60-705: The Philippine Legislature was the legislature of the Philippines from 1907 to 1935, during the American colonial period , and predecessor of the current Congress of the Philippines . It was bicameral and the legislative branch of the Insular Government . From 1907 to 1916, under the Philippine Organic Act of 1902 , the legislature's lower house was the elected Philippine Assembly and its upper house
120-577: A minimum wage , and the imposition of new taxes among others. Most of the bills enacted were drafted by the executive branch and the few that originated from the members themselves were often vetoed by Quezon. In the sessions of the First National Assembly in 1936, 236 bills were passed, of which 25 bills were vetoed; while on its 1938 session, 44 out of 105 bills were vetoed due to practical defects, including one which proposed to make religious instruction compulsory in schools – clearly violating
180-563: A special, all-female plebiscite held on April 30, 1937, where 447,725 women voted favorably for it, against 44,307. The second elections for the National Assembly were held on November 8, 1938, under a new law that allowed block voting, which favored the governing Nacionalista Party . As expected all the 98 seats of the National Assembly went to the Nacionalistas. José Yulo who was Quezon's Secretary of Justice from 1934 to 1938,
240-453: A state of national emergency which gave the President extensive emergency powers. On December 8, 1941, Japan attacked the Philippines a few hours after attacking Pearl Harbor . The National Assembly lost no time in enacting substantive legislation diverting all remaining funds for national defense and declaring a state of total emergency. It furthered the emergency powers already granted to
300-626: A vote of no confidence . On the other hand, according to the separation of powers doctrine, the legislature in a presidential system is considered an independent and coequal branch of government along with both the judiciary and the executive. Nevertheless, many presidential systems provide for the impeachment of the executive for criminal or unconstitutional behaviour. Legislatures will sometimes delegate their legislative power to administrative or executive agencies . Legislatures are made up of individual members, known as legislators , who vote on proposed laws. A legislature usually contains
360-622: A Parliamentary powers index in an attempt to quantify the different degrees of power among national legislatures. The German Bundestag , the Italian Parliament , and the Mongolian State Great Khural tied for most powerful, while Myanmar's House of Representatives and Somalia's Transitional Federal Assembly (since replaced by the Federal Parliament of Somalia ) tied for least powerful. Some political systems follows
420-543: A compromise was reached that no Filipino would be conscripted into the Japanese military. Realizing that such a declaration was not binding until ratified by the National Assembly, the Japanese also demanded that the National Assembly be convened to ratify it, but Laurel remained steadfast not to convoke the National Assembly into a special session. Two days after the surrender of Japan to the Allied forces on August 15, 1945, and with
480-422: A democracy, legislators are most commonly popularly elected , although indirect election and appointment by the executive are also used, particularly for bicameral legislatures featuring an upper house . The name used to refer to a legislative body varies by country. Common names include: By names: By languages: Though the specific roles for each legislature differ by location, they all aim to serve
540-458: A few of the members of the chamber(s). The members of a legislature usually represent different political parties ; the members from each party generally meet as a caucus to organize their internal affairs. Legislatures vary widely in the amount of political power they wield, compared to other political players such as judiciaries , militaries , and executives . In 2009, political scientists M. Steven Fish and Matthew Kroenig constructed
600-577: A few, which were appointed by the U.S. Governor-General without the need for confirmation. The Governor-General, being the chief executive of the territory, also exercised the power to veto any of the Philippine Legislature's legislations. In 1934, Filipino politicians obtained the passage of a Philippine independence law known as the Tydings–McDuffie Act . It was crafted to prepare the Philippines for its eventual independence after
660-442: A fixed number of legislators; because legislatures usually meet in a specific room filled with seats for the legislators, this is often described as the number of "seats" it contains. For example, a legislature that has 100 "seats" has 100 members. By extension, an electoral district that elects a single legislator can also be described as a "seat", as, for example, in the phrases " safe seat " and " marginal seat ". After election,
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#1732844595474720-543: A plebiscite on June 18, 1940. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved it on December 2, 1940, effectively paving the way for the abolition of the National Assembly after the incumbency of those elected in 1938 on December 30, 1941. Concerns about international conflict and the first stages of the World War II stretched throughout most of the Second National Assembly. In 1940, the National Assembly declared
