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Section 12.
All Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives shall,
upon assumption of office, make a full disclosure of their financial
and business interests. They shall notify the House concerned of a
potential conflict of interest that may arise from the filing of a
proposed legislation of which they are authors.
Section 13. No Senator or Member
of the House of Representatives may hold any other office or
employment in the Government, or any subdivision, agency, or
instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled
corporations or their subsidiaries, during his term without
forfeiting his seat. Neither shall he be appointed to any office
which may have been created or the emoluments thereof increased
during the term for which he was elected.
Section 14. No Senator or Member
of the House of Representatives may personally appear as counsel
before any court of justice or before the Electoral Tribunals, or
quasi-judicial and other administrative bodies. Neither shall he,
directly or indirectly, be interested financially in any contract
with, or in any franchise or special privilege granted by the
Government, or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof,
including any government-owned or controlled corporation, or its
subsidiary, during his term of office. He shall not intervene in any
matter before any office of the Government for his pecuniary benefit
or where he may be called upon to act on account of his office.
Section 15. The Congress shall
convene once every year on the fourth Monday of July for its regular
session, unless a different date is fixed by law, and shall continue
to be in session for such number of days as it may determine until
thirty days before the opening of its next regular session,
exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. The President
may call a special session at any time.
Section 16. (1). The Senate
shall elect its President and the House of Representatives, its
Speaker, by a majority vote of all its respective Members. Each
House shall choose such other officers as it may deem necessary.
(2) A majority of each House
shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may
adjourn from day to day and may compel the attendance of absent
Members in such manner, and under such penalties, as such House may
provide.
(3) Each House may determine the
rules of its proceedings, punish its Members for disorderly
behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its
Members, suspend or expel a Member. A penalty of suspension, when
imposed, shall not exceed sixty days.
(4) Each House shall keep a
Journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same,
excepting such parts as may, in its judgment, affect national
security; and the yeas and nays on any question shall, at the
request of one-fifth of the Members present, be entered in the
Journal. Each House shall also keep a Record of its proceedings.
(5) Neither House during the
sessions of the Congress shall, without the consent of the other,
adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that
in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
Section 17. The Senate and the
House of Representatives shall each have an Electoral Tribunal which
shall be the sole judge of all contests relating to the election,
returns, and qualifications of their respective Members. Each
Electoral Tribunal shall be composed of nine Members, three of whom
shall be Justices of the Supreme Court to be designated by the Chief
Justice, and the remaining six shall be Members of the Senate or the
House of Representatives, as the case may be, who shall be chosen on
the basis of proportional representation from the political parties
and the parties or organizations registered under the party-list
system represented therein. The senior Justice in the Electoral
Tribunal shall be its Chairman.
Section 18. There shall be a
Commission on Appointments consisting of the President of the
Senate, as ex officio Chairman, twelve Senators, and twelve Members
of the House of Representatives, elected by each House on the basis
of proportional representation from the political parties and
parties or organizations registered under the party-list system
represented therein. The chairman of the Commission shall not vote,
except in case of a tie. The Commission shall act on all
appointments submitted to it within thirty session days of the
Congress from their submission. The Commission shall rule by a
majority vote of all the Members.
Section 19. The Electoral
Tribunals and the Commission on Appointments shall be constituted
within thirty days after the Senate and the House of Representatives
shall have been organized with the election of the President and the
Speaker. The Commission on Appointments shall meet only while the
Congress is in session, at the call of its Chairman or a majority of
all its Members, to discharge such powers and functions as are
herein conferred upon it.
Section 20. The records and
books of accounts of the Congress shall be preserved and be open to
the public in accordance with law, and such books shall be audited
by the Commission on Audit which shall publish annually an itemized
list of amounts paid to and expenses incurred for each Member.
Section 21. The Senate or the
House of Representatives or any of its respective committees may
conduct inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance with its duly
published rules of procedure. The rights of persons appearing in, or
affected by, such inquiries shall be respected.
Section 22. The heads of
departments may, upon their own initiative, with the consent of the
President, or upon the request of either House, as the rules of each
House shall provide, appear before and be heard by such House on any
matter pertaining to their departments. Written questions shall be
submitted to the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House
of Representatives at least three days before their scheduled
appearance. Interpellations shall not be limited to written
questions, but may cover matters related thereto. When the security
of the State or the public interest so requires and the President so
states in writing, the appearance shall be conducted in executive
session.
Section 23. (1) The Congress, by
a vote of two-thirds of both Houses in joint session assembled,
voting separately, shall have the sole power to declare the
existence of a state of war.
(2) In times of war or other
national emergency, the Congress may, by law, authorize the
President, for a limited period and subject to such restrictions as
it may prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry
out a declared national policy. Unless sooner withdrawn by
resolution of the Congress, such powers shall cease upon the next
adjournment thereof.
Section 24. All appropriation,
revenue or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public
debt, bills of local application, and private bills, shall originate
exclusively in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may
propose or concur with amendments.
Section 25. (1) The Congress may
not increase the appropriations recommended by the President for the
operation of the Government as specified in the budget. The form,
content, and manner of preparation of the budget shall be prescribed
by law.
(2) No provision or enactment
shall be embraced in the general appropriations bill unless it
relates specifically to some particular appropriation therein. Any
such provision or enactment shall be limited in its operation to the
appropriation to which it relates.
(3) The procedure in approving
appropriations for the Congress shall strictly follow the procedure
for approving appropriations for other departments and agencies.
(4) A special appropriations
bill shall specify the purpose for which it is intended, and shall
be supported by funds actually available as certified by the
National Treasurer, or to be raised by a corresponding revenue
proposal therein.
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