POLITICAL AND INTERNATIONAL LAW
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. The Philippine Constitution
A. Constitution: definition, nature and concepts .................................................... 1
B. Parts ................................................................................................................ 2
C. Amendments and revisions ............................................................................. 2
D. Self-executing and non-self-executing provisions ............................................ 6
E. General provisions ........................................................................................... 6
II. General Considerations
A. National territory .............................................................................................. 6
1. Archipelagic doctrine
B. State immunity............................................................................................... 10
C. General principles and state policies.............................................................. 14
D. Separation of powers .................................................................................... 19
E. Checks and balances .................................................................................... 20
F. Delegation of powers ..................................................................................... 21
G. Forms of government .................................................................................... 22
III. Legislative Department
A. Who may exercise legislative power .............................................................. 23
1. Congress
2. Regional/Local legislative power
3. People’s initiative on statutes
a) Initiative and referendum
4. The President under a martial law rule or in a revolutionary government
B. Houses of Congress ...................................................................................... 26
1. Senate
2. House of Representatives
a) District representatives and questions of apportionment
b) Party-list system
C. Legislative privileges, inhibitions and disqualifications ................................... 30
D. Quorum and voting majorities ........................................................................ 32
E. Discipline of members.................................................................................... 32
F. Electoral tribunals and the Commission on Appointments .............................. 32
1. Nature
2. Powers
G. Powers of Congress ...................................................................................... 33
1. Legislative
a) Legislative inquiries and the oversight functions
b) Bicameral conference committee
, c) Limitations on legislative power
(i) Limitations on revenue, appropriations and tariff measures
(ii) Presidential veto and Congressional override
2. Non-legislative
a) Informing function
b) Power of impeachment
c) Other non-legislative powers
IV. Executive Department
A. Privileges, inhibitions and disqualifications..................................................... 39
1. Presidential immunity
2. Presidential privilege
B. Powers .......................................................................................................... 40
1. Executive and administrative powers in general .................................. 40
2. Power of appointment ......................................................................... 41
a) In general
b) Commission on Appointments confirmation
c) Midnight appointments
d) Power of removal
3. Power of control and supervision ........................................................ 44
a) Doctrine of qualified political agency
b) Executive departments and offices
c) Local government units
4. Military powers .................................................................................... 47
5. Pardoning power ................................................................................. 48
a) Nature and limitations
b) Forms of executive clemency
6. Diplomatic power................................................................................. 49
7. Powers relative to appropriation measures .......................................... 53
8. Delegated powers ............................................................................... 55
9. Veto powers........................................................................................ 55
10. Residual powers ............................................................................... 55
11. Executive privilege ............................................................................ 56
C. Rules of Succession
V. Judicial Department
A. Concepts ....................................................................................................... 57
1. Judicial power ..................................................................................... 57
2. Judicial review .................................................................................... 59
a) Operative fact doctrine
b) Moot questions
c) Political question doctrine
B. Safeguards of Judicial independence ............................................................ 62
C. Judicial restraint ............................................................................................ 63
, D. Appointments to the Judiciary ....................................................................... 63
E. Supreme Court .............................................................................................. 64
1. En banc and division cases
2. Procedural rule-making
3. Administrative supervision over lower courts
4. Original and appellate jurisdiction
F. Judicial privilege
VI. Constitutional Commissions
A. Constitutional safeguards to ensure independence of commissions .............. 70
B. Powers and functions of each commission .................................................... 72
C. Prohibited offices and interests...................................................................... 72
D. Jurisdiction of each constitutional commission .............................................. 75
E. Review of final orders, resolutions and decisions........................................... 75