780-510: A set of amendments to the constitution that included restoring the bicameral legislature. It provided for the replacement of the National Assembly by the Congress of the Philippines , composed of a Senate and a House of Representatives . Unlike the Jones Law Senate (1916 to 1935), whereby two senators were elected from each of the twelve senatorial districts the Philippines was divided into,
840-526: A single unit is unicameral , one divided into two chambers is bicameral , and one divided into three chambers is tricameral . In bicameral legislatures, one chamber is usually considered the upper house , while the other is considered the lower house . The two types are not rigidly different, but members of upper houses tend to be indirectly elected or appointed rather than directly elected, tend to be allocated by administrative divisions rather than by population, and tend to have longer terms than members of
900-410: A ten-year period. The Tydings–McDuffie Act also enabled them to draft and adopt a constitution , subject to the concurrence of the U.S. president. In the constitutional convention that followed, a unicameral National Assembly was adopted. This came after the failure of the constitutional convention delegates to agree on the setup of the bicameral system that was favored by the majority. It also set
960-573: A term of three years. Though created subordinate to the executive, the National Assembly had the power to elect the President, who in turn appoints the provincial governors and city mayors, ensuring him control of the legislature. Jorge B. Vargas , chairman of the Philippine Executive Commission addressed the National Assembly at its pre-independence session on September 25, 1943, where KALIBAPI Director-General Benigno Aquino, Sr. of Tarlac , who served as Agriculture Secretary in
1020-435: Is indirectly elected within the context of a one-party state . Legislature size is a trade off between efficiency and representation; the smaller the legislature, the more efficiently it can operate, but the larger the legislature, the better it can represent the political diversity of its constituents. Comparative analysis of national legislatures has found that size of a country's lower house tends to be proportional to
1080-531: Is the Icelandic Althing , founded in 930 CE. Democratic legislatures have six major functions: representation, deliberation, legislation, authorizing expenditure, making governments, and oversight. There exist five ways that representation can be achieved in a legislature: One of the major functions of a legislature is to discuss and debate issues of major importance to society. This activity can take place in two forms. In debating legislatures, such as
1140-630: The 1943 Constitution . With the invasion of the Philippines, the Commonwealth government had gone into exile to the United States. It left behind a skeletal bureaucracy whose officials formed a government under the Japanese Imperial Army . In an attempt to win the loyalty of Filipinos , the Japanese established a nominally independent Republic of the Philippines , with a National Assembly as its legislative body. The Second Philippine Republic
1200-492: The European Parliament ). Countries differ as to what extent they grant deliberative assemblies at the subnational law-making power, as opposed to purely administrative responsibilities. Laws enacted by legislatures are usually known as primary legislation. In addition, legislatures may observe and steer governing actions, with authority to amend the budget involved. The members of a legislature are called legislators. In
1260-627: The European Union . The upper house may either contain the delegates of state governments – as in the European Union and in Germany and, before 1913, in the United States – or be elected according to a formula that grants equal representation to states with smaller populations, as is the case in Australia and the United States since 1913. Tricameral legislatures are rare;
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#17328445954741320-525: The Japanese Military Administration to replace the exiled Commonwealth government. It utilized the existing administrative structure already in place and coerced high-ranking Commonwealth officials left behind to form a government. In order to win greater support for Japan and its war effort, no less than Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō promised the Filipinos independence earlier than
1380-643: The Massachusetts Governor's Council still exists, but the most recent national example existed in the waning years of White-minority rule in South Africa . Tetracameral legislatures no longer exist, but they were previously used in Scandinavia. The only legislature with a number of chambers bigger than four was the Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia ; initially established as a Pentacameral body in 1963, it
1440-585: The Parliament of the United Kingdom , the floor of the legislature frequently sees lively debate. In contrast, in committee-based legislatures like the United States Congress , deliberation takes place in closed committees. While legislatures have nominally the sole power to create laws, the substantive extent of this power depends on details of the political system. In Westminster-style legislatures
