitions for declaratory relief.(Note: ROC provides that the jurisdiction for petitions for declaratory relief is with the RTC ) More importantly, the petition amounts in effect to a suit against the incumbent President of the Republic, President Corazon C. Aquino, and it is equally elementary that incumbent Presidents are immune from suit or from being brought to court during the period of their incumbency and tenure.

It being a matter of public record and common public knowledge that the Constitutional Commission refers therein to incumbent President Corazon C. Aquino and VicePresident Salvador H. Laurel, and to no other persons, and provides for the extension of their term to noon of June 30, 1992 for purposes of synchronization of election IN RE: SATURNINO V. BERMUDEZ, petitioner.R E S O L U T IO N PER CURIAM: In a petition for declaratory relief impleading no respondents, petitioner, as a lawyer, quotes the first paragraph of Section 5 (not Section 7 as erroneouslystated) of Article XVIII of the proposed 1986 Constitution, which provides in full as follows:Sec. 5. The six-year term of the incumbent President and Vice-President elected in the February 7, 1986 election is, for purposes of synchronization of elections,hereby extended to noon of June 30, 1992.The first regular elections for the President and Vice-President under this Constitution shall be held on the second Monday of May, 1992.Claiming that the said provision "is not clear" as to whom it refers, he then asks the Court "to declare and answer the question of the construction anddefiniteness as to who, among the present incumbent President Corazon Aquino and VicePresident Salvador Laurel and the elected President Ferdinand E.Marcos and Vice-President Arturo M. Tolentino being referred to under the said Section 7 (sic) of ARTICLE XVIII of the TRANSITORY PROVISIONS of theproposed 1986 Constitution refers to, . ...The petition is dismissed outright for lack of jurisdiction and for lack for cause of action.Prescinding from petitioner's lack of personality to sue or to bring this action, (Tan vs. Macapagal, 43 SCRA 677), it is elementary that this Court assumes no jurisdiction over petitions for declaratory relief. More importantly, the petition amounts in effect to a suit against the incumbent President of the Republic,President Corazon C. Aquino, and it is equally elementary that incumbent Presidents are immune from suit or from being brought to court during the period of their incumbency and tenure.The petition furthermore states no cause of action. Petitioner's allegation of ambiguity or vagueness of the aforequoted provision is manifestly gratuitous, itbeing a matter of public record and common public knowledge that the Constitutional Commission refers therein to incumbent President Corazon C. Aquino andVice-President Salvador H. Laurel, and to no other persons, and provides for the extension of their term to noon of June 30, 1992 for purposes of synchronization of elections. Hence, the second paragraph of the cited section provides for the holding on the second Monday of May, 1992 of the first regularelections for the President and Vice-President under said 1986 Constitution. In previous cases, the legitimacy of the government of President Corazon C. Aquinowas likewise sought to be questioned with the claim that it was not established pursuant to the 1973 Constitution. The said cases were dismissed outright bythis court which held that:Petitioners have no personality to sue and their petitions state no cause of action. For the legitimacy of the Aquino government is not a justiciable matter. Itbelongs to the realm of politics where only the people of the Philippines are the judge. And the people have made the judgment; they have accepted thegovernment of President Corazon C. Aquino which is in effective control of the entire country so that it is not merely a de facto government but in fact and law ade jure government. Moreover, the community of nations has recognized the legitimacy of tlie present government. All the eleven members of this Court, asreorganized, have sworn to uphold the fundamental law of the Republic under her government. (Joint Resolution of May 22, 1986 in

G.R. No. 73748 [LawyersLeague for a Better Philippines, etc. vs. President Corazon C. Aquino, et al.]; G.R. No. 73972 [People's Crusade for Supremacy of the Constitution. etc. vs. Mrs.Cory Aquino, et al.]; and G.R. No. 73990 [Councilor Clifton U. Ganay vs. Corazon C. Aquino, et al.])For the above-quoted reason, which are fully applicable to the petition at bar, mutatis mutandis, there can be no question that President Corazon C. Aquino andVice-President Salvador H. Laurel are the incumbent and legitimate President and Vice-President of the Republic of the Philippines.or the above-quoted reasons,which are fully applicable to the petition at bar,ACCORDINGLY, the petition is hereby dismissed In RE Bermudez [GR 76180, 24 October 1986]Resolution En banc, Per curiam: 7 concur Facts: In a petition for declaratory relief impleading no respondents, Saturnino V. Bermudez, as alawyer, quotes the first paragraph of Section 5 of Article XVIII of the proposed 