1. Rendered in the exercise of quasi-judicial functions
2. Rendered in the exercise of administrative functions
VII. Bill of Rights
A. Fundamental powers of the state (police power, eminent domain, taxation) . 75
1. Concept, application and limits
2. Requisites for valid exercise
3. Similarities and differences
4. Delegation
B. Private acts and the Bill of Rights .................................................................. 78
C. Due process – the rights to life, liberty & property .......................................... 78
1. Relativity of due process
2. Procedural and substantive due process
3. Constitutional and statutory due process
4. Hierarchy of rights
5. Judicial standards of review
6. Void-for-vagueness doctrine
D. Equal protection ............................................................................................ 83
1. Concept
2. Requisites for valid classification
3. Standards of judicial review
a) Rational Basis Test
b) Strict Scrutiny Test
c) Intermediate Scrutiny Test
E. Searches and seizures .................................................................................. 85
1. Concept
2. Warrant requirement
a) Requisites
3. Warrantless searches
4. Warrantless arrests
, 5. Administrative arrests
6. Drug, alcohol and blood tests
F. Privacy of communications and correspondence ........................................... 92
1. Private and public communications
2. Intrusion, when allowed
3. Writ of habeas data
G. Freedom of expression .................................................................................. 93
1. Concept and scope
a) Prior restraint (censorship)
b) Subsequent punishment
2. Content-based and content-neutral regulations
a) Tests
b) Applications
3. Facial challenges and the overbreadth doctrine
4. Tests
5. State regulation of different types of mass media
6. Commercial speech
7. Private vs. government speech
8. Heckler’s veto
H. Freedom of religion ..................................................................................... 101
1. Non-establishment clause
a) Concept and basis
b) Acts permitted and not permitted by the clause
c) Test
2. Free exercise clause
3. Tests
a) Clear and Present Danger Test
b) Compelling State Interest Test
c) Conscientious Objector Test
I. Liberty of abode and freedom of movement ................................................. 106
1. Limitations
2. Right to travel
a) Watch-list and hold departure orders
3. Return to one’s country
J. Right to information ...................................................................................... 107
1. Limitations
2. Publication of laws and regulations
3. Access to court records
4. Right to information relative to:
a) Government contract negotiations
b) Diplomatic negotiations
K. Right of association ..................................................................................... 108
L. Eminent domain ........................................................................................... 108
1. Concept
2. Expansive concept of “public use”
3. Just compensation
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. The Philippine Constitution
A. Constitution: definition, nature and concepts .................................................... 1
B. Parts ................................................................................................................ 2
C. Amendments and revisions ............................................................................. 2
D. Self-executing and non-self-executing provisions ............................................ 6
E. General provisions ........................................................................................... 6
II. General Considerations
A. National territory .............................................................................................. 6
1. Archipelagic doctrine
B. State immunity............................................................................................... 10
C. General principles and state policies.............................................................. 14
D. Separation of powers .................................................................................... 19
E. Checks and balances .................................................................................... 20
F. Delegation of powers ..................................................................................... 21
G. Forms of government .................................................................................... 22
III. Legislative Department
A. Who may exercise legislative power .............................................................. 23
1. Congress
2. Regional/Local legislative power
3. People’s initiative on statutes
a) Initiative and referendum
4. The President under a martial law rule or in a revolutionary government
B. Houses of Congress ...................................................................................... 26
1. Senate
2. House of Representatives
a) District representatives and questions of apportionment
b) Party-list system
C. Legislative privileges, inhibitions and disqualifications ................................... 30
D. Quorum and voting majorities ........................................................................ 32
E. Discipline of members.................................................................................... 32
F. Electoral tribunals and the Commission on Appointments .............................. 32
1. Nature
2. Powers
G. Powers of Congress ...................................................................................... 33
1. Legislative
a) Legislative inquiries and the oversight functions
b) Bicameral conference committee
, c) Limitations on legislative power
(i) Limitations on revenue, appropriations and tariff measures
(ii) Presidential veto and Congressional override
2. Non-legislative
a) Informing function
b) Power of impeachment
c) Other non-legislative powers
IV. Executive Department
A. Privileges, inhibitions and disqualifications..................................................... 39
1. Presidential immunity