1500-690: The Second Philippine Republic during the Japanese occupation. The National Assembly of the Commonwealth was created under the 1935 Constitution , which served as the Philippines' fundamental law to prepare it for its independence from the United States of America . The National Assembly during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during the Second World War in the Pacific was created by
1560-735: The United States Bill of Rights to the Philippines. The Philippine Legislature convened its first session on October 16, 1907, at the Manila Grand Opera House . Conflict between the bodies, the American-majority commission and the all-Filipino, Nacionalista-led assembly, were not uncommon. Such conflicts came to an end when the Jones Law created a bicameral legislature composed exclusively of Filipinos. The Second Philippine Commission , headed by William Howard Taft and known as
1620-551: The cube root of its population ; that is, the size of the lower house tends to increase along with population, but much more slowly. National Assembly of the Philippines The National Assembly of the Philippines ( Tagalog : Kapulungáng Pambansâ ng Pilipinas , Spanish : Asamblea Nacional de Filipinas ) refers to the legislature of the Commonwealth of the Philippines from 1935 to 1941, and of
1680-466: The 1935 Constitution was ratified, elections were held on September 17, 1935, for the 98 members of the National Assembly; simultaneous with the elections for the Commonwealth President and Vice President . The Philippine Commonwealth was inaugurated on November 15, 1935, and thus the term of the elected officials began. The National Assembly first met officially on November 25, ten days after
1740-534: The 1940 Amendments prescribed that all the 24 senators were to be elected at-large . They were to serve for a staggered 6-year term, so that one-third of the Senate membership is replaced every two years. Similar to the National Assembly, the House of Representatives had a cap of 120 members. The amendments which were contained under Resolution No. 38 were adopted by the National Assembly on September 15, 1939, and were ratified in
1800-432: The Commonwealth government was elected Speaker of the National Assembly. On the other hand, former Commonwealth Justice Secretary and Acting Supreme Court Chief Justice José P. Laurel was elected President of the soon-to-be-independent Republic of the Philippines . The National Assembly also went to organize itself into 66 committees. Philippine independence was eventually proclaimed on October 14, 1943. Laurel called
1860-418: The Commonwealth government was inaugurated and elected Gil M. Montilla of Negros Occidental as its Speaker . It soon organized itself into three commissions and 40 standing committees, when it adopted its rules on December 6. The assembly had the task of passing laws to prepare the Philippines for its eventual independence. Certain laws dealing with foreign relations and finance however, still required
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1920-587: The European assemblies of nobility which the monarchs would have to consult before raising taxes. For this power to be actually effective, the legislature should be able to amend the budget, have an effective committee system, enough time for consideration, as well as access to relevant background information. There are several ways in which the legislature can hold the executive branch (the administration or government) accountable. This can be done through hearings, questioning , interpellations , votes of confidence ,
1980-421: The National Assembly into a special session from October 17 to 23, when it passed resolutions expressing gratitude to the Japanese for its grant of independence. The National Assembly met for its first regular session from November 25, 1943, to February 2, 1944. It passed a total of 66 bills and 23 resolutions, ranging from the creation of new government agencies to address the existing problems and conditions during
2040-402: The National Assembly was never to meet again. It was scheduled to meet for its second regular session on October 20, 1944, but American forces had already begun their campaign to liberate the Philippines from Japan with its first attack on Manila on September 21, 1944. This prompted the Japanese to demand the Philippines' declaration of war against the United States. It was only heeded after
2100-466: The Philippine Autonomy Act, changed the legislative arrangement. The Philippine Commission was abolished and replaced by the elected Senate of the Philippines . The Philippine Assembly was also reorganized and renamed the House of Representatives. The new Philippine Legislature was inaugurated on October 16, 1916. The Philippine Legislature was the country's legislative body until 1935 when it
2160-475: The Philippines . In 1935, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established and the National Assembly of the Philippines replaced the Philippine Legislature. The Philippine Organic Act of July 1902 stipulated that a Philippine legislature would be established after several conditions were met, such as the end of the " Philippine Insurrection ". The legislature was to have an upper house consisting of