1986Constitution, which provides that "the six-year term of the incumbent President and VicePresident elected in the 7 February 1986 election is, for purposes of synchronization of elections,hereby extended to noon of 30 June 1992. The first regular elections for the President and Vice-President under this Constitution shall be held on the second Monday of May 1992." Claimingthat the said provision "is not clear" as to whom it refers, he then asks the Court "to declare andanswer the question of the construction and definiteness as to who, among the present incumbentPresident Corazon Aquino and Vice President Salvador Laurel and the elected PresidentFerdinand E. Marcos and Vice President Arturo M. Tolentino being referred to under the saidSection 5 (not 7) of Article XVIII of the Transitory Provision of the proposed 1986 Constitutionrefers to. Issue: Whether Aquino and Laurel are the legitimate President and Vice President of the Philippines. Held: The petition states no cause of action. Bermudez's allegation of ambiguity or vagueness of the provision is manifestly gratuitous, it being a matter of public record and common publicknowledge that the Constitutional Commission refers therein to incumbent President Corazon C.Aquino and Vice-President Salvador H. Laurel, and to no other persons, and provides for theextension of their term to noon of 30 June 1992 for purposes of synchronization of elections.Hence, the second paragraph of the cited section provides for the holding on the second Mondayof May, 1992 of the first regular elections for the President and Vice-President under said 1986Constitution. Mutatis mutandis, there can be no question that President Corazon C. Aquino andVice-President Salvador H. Laurel are the incumbent and legitimate President and Vice Presidentof the Republic of the Philippines. Further, the legitimacy of the Aquino government is not a justifiable matter. It belongs to the realm of politics where only the people of the Philippines arethe judge. And the people have made the judgment; they have accepted the government of President Corazon C. Aquino which is in effective control of the entire country so that it is notmerely a de facto government but in fact and law a de jure government. Moreover, thecommunity of nations has recognized the

legitimacy of the present government. All the elevenmembers of this Court, as reorganized, have sworn to uphold the fundamental law of theRepublic under her government." Facts: This is a petition with G.R No. 76180 for declaratory relief filed by the petitioner Bermudezseeking for the clarification of Sec. 5, Art. 18 of the proposed 1986 Constitution, as quoted:Sec. 5. The six-year term of the incumbent President and Vice-President elected in theFebruary 7, 1986 election is, for purposes of synchronization of elections, hereby extended tonoon of June 30, 1992.The first regular elections for the President and Vice-President under this Constitution shallbe held on the second Monday of May, 1992.Petitioner sought the aid of the Court to determine as to whom between the incumbentPres. Aquino and VP Laurel and elected Pres. Marcos and VP Tolentino the said provision refersto. Issue: Whether the Court should entertain the petition for declaratory relief? Held: It is elementary that this Court assumes no jurisdiction over petitions for declaratoryrelief.(Note: ROC provides that the jurisdiction for petitions for declaratory relief is with theRTC )More importantly, the petition amounts in effect to a suit against the incumbent President of the Republic, President Corazon C. Aquino, and it is equally elementary that incumbentPresidents are immune from suit or from being brought to court during the period of theirincumbency and tenure.It being a matter of public record and common public knowledge that theConstitutional Commission refers therein to incumbent President Corazon C. Aquino and Vice-President Salvador H. Laurel, and to no other persons, and provides for the extension of theirterm to noon of June 30, 1992 for purposes of synchronization of election Philippine Constitutions Blacks Law Dictionary defines a Constitution as The fundamental and organic law of a nation or state that establishes the institutions and apparatus of government, defines the scope of governmental sovereign powers, and guarantees individual civil rights and civil liberties. The present Constitution of the Philippines: The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: approved by the 1986 Constitutional Commission on October 12, 1986; presented to President Corazon C. Aquino on October 15, 1986; ratified on February 2, 1987 by plebiscite; proclaimed in force on February 11, 1987. Past constitutions of the Philippines: The 1986 Freedom Constitution : promulgated by Presidential Proclamation, March 25, 1986. The 1973 Constitution : as Amended in October 16-17, 1976, on January 30, 1980, and April 7, 1981. The 1973 Constitution : draft presented to President Marcos by the 1971 Constitutional Convention on December 1, 1972; deemed ratified by Citizens Assemblies held from January 10-15, 1973, proclaimed in force by Proclamation by President Marcos, January 17, 1973.

