Under the Constitution of the Philippines, the president of the Philippines (Filipino; Pilipino: Pangulo ng Pilipinas) is both the head of state and government, and serves as the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces.[1] The president is directly elected by qualified voters to a six-year term and must be "a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at least forty years of age on the day of the election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election". No elected president can seek re-election. Upon resignation, or removal from the office, the vice president assumes the post. A president's successor who hasn't served for more than four years can still seek a full term for the presidency.[2]
Emilio Aguinaldo became the inaugural president of the Philippines under the Malolos Republic, considered the First Philippine Republic. He held that office until 1901 when he was captured by United States forces during the Philippine–American War (1899–1902).[1] The American colonization of the Philippines abolished the First Republic, which led to an American governor-general exercising executive power.
In 1935, the United States, pursuant to its promise of full Philippine sovereignty,[3] established the Commonwealth of the Philippines following the ratification of the 1935 Constitution, which also restored the presidency. The first national presidential election was held, and Manuel L. Quezon (1935–44) was elected to a six-year term, with no provision for re-election, as the second Philippine president and the first Commonwealth president. In 1940, however, the Constitution was amended to allow re-election but shortened the term to four years.[1] A change in government occurred three years later when the Second Philippine Republic was organized with the enactment of the 1943 Constitution, which Japan imposed after it occupied the Philippines in 1942 during World WarII.[4] José P. Laurel acted as puppet president of the new Japanese-sponsored government;[5] his de facto presidency,[6] not legally recognized until the 1960s, overlapped with that of the president of the Commonwealth, which went into exile. The Second Republic was dissolved after Japan surrendered to the Allies in 1945; the Commonwealth was restored in the Philippines in the same year with Sergio Osmeña (1944–46) as president.[1]
Manuel Roxas (1946–1948) followed Osmeña when he won the first post-war election in 1946. He became the first president of the independent Philippines when the Commonwealth ended on July4 of that year. The Third Republic was ushered in and would cover the administrations of the next five presidents, the last of which was Ferdinand Marcos (1965–86),[1] who performed a self-coup by imposing martial law in 1972.[7] The dictatorship of Marcos saw the birth of the New Society (Filipino; Pilipino: Bagong Lipunan) and the Fourth Republic. His tenure lasted until 1986 when he was deposed in the People Power Revolution. The current constitution came into effect in 1987, marking the beginning of the Fifth Republic.[1]
Of the individuals elected as president, three died in office: two of natural causes (Manuel L. Quezon[8] and Manuel Roxas[9]) and one in a plane crash (Ramon Magsaysay, 1953–57[10]). The longest-serving president is Ferdinand Marcos with in office; he is the only president to have served more than two terms. The shortest is Sergio Osmeña, who spent in office.
Two women have held the office: Corazon Aquino (1986–92), who ascended to the presidency upon the successful People Power Revolution of 1986, and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (2001–10), who, as vice president, ascended to the presidency upon Estrada's resignation and was elected to a full six-year term in 2004.
See also: List of presidents of the Philippines by time in office.
Andrés Bonifacio is considered by some historians to be the first president of the Philippines. He was the third Supreme President (Spanish: Presidente Supremo; Tagalog: Kataastaasang Pangulo) of the Katipunan secret society. Its Supreme Council, led by the Supreme President, coordinated provincial and district councils. When the Katipunan went into open revolt in August 1896 (the Cry of Balintawak), Bonifacio transformed it into a revolutionary government with him as president. While the term Katipunan remained, Bonifacio's government was also known as the Tagalog Republic (Tagalog: Republika ng Katagalugan; Spanish: Republica Tagala). (Although the word Tagalog refers to a specific ethnicity, Bonifacio used it to denote all indigenous people in the Philippines in place of Filipino which had colonial origins.)[11] [12] [13] [14] [15]
Some historians contend that including Bonifacio as a past president would imply that Macario Sakay and Miguel Malvar y Carpio should also be included.[16] Miguel Malvar y Carpio continued Emilio Aguinaldo's leadership of the First Philippine Republic after the latter's capture until his own capture in 1902. Macario Sakay revived the Tagalog Republic in 1902 as a continuation of Bonifacio's Katipunan. They are both considered by some scholars as "unofficial presidents". Along with Bonifacio, Malvar and Sakay are not recognized as presidents by the Philippine government.[17]
Emilio Aguinaldo is officially recognized as the first president of the Philippines, but this is based on his term of office during the Malolos Republic, later known as the First Philippine Republic. Prior to this Aguinaldo had held the presidency of several revolutionary governments which are not counted in the succession of Philippine republics.
