What Does a Congressional Aide Do?

In the late period of the Filipino people's resistance to Spanish colonial rule, the revolutionary government led by Akinado presided over the first congressional meeting in Malolos in September 1898, later called the "Malolos Congress". The congress is the single legislature of the First Republic, with one-third of its members selected by the revolutionary government, and the remainder appointed by Akinado. In 1913, the member of parliament would be expanded to nine, with Filipinos in the majority. In 1916, the United States passed the Jones Act to expand the opportunity for Filipinos to participate in politics, thereby alleviating Filipino anti-American sentiment. The Philippine Commission ceased to function, and a new Philippine Legislative Assembly was established in October 1916, formally forming the Philippine Congress structure coexisted by the Senate and the House of Representatives. In 1934, the United States passed the Tydings-McDuffy Act, announcing the implementation of a 10-year autonomy transition system in the Philippines, and the legislative assembly assumed the heavy responsibility of formulating a constitution. After the establishment of the Philippine Autonomous Government in 1935, it once implemented a single national parliament according to the 1935 Constitution. In 1940, it adopted a constitutional supplement and re-implemented the bicameral system. After the Philippines became independent in 1946, a new Congress was elected. After Marcos was elected president in 1965, he declared a state of emergency, exercised military control in September 1972, and in accordance with the 1972 Constitution changed both houses of Congress into a single legislative body under the parliamentary government-the National Assembly. In 1986, when the People's Power Revolution broke out, Aquino dismissed the National Assembly after he was elected president, formulated the 1987 Constitution, and once again established that the Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. So far the Philippine Congress has gone through 14 sessions.

Philippine Congress

In the Philippines

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The Philippine Constitution of 1987 stipulated that the main function of the Philippine Congress, which consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, is to make laws and give it some special non-legislative powers. For example, when two presidential candidates have equal votes, the Congress can choose the president; Relevant appointments are assessed to ensure social justice; declaration of war; increased taxes; impeachment of the president; may grant the president a state of emergency, etc. In addition, the Philippine Congress also has the power to consult and investigate legislation, punish contempt of parliament, and determine the rules of procedure of the National Assembly.

The Philippines implements a presidential system. The executive, legislative, and judicial powers are separated and balanced. The president is the highest head of state and has the power to veto congressional bills and change judicial decisions through pardons and other means. Congress is the supreme legislative body, and has the power to pass presidential vetoes, veto specific presidential appointments, revoke the presidential declaration of state of emergency, pass legislation or amend existing laws to modify or abolish court judgments, review judges' qualifications and appointments, As well as candidates for the Supreme Court and the District Court, overseeing government work, determining the salaries of the President and Vice President, and impeaching the President and members of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the Philippines. It has the power to declare administrative decrees or legislation unconstitutional, and has the power to determine whether the President or the Congress has abused or exceeded its authority.

Voter qualifications: Filipino citizens over the age of 18 are eligible to vote.

Candidate qualification:

Membership of the House of Representatives: Born a Filipino citizen, at the age of 25 on election day, has the ability to read and write. He is a registered elector for the constituency and must live in the constituency for more than one year at the time of the election.

Senator qualifications: Born Filipino citizens, 35 years old on election day, literate, registered voters in their constituency, their residence in the constituency must be more than 2 years at the time of election.

Candidate selection method: Generally, each political party selects its own candidate in the constituency, and any registered voter can become a candidate after applying to the local election agency and passing the qualification examination.

Relevant election regulations:

Senate election rules: National general elections, the number of votes to determine the number of candidates, usually the second Monday in May elections.

Rep. Election Regulations: A combination of constituency system and proportional representation is adopted. 80% of the seats in the constituency are directly elected by voters. The constituency is divided by the proportion of the population. Each 250,000 people are determined as one constituency, and each province has at least one Members. The remaining 20% of seats are directly elected nationwide by specific social groups (registered national or regional cultural organizations, young women's organizations, industry associations, urban and rural groups, etc.) excluding religious organizations, exceeding 2% of national votes A ratio of 1 seat can be obtained. The elected members are called Partylist Congressman or non-constituency members. Each social group cannot exceed 2 members.

Agency responsible: Elections Agency of the Philippines

Election re-election ratio: 12 members of the Senate are re-elected, and all members of the House of Representatives are re-elected

Provisions for re-election: The Philippine Senate is composed of 24 senators for a term of six years, with one-half reelection every three years. The term of office of members of the House of Representatives is three years, with a maximum of three consecutive terms.

