NATURE OF ELECTIONS

AND POLITICAL PARTIES

IN THE PHILIPPINES
Lesson 12 - PPG
As posted on the Official Gazette webpage of the
Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines posted
on July 15, 2020 Article V-Suffrage Section 1 states that:
Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the
Philippines not otherwise disqualified by law, who are
at least eighteen years of age, and who shall have
resided in the Philippines for at least one year and in
the place wherein they propose to vote for at least six
months immediately preceding the election. No
literacy, property, or other substantive requirement
shall be imposed on the exercise of suffrage.
Meaning of Suffrage

Suffrage is the right and obligation to

vote of qualified citizens in the election
of certain national and local officers of
the government and in the decision of
public questions submitted to the
people.
Nature of Suffrage

(1) A mere privilege – Suffrage is not a

natural right of the citizens but merely a
privilege to be given or withheld by the
law-making power subject to
constitutional limitations.
Nature of Suffrage

(2) A political right – Suffrage enables

every citizen to participate in the
process of government to assure that it
can truly be said to derive its powers
from the consent of the governed. The
principle is that of one man, one vote.
Scope of Suffrage

Suffrage includes:
1. Election – It is the means by which the
people choose their officials for definite
and fixed periods and to whom they
entrust, for the time being as their
representatives, the exercise of powers
of government.
Scope of Suffrage

Suffrage includes:
2. Plebiscite
It is the name given to a vote of the people
expressing their choice for or against a proposed
law or enactment submitted to them.
In the Philippines, the term is applied to an election
at which any proposed amendment to, or revision
of, the Constitution is submitted to the people for
their ratification.
Scope of Suffrage

Suffrage includes:
2. Plebiscite
Plebiscite is likewise required by the
Constitution to secure the approval of the
people directly affected before certain
proposed changes affecting local
government units may be implemented.
Scope of Suffrage

Suffrage includes:
3. Referendum – It is the submission of a
law or part thereof passed by the national
or local legislative body to the voting
citizens of a country for their ratification
or rejection.
Scope of Suffrage

Suffrage includes:
4. Initiative – It is the process whereby
the people directly propose and enact
laws.
Scope of Suffrage

Suffrage includes:
5. Recall – It is a method by which a
public officer may be removed from
office during his tenure or before the
expiration of his term by a vote of the
people after registration of a petition
signed by a required percentage of the
qualified voters.
Qualifications of voters
He must be:
1. A citizen (male or female) of the
Philippines;
2. Not otherwise disqualified by law;
3. At least eighteen (18) years of age; and
4. Have resided in the Philippines for at
least one (1) year and in the place
wherein he proposes to vote for at least
six (6) months preceding the election.
Qualifications of voters
It is also stated in the 1987 Constitution of
the Republic of the Philippines – Article IX –
C the establishments of Commission on
Elections (COMELEC. In Section 2 discusses
the powers and functions of COMELEC:
(1) Enforce and administer all laws and
regulations relative to the conduct of an
election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum,
and recall
Qualifications of voters
(2) Exercise exclusive original jurisdiction
over all contests relating to the elections,
returns, and qualifications of all elective
regional, provincial, and city officials, and
appellate jurisdiction over all contests
involving elective municipal officials
decided by trial courts of general
jurisdiction, or involving elective barangay
officials decided by trial courts of limited
jurisdiction.
Decisions, final orders, or rulings of the
Commission on election contests
involving elective municipal and
barangay offices shall be final,
executory, and not appealable.
Meaning of Political Party
As stated by Marume et al (2016), a
political party is defined as an organized
and presumably durable association,
either of individuals or of distinguishable
groups of individuals, which endeavours
to place its members in governmental
offices for the purpose of bringing about
the adoption of favoured political
policies or programmes.
Meaning of Political Party
Of all the characteristics of parties, the
one which distinguishes them from all
other associations evincing a substantial
interest in public affairs is their effort to
secure the election or the appointment
of their own personnel to the public
positions through which the policies of
government are prescribed for
implementation.
Characteristics of a Political Party
One of the primary characteristics of a
political party is its objective to control
the exercise of governmental powers by
placing its own members in the public
offices through which the policies of
government are determined.
Characteristics of a Political Party
A second characteristic of a political
party is its intention to use
governmental powers for purposes
which meet with the general approval of
its leaders and the rank and file of its
membership.
Types of Electoral System
1. One-party system - An open system of
the one-party variety exists in those
jurisdictions in which a particular party
is so much stronger than any of its
nominal competitors that it almost
invariably is successful in winning
control of the government. Example:
North Korea, China
Types of Electoral System
2. Bi or two-party system - The
earmark of a two-party system is
their existence of two major parties
which are so strongly supported that
one or the other ordinarily emerges
as the victor in elections and
consequently gains mastery of the
government.
Types of Electoral System
2. Bi or two-party system - Although
one of these parties may win a
series of victories, its chief
competitors always is the running
and sooner or later manages to
defeat its opponent. Example: In the
US – Republican vs Democrats
Types of Electoral System
3. Multiparty system - Multiple-party
systems are featured by the
presence of a fairly large number of
parties with compete with one
another on relatively equal terms.
Types of Electoral System
3. Multiparty system - Several parties
may be considerably in comparison
with their minor competitors, but
they lack the strength of the major
parties under a genuine two-party
system.
Types of Electoral System
3. Multiparty system - None of them
is regularly able to muster sufficient
voting strength to capture control of
government. Example: Philippines,
Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Indonesia,
South Korea
There are several political parties that
stand for the election in the country.
The Nacionalista Party, the Liberal Party,
the Lakas-CMD, the PDP-LABAN, the
Nationalist People's Coalition, the Laban
ng Demokratikong Pilipino, the Akbayan
and the Philippine Democratic Socialist
Party are the parties with largest
membership in Congress.
Political Parties are required to register
with the COMELEC with a verified
petition with attachments including a
constitution, by-laws, platform, and such
other information as may be required by
the COMELEC.
They are required to have chapters
in a majority of regions, and within
each region, a majority of
provinces, down to towns and
barangays.