Manuel L. Quezon delegated his presidential duties to José Abad Santos, the then Chief Justice, when the former fled the Philippines amidst Japanese occupation of the islands to establish a government-in-exile. He is believed to have in effect become the acting president of the Philippine Commonwealth though no legal document has been retrieved detailing the official transfer of the title of President to Abad Santos.[18]
| Portrait | Name | Party | Term | Vice President | Government | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | |||||||
| Andrés Bonifacio [19] [20] [21] | None | August 24, 1896 | March 22, 1897 May 10, 1897 | |||||
| Emilio Aguinaldo | None | March 22, 1897 | November 1, 1897 | Mariano Trias | Tejeros revolutionary government | |||
| November 2, 1897 | December 14, 1897 | |||||||
| May 24, 1898 | June 23, 1898 | Dictatorial Government | ||||||
| June 23, 1898[22] | January 23, 1899 | Revolutionary Government | ||||||
| Francisco Makabulos | None | April 17, 1898 | May 19, 1898 | |||||
| Miguel Malvar [23] | None | April 19, 1901 | April 16, 1902 | |||||
| Macario Sakay [24] [25] [26] | Katipunan | May 6, 1902 | July 14, 1906 | Francisco Carreón | ||||
| José Abad Santos | Independent | March 17, 1942 | May 2, 1942 | Commonwealth | ||||
| Jorge B. Vargas | KALIBAPI Association for Service to the New Philippines | January 23, 1942 | October 14, 1943 | Philippine Executive Commission | ||||
| Arturo Tolentino [27] [28] | Kilusang Bagong Lipunan New Society Movement | July 6, 1986 | July 8, 1986 | Fourth Republic | ||||
| President | Born | Age at | Age at | timespan | Lifespan | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Died | Age | |||||||
| 1 | Emilio Aguinaldo | March 22, 1869 | 29 years, 10 months, 1 day January 23, 1899 | 32 years, 22 days March 23, 1901 | 62 years, 10 months, 14 days | February 6, 1964 | 94 years | |
| 2 | Manuel Quezon | August 19, 1878 | 57 years, 2 months, 27 days February 15, 1935 | 65 years, 11 months, 13 days August 1, 1944 | Died in office | August 1, 1944 | 65 years | |
| 3 | Jose P. Laurel | March 9, 1891 | 52 years, 7 months, 5 days October 14, 1943 | 54 years, 5 months, 8 days August 17, 1945 | 14 years, 2 months, 20 days | November 6, 1959 | 68 years | |
| 4 | Sergio Osmeña | September 9, 1878 | 65 years, 10 months, 23 days August 1, 1944 | 67 years, 8 months, 19 days May 28, 1946 | 15 years, 4 months, 21 days | October 19, 1961 | 83 years | |
| 5 | Manuel Roxas | January 1, 1892 | 54 years, 4 months, 27 days May 28, 1946 | 56 years, 3 months, 14 days April 15, 1948 | Died in office | April 15, 1948 | 56 years | |
| 6 | Elpidio Quirino | November 16, 1890 | 57 years, 5 months, 1 day April 17, 1948 | 63 years, 1 month, 14 days December 30, 1953 | 2 years, 1 month, 30 days | February 29, 1956 | 65 years | |