2220-528: The President, such as the transfer of the seat of government and the extension of the effectivity of lapsing laws. In its last act, the National Assembly certified the results of the 1941 elections which reelected Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmeña as president and vice president, respectively. The Commonwealth government was exiled in Washington, D.C. upon the invitation of Pres. Roosevelt. The Japanese took over Manila on January 2, 1942, and soon established
2280-733: The Taft Commission, was established by the President of the United States William McKinley in 1900 to exercise legislative and limited executive powers in the Philippines . Its members, both American and Filipino, were appointed by the US president. Beginning in 1907, it acted as the upper house of a bicameral legislature . On July 30, 1907, the first elections for the Philippine Assembly were held. Two political groups dominated
2340-506: The Tydings–McDuffie Act had scheduled. But before it could be realized a constitution would have to be adopted. The Preparatory Commission for Philippine Independence drafted what came to be known as the 1943 Constitution . It provided for a unicameral National Assembly that was to be composed of provincial governors and city mayors as ex-officio members and an elected representative from each province and city who were to serve for
2400-454: The appointed Philippine Commission and a lower house, the Philippine Assembly, its members chosen by national election. The two houses would share legislative powers, although the upper house alone would pass laws relating to the Moros and other non-Christian peoples. Two Filipino resident commissioners were sent to Washington to attend sessions of the United States Congress . The act also extended
2460-457: The approval of the U.S. president. Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon , who had practical control of the National Assembly, addressed the body on its inaugural session and laid-out his administration's priorities and legislative agenda. He was able to secure the passage of important legislation without much opposition, after he diluted the powers of the Speaker to a mere presiding officer . Among
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2520-412: The ceiling on its membership to a maximum of 120, that were to be elected every three years; similar to what the Jones Law had provided. It entitled every province , regardless of its population to have at least one representative. The convention likewise provided for the direct election of representatives from the non-predominantly Christian areas previously appointed by the U.S. Governor-General. After
2580-446: The constitutional provision on the separation of Church and State. The sporadic vetoing of its legislation prompted the " rubber stamp " legislature to criticize Quezon's policies. It then began to assert its independence from the executive. In line with this, the National Assembly went on to reinstate the inherent powers of the Speaker. It was also in this period that Filipino women were finally extended universal suffrage following
2640-486: The elections—the Nacionalista Party and Nationalist Progressive Party . Minority parties and independent candidates also competed. The Nacionalista Party, which espoused "immediate and complete independence" was headed by future Philippine president Sergio Osmeña , captured a majority of the 80-seat assembly. The assembly was the first fully elected national legislative body. The Jones Law of 1916, also known as
2700-516: The executive (composed of the cabinet) can essentially pass any laws it wants, as it usually has a majority of legislators behind it, kept in check by the party whip, while committee-based legislatures in continental Europe and those in presidential systems of the Americas have more independence in drafting and amending bills. The origins of the power of the purse which legislatures typically have in passing or denying government budgets goes back to
2760-669: The first of such measures were the National Defense Act of 1935 , which created the Philippine Army ; the creation of the National Economic Council , to serve as an advisory body on economic matters; and the creation of the Court of Appeals . Several economic measures were also tackled, including the impending difficulties on the phase out of free trade between the Philippines and the United States after independence, setting
2820-472: The formation of committees. Parliaments are usually ensured with upholding the rule of law, verifying that public funds are used accountably and efficiently as well as make government processes transparent and actions so that they can be debated by the public and its representatives. Agora notes that parliamentary systems or political parties in which political leaders can influence or decide which members receive top jobs can lead to passivity amongst members of
2880-435: The legislature consists of a number of legislators who use some form of parliamentary procedure to debate political issues and vote on proposed legislation. There must be a certain number of legislators present to carry out these activities; this is called a quorum . Some of the responsibilities of a legislature, such as giving first consideration to newly proposed legislation, are usually delegated to committees made up of