Member composition: The 14th Senate has 23 senators (1 senator was elected mayor of Manila during his term). In all 23 seats, there are 8 members in the ruling coalition (Power Party, Liberal Movement Party, etc.), 12 members in the opposition (Popular Party, Liberal Party, Kuomintang, Nationalist People's Union), and 3 non-partisan members. The House of Representatives has a total of 238 seats, of which 216 are members of the electoral district and 22 are members of the non-elected district. 115 members of the House of Representatives were elected for the first time, accounting for 49% of the total number of members. The ruling coalition, consisting of parties such as the Liberal Party (96 seats) and the Liberal Movement Party (49 seats), has nearly 190 seats, and has an absolute advantage in the House of Representatives. There are 16 seats in the opposition Liberal Party, 5 seats in the KMT, and 10 members of the other opposition parties. 7 non-partisan MPs. In April 2009, the Supreme Court of the Philippines issued a ruling declaring that 23 unelected district members were valid in the 2007 elections, bringing the total number of members to more than 250.

Formulate laws and regulations, approve and approve all national appropriations, budgets, fiscal and tax bills, as well as proposals to increase public debt and local applications for the establishment or rename of a city. Examine and approve cabinet members appointed by the president, declare the state to enter a state of war, grant the president special powers during war or national emergencies, declare national policies, and committees of Congress have the right to conduct inquiries and hearings on relevant government departments and cabinet members according to their functions .

Senate Speaker: The Philippine Senate Speaker is elected by a majority of the members of both houses. The Philippine Constitution does not specify the powers of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and it usually acts as the chief administrative officer of the two houses and the convener of the meeting.

Congressional Committee Situation:

The Senate has 37 standing committees that are responsible for deliberating relevant bills. Due to the small number of senators, each senator can serve on multiple committees at the same time. The more influential committees in the Senate include government officials' responsibility and investigation committees, finance committees, defense committees, foreign affairs committees, and education committees.

There are 58 standing committees in the House of Representatives, namely: Finance, Agricultural Reform, Agriculture and Food, Funding, Marine Fisheries, Banking Finance, Basic Education and Culture, Social Services, Constitution Amendment, Corporate Development, Drugs, Economic Affairs, Energy, Ethnicity And rights, foreign affairs, gambling, good governance and public trust, government business and privatization, government restructuring, health, housing and urban development, human rights, information technology, inter-parliamentary relations, justice, labor employment, local government, Mindanao affairs, Muslim affairs, National cultural organizations, national defense and security, natural resources, population and family relations, poverty alleviation, public information, public works and construction, legal amendments, rules, science and technology, social welfare, tourism, trade, industry, transportation, etc.

There are 12 special committees, namely East Asia Growth Zone, Globalization and WTO, Millennium Development Goals, Northern Luzon Development, Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.

The Philippine Congress is divided into regular, special and executive meetings. The regular meeting is held once a year and is held on the fourth Monday of July each year. The date of the next meeting is determined 30 days before the end of the meeting, and the meeting can be suspended during the regular meeting. The special session is during the recess of the parliament, the president calls the parliament to discuss its designated matters, the duration of which is uncertain. Executive meetings are convened by Congress or its committees, also known as closed-door meetings, and discuss more national security issues. The Philippine Constitution stipulates that the number of statutory attendances in both houses of Congress shall exceed half, and the voting method shall be voting. The 2009 parliamentary session will be from March 25 to June 5, the session will be adjourned from June 6 to July 26, and it will resume on July 27 and decide the duration. The Philippine Congress usually adjourns during June, Easter, Christmas, and New Year.

The Philippine Constitution stipulates that any bill in Congress (BILL) must be passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives for a third reading (the first reading by a group, the second reading by a relevant committee, and the third reading by a plenary meeting). Signed into law. Any member of the Philippine Senate or the House of Representatives can submit a bill on issues of concern to the House of Representatives Secretariat for first reading and copy to relevant committees. During the first reading process, members can sign jointly with other members, and they can continue to supplement or amend the motion. After the first reading, the bill was submitted to the relevant committee for study. If the relevant committee does not agree with this proposal, the plan will naturally terminate. If the relevant committee approves the bill, it will be submitted to the rules committee to agree on the second reading discussion date. At this stage, the bill entered the second reading stage. A majority vote in Congress could cancel the second reading of the bill. After the second reading, it entered the debate stage, supplemented and passed the motion, or blocked it. After the bill was passed in the second reading, the final version was printed and sent to all members 3 days before the third reading. During the third reading, only the title of the motion was read out. The motion would not allow any additions or amendments. The vote was approved by a quorum majority. After the third reading, it was submitted to the other House and discussed in the same manner and procedure. If the two houses disagree on the bill, the two houses will form a joint committee to discuss. If there is a difference between the two parties, if one party accepts and approves the amendment or addition of the other party, the amendment or addition will be made directly without the need to convene a joint meeting. The bill passed by both Houses of Representatives on the third reading will be submitted to the President, who will decide whether to approve or reject it. If the president does not reject the resolution within 30 days of receiving the motion, it will be deemed that the president has agreed to sign the automation into law. If the bill is rejected by the president, it can be voted again in both houses of Congress. As long as it is passed by a two-thirds majority, it can override the president's veto on the bill and become effective automatically.

