Philippines · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Philippines, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- The 1987 Constitution
- Supreme; enforced by the Supreme Court through judicial review.
- Republic Acts
- Statutes of Congress.
- The Civil Code and Family Code
- Spanish-derived codified private law.
- Supreme Court decisions
- Binding precedent; Article 8 of the Civil Code makes them part of the legal system.
- Presidential Decree 1083
- The Code of Muslim Personal Laws, applied by Syariah courts.
- Customary law
- Recognised over ancestral domains under the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act 1997.
The legislative process
A bill passes three readings in each chamber, is reconciled in a bicameral conference committee, and goes to the President, who may veto it in whole or — uniquely for appropriation, revenue and tariff bills — line by line. Congress may override by two-thirds of each house voting separately. The Constitution also reserves a people's initiative for amendments, though the enabling machinery has repeatedly been held inadequate.
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