2940-406: The lower house. In some systems, particularly parliamentary systems , the upper house has less power and tends to have a more advisory role, but in others, particularly federal presidential systems , the upper house has equal or even greater power. In federations , the upper house typically represents the federation's component states. This is also the case with the supranational legislature of
3000-513: The members may be protected by parliamentary immunity or parliamentary privilege , either for all actions the duration of their entire term, or for just those related to their legislative duties. A legislature may debate and vote upon bills as a single unit, or it may be composed of multiple separate assemblies , called by various names including legislative chambers , debate chambers , and houses , which debate and vote separately and have distinct powers. A legislature which operates as
3060-407: The party and less challenging of leadership. Agora notes that this phenomenon is acute if the election of a member is dependant on the support of political leadership. In contrast to democratic systems, legislatures under authoritarianism are used to ensure the stability of the power structure by co-opting potential competing interests within the elites, which they achieve by: Each chamber of
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#17328445954743120-409: The principle of legislative supremacy , which holds that the legislature is the supreme branch of government and cannot be bound by other institutions, such as the judicial branch or a written constitution . Such a system renders the legislature more powerful. In parliamentary and semi-presidential systems of government , the executive is responsible to the legislature, which may remove it with
3180-591: The same purpose of appointing officials to represent their citizens to determine appropriate legislation for the country. Among the earliest recognised formal legislatures was the Athenian Ecclesia . In the Middle Ages , European monarchs would host assemblies of the nobility, which would later develop into predecessors of modern legislatures. These were often named the Estates . The oldest surviving legislature
3240-529: The war and other problems which had not been addressed during the Commonwealth period. Since the Philippines now acted as an independent state, the National Assembly created the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a Central Bank . It also extended additional powers to the President, similar to those granted to Quezon by the Commonwealth National Assembly. When it ended its session on February 2, 1944,
3300-533: Was elected Speaker. The Second National Assembly passed legislation to strengthen the economy, unfortunately war loomed. Certain laws passed by the First National Assembly were modified or repealed to meet existing realities. A controversial immigration law that set an annual limit of 50 immigrants per country, which affected mostly Chinese and Japanese nationals escaping the Sino-Japanese War
3360-600: Was only recognized by the Axis powers . Prior to 1935, the Philippine Islands, an insular area of the United States had the bicameral Philippine Legislature as its legislative body. The Philippine Legislature was established in 1907 and reorganized in 1916, pursuant to a U.S. federal law known as the Jones Law . The Jones Law provided for a Senate and a House of Representatives , whose membership were elected except for
3420-415: Was passed in 1940. Since the law bordered on foreign relations it required the approval of the U.S. president, which was nevertheless obtained. When the result of the 1939 census was published, the National Assembly updated the apportionment of legislative districts, which became the basis for the 1941 elections . Quezon was barred by the 1935 Constitution to serve as president beyond 1941. He orchestrated
3480-549: Was superseded by the National Assembly of the Philippines upon the establishment of the Commonwealth of the Philippines . Legislature A legislature is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country , nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers of government . Legislatures can exist at different levels of government–national, state/provincial/regional, local, even supranational (such as
3540-609: Was the appointed Philippine Commission , headed by the American governor general (who also served as the executive of the Insular Government). In 1916, the Jones Law abolished the Philippine Commission and reorganized the Philippine Legislature as a fully elected, bicameral legislature composed of the Senate and House of Representatives , precursors to current Senate of the Philippines and House of Representatives of
3600-508: Was turned into a hexacameral body in 1967. Legislatures vary widely in their size. Among national legislatures , China's National People's Congress is the largest with 2,980 members, while Vatican City 's Pontifical Commission is the smallest with 7. Neither legislature is democratically elected: The Pontifical Commission members are appointed by the Pope and the National People's Congress
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