those who voted for the Speaker are the majority and shall elect RULE I: CONVENING AND ORGANIZING THE HOUSE among themselves the majority leader which may be changed at Sec. 1: First Meeting and Organization of the House any time; same as minority 4th Monday of July immediately following their election at the members who choose not to align themselves with the majority place designated for their sessions or minority shall be considered independent shall be presided over by the Secretary General from preceding THE SPEAKER Congress until a new Speaker us elected responsible for the overall management of the proceedings, after election of floor leader, election of the Speaker thru majority activities, resources, facilities, and employees of the house vote of all Members 4th most powerful official of the PH Government; 3rd in line for adoption of house rules of the preceding congress presidency election of 6 deputy speakers, sec. gen., sgt. At arms, elected by representative of the house in all international and parliamentary majority gatherings and organizations Sec. 2: Convening the House THE DEPUTY SPEAKERS house shall convene once a year on 4th Monday of July for regular 2nd highest ranking officials in HOR; one of them may preside over session unless different day is fixed by law; regular session shall HOR in absence of the Speaker end not later than 30 days before next regular session; president duties performed may be assigned by the Speaker may call a special session THE SECRETARY GENERAL Sec. 3: Convening of the House in Exceptional Cases* enforces orders and decisions of the house Pursuant to Section 10, Article VII of the Constitution, the House keeps the journal of each session shall, at ten o'clock in the morning of the third day after the presides over the chamber at the 1st legislative session after an vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President occurs, election convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and shall submit every end of a fiscal year to the house thru the within seven days enact a law calling for a special election to elect speaker a report on the performance of the house and their a President and a Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty- expenditures five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call SGT.-AT-ARMS RULE II: MEMBERSHIP responsible for the maintenance of order in the house Sec. 4: Composition shall every end of a fiscal year submit to the house thru the Commences upon proclamation of winning candidate speaker a report of programs and activities relating to the security If a member’s proclamation is questioned, he shall remain a and maintenance of order in the house Member until the final and executory judgment over the question. HRET and Commission on Appointments Sec. 5: Term HRET: 6 members, Commission: 12 members 3 years; begins at noon of June 30 following their election Members are chosen on the basis of proportional representation a member cannot serve for more than 3 consecutive terms of political parties and shall be constituted within 30 days after in case of vacancy, an elected or designated member may fill it the Speaker’s election but shall serve only for the duration of the unexpired term Can adopt their own rules and regulations COMMITTEES Congressional Record - a substantially verbatim account of Shall study, deliberate on, and act upon all measures referred to remarks made during the proceedings of the House, subject only them (bills, resolutions, petitions) and shall recommend for to technical, grammatical, and typographical corrections approval or adoption of the house of those which advance the authorized by the Member involved. interests and promote the welfare of the people All papers and records are to be kept and preserved in the DECORUM AND DEBATE archives When any member desires to speak or deliver any matter to the All pending matters and proceedings expire upon expiration of the house, they shall rise and address the Chair as “Mister/Madam term of a congress and all of its records will be delivered to the Speaker” archives within 15 days When 2 members rise at the same time, the Chair shall recognize Committee secretaries within 7 days after the enactment of bills who shall speak first or joint resolutions and 15 days after final adjournment of 1 hr time limit for each member congress shall deliver them to the archives PRIVILEGE HOUR The records and books of accounts of the House including plenary on Mondays after first reading and referral to bills, resolutions, records shall be preserved and be open to the public in etc. there shall be a privilege hour which shall not be interrupted accordance with law. Books of accounts of the House shall be by any question/motion except a point of order or a motion to available for audit by the Commission on Audit. adjourn once it expires, it may be continued upon unanimous consent of RULES OF THE SENATE the house any member may speak on any matter of general interest. If more ELECTIVE OFFICERS than 1 member wants to speak, the first to register shall be given The Senate shall elect a President, a President Pro Tempore, a precedence. If the hour is not done, the next registered member Secretary, and a Sergeant-at-Arms may speak. They shall be elected by the majority vote of all the members QUESTION HOUR SENATE PRESIDENT when a department head desires to appear before the house, Highest ranking official of the Senate, 3rd