| 7 | Ramon Magsaysay | August 31, 1907 | 46 years, 3 months, 29 days December 30, 1953 | 49 years old, 6 months, 14 days March 17, 1957 | Died in office | March 17, 1957 | 49 years | |
| 8 | Carlos P. Garcia | November 4, 1896 | 60 years, 5 months, 14 days March 18, 1957 | 65 years, 1 months, 26 days December 30, 1961 | 9 years, 5 months, 15 days | June 14, 1971 | 74 years | |
| 9 | Diosdado Macapagal | September 28, 1910 | 51 years, 3 months, 2 days December 30, 1961 | 55 years, 3 months, 2 days December 30, 1965 | 31 years, 3 months, 22 days | April 21, 1997 | 86 years | |
| 10 | Ferdinand E. Marcos | September 11, 1917 | 48 years, 3 months, 19 days December 30, 1965 | 68 years, 5 months, 14 days February 25 1986 | 3 years, 7 months, 3 days | September 28, 1989 | 72 years | |
| 11 | Corazon Aquino | January 25, 1933 | 53 years, 1 month February 25, 1986 | 59 years, 5 months, 5 days June 30, 1992 | 17 years, 1 months, 2 days | August 1, 2009 | 76 years | |
| 12 | Fidel V. Ramos | March 18, 1928 | 64 years old, 3 months, 12 days June 30, 1992 | 70 years old, 3 months, 12 days June 30, 1998 | 24 years, 1 month, 1 day | July 31, 2022 | 94 years | |
| 13 | Joseph Estrada | April 19, 1937 | 61 years, 2 months, 11 days June 30, 1998 | 63 years, 9 months, 1 day January 20, 2001 | (Living) | (Living) | ||
| 14 | Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | April 5, 1947 | 53 years, 9 months, 15 days January 20, 2001 | 63 years, 2 months, 25 days June 30, 2010 | (Living) | (Living) | ||
| 15 | Benigno Aquino III | February 8, 1960 | 50 years, 4 months, 22 days June 30, 2010 | 56 years, 4 months, 22 days June 30, 2016 | 4 years, 21 months, 25 days | June 24, 2021 | 61 years | |
| 16 | Rodrigo Duterte | March 28, 1945 | 71 years, 3 months, 2 days June 30, 2016 | 77 years, 3 months, 2 days June 30, 2022 | (Living) | (Living) | ||
| 17 | Bongbong Marcos | September 13, 1957 | 64 years, 9 months, 3 days June 30, 2022 | (Incumbent) | (Incumbent) | (Living) | ||
| Vice President | President served under | Year(s) served | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sergio Osmeña | Manuel L. Quezon | 1935–1944 | Osmeña succeeded Quezon, after the latter's death | |
| Elpidio Quirino | Manuel Roxas | 1946–1948 | Quirino succeeded Roxas, after the latter's death; Ran and won a full term in 1949. | |
| Carlos P. Garcia | Ramon Magsaysay | 1953–1957 | Garcia succeeded Magsaysay, after the latter's death; Ran and won a full term in 1957. | |
| Diosdado Macapagal | Carlos P. Garcia | 1957–1961 | Macapagal defeated Garcia in 1961. | |
| Joseph Estrada | Fidel V. Ramos | 1992–1998 | Estrada ran for a full term in 1998. | |
| Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | Joseph Estrada | 1998–2001 | Arroyo succeeded Estrada, after the latter's resignation; Ran and won a full term in 2004 |
The following cabinet secretaries are only served for fulltime. Vice Presidents served as cabinet secretary concurrently are not included.
