HISTORICAL

DEVELOPMENT OF
PHILIPPINE
DEMOCRATIC POLITICS
The 1987 Philippine Constitution forms the basis for the
current governmental structure of the country.

❑Article II, Section 1 provides that “the Philippines is a

democratic and republican state. Sovereignty resides in the
people and all government authority emanates from them”.

But how did our government structure evolve into what it is

today?
 The Development of Philippine Government
1. Precolonial Period (before 1565)
2. Spanish Period (1565 – 1898)
3. Revolutionary Period (1868 – 1898)
4. American Period (1898 – 1941)
5. Japanese Occupation (1941 – 1945)
6. Postwar Era or the Third Philippine Republic (1946 – 1971)
7. Martial Law Era (1972 – 1981) and the Fourth Republic (1981 – 1986)
8. Post-EDSA or the Fifth Republic (1986 – present)
PRECOLONIAL
PERIOD
 PRECOLONIAL PERIOD
The Philippines was an
archipelago organized into
several independent political
units known as the barangay.
❑The barangay is headed by a
chief known as the datu. It held
vast legislative, executive, and
judicial powers.The datu also
served as the military head.
❑Most of the laws, which evolved based on native customs
and traditions, were unwritten and were passed on from one
generation to the next by oral tradition.
❑In terms of justice, a system of trial in the form of trial by
ordeal was administered.
❑Present also during this time was
the system of social stratification.
❑The stratification was based on
class, which included the following:
a. nobility (maharlika),
b.the freemen (timawa),
c. the serfs (aliping namamahay),
and
d.the slaves (aliping sagigilid).
❑The precolonial system was already
complex and sophisticated, such that
foreign relations were already
established as early as this period.
SPANISH PERIOD
(1565 – 1898)
 It was during Miguel Lopez de
SPANISH PERIOD Legazpi’s conquest of the islands
in Philippines in 1565 did the
formal establishment of a
colonial government take place.
❑The Philippines was indirectly
governed by the King of Spain
through Mexico through the
Council of Indies in Spain.
❑When Mexico gained
independence in 1821, the
Philippines was directly ruled by
Spain until 1898.
The Spaniards consolidated power under a
centralized government, which was led by the
governor-general.
oWith his authority based in Manila, the
governor-general was likewise an all-powerful
individual. He had executive, legislative,
judicial, administrative, and military powers.

❑The centralization of power and the creation

of a basic unitary government is thus a
Spanish influence.
❑Recognizing the influence of the datus for the
easier pacification of natives, the Spaniards
appointed the chieftains as the cabeza de
barangay. The datu’s traditional powers were
lost and were limited to collecting taxes.
❑The unified barangays composed the pueblos
(towns) which were led by the
gobernadorcillo.
❑The consolidated towns then formed into
provinces which could be categorized into two:
1) Alcaldia (headed by the alcalde mayor) –
provinces that were fully subjugated ;
2) Corregimiento (led by the Corregidor) –
were not entirely pacified under Spanish
authority.
❑Laws during the Spanish period
emanated from Spain.
❑On the other hand, there was a Royal
Audiencia which was an independent
body created to hear and solve cases.
❑Initially, the governor-general headed
the judicial body, but the chief justice
replaced him permanently. Audiencias
were established in Manila, Cebu, and
Vigan.
❑While the Audiencia was not an exact
model of the present-day Supreme Court,
it nonetheless had influence on its
structure.
REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD
(1868 – 1898)
REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD
During the second half of the 19th century, the
nationalist sentiments of the Filipinos were
awakened.
❑The Propaganda Movement, led by Jose
Rizal, Marcelo H. Del Pilar, and Graciano Lopez
Jaena, advocated reforms such that the same
rights and freedoms being enjoyed in Spain
would also be granted to the Filipinos. They
wrote novels, manifestos, and articles that
called for reforms.
The failure of the Propaganda gave birth to a secret association, the
Kataas-taasang Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan
(KKK).
❑Founded in 1892 by Andres Bonifacio and a group of patriots, the
Katipunan sought independence from Spain and set the 1896 Revolution
in motion.
❑The Katipunan was governed by the Kataastaasang Sanggunian
(Supreme Council), which was composed of the president, secretary,
treasurer, and fiscal.
❑The Sangguniang Balangay (Provincial Council) and the Sangguniang
Bayan (Popular Council) was also organized in each province.
❑A Sangguniang Hukuman (Judicial Council) was also created to
adjudicate cases involving members of the organization.
❑Events, however, led to the division of the Katipunan into two factions:
the Magdalo and Magdiwang.
❑The Spaniards were about to make an offensive in Cavite and a unified
leadership was deemed necessary.
❑On March 22, 1897, the Tejeros Convention was called, where Gen.
Emilio Aguinaldo was elected as President.
❑On November 1, 1897, Aguinaldo established the Biak-na-Bato
Republic. Its constitution declared the creation of an independent
Philippine state. However, the republic lasted for only a month. It
provided for the amnesty and monetary indemnity of Aguinaldo and
other revolutionaries, including the exile of the revolutionary
government to Hong Kong.
❑By April 1898, the Spanish-
American war broke out.
Aguinaldo sailed for Cavite
from Hong Kong and by 24th
of May, he established a
dictatorial government.
❑It was under this dictatorial
government that the
Philippine independence from
Spain was declared on 12th of
June in Kawit, Cavite.
❑Soon after, the dictatorial government was replaced by a revolutionary
government.
❑On 15 September 1898, the Malolos Congress convened, which produced
the Malolos Constitution.
❑On 23 January 1899, the First Philippine Republic was established with
Emilio Aguinaldo as its president.
❑However, the outbreak of the Filipino-American War suspended the activities
of these institutions.
❑In 1901, Emilio Aguinaldo was captured by American forces, leading the
dissolution of the First Philippine Republic.