The 1943 Constitution : as approved by the Preparatory Committee on Philippine Independence, September 4, 1943 and ratified by the KALIBAPI Convention, September 7, 1943. The 1935 Constitution : as amended on June 18, 1940, and on March 11, 1947. The 1935 Constitution : as approved by the 1934 Constitutional Convention on February 8, 1935, certified by the President of the United States on March 25, 1935, and ratified by plebiscite on May 14, 1935. The Jones Law of 1916 : enacted into law by the United States Congress on August 29, 1916. The Philippine Organic Act of 1902 : enacted into law by the United States Congress on July 1, 1902 The 1899 Malolos Constitution : approved by the Malolos Congress on November 29, 1898, draft returned by President Aguinaldo on December 1, 1898 for amendments, which the Congress refused; approved by President Aguinaldo on December 23, 1898; formally adopted by the Malolos Congress on January 20, 1899, promulgated by President Emilio Aguinaldo on January 21, 1899. Born on January 25, 1933, in Paniqui, Tarlac, Maria Corazon "Cory" Sumulong Cojuangco was the fourth child of Jose Cojuangco, Sr. and Demetria Sumulong. Her siblings were Pedro, Josephine, Teresita, Jose, Jr. and Maria Paz. Both Cory's parents came from prominent clans. Her father, Jose Sr., was a prominent Tarlac businessman and politician. Melecio Cojuangco, her great grandfather, served as a member of the historic Malolos Congress. Meanwhile, her mother, Demetria, belonged to the Sumulong family of Rizal who were politically influential. Juan Sumulong, a member of the clan, challenged then Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon for president in 1941. As a young girl, Cory spent her elementary days at St. Scholastica's College in Manila, where she graduated on top of her class and batch as valedictorian. For high school, she transferred toAssumption Convent for her first year of high school. Afterwards, she went to the United States to finish her secondary education. There she continued her college education. She went to theCollege of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City, where she majored in Mathematics and French. During her stay in the United States, Cory volunteered for the campaign of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey against then Democrat U.S. President Harry S. Truman during the 1948 U.S. Presidential Election. Throughout her entire life until her very last days, Cory was known to be a devout Roman Catholic. Besides English, Tagalog, and Kapampangan, Cory was also fluent in French. After graduating from college, she returned to the Philippines to study law at the Far Eastern University (owned by the in-laws of her elder sister, Josephine Reyes) for one year. She married Sen.Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., son of the late Speaker Benigno S. Aquino, Sr. and a grandson of General Servillano Aquino. The couple had five children, four girls and one boy: Maria Elena (born August 18, 1955), Aurora Corazon (born December 27, 1957), Benigno Simeon III (born

February 8, 1960), Victoria Elisa (born October 27, 1961) and Kristina Bernadette (born February 14, 1971). Corazon Aquino had difficulty initially adjusting to provincial life when she and her husband moved to Concepcion, Tarlac in 1955. Aquino found herself bored in Concepcion, and welcomed the opportunity to have dinner with her husband inside the American military facility at nearby Clark Field.[2] A member of the Liberal Party, Aquino's husband Ninoy rose to become the youngest governor in the country and eventually became the youngest senator ever elected in the Senate of the Philippines in 1967. During her husband's political career, Aquino remained a housewife who helped raise their children and played hostess to her spouse's political allies who would frequent their Quezon City home.[3] She would decline to join her husband on stage during campaign rallies, preferring instead to stand at the back of the audience and listen to him. [2] Unknown to many, she voluntarily sold some of her prized inheritance to fund the candidacy of her husband. She led a modest existence in a bungalow in suburban Quezon City. Ninoy Aquino soon emerged as a leading critic of the government of President Ferdinand Marcos. He was then touted as a strong candidate for president to succeed Marcos in the 1973 elections. However, Marcos, being barred by the Constitution to seek a third term, declared martial law on September 21, 1972, and later abolished the existing 1935 Constitution, thereby allowing him to remain in office. As a consequence, her husband was among those to be first arrested at the onset of martial law, later being sentenced to death. During his incarceration, Ninoy sought strength from prayer, attending daily mass and saying the rosary three times a day. As a measure of sacrifice and solidarity with her husband and all other political prisoners, she enjoined her children from attending parties and she also stopped going to the beauty salon or buying new clothes until a priest advised her and her children to instead live as normal lives as possible.[2] In 1978, despite her initial opposition, Ninoy decided to run in the 1978 Batasang Pambansa elections. A reluctant speaker, Corazon Aquino campaigned in behalf of her husband, and for the first time in her life delivered a political speech. In 1980, upon the intervention of U.S. President Jimmy Carter,[1] Marcos allowed Senator Aquino and his family to leave for exile in the United States, where he sought medical treatment.