In addition, members have the right to formally express their positions, opinions, and the wishes of the official institutions and organizations they represent in the form of a resolution (RESOLUTI0N). Resolutions are valid only in Congress and do not require presidential approval. Resolutions may include penalties for lawmakers and proposals to amend the law. Sometimes resolutions are also used to express Congress's attitudes or opinions, such as commendation for the outstanding work of government officials or statements on important domestic issues. There are three types of resolutions: simple resolutions are special purpose or purpose resolutions passed by the two houses; due consideration is given to the resolution passed by one house separately, and the other house also adopts and implements them; joint resolutions are agreed by the joint meeting of the two houses, but Vote separately.

Obligations of lawmakers: According to the law, lawmakers must abide by national laws and regulations and social and ethical codes of conduct, meet with voters regularly, visit constituencies, plan and handle constituency affairs, and attend parliamentary meetings on time. For members' violations of national laws and other misconducts, the ethics committees of the two houses will conduct hearings on the members and refer them to the relevant law enforcement agencies after the results.

Privileges of members: Members enjoy certain immunity. If members break the law and have a sentence of less than 6 years, they will be exempt from arrest during the session of the Congress. Members' speeches or debates in Congress are unquestioned and exempt from legal liability. After taking office, they must announce their main financial and commercial interests and explain to Congress that they should avoid using their work and bills to make a profit for themselves. Members of parliament shall not be concurrently employed in government agencies or affiliated organizations, state-owned companies, and shall not be allowed to work in any firm with salary income. Members of parliament shall not serve as advisors to government departments or their subordinate units, government companies, judicial institutions, or election agencies. You must not use the status of a member of parliament to arbitrarily intervene in personal interests or to intervene in government departments in the normal handling of matters related to them. In addition, parliamentarians also enjoy rights such as transportation and tax exemption.

Member treatment: Members 'salaries are paid by the government according to standards, and Congress does not have the right to increase or reduce members' wages arbitrarily. The Senate and House of Representatives enjoy a salary of 33 grades, about 35,000 pesos (equivalent to $ 700) per month, and the Senate and House of Representatives enjoy a salary of 34, and about 40,000 pesos (equivalent to $ 800) per month.

During the term of office, members of the Philippine Congress can enjoy special priority development funds allocated by the government. They are mainly used for important projects or livelihood projects in the constituency of the parliament. These projects are included in the annual budget of the state finance and allocated by the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Finance. Members of parliament have the right to choose partners and supervise the implementation of projects, and various government departments cooperate with the implementation of these projects. As the key investment projects in the parliamentary constituencies change every year, the amount of funding for each member of the House of Representatives is not fixed and uneven. In addition, parliamentarians are subsidized for studying, visiting and visiting abroad.

Organizations of various political parties in the Philippines are relatively loose. The party and league organizations in the Philippine Congress are in their infancy. Only the Liberal Party, the Liberal Movement Party, the Liberal Party, and the Nationalist People's Union have taken shape in the House of Representatives. For the proposals or bills discussed in the House of Representatives, each party group will solicit opinions among members of the party and unify their views and positions. When it comes to voting, more plenary meetings are held within the party and league to reach consensus.

Both houses of the Philippine Congress have a secretariat to ensure the normal functioning of the Congress, and to provide convenience and services for the work of parliamentarians. The Secretariat is under the responsibility of the Secretary-General, and it has documents, finance, foreign affairs bureau and other departments. In addition to the Secretariat, each parliament's office can hire a certain number of assistants, and salaries are paid by the state.

The major foreign affairs of both houses of the Philippine Congress can be approved by the Senate and the Speaker of the House. Some important foreign affairs activities require the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs' opinions. Members of parliament shall make an application to the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Committee for foreign exchanges or group trips, and the committee shall pass the approval of the Senate and Speaker. In principle, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the House of Representatives' visits shall be decided by the Speaker himself, and if necessary, he shall listen to the suggestions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Philippine Congress is responsible for foreign affairs working in the Senate Foreign Affairs Bureau, the House of Representatives Parliamentary Relations and the Special Affairs Bureau (also known as the Protocol Bureau). The Senate Foreign Affairs Bureau is a subsidiary of the Senate Secretariat. Co-management. The Senate and the House of Representatives each have a division of labor in foreign affairs. The Senate mainly participates in the activities of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), while the House of Representatives mainly attends the activities of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) and the ASEAN Alliance (AIPO). The Senate is active in foreign exchanges, and has more contacts with the parliaments of China, Russia, and Australia. The external funds of both houses are allocated by the state finance.

The Philippine Senate is responsible for the friendly group affairs by the Foreign Affairs Bureau, and the friendly group affairs in the House of Representatives are jointly managed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Committee. There is no regular exchange mechanism with foreign parliaments. ^[1]