The
Prime Minister of the Philippines was the official designation of the head of the government (whereas the
President of the PhilippinesThe President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
was the
head of stateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
) of the
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
from 1978 until People Power Revolution in 1986. A limited version of such existed temporarily in 1899 during the
First Philippine RepublicThe Philippine Republic , more commonly known as the First Philippine Republic or the Malolos Republic was a short-lived insurgent revolutionary government in the Philippines...
.
President of the Council of Government (1899)
The 1899 Constitution of the Philippines created the office of the Council of Government which will be composed of the President of the Council and seven secretaries. The president of the revolutionary government led by
Emilio AguinaldoEmilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
, appointed the "sublime paralytic"
Apolinario MabiniApolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino political philosopher and revolutionary who wrote a constitutional plan for the of 1899-1901, and served as its first prime minister in 1899...
as the first President of the Council of Government through a decree issued January 2, 1899. Mabini also became the finance minister of the Republic. The President of the Council is also equivalent to a
prime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
as he heads the secretaries, or
ministers that advises the President of the Republic.
On December 10, 1898, on the other hand, the
warThe Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...
between
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
was
concludedThe Treaty of Paris of 1898 was signed on December 10, 1898, at the end of the Spanish-American War, and came into effect on April 11, 1899, when the ratifications were exchanged....
with Spain giving up all rights to
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and surrendering Philippines,
GuamGuam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
and
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
to the United States. Two days later, Aguinaldo ordered his lawyer
Felipe AgoncilloFelipe Agoncillo was the Filipino lawyer representative to the negotiations in Paris that led to the Treaty of Paris , ending the Spanish–American War and achieving him the title of "outstanding first Filipino diplomat."As a family friend and adviser of General Emilio Aguinaldo and General Antonio...
to contest the Philippine status as an independent nation and no longer a Spanish colony since the
declaration of independenceThe Philippine Declaration of Independence occurred on June 12, 1898 in Cavite II el Viejo , Cavite, Philippines. With the public reading of the Act of the Declaration of Independence, Filipino revolutionary forces under General Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the sovereignty and independence of the...
on June 12, 1898. However, the United States did not recognize Philippine sovereignty and announced their interest to annex the country by January 1899. This brought into serious foreign conflict when the Republic was formally established in January 23 at Malolos. By January 30, Aguinaldo resend Agoncillo, this time, to the
United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
so as to reconsider their plans to annex the country and formally recognize Filipino independence.
In the next few months, Mabini was pressured by political problems such as negotiating to end the hostilities between Filipinos and American forces left in the Philippines after the war. With the failure of having successful agreements with the US army to secure ceasefire, the
first shotThe Battle of Manila, the first and largest battle fought during the Philippine–American War, was fought on 4 and February 5, 1899, between 12,000 Americans and 15,000 Filipinos. Armed conflict broke out when American troops, under orders to turn away insurgents from their encampment, fired upon an...
of the Philippine–American War erupted in February 4, 1899. The revolutionary government was forced to vacate Malolos and transfer the seat of administration from place to place. Mabini, who was pressured then from his political adversaries and failure to stop the increasing guerilla insurgency during the war, left the post and surrendered to United States on May 7, 1899.
One of the political adversaries who forced Mabini to left office was Pedro A. Paterno, president of the Congress of the Republic since September 15, 1898. He didn't want Mabini's offensive plan to counter United States attacks during the war, so he proposed peace plans with the Americans to Aguinaldo, such that the Philippines would be a protectorate of the United States with full autonomy. This was opposed by Mabini, however, Paterno and his allies convinced Aguinaldo to dissolve the Mabini cabinet which made the latter surrender to US.
The next day, May 8, Aguinaldo appointed Paterno as the President of the Council of Government. One of his first moves during his term was to draft a copy of "Autonomy Plan" to the
Schurman CommissionThe Schurman Commission also known as the First Philippine Commission was the legislature of the Philippines, then known as the Philippine Islands under the sovereign control of the United States during the Philippine-American War...
which asks for peace settlement with the US government. This also states that the Filipinos are ready to drop the idea of independence and accept US sovereignty over the archipelago.
Meanwhile, the takeover of Paterno to the government and his actions towards the Schurman Commission infuriated
General Antonio LunaAntonio Luna y Novicio was a Filipino pharmacist and general who fought in the Philippine-American War. He was also the founder of the Philippines's first military academy.- Family background :...
, the commanding officer of the
Philippine ArmyThe Philippine Army is the ground arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Tagalog is Hukbong Katihan ng Pilipinas. On July 23, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III appointed Maj. Gen...