[4] The family settled in Boston, and Aquino would later call the next three years as the happiest days of her marriage and family life. On August 21, 1983, however, Ninoy ended his stay in the United States and returned without his family to the Philippines, only to be assassinated on a staircase leading to the tarmac of the Manila International Airport, which was later renamed in his honor (see Assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr.). Corazon Aquino returned to the Philippines a few days later and led her husband's funeral procession, in which more than two million people joined the procession.[1] Main article: Philippine presidential election, 1986 Following her husband's assassination in 1983, Aquino became active and visible in various demonstrations and protests held against the Marcos regime. She began to assume the mantle of leadership left by her husband Ninoy and started to become the symbolic figurehead of the antiMarcos political opposition. In the last week of November 1985, Marcos surprised the nation by

announcing on American television that he would hold a snap presidential election in February 1986, in order to dispel and remove doubts against his regime's legitimacy and authority.[5] Reluctant at first, Aquino was eventually prevailed upon to heed the people's clamor, after one million signatures urging her to run for president were presented to her. Despite this, the erstwhile favorite opposite candidate, Laurel, did not immediately give way to his close friend's widow. Laurel was only convinced to run as Cory's Vice President upon the urging of the influential Manila Cardinal Archbishop Jaime Sin. As a compromise, Aquino agreed to run under Laurel's machinery, the United Nationalist Democratic Organization (UNIDO), then the country's largest opposition party. With that, the Aquino-Laurel tandem was formally launched to challenge Marcos and finally put an end to his twenty-year martial rule. In the subsequent political developments and events, Marcos charged that Aquino was being supported by communists and agreed to share power with them once elected into power. A political novice, Aquino categorically denied Marcos' charge and even stated that she would not appoint a single communist to her cabinet.[6] Running on the offensive, the ailing Marcos also accused Aquino of playing "political football" with the United States with respect to the continued United States military presence in the Philippines at Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base.[7] Further, the male strongman derided Aquino's womanhood, by saying that she was "just a woman" whose place was in the bedroom.[1] In response to her opponent's sexist remark, Cory simply remarked that "may the better woman win in this election." Marcos also attacked Aquino's inexperience and warned the country that it would be a disaster if a woman like her with no previous political experience would be elected president; to which Aquino cleverly and sarcastically responded, admitting that she had "no experience in cheating, lying to the public, stealing government money, and killing political opponents." The snap election called by Marcos which was held on February 7, 1986 was marred by massive electoral fraud, violence, intimidation, coercion and disenfranchisement of voters. Election Day proved to be bloody as one of Aquino's staunchest allies Antique Governor Evelio Javier was brutally murdered, allegedly by one of Marcos' supporters in his province. Further, during the counting and tallying of votes conducted by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), 30 poll computer technicians walked out to dispute and contest the alleged election-rigging done in favor of Marcos. Despite this, the Batasang Pamabansa, which was dominated by allies of the ruling party, declared President Marcos as the winner in the recently concluded snap presidential election on February 15, 1986. In protest to the declaration of the Philippine parliament, Aquino called for a rally dubbed "Tagumpay ng Bayan" (People's Victory Rally) the following day, during which she claimed that she was the real winner in the snap election and urged Filipinos to boycott the products and services by companies controlled or owned by Marcos' cronies. The rally held at the historic Rizal Park in Luneta, Manila drew a mammoth-sized crowd, which sent a strong signal that Filipinos were already growing tired of Marcos' two decade-rule. Further, the dubious election results drew sharp reactions from both local quarters and foreign countries. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) issued a statement strongly criticizing the conduct of the election which was characterized by violence and fraud. The United States Senate condemned the election.[3][8] Aquino rejected a power-sharing agreement proposed by the American

