Political System Pre- Spanish Period

Political SystemPre-Spanish Period to Present

Before the arrival of the Spanish colonizers in thePhilippinesin the 16th century, the Barangayswere well-organized independent villages - and in some cases, cosmopolitan sovereign principalities, which functioned much like acity-state.The Barangay was the dominant organizational pattern amongindigenous communitiesin thePhilippine archipelago.The namebarangayoriginated frombalangay, a Malay word meaning "sailboatThe word Barangay in modern use refers to the smallestadministrative division in the Philippines, also known by its former Spanish adopted name, thebarrio.

This modern context for the use of the termbarangaywas adopted during the administration ofPresident Ferdinand Marcoswhen he ordered the replacement of the old barrios and municipal councils.

This act was eventually codified under the 1991Local Government Code.There are a number of distinctions between the modern Barangay or Barrio, and the city-states and independent principalities encountered by the Spanish when they first arrived in 1521 and established relatively permanent settlements in 1574. The most glaring difference would be that the modern entity represents a geographical entity, the pre-colonial barangays represented loyalty to a particular head (datu). The Government of the Pre-Spanish Filipino was patriarchal in form. 2 models: a. Barangay which was a socio-quasi political/administrative unit b. Sultanate which was more elaborate with a central authority

The unit of administration was the barangay which was a settlement consisting of 30-100 familiesMost villages have only thirty-one hundred houses and the population varies from one hundred-five hundred persons. When the Spaniards came, they found communities with twenty to thirty people only. They also encountered large and prestigious principalities.Theories, as well as local oral traditions,say that the original "barangays" were coastal settlements formed as a result of the migration of theseMalayo-Polynesianpeople (who came to the archipelago) by boat from other places inSoutheast Asia.The early barangay were independent from each other. Each was ruled by a datu or raha who obtained his position by:inheritance, being the son of the datuWisdom

Datuis the title for chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchsin theVisayas and MindanaoRegions of thePhilippines. Depending upon the prestige of the sovereign prince, this title of Datu could be roughly equated to the Europeandukes,marquesses,counts, orbarons.In bigbarangays, which had contacts with other southeast Asian cultures through trade, some Datus took the titleRajahorSultan.

The datu had a wide powers, for he exercised all the functions of government, but he was not an absolute leader nor a ruler. He was assisted by leaders who advised him on important matters.According to Renato Constantino(19750), the two types of political leaders at that time were the: a. leader with clear administrative function b. leader with undefined function and positionInter-baranganic relations consisted of agreements for commerce and frienship or alliance. Agreements were necessary because wars between barangays existed. The causes of conflicts between barangays, according to Loarca (in Jocano, 1975) were: a. When one goes to another village and there is put to death without cause b. When their wives are stolen from them c. When they go in friendly manner to any village and there under the guise of friendship are wronged or maltreated.Political SystemNational GovernmentProvincial GovernmentMunicipal GovernmentBarrioGovernmentTheResidenciaand TheVisitaMaura Law

National GovernmentOn the national level, the King of Spain, through his Council of the Indies (Consejo de las Indias), governed through his sole representative in the Philippines: the Governor-General (Gobernador y Capitn General).

With the seat of power in Intramuros, Manila, the Governor-General was given several duties: he headed the Supreme Court (Royal Audiencia), was Commander-in-chief of the army and navy, and was the economic planner of the country.Provincial GovernmentOn the provincial level, heading the pacified provinces (alcaldia), was the provincial governor (alcalde mayor). The unpacified military zones (corregimiento), such as Mariveles and Mindoro, were headed by thecorregidores.

Thealcalde mayorwas usually anInsulares(Spaniard born in the Philippines). In the 19th century, thePeninsularesbegan to displace theInsulareswhich resulted in the political unrests of 1872, notably the execution ofGOMBURZA, Novales Revolt and mutiny of the Cavite fort under La Madrid.

Municipal GovernmentThepuebloor town is headed by theGobernadorcilloor little governor.

Among his administrative duties were the preparation of the tribute list (padron), recruitment and distribution of men for draft labor, communal public work and military conscription (quinto), postal clerk and judge in minor civil suits.BarrioGovernmentBarriogovernment (village or district) rested on thebarrioadministrator (cabeza de barangay). He was responsible for peace and order and recruited men for communal public works.TheResidenciaand TheVisitaTheResidencia, dating back to the 5th century and theVisitadiffered from theresidenciain that it was conducted clandestinely by avisitador-generalsent from Spain and might occur anytime within the officials term, without any previous notice.Maura LawThe legal foundation for municipal governments in the country was laid with the promulgation of theMaura Lawon May 19, 1893.