most powerful in they may do so with the consent of the President of the PH thru Government the Speaker and with the concurrence of the house Elected by the members of the Senate a dept. head may also be requested to appear before the house Second in line of succession to be President of PH appearance shall be scheduled on any Wednesday or on any other Presides over the sessions of the Senate, calls it to order day determined by the speaker or a majority of the members Also the ex officio chairman of the Commission on Appointments; PROPOSALS TO AMEND THE CONSTI becomes the presiding officer if President or Ombudsman is on an upon cote of ¾ of the members, may propose to amend or revise impeachment trial may be filed any time by any member PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE 2/3 votes may call consti convention or submit to the electorate During absence of the Senate President, he presides over the the question of calling such a convention Senate PAPERS, BOOKS, AND RECORDS SECRETARY Except during the election of officers, a majority of the Senators shall constitute a quorum. SERGEANT-AT-ARMS CALENDARS Keeps under his custody the Mace of the Senate (symbol of Calendar for Ordinary Business – includes the bills reported out authority) by the committees in the order in which they were received by Responsible for the security and maintenance of order in the the Office of the Sec., in which they were received by the Office of Senate the Secretary, the bills whose consideration has been agreed ACTING SECRETARY AND ACTING SERGEANT-AT-ARMS upon by the Senate without setting the dates on which to effect Shall take their respective places. it; and, also the bills whose consideration has been postponed TERM OF OFFICE of OFFICERS indefinitely Begins upon their election and end when their successors have Calendar for Special Orders – in which the bills and resolutions been elected shall be arranged successively and chronologically, according to THE COMMITTEES the order in which they were assigned for consideration After the organization of the Senate, the following permanent Calendar for Third Reading - in which shall be included all bills committees shall be formed: and joint resolutions approved on second reading. o 40 MESSAGES – messages from the President of the PH and from the whenever possible, special committees may be organized and its HOR may be read anytime, except during voting/reading of the membership and jurisdiction shall be determined by the Senate Journal/ when a point of order or a motion to adjourn is pending President resolution The membership of the permanent committees, including their ORDER OF BUSINESS respective Chairmen, shall be chosen by the Senate. JOURNAL Contains a succinct and accurate account of what has taken place in every session. SENATE SESSIONS The reading of the Journal shall not be interrupted or suspended Sessions shall meet at 3:00pm on weekdays except when decided except by unanimous consent of the Senate, and it cannot be otherwise. amended once it has been read and approved The Senate shall convene once every year for its regular session. If a Senator finds any error in the Journal after its reading, he shall The session shall continue for the number of days determined by verbally call the attention of the Senate and move for its the legislative calendar and is limited by the Constitution. correction not later than 3 session days after the reading of the On the first day of each week, the Senate shall observe a one- Journal minute prayer to be led by a Member, followed by the singing of RECORD OF THE SENATE the National Anthem Reflects in detail everything said, done, and read in the sessions of QUORUM the Senate. The minimum number of members of an assembly or society that The speeches of the Senators shall be revised in style and form must be present at any of its meetings to make the proceedings of prior to their publication. that meeting valid. MANNER OF HAVING THE FLOOR Whenever a Senator wishes to speak, he shall rise and request the President or the Presiding Officer to allow him to have the floor. If various Senators wish to have the floor, the President or Presiding Officer shall recognize the one who first made the request. No Senator shall interrupt another without the latter’s consent, which may not be obtained except through the President or Presiding Officer. DURATION OF DEBATES A sponsor of the bill may consume as much time as he deems necessary to express its contents. Subsequent speakers against or for the bill may consume 2 hours for debates. On amendments, 30 mins per speaker AMENDMENTS In order for amendments to bills and resolutions to be considered, they should be presented concretely and specifically in the course of the debate (indicate page and line of proposed amendment) Not more than 1 amendment to the original amendment Done in writing PRESENTING MOTIONS May be presented orally but a majority of the senators present may require that they be done in writing and read by the secretary EXECUTIVE SESSIONS Always held behind closed doors Only sec, sgt at arms, and other authorized persons are allowed in the session hall Shall be held whenever a senator requests it and his petition has been seconded, or when the security of the state/public interest requires Minutes are recorded in separate book (not journal) DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SENATE Kept and preserved in the Archives of the Senate