PROCESS OF LEGISLATION (2) the yeas and nays on any question, at the request

1. Filing/Calendaring for First Reading of one-fifth of the members present (Id., §16(4));
A bill is introduced by any member of the House of (3) the yeas and nays upon repassing a bill over the
Representatives or the Senate except for some measures President's veto (Id., §27(1); and
that must originate only in the former chamber. It is filed in (4) the President's objection to a bill which he has
the Office of the Secretary where it is given a corresponding vetoed. 
number and calendared for First Reading. 
- ART VI, Sec 24. All appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, 7. Voting on Third Reading
bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of local This time, only the title of the bill is read on the floor. Nominal
application, and private bills shall originate exclusively in voting is held. If passed, the approved bill is referred to the
the House of Representatives, but the Senate may other chamber where it will also undergo the three readings.
propose or concur with amendments. - Article VI Sec 26 (2): upon the last reading of a bill, no
- Art VI Sec 26 (1): every bill passed by Congress shall amendment thereto shall be allowed, and the vote
embrace only one subject which must be expressed in thereon shall be taken immediately thereafter, and the
the title thereof. yeas and nays entered in the Journal
- Three readings: no bill passed by either House shall
become a law unless it has passed three readings on 8. Bicameral Conference Committee
separate days and printed copies thereof in its final form If there are differences between the versions approved by
have been distributed three days before its passage the two chambers, a conference committee representing
except when the President certifies to the necessity of both Houses will draft a compromise measure that if ratified
its immediate enactment to meet a public emergency or by the Senate and the House of Representatives will then be
calamity. submitted to the President for his consideration.
- To reconcile or harmonize disagreeing provisions, the
2. First Reading Bicameral Conference Committee may then (a) adopt
Its title, bill number, and author’s name are read on the floor, the specific provisions of either the House bill or Senate
after which it is referred to the proper committee by the bill, (b) decide that neither provisions in the House bill or
Senate President or the Speaker for study. the provisions in the Senate bill would be carried into the
final form of the bill, and/or (c) try to arrive at a
3. Committee Hearings/Report compromise between the disagreeing provisions.
Committee conducts hearings and consultation meetings. - The only limitation is that all the changes or
The bill may be "killed" in the committee or it may be modifications made by the Bicameral Conference
recommended for approval, with or without amendments, Committee were germane to subjects of the provisions
approves it with changes, or recommends substitution or referred to it for reconciliation.
consolidation with similar bills filed.  - Note further that: BCC version of a bill need not undergo
3 readings. Otherwise, there would be no end to
4. Calendaring for Second Reading negotiation. The no amendment rule in Sec 26, Art VI
The Committee Report with its approved bill version is refers only to bills introduced for the first time in either
submitted to the Committee on Rules for calendaring for House of Congress.
Second Reading. 
9. Enrolled Bill
5. Second Reading The bill is enrolled when printed as finally approved by the
Bill author delivers sponsorship speech on the floor. It is at Congress, thereafter authenticated with the signatures of the
this stage that the bill is read in its entirety, scrutinized, Senate President, the Speaker, and the Secretaries of their
debated upon and amended when desired. A period of respective chambers.
amendments incorporates necessary changes in the bill - Enrolled Bill Doctrine - the signing of a bill by the
proposed by the committee or introduced by the members Speaker of the House and the Senate President and the
themselves on the floor.  certification of the secretaries of both Houses of
Congress that such bill was passed are conclusive of its
6. Voting on Second Reading due enactment. (Arroyo v. De Venecia)
Members vote on the second reading version of the bill. If - The respect due to a co-equal department requires the
approved, the bill is calendared for third reading. The bill as courts to accept the certification of the presiding officer
approved on second reading is printed in its final form and as conclusive assurance that the bill so certified is
copies thereof are distributed at least three days before the authentic. (Casco v. Gimenez)
third reading. - What gives special probative weight to an enrolled bill is
- General rule: votes may be obtained viva voce (“by word the certification it receives from the officers of the
of mouth”; oral voting) legislature. Thus, if the officers withdraw their
- Exception: roll call voting is required in the following certification, then the presumption is no longer
instances: conclusive and the version found in the journal prevails.
1. upon the last and third readings of a bill (Art VI, Sec - While it is true that that the certification made by the
26(2) officers is merely a mode of authentication and is not
2. at the request of 1/5 of the Members present (Art required in the process of enacting a law, it does not
VI, Sec 16(2) automatically mean that the law is valid. The inquiry
3. in re-passing a bill over the veto of the President must go further. And absent such attestation as a result
- Roll call voting –a vote in which each members votes of the disclaimer, the journals should be consulted to
“yea” or “nay” as his or her name is called by the clerk determine whether or not the bill has been duly enacted.
so that their names and votes may be recorded. (Astorga v. Villegas)
- The Journal is regarded as conclusive with respect to
matters that are required by the Constitution to be 10. Submission to Malacañang
recorded therein. With respect to other matters, in the Final enrolled form is submitted to Malacañang. The
absence of evidence to the contrary, the Journals have President either signs it into law, or vetoes and returns the
also been accorded conclusive effect. same to the house where it originated from with his veto
- The following are required to be entered on the Journal: message within thirty days after the date of receipt thereof;
(1) The yeas and nays on the third and final reading of otherwise, it shall become a law as if he had signed it.
a bill (Art. VI, §26(2));
If vetoed by the President, the House from which it originated
shall reconsider the bill together with the President’s
objections. If after such reconsideration, two-thirds of all the
Members of such House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall
be sent, together with the objections, to the other House by
which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by
two-thirds of all the Members of that House, it shall become
a law.

11. Publication
Laws shall take effect after 15 days following the completion
of their publication either in the Official Gazette or in a
newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines, unless it
is otherwise provided.

Limitations on Appropriation:
1) Art VI, Sec 24 – ARTILP bills must originate exclusively
from Congress
2) Art VI, Sec 25: IRASADR
a) Congress cannot increase budget recommended by
President
b) Prohibition against riders and inappropriate
provisions
c) Approval for budget of Congress must strictly follow
procedure for approval of other depts and agencies
d) Special appropriations bill
e) Augmentation – there must be a law; named
officers; within their office; from savings
f) Discretionary funds for public officers
g) Reenacment of previous GAA
3) Art VI, Sec 29 (2) prohibits expenditure of public money
or property for religious purposes
4) Art VII, Sec 22: the general appropriations law must be
based on a budget prepared by the President
5) Pascual vs Sec of Public Words: public money can be
appropriated only for a public purpose

Limitations on Taxation
1) Must be uniform and equitable
2) Must evolve a progressive system of taxation
3) If exemption granted, must be made with the
concurrence of majority of all members of Congress