. He ordered to arrest Paterno and other members of the Cabinet, however, he was unsuccessful to send Paterno to jail. Due to his actions, Paterno was forced to write a manifesto on June 2, 1899, stating a formal declaration of war against the United States. On June 5, Luna was assasinated in
Nueva EcijaNueva Ecija is a landlocked province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Palayan City...
, one of the alleged reasons of his death was due to this conflict with Paterno.
During the war, the seat of Aguinaldo changed from place to place northwards as the Americans grew aggressive. On November 13, 1899, Paterno was captured by US forces in
BenguetBenguet is a landlocked province of the Philippines in the Cordillera Administrative Region in Luzon. Its capital is La Trinidad and borders, clockwise from the south, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya....
, thus ending his term as the President of the Council. Aguinaldo, however, did not appoint succession for Paterno as he was busy for fleeing the Republic. On June 21, 1900, Paterno, as
prisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, accepted amnesty granted by the military governor General
Arthur MacArthur, Jr.Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur, Jr. , was a United States Army General. He became the military Governor-General of the American-occupied Philippines in 1900 but his term ended a year later due to clashes with the civilian governor, future President William Howard Taft...
and he finally swore allegiance to the United States together with other members of Aguinaldo government.
From 1899 to 1901, Philippines was headed by American military governors. When Aguinaldo was captured by Gen.
Frederick FunstonFrederick N. Funston also known as Fred Funston, was a General in the United States Army, best known for his role in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War...
on March 23, 1901 at
Palanan, IsabelaPalanan is a remote 2nd class municipality in the province of Isabela, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 16,254 people in 2,837 households....
, the country was headed then by civil governors until the formal establishment of self-autonomous
CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of the Philippines was a designation of the Philippines from 1935 to 1946 when the country was a commonwealth of the United States. The Commonwealth was created by the Tydings-McDuffie Act, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1934. When Manuel L...
on November 15, 1935. The 1935 Constitution that describes the operation of the Commonwealth does not have the provision of reviving the office of the President of the Council of the Government or any related position. This was continued until the Third Republic.
Second creation (1978-1986)
In 1976,
PresidentThe President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Ferdinand MarcosFerdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
issued Presidential Decrees 991 and 1033 calling for a constitutional referendum, set on October 16, 1976. The voters were asked whether they wanted to lift the ongoing
martial law since 1972Martial law in the Philippines refers to the period of Philippine history where Philippine Presidents declare a proclamation to control unpacified places under the rule of Military, it is usually given when threatened by popular protests, or to crack down on the opposition...
; the majority approved its continuation. In addition, drafted and ratified was the Sixth Amendment to the
1973 ConstitutionThe Constitution of the Philippines is the supreme law of the Philippines.The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987 Constitution"...
, which fused legislative and executive powers in the office of President. One of its provisions at the time of ratification was that the President shall obtain the title of
Prime Minister, thus re-creating the office after 1899. The Prime Minister, who is also the President, also have the powers vested by the president described in the 1935 Constitution. The Amendment also created the
Interim Batasang PambansaThe Interim Batasang Pambansa or the First Batasan was the legislature of the Republic of the Philippines from its inauguration on June 12, 1978 to June 5, 1984...
(Interim National Assembly, IBP), as well as a provision such that the President/Prime Minister will exercise legislative powers
until martial law is lifted.
On April 7, 1978, the
first electionA general election was held in the Philippines on April 7, 1978 for the election of the 166 regional representatives to the Interim Batasang Pambansa...
for the unicameral legislature known as the
Batasang PambansaThe Batasang Pambansa , also known by its nickname, the Batasan, was the former parliament of the Philippines, established as an interim assembly in 1978 and finally as an official body in 1984. Under the 1973 constitution, it replaced the former Congress established under the 1935 Commonwealth...
, was held since the abolition of the bicameral
CongressThe Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
by virtue of the 1973 Constitution. One hundred and fifty out of 165 elected positions of the parliament were dominated by Marcos' ruling party
Kilusang Bagong LipunanThe Kilusang Bagong Lipunan , formerly the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan ng Nagkakaisang Nacionalista, Liberal, at iba pa, , is a political party in the Philippines...
(New Society Movement). By June 12, the IBP was inaugurated which also confirmed Marcos' position as the Prime Minister of the Philippines.
On June 30, 1981, Marcos was re-elected as President, and he appointed then finance minister
Cesar VirataCesar Enrique Aguinaldo Virata is a former Prime Minister of the Philippines from 1981-1986 under the Interim Batasang Pambansa and the Regular Batasang Pambansa. One of the Philippines' business leaders and leading technocrats, he served as Finance Minister from 1970 during the Marcos regime and...
to succeed him to the post of Prime Minister. Virata, a grand-nephew of former president
Emilio AguinaldoEmilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
, previously represented the country to
World BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
's Council of Governors. Until the 1986 People Power Revolution, Virata held this position. It was alleged that the reason why Marcos gave up his Prime Ministerial post to Virata is that the latter has no political background, except being Marcos's finance head, so he is not a political threat.