diplomatPhilip Habib, who had been sent as an emissary by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to help defuse the tension.[8] Installation as President After weeks of tension following the disputed outcome of the snap election, disgruntled and reformist military officers, led by then Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile and General Fidel V. Ramos, surprised the entire nation and the whole world when they announced their defection from President Marcos and their strong belief that Aquino was the real winner in the presidential election on February 22, 1986. Upon the urging and encouragement of the activist Cardinal Archbishop of Manila Jaime Sin, millions of Filipinos trooped to Camp Aguinaldo along Epifanio De los Santos Avenue (EDSA), where Enrile and Ramos have been holding operations, to give their moral support and prayers for the reformist soldiers. At that time, Aquino was meditating in a Carmelite convent in Cebu. Upon learning of the defection, Aquino called on Filipinos to rally behind Minister Enrile and General Ramos. Later on, Aquino flew back to Manila in order to prepare to assume the presidency upon the ouster of Marcos. Finally, to the amazement and admiration of the entire world, after twenty years of martial rule, Ferdinand Marcos was driven out from power and Corazon Aquino was formally and peacefully sworn in as the new president of a freed and liberated Philippines on February 25, 1986, a historic event which is now known and remembered as the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. The Second Republic of the Philippines was a de facto government of paramount force, having been established by the Japanese belligerents. On the other hand, in a decision rendered by the Supreme Court it declared that the government under Corazon Aquino was a de jure government as the people have already accepted it and the community of nations have recognized its legitimacy. Presidency:1987 Constitution The members of the Constitutional Commision werepresidential appointees from various sectors of thesociety. Justice Cecilla Munoz-Palma headed thecommision. The 1987 Constitution was ratified by theFilipino people through a pebliscite on Feb. 2, 1987and formally ended the Revolutionary government. As provided in the 1987Constitution, the system ofgovernment would be presidential, wherein thePresident is the head of the executive branch withthe Cabinet secretaries as his/her assistants to carryout the governments programs. The new constitutionlimited the term of the President to 6 years withoutreelection. The legislative department, a bicameral law-making body, is composed ofthe Senate or the Upper House and the House of Representative orLower House. The Senate, which is headed by the Senate President, ismade up of 24 senators duly elected by the citizens. A senator couldserve a maximum of 12 years if re-elected, equivalent to the two terms.The Lower House, on the other hand, is composed of 250representatives or Congressmen or women elected in their own districts,20% of whom were appointed by the Pres., representing differentsectors of the

society. A Speaker heads the House of Representativesand the members could serve up to nine years or three terms ifreelected. Judicial powers are vested on the Supreme Court headed by the ChiefJustice. The Chief Justice and 14 associate justices who are appointedby the President, make up the judicial branch of the government. In a democratic government, the three branches have equal powers buthave different functions and are independent from one another In its first regular session, Congress enacted threeimportant laws namely: Republic Act # 6655, providingfor free secondary education in the public schools; RANo. 6657, implementing the Comprehensive AgrarianReform Program (CARP); and RA No. 6675 or theGeneric Law, encouraging the use of lost cost genericmedicine. As provided in the Constitution, election were held .There was a national election on May 11, 1987 for themembers of the legislative department. A localelection for local government officials on Jan. 18,1988 was held and there was a barangay election forbarangay officials on Mar. 28, 1989. One month after assuming the presidency, Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3, whichproclaimed her government as a revolutionary government. She suspended the 1973Constitution installed during martial law, and promulgated a provisional FreedomConstitution pending the enactment of a new Constitution. She likewise closed the BatasangPambansaand reorganized the membership of the Supreme Court. In May 1986, thereorganized Supreme Court declared the Aquino government as not merely a de factogovernment but in fact and law a de jure government, whose legitimacy had been affirmedby the community of nations. Aquino appointed 48 members of a Constitutional Commission tasked with drafting a newConstitution. The commission, which was chaired by retired Supreme Court AssociateJustice Cecilia Muoz-Palma completed its final draft in October 1986 The 1987 Constitutionwas approved in a national plebiscite in February 1987. Both the Freedom Constitution andthe 1987 Constitution authorized President Aquino to exercise legislative power until suchtime a new Congress was organized. She continued to exercise such powers until the newCongress organized under the 1987 Constitution convened in July 1987. Within that period,Aquino promulgated two legal codes that set forth significant legal reforms -- the FamilyCode of 1987, which reformed the civil law on family relations, and the Administrative Codeof 1987, which reorganized the structure of the executive branch of government. In 1991, Aquino signed into law the Local Government Code, which further devolved nationalgovernment powers to local government units. The new Code enhanced the power of localgovernment units to enact local taxation measures, and assured them of a share of thenational internal revenue.