Forming a government:
parliamentary vs. presidential system
The debate on the parliamentary versus the presidential
system of governance in the Philippines has escalated in
view of the result of the consultations and studies
conducted by the Consultative Commission created to propose
amendments and revisions to the 1987 Constitution. Their work
principally involves examining the proposals to shift from the
presidential-unitary system to a parliamentary-federal system
of government. Proponents of a parliamentary form of
government regard it as the more viable solution to solving
systemic and structural problems in Philippine governance but
critics of the parliamentary system—those who advocate for the
status quo or the presidential system—have accused the major
proponents of the shift as its main beneficiaries, thereby casting
doubt on the viability of the parliamentary system.
To change or not to change?
For a nation that has adopted a presidential system for a long
time, the parliamentary system is a foreign concept to most
Filipinos despite the fact that many of its Asian neighbors have
this form of government. With the political crisis grappling the
country, Mang Pandoy or the ordinary Filipino is now not just
confronted with rising commodity prices and diminishing income
opportunities but also has to endure lengthy debates on the kind
of political system the country has to adopt, and be on the look
out as to whether or not a political change will occur. This Issue
thus aims to provide some basic explanation of the nature of the
political systems in question, specifically distinguishing the two
forms in terms of leadership, separation of powers, and procedure
of removal from office. Hopefully, this will help more Filipinos
understand the issues better and participate more intelligently
in the debates.
Option 1. The Parliamentary System
The parliamentary system typically has clear differentiation
between the head of government and the head of state, with
the former being the Prime Minister and the latter, the President.
The Prime Minister is the chief executive and, together with
the Cabinet, exercises executive power or the authority to form
and implement policies and programs. He/she is also usually
the leader of the political party that wins the majority of votes in
the legislature or parliament, either assuming the post
automatically or gets elected by the legislature. The members of
the Cabinet are chosen by the Prime Minister from the members
of parliament and can come from the same party or from a
coalition of parties.
The head of state, meanwhile, is the President, often elected
by a designated electoral college as a figurehead with ceremonial
powers. In some cases, however, the President could take on a
more significant role during a constitutional or political crisis.
In the parliamentary system, there is fusion of powers
between the executive and the legislative branches. This union
serves to facilitate the exercise and coordination of governmental
powers and functions to formulate desired policies and implement
programs of government. The success of this fusion depends
largely, though, on the reform of the country’s political party
and electoral systems.
For some parliamentary governments, legislatures can only
amend legislation on narrow terms. There are a few permanent
or standing committees in the parliament that assist in the
drafting and review of legislation. Given its close association
with the legislative branch, the executive can be made more
accountable for its performance since they are answerable to
the members of parliament.
There are two ways by which the Prime Minister and the
rest of the Cabinet can be asked to step down. The first is through
a vote of no-confidence by the legislature often initiated by an
opposition party or coalition of opposition parties. This may or
may not result in extraordinary elections. The other route is by
virtue of a party vote, which does not force a new round of
legislative elections. The Prime Minister, as long as he/she enjoys
the confidence of the majority of the House, can dissolve the
Parliament and call for early elections.
Philippine Institute
for Development Studies
S u r i a n s a m g a Pag-aaral
Pangkaunlara n n g P i l i p i n a s
The Economic Issue of the Day is one of a series of PIDS efforts to help in enlightening the public and other interested parties on the concepts
behind certain economic issues. This dissemination outlet aims to define and explain, in simple and easy-to-understand terms, basic concepts as they
relate to current and everyday economics-related matters.
This Issue was written by Mari-Len R. Macasaquit, Supervising Research Specialist at the Institute. She gratefully acknowledges the valuable
comments of Prof. Satyajit Singh, currently a PIDS Visiting Fellow from the University of Delhi.
The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of PIDS. â‹
Philippine Institute for Development Studies
NEDA sa Makati Building, 106 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City ô€º Telephone Nos: (632) 8924059 and (632) 8935705 ô€º Fax Nos: (632)
8939589 and (632) 8161091
URL:
http://www.pids.gov.phOption 2. The Presidential System
The Philippines is one of the countries with a presidential form
of government together with South Korea, Indonesia, Nigeria,
most South American nations and the US, which is the pioneer.
Under this political system, the President is both head of state
and head of government. The incumbent for the position is elected
nationwide on timing that has been predetermined in the
Constitution. Thus, in the presidential system, the President is
said to enjoy a direct mandate from the people. There is a fixed
term of office for the President, which may be reelected depending
on the country adopting the system.
The executive branch, which the President heads, is distinct
from the legislative and judicial branches of government, which
are all independent of one other. This separation of powers serves
to check and to balance certain actuations of either branch of
government. While the members of the legislature are elected,
the members of the Cabinet are appointed by the President and
may require the confirmation or consent of the legislative branch.
The formulation, amendment and review of legislation are the
sole purview of the legislature. However, on many occasions,
the executive could endorse a legislative agenda for consideration
and veto a bill that was passed in the legislature. The latter,
nonetheless, could overturn it via a two-thirds vote.
When it comes to the difficult process of removing a
President, often the only legal way is through an impeachment
process that is undertaken in the legislative branch.
Reassessing the option—what now, Mang Pandoy?
In theory, the parliamentary and presidential forms of government
are on opposite sides of a pole. In practice, however, countries
customize their chosen system according to their needs, culture
and beliefs resulting in the so-called hybrid model. France, for
instance, is a country with a hybrid model cited as a semipresidential
system since its President is said to enjoy broader
powers than the Prime Minister.
In the present state of Philippine affairs, changing its Charter
and choosing the most appropriate form of government are of
critical undertakings in the political scenario. It becomes even
more crucial when one has to bear in mind that institutional
development and good governance are the foundations of a viable
democratic political system (whatever it may be) and sustainable
economic development. The debate is expected to persist as more
issues surface and the arguments become clearer.
An important consideration in all these is the question on
whether changing the system of governance would in itself solve
the economic and political crises. In a nation lacking in social
cohesion and suffering from public confidence, political or
economic change may simply douse the current fire but ignite a
different flame. Ultimately, the transformation from within each
Filipino translating into a more unified stance and action may
be the more essential change that should take place to lead the
country toward development and prosperity. â‹
References
Abueva, Jose V. 2002. Towards a Federal Republic of the Philippines
with a Parliamentary Government by 2010. Paper delivered at
the Forum of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility,
June 11, Filipinas Heritage Library.
Executive Order No. 453. 2005. Creating a Consultative Commission
to propose the revision of the 1987 Constitution in consultation
with various sectors of society.
United Nations Development Programme. 2005.
Governing systems and executive-legislative
relations (presidential, parliamentary and hybrid
systems) [online]. Available from http://
mirror.undp.org/magnet/docs/parliaments/
governing%20system.htm.
Wikipedia. [cited December 2005.] [Online.] Available
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