Abolition
In 1986,
Corazon AquinoMaria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
became President, and she appointed
Salvador LaurelSalvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel , also known as Doy Laurel, was Vice President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under Corazon Aquino. Before that, he briefly served as Aquino's first Prime Minister from February 25 to March 25 of 1986...
to succeed Virata. However, the position was later abolished on March 1986 with the release of Proclamation No. 3, or the "Freedom Constitution". The subsequent (and currently enforced) 1987 Constitution had no provisions for such a position.
Today, the head of the government is the
President of the PhilippinesThe President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
, who also serves as head of state.
Powers and duties
The office of the President of the Council of Government was created by 1899
Constitution of the PhilippinesThe Constitution of the Philippines is the supreme law of the Philippines.The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987 Constitution"...
on Title IX, with the role as the head of advisors to the President of the Republic. The first President of the Council was
Apolinario MabiniApolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino political philosopher and revolutionary who wrote a constitutional plan for the of 1899-1901, and served as its first prime minister in 1899...
, who also happened to be the finance minister. The President of the Council is equivalent to present-day prime minister.
The 1973
ConstitutionThe Constitution of the Philippines is the supreme law of the Philippines.The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987 Constitution"...
provided clear powers and duties of the Prime Minister starting at the dictatorship of Ferdinand E. Marcos. Article IX, section 3 of the 1973 Constitution describes the primary qualification of an individual to become the Prime Minister: he must be a member of the
Interim Batasang PambansaThe Interim Batasang Pambansa or the First Batasan was the legislature of the Republic of the Philippines from its inauguration on June 12, 1978 to June 5, 1984...
(National Assembly). To become a member of the Interim Batasang Pambansa, one must be a qualified citizen of the Republic and was elected by the popular district in which he will represent at the assembly. Though the appointment of the Prime Minister is exactly written on the Constitution, however, the Prime Minister is exempted from impeachment, thus paving way for whoever the Prime Minister will be, for an indefinite term. On the same hand, the Prime Minister and his deputy may leave office at their own will.
Apart being the head of government, the Prime Minister is also the head of his Cabinet. He has the power to appoint Cabinet members majority are from the National Assembly. Likewise, he also has the power from office to remove them upon his discretion.
He also has the following powers and duties:
- Appoint his own Deputy Prime Minister that will have powers vested by the Prime Minister;
- Present the program and state of the government to the National Assembly at the start of each regular session;
- Control all ministries provided by the law;
- Head the Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
as their commander-in-chiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
;
- Appoint the head of government bureaus and offices and promote brigadier-generals and commodores of the Armed Forces;
- Grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, remit fines and forfeitures after final conviction and amnesty with the permission of the National Assembly, except at the time of impeachment; and
- Guarantee foreign and local loans of the Republic.
In Section 16, it was also mentioned that all powers previously vested by the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines to the President of the Republic shall be transferred to the Prime Minister unless the National Assembly provides those. This includes the power of the Prime Minister to sign and create treaties and foreign agreements as well as appointment of ambassadors and consuls with the permission of the Commission on Appointments.
List of Prime Ministers
| # |
Prime Minister |
Party |
Start of service |
End of service |
President |
Legislature |
Era |
| 1 |
|
Apolinario MabiniApolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino political philosopher and revolutionary who wrote a constitutional plan for the of 1899-1901, and served as its first prime minister in 1899...
|
 |
KatipunanThe Katipunan was a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish Filipinos in Manila in 1892, whose primary aim was to gain independence from Spain through revolution. The society was initiated by Filipino patriots Andrés Bonifacio, Teodoro Plata, Ladislao Diwa, and others on the night...
(Magdiwang faction) |
January 2, 1899 |
January 23, 1899 |
Emilio Aguinaldo Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation...
|
Malolos Congress-Further reading:*Philippine House of Representatives Congressional Library...
|
Revolutionary Government |
| January 23, 1899 |
May 7, 1899 |
First RepublicThe Philippine Republic , more commonly known as the First Philippine Republic or the Malolos Republic was a short-lived insurgent revolutionary government in the Philippines...
|
| 2 |
Pedro A. PaternoPedro Alejandro Paterno y de Vera-Ignacio, also spelled Pedro Alejandro Paterno y Debera Ignacio was a Filipino politician, as well as a poet and novelist.His intervention on behalf of the Spanish led to the signing of the Pact of...
|
 |
May 7, 1899 |
November 13, 1899 |
Office abolished
November 14, 1899—June 11, 1978 |
| 3 |
|
Ferdinand E. MarcosFerdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
|
 |
KBL The Kilusang Bagong Lipunan , formerly the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan ng Nagkakaisang Nacionalista, Liberal, at iba pa, , is a political party in the Philippines...