2. Presidential privilege
B. Powers .......................................................................................................... 40
1. Executive and administrative powers in general .................................. 40
2. Power of appointment ......................................................................... 41
a) In general
b) Commission on Appointments confirmation
c) Midnight appointments
d) Power of removal
3. Power of control and supervision ........................................................ 44
a) Doctrine of qualified political agency
b) Executive departments and offices
c) Local government units
4. Military powers .................................................................................... 47
5. Pardoning power ................................................................................. 48
a) Nature and limitations
b) Forms of executive clemency
6. Diplomatic power................................................................................. 49
7. Powers relative to appropriation measures .......................................... 53
8. Delegated powers ............................................................................... 55
9. Veto powers........................................................................................ 55
10. Residual powers ............................................................................... 55
11. Executive privilege ............................................................................ 56
C. Rules of Succession
V. Judicial Department
A. Concepts ....................................................................................................... 57
1. Judicial power ..................................................................................... 57
2. Judicial review .................................................................................... 59
a) Operative fact doctrine
b) Moot questions
c) Political question doctrine
B. Safeguards of Judicial independence ............................................................ 62
C. Judicial restraint ............................................................................................ 63
, D. Appointments to the Judiciary ....................................................................... 63
E. Supreme Court .............................................................................................. 64
1. En banc and division cases
2. Procedural rule-making
3. Administrative supervision over lower courts
4. Original and appellate jurisdiction
F. Judicial privilege
VI. Constitutional Commissions
A. Constitutional safeguards to ensure independence of commissions .............. 70
B. Powers and functions of each commission .................................................... 72
C. Prohibited offices and interests...................................................................... 72
D. Jurisdiction of each constitutional commission .............................................. 75
E. Review of final orders, resolutions and decisions........................................... 75
1. Rendered in the exercise of quasi-judicial functions
2. Rendered in the exercise of administrative functions
VII. Bill of Rights
A. Fundamental powers of the state (police power, eminent domain, taxation) . 75
1. Concept, application and limits
2. Requisites for valid exercise
3. Similarities and differences
4. Delegation
B. Private acts and the Bill of Rights .................................................................. 78
C. Due process – the rights to life, liberty & property .......................................... 78
1. Relativity of due process
2. Procedural and substantive due process
3. Constitutional and statutory due process
4. Hierarchy of rights
5. Judicial standards of review
6. Void-for-vagueness doctrine
D. Equal protection ............................................................................................ 83
1. Concept
2. Requisites for valid classification
3. Standards of judicial review
a) Rational Basis Test
b) Strict Scrutiny Test
c) Intermediate Scrutiny Test
E. Searches and seizures .................................................................................. 85
1. Concept
2. Warrant requirement
a) Requisites
3. Warrantless searches
4. Warrantless arrests
, 5. Administrative arrests
6. Drug, alcohol and blood tests
F. Privacy of communications and correspondence ........................................... 92
1. Private and public communications
2. Intrusion, when allowed
3. Writ of habeas data
G. Freedom of expression .................................................................................. 93
1. Concept and scope
a) Prior restraint (censorship)
b) Subsequent punishment
2. Content-based and content-neutral regulations
a) Tests
b) Applications
3. Facial challenges and the overbreadth doctrine
4. Tests
5. State regulation of different types of mass media
6. Commercial speech
7. Private vs. government speech
8. Heckler’s veto
H. Freedom of religion ..................................................................................... 101
1. Non-establishment clause
a) Concept and basis
b) Acts permitted and not permitted by the clause
c) Test
2. Free exercise clause
3. Tests
a) Clear and Present Danger Test
b) Compelling State Interest Test
c) Conscientious Objector Test
I. Liberty of abode and freedom of movement ................................................. 106
1. Limitations
2. Right to travel
a) Watch-list and hold departure orders
3. Return to one’s country
J. Right to information ...................................................................................... 107
1. Limitations
2. Publication of laws and regulations
3. Access to court records
4. Right to information relative to:
a) Government contract negotiations
b) Diplomatic negotiations
K. Right of association ..................................................................................... 108
L. Eminent domain ........................................................................................... 108
1. Concept
2. Expansive concept of “public use”
3. Just compensation
