Powers of Congress (Of The Philippines)
Powers of Congress (Of The Philippines)
Legislative Power
Non-Legislative Power
These powers are expressly conferred by the Constitution. From such express
powers may be derived some implied powers, such as the power to punish contempt
in legislative investigations. The Congress also possesses inherent powers, such as
the determination of its rules of proceedings and the discipline of its members.2
A.
Legislative Power
is the power of lawmaking, the framing and enactment of laws.
it includes the powers of appropriation, taxation, expropriation
no longer exclusive to the Congress as the people (under Section 32)
allowed the people through initiative and referendum to directly propose and
enact laws thereof passed by the Congress or local legislative body. This
procedure is now prescribed in R.A. No. 6735
the authority, under the Constitution to make laws, and to alter and repel
them.1
As vested by the Constitution in Congress, it is a derivative power and
delegated power. The Constitution is the work or will of the people themselves,
in their original, sovereign, and unlimited capacity. Law is the work or will of the
legislature in their derivative and subordinate capacity. The one is the work of
the Creator, and the other of the creature. The constitution fixes limits to the
exercise of legislative authority, and prescribes the orbit within which it must
move.2
the grant of legislative power to Congress is broad, general and
comprehensive. The legislative body possesses #plenary power for all purposes
of civil government. Any power, deemed to be legislative by usage and tradition,
is necessarily possessed by Congress, unless the Constitution has lodged it
elsewhere.3 Except as limited by the Constitution. either expressly or impliedly,
legislative power embraces all subjects and extends to all matters of general
concern or common interest.4
The power to grant immunity from prosecution is essentially a legislative
prerogative.xxx The exclusive power of Congress to define crimes and their
nature and to provide for their punishment concomitantly carries the power to
immunize certain persons from prosecution to facilitate the attainment of state
interests, among them, the solution and prosecution of crimes with high political,
social and economic impact.5 In the exercise of this power, Congress
possesses broad discretion and can lay down the conditions and the extent of
the immunity to be granted.6
Law making under the Constitution is a joint act of the Legislature and of
the Executive. Cooperation and not separation was the operative principle.
Assuming that legislative veto is a valid legislative act with the force of law, it
cannot take effect without such presentment even if approved by both
#chambers of Congress.1
Abakada Guro Party List v. Purisima, G.R. No. 166715, August 14, 2008
↩
“ The grant of the rule-making power to administrative agencies is a relaxation of the principle
of separation of powers and is an exception to the non-delegation of legislative powers.
Administrative regulations or "subordinate legislation" calculated to promote the public interest are
necessary because of "the growing complexity of modern life, the multiplication of the subjects of
governmental regulations, and the increased difficulty of administering the law.
supplementary rule-making
filling up the details of the law for its enforcement
contingent rule-making
ascertaining facts to bring the law into actual operation
“ To say that the legislature may pass irrepealable laws, is to say that it may alter the very
constitution from which it derives its authority; since, in so far as one legislature could bind a
subsequent one by its enactments, it could in the same degree reduce the legislative power of its
successors; and the process might be repeated, until, one by one, the subject of legislation would
be excluded altogether from their control, and the constitutional provision that the legislative
power shall be vested in two houses would be to a greater or less degree rendered ineffectual.10
Related:
Non-Legislative Power
Congressional oversight
Separation of Powers
Review Center Association of the Philippines v. Ermita, 583 SCRA 428, citing
Kilusang Mayo Uno v. Director-General, National Economic Development
Authority, 487 SCRA 623 ↩
Vanhome's Lessee v. Dorrance, 2 Dall, 304, 308 U.S. 1795 ↩
Vera v. Avelino, 77 Phil. 192, 212 ↩
Ople v. Torres, 354 Phil. 948, cited in Datu Michael Abas Kida v. Senate of
the Philippines, 659 SCRA 270 ↩
Mapa, Jr. v. Sandiganbayan, 231 SCRA 783 ↩
Tanchanco v. Sandiganbayan, 512 Phil. 590, cited in Quarto v. the Honorable
Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo, 658 SCRA 580. ↩
Tolentino v. Secretary of Finance, 285 SCRA 630 1994 ↩
Abakada Guro Party List v. Purisima, supra note 155, at 288. ↩
169 Phil. 437, 447448 1977 ↩
CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATIONS 2467, cited in TAÑADA & CARREON,
POLITICAL LAW OF THE PHILIPPINES 24231962 ↩
B.
Non-Legislative Power
The Congress may likewise exercise non-legislative powers. #BARA #MEMTIPS
First Year, Juris Doctor, University of San Jose Recoletos School of Law.
Personal website: www.cliffordx.com ) ↩
Political Law, Isagani Cruz, page 269. 2014 Edition. ↩