The Commissions in the Philippines

The Constitutional Commissions refer to the constitutional bodies or agencies created or maintained by the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines.

The Constitution of the Philippines provides for the creation of the three Constitutional Commissions: the Civil Service Commission; the Commission on Elections; and the Commission on Audit. The Civil Service Commission (CSC) used to be a statutory body under the 1935 Constitution until it became a Constitutional Commission under the 1973 Constitution. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) was established by virtue of Resolution No.3 amending the 1935 Constitution on April 11, 1940. The Commission on Audit, formerly known as the General Auditing Office under the 1935 Constitution, was established under the 1973 Constitution. The Civil Service Commission of the Philippines (CSC) is a government agency which deals with civil service matters and conflict resolution. It is tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the integrity of government actions and processes. The commission was originally founded in 1900 and was solidified as a bureau in 1905. Along with the the Commission on Elections and Commission on Audit the CSC is part of the Constitutional Commissions of the Philippine Government.

There are currently 15 regional offices located throughout the country. The Commission on Audit, formerly known as the General Auditing Office under the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines, was established by the 1973 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines as a Constitutional Commission. The Commission on Elections, or COMELEC, is an independent Constitutional Commission mandated to give life and meaning to the basic principle that “sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.” It was established as a constitutional body by virtue of Resolution No.73, or the 1940 amendment to the 1935 Constitution and since then, its membership was enlarged and its powers expanded by the 1973 and 1987 Constitutions.

The Commission exercises not only administrative and quasi-judicial powers, but judicial power as well. The Ombudsman of the Philippines (Filipino: Tanodbayan ng Pilipinas) is an ombudsman responsible for investigating and prosecuting Philippinegovernment officials accused of crimes. The Offices of the Ombudsman independently monitors all three branches of the government. The Ombudsman is also responsible for receiving complaints from citizens and organizations from the country. The Ombudsman usually prosecutes officials accused of graft and corruption. The Offices of the Ombudsman includes the Ombudsman’s own office, along with offices for a team composed of a sheriff, the Ombudsman’s second in command, and 6 other deputies who lead their respective divisions and/or bureaus.