| Secretary | Office | President served under | Year(s) served |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elpidio Quirino | Secretary of Finance | Manuel Quezon | 1934– 1936 |
| Secretary of Interior | 1935–1938 | ||
| Manuel Roxas | Secretary of Interior | 1941 | |
| Ramon Magsaysay | Secretary of National Defense | Elpidio Quirino | 1935–1944 |
| Fidel V. Ramos | Corazon Aquino | 1988–1991 |
| Senator | District | Year(s) served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel L. Quezon | 5th | 1916–1935 | First president to serve as Senate President (1916–1935) |
| Jose P. Laurel | 1925–1931 | Only former president to serve as senator (1951–1957);Only senator served as Majority Floor Leader (1925–1931) | |
| Sergio Osmeña | 10th | 1922–1935 | First president served as President pro tempore (1922–1934) |
| Manuel Roxas | At-large | 1945–1946 | Second president served as Senate President (1916–1935) |
| Elpidio Quirino | 1st | 1925–1935 | Second and last president served as President pro tempore (1945–1946) |
| At-large | 1945–1946 | ||
| Carlos P. Garcia | 1945–1953 | First President served as Minority Floor Leader (1946–1953) | |
| Ferdinand E. Marcos | 1959–1965 | Second President served as Minority Floor Leader (1960–1962)Third and last president served as Senate President (1963–1965) | |
| Joseph Estrada | 1987–1992 | ||
| Gloria Macapagal Arroyo | 1992–1998 | ||
| Benigno Aquino III | 2007–2010 | Did not finished term, won presidency | |
| Bongbong Marcos | 2010–2016 |
| Legislator | District | Lower House Name | Year(s) served | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel L. Quezon | Tayabas 1st | Philippine Assembly | 1907–1909 | First president to serve as Majority Floor Leader (1907–1909) |
| Sergio Osmeña | Cebu 2nd | Philippine Assembly | 1907–1916 | First President to serve as speaker (1907–1916) |
| House of Representatives | 1916–1922 | |||
| Manuel Roxas | Capiz 1st | House of Representatives | 1922–1935 | Second president to serve as Majority Floor Leader;Second president to serve as speaker (1922–1934) |
| National Assembly | 1935–1938 | |||
| Elpidio Quirino | Ilocos Sur 1st | House of Representatives | 1919–1925 | |
| Ramon Magsaysay | Zambales at-large | 1946–1950 | ||
| Carlos P. Garcia | Bohol 3rd | 1925–1931 | ||
| Diosdado Macapagal | Pampanga 1st | 1949–1957 | ||
| Ferdinand E. Marcos | Ilocos Norte 2nd | 1949–1959 | ||
| Benigno Aquino III | Tarlac 2nd | 1998–2007 | The only former Deputy Speaker (2004–2006) | |
| Rodrigo Duterte | Davao City 1st | 1998–2001 | ||
| Bongbong Marcos | Ilocos Norte 2nd | 1992–1995; 2007– 2010 |
| Governor | Province | Year(s) served | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel Quezon | Tayabas | 1906–1907 | ||
| Sergio Osmeña | Cebu | 1904–1907 | ||
| Manuel Roxas | Capiz | 1919–1922 | ||
| Carlos P. Garcia | Bohol | 1933–1941 | ||
| Bongbong Marcos | Ilocos Norte | 1983–1986; 1998–2007 | Only president formerly served as Vice Governor (1980–1983) |
| Mayor | City/Municipality | Year(s) served | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joseph Estrada | San Juan | 1969–1986 | Only former president served as mayor (2013–2019) | |
| Rodrigo Duterte | Davao City | 1988–1998; 2001–2010; 2013–2016 | Only president served as Vice Mayor (1986–1987; 2010–2013) |
| Name | Municipality/City | Province | Year(s) served | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manuel Quezon | Lucena | Tayabas | 1906 | |
| Manuel Roxas | Capiz | Capiz | 1917–1919 |
| Name | Rank | Branch | Year(s) served | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emilio Aguinaldo | Generalissimo | Philippine Revolutionary Army | 1896–1901 | ||
| Manuel Quezon | Major | Philippine Revolutionary Army | 1899–1900 | ||
| Manuel Roxas | Brigadier General | Philippine Commonwealth Army | 1941–1945 | ||
| Ramon Magsaysay | Captain | Philippine Commonwealth Army | 1942–1945 | ||
| Ferdinand E. Marcos | 1st Lieutenant | USAFFE | 1942–1945 | ||
| Major | USAFIP-NL | ||||
| Fidel V. Ramos | General | Philippine Constabulary | 1950–1988 | Only former President served as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces (1984–1985; 1986–1988), and commander of a service branch (1972–1986). |
Subnotes
Other notes
^, "Formation of a revolutionary government";
^ (in "Document G", Account of Mr. Bricco Brigado Pantos).