|
June 12, 1978 |
June 30, 1981 |
Ferdinand E. MarcosFerdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
|
Interim Batasang Pambansa The Interim Batasang Pambansa or the First Batasan was the legislature of the Republic of the Philippines from its inauguration on June 12, 1978 to June 5, 1984...
|
Second Dictatorship This article covers the history of the Philippines during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos. The Marcos era includes the final years of the Third Republic and the entirety of the Fourth Republic .-Marcos Administration :...
|
| 4 |
Cesar E. A. Virata Cesar Enrique Aguinaldo Virata is a former Prime Minister of the Philippines from 1981-1986 under the Interim Batasang Pambansa and the Regular Batasang Pambansa. One of the Philippines' business leaders and leading technocrats, he served as Finance Minister from 1970 during the Marcos regime and...
|
|
June 30, 1981 |
July 23, 1984 |
Fourth Republic This article covers the history of the Philippines during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos. The Marcos era includes the final years of the Third Republic and the entirety of the Fourth Republic .-Marcos Administration :...
|
| July 23, 1984 |
February 25, 1986 |
Regular Batasang Pambansa The Regular Batasang Pambansa or the Second Batasan was the meeting of the parliament of the Philippines from the beginning of its session on July 23, 1984 until it was abolished by President Corazon Aquino on March 25, 1986....
|
| 5 |
|
Salvador H. LaurelSalvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel , also known as Doy Laurel, was Vice President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under Corazon Aquino. Before that, he briefly served as Aquino's first Prime Minister from February 25 to March 25 of 1986...
|
 |
UNIDO The United Nationalist Democratic Organization or UNIDO was the main umbrella coalition of the traditional political opposition during the turbulent last years of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos in the mid-1980s. It was formed in January 1980, and was originally known as the United Democratic...
|
February 25, 1986 |
March 25, 1986 |
Corazon C. AquinoMaria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
|
Defunct
The presidentA president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
ial system is used; the PresidentThe President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
is head of both state and government by virtue of the 1987 Philippine ConstitutionThe Constitution of the Philippines is the supreme law of the Philippines.The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987 Constitution"...
|
Statistics
- Living former Prime Ministers:
- Cesar E. A. Virata
Cesar Enrique Aguinaldo Virata is a former Prime Minister of the Philippines from 1981-1986 under the Interim Batasang Pambansa and the Regular Batasang Pambansa. One of the Philippines' business leaders and leading technocrats, he served as Finance Minister from 1970 during the Marcos regime and...
(1981-1986) (born December 12, 1930) —
- List of Prime Ministers by age at the start of term:
-
- Ferdinand E. Marcos —
- Salvador H. Laurel
Salvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel , also known as Doy Laurel, was Vice President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under Corazon Aquino. Before that, he briefly served as Aquino's first Prime Minister from February 25 to March 25 of 1986...
—
- Cesar E. A. Virata
Cesar Enrique Aguinaldo Virata is a former Prime Minister of the Philippines from 1981-1986 under the Interim Batasang Pambansa and the Regular Batasang Pambansa. One of the Philippines' business leaders and leading technocrats, he served as Finance Minister from 1970 during the Marcos regime and...
—
- Pedro A. Paterno —
- Apolinario Mabini
Apolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino political philosopher and revolutionary who wrote a constitutional plan for the of 1899-1901, and served as its first prime minister in 1899...
—
- List of Prime Ministers by tenure of office:
-
- Cesar E. A. Virata
Cesar Enrique Aguinaldo Virata is a former Prime Minister of the Philippines from 1981-1986 under the Interim Batasang Pambansa and the Regular Batasang Pambansa. One of the Philippines' business leaders and leading technocrats, he served as Finance Minister from 1970 during the Marcos regime and...
(1981-1986) —
- Ferdinand E. Marcos (1978-1981) —
- Apolinario Mabini
Apolinario Mabini y Maranan was a Filipino political philosopher and revolutionary who wrote a constitutional plan for the of 1899-1901, and served as its first prime minister in 1899...
(1899) —
- Pedro A. Paterno (1899) —
- Salvador H. Laurel
Salvador Roman Hidalgo Laurel , also known as Doy Laurel, was Vice President of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 under Corazon Aquino. Before that, he briefly served as Aquino's first Prime Minister from February 25 to March 25 of 1986...
(1986) —
See also
- President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
- Vice President of the Philippines
-Description:The Vice-President is the first in the Philippine line of succession, assuming the Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal by impeachment and subsequent conviction of the incumbent. The position was abolished by Martial Law in 1972, and was not included in the original text...
|-