Philippine Senate
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Senate of the Philippines Senado ng Pilipinas |
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| 17th Congress of the Philippines | |
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Flag of the Philippine Senate
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| Type | |
| Type | |
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Term limits
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2 consecutive terms (12 years) |
| History | |
| Founded | October 16, 1916 |
| Preceded by | Second Philippine Commission |
| Leadership | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 24 senators |
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Political groups
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| Committees | 40 standing committees |
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Length of term
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6 years |
| Authority | Article VI, Constitution of the Philippines |
| Elections | |
| Plurality-at-large voting | |
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Last election
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May 9, 2016 |
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Next election
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May 13, 2019 |
| Meeting place | |
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| GSIS Building, Financial Center, Macapagal Boulevard, Pasay | |
| Website | |
| Senate of the Philippines | |
The Senate of the Philippines (Filipino: Senado ng Pilipinas, also Mataas na Kapulungan ng Pilipinas or "upper chamber") is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, the Congress; the House of Representatives is the lower house. The Senate is composed of 24 senators who are elected at-large with the country as one district under plurality-at-large voting.
Senators serve 6-year tenure per terms with a maximum of 2 consecutive terms, with half of the senators elected every three years to ensure that the Senate is maintained as a continuous body, though staggered. When the Senate was restored by the 1987 Constitution, the 24 senators who were elected in 1987 served until 1992. In 1992 the candidates for the Senate obtaining the 12 highest number of votes served until 1998, while the next 12 served until 1995. Thereafter, each senator elected serves the full 6 years.
Aside from having its concurrence on every bill in order to be passed for the president's signature to become a law, the Senate is the only body that can concur with treaties, and can try impeachment cases. The Senate Presidency is currently held by Aquilino Pimentel III.
The Senate has its roots in the Philippine Commission of the Insular Government. Under the Philippine Organic Act, from 1907 to 1916, the Philippine Commission headed by the Governor-General of the Philippines served as the upper chamber of the Philippine Legislature, with the Philippine Assembly as the elected lower house. At the same time the governor-general also exercised executive powers.
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