Named after its author,Don Antonio Maura, the SpanishMinister of Coloniesat the time, the law reorganized town governments in the Philippines with the aim of making them more effective and autonomous.The political system of the Philippines occurs within an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic republic with the president as both the head of state and the head of government within a pluriform multi-party system. Vice President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was sworn in as the new president of the Philippines on 20 January 2001. Her assumption of power resulted from a peaceful demonstration of People Power, which forced the resignation of Pres. Joseph Estrada over charges of corruption and cronyism This is the second time in postwar Philippine politics that a president has been replaced through populist action.

The first time was in February 1986, when Corazon Aquino became president after a mass outpouring of popular support for her against Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. Although formal institution exist providing a mechanism for change government, it appears that when these institutions impede what people perceive a good governance, they are willing to explore other avenues.

Formal Structure of GovernmentFrom the time when the Philippines declared itself a sovereign state in 1898, the nation has had Four major constitutions:The 1899 constitution which established the first republic in AsiaThe 1935 constitution, which served as the basic law during the period of self- government while the Philippines was still under American rule and after it became independent in 1946

The 1973 constitution, which allowed Ferdinand Marcos to continue to hold office as presidentThe 1987 constitution, upon which the present government is based, which essentially restored institutions and processes dismantled by Marcos during his regime.

The 1987 constitution describes the Philippine political system as republican and democratic. It is a unitary system in that power resides in a central authority. The formal political structure of the Philippines is patterned on that of the United States, in which the president wields executive power, Congress formulates laws, and an independent judiciary insures that laws are uniformly upheld.

3 separate and sovereign yet interdependent branches:

Executive branchLegislative branchJudicial branch

Executive BranchThe executive branch consists of the President and his Cabinet. The Senate and the House of Representatives make up the bicameral legislature. The Supreme Court heads the systems of courts under the judicial branch.The president of the Filipino political system is elected by popular vote for a term of 6 years. He cannot run for re-election unless he becomes president through constitutional succession and has served for no more than 4 years as president.

The executive is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the country. The executive branch executes or enforces the law. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.The separation of powers system is designed to distribute authority among several branches an attempt to preserve individual liberty in response to tyrannical leadership throughout history. The executive officer is not supposed to make laws (the role of the legislature) or interpret them (the role of the judiciary). The role of the executive is to enforce the law as written by the legislature and interpreted by the judicial system.The executive can be the source of certain types of law, including decree or executive order. Executive bureaucracies are commonly the source of regulations.

Legislative BranchThe bicameral Congress consists of the Senate or 'Senado' serving as the upper house with 24 senators, one-half elected every three years by popular vote to serve a term of six-years and the House of Representatives or 'Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan' serving as the lower house with 250 members elected by popular vote to serve three-year term.

The legislative branch consists of Congressand the fifty state legislatures. At both state and federal levels, legislatures are made up of popularly elected representatives, who propose laws that are sensitive to the needs and interests of their local constituents. After a law is proposed as a bill, it is sent to appropriate committees for several stages of discussion, research, and modification. It is then debated in both legislative houses.

If the law is passed, it is still subject to further modification and final vote by both houses. Under the system of checks and balances, the president can refuse to sign the bill into law (through the vetopower). The legislature can then vote to override the veto. Other checks and balances include legislative powers to impeach public officials, confirm appointments to the executive and judicial branches, and vote on appropriations.

Judicial BranchThe Supreme Court heads the judicial branch of the government of Philippines with the Chief Justice as its presiding officer and fourteen other associate justices. They are appointed by the President from nominations presented by the Judicial and Bar Council.The judicial branch of government is made up of the court system. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land. Article III of the Constitution established this Court and all other Federal courts were created by Congress. Courts decide arguments about the meaning of laws, how they are applied, and whether they break the rules of the Constitution.

Local government is exercised bylocal government unitsfrom the provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays. While the most regions do not have political power, and exist merely for administration purposes, autonomous regions have expanded powers more than the other local government units. While local government units enjoy autonomy, much of their budget is derived from allocations from the national government, putting their true autonomy in doubt.

Reporters: Bangcong, Ivannafryle Palma, Sandy RoseZamora, April Jean