C. Legislative Privileges, Disclosure of Financial and Business Affairs, Prohibitions, Inhibitions, and Disqualifications

Question 1

Substative limitation on the legislative power of Congress (1)

Answer 1

1. No law shall be passed abridging freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. (Sec. 4, Art. III, 1987 Constitution)
2. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. (Sec. 5, Art. III, 1987 Constitution)
3. No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be passed. (Sec. 10, Art. III, 1987 Constitution)
4. No ex post facto law or bill of attainder shall be enacted (Sec. 22, Art. III, 1987 Constitution)
5. No money shall be paid out of the Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation made by law. (Sec. 29 (1), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)

Question 2

Substative limitation on the legislative power of Congress (2)

Answer 2

6. No public money or property shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or employed, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, sectarian institution, or system of religion, or of any priest, preacher, minister, other religious teacher, or dignitary as such, except when such priest, preacher, minister, or dignitary is assigned to the armed forces, or to any penal institution, or government orphanage or leposarium. (Sec. 29 (2), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
7. All appropriation, revenue, or tariff bills, bills authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of local application, and private bills, shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments. (Sec. 24, Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
8. The Congress may not increase the appropriations recommended by the President for the operation of the Government as specified in the budget. (Sec. 25(1), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
9. No provision or enactment shall be embraced in the general appropriations bill unless it relates specifically to some particular appropriation therein. Any such provision or enactment shall be limited in its operation to the appropriation to which it relates. (Sec. 25 (2), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
10. The procedure in approving appropriations for the Congress shall strictly follow the procedure for approving appropriations for other departments and agencies. (Sec. 25 (3), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)

Question 3

Substative limitation on the legislative power of Congress (3)

Answer 3

1. A special appropriations bill shall specify the purpose for which it is intended and shall be supported by funds actually available as certified by the National Treasurer, or to be raised by a corresponding revenue proposed therein. (Sec. 25 (4), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
2. No law shall be passed authorizing any transfer of appropriations; however, the President, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the heads of Constitutional Commissions may, by law, be authorized to augment any item in the general appropriations law for their respective offices from savings in other items of their respective appropriations. (Sec. 25(5), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
3. Discretionary funds appropriated for particular officials shall be disbursed only for public purposes to be supported by appropriate vouchers and subject to such guidelines as may be prescribed by law. (Sec. 25(6), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
4. If, by the end of any fiscal year, the Congress shall have failed to pass the general appropriations bill for the ensuing fiscal year, the general appropriations law for the preceding fiscal year shall be deemed reenacted and shall remain in force and effect until the general appropriations bill is passed by the Congress. (Sec. 25(7), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
5. The rule of taxation shall be uniform and equitable. The Congress shall evolve a progressive system of taxation. (Sec. 28(1), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)

Question 4

Substative limitation on the legislative power of Congress (4)

Answer 4

16. The Congress may, by law, authorize the President to fix within specified limits, and subject to such limitations and restrictions as it may impose, tariff rates, import and export quotas, tonnage and wharfage dues, and other duties or imposts within the framework of the national development program of the Government. (Sec. 28(2), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
17. No law granting any tax exemption shall be passed without the concurrence of a majority of all the Members of the Congress. (Sec. 28(4), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
18. No money shall be paid out of the Treasury except in pursuance of an appropriation made by law. (Sec. 29(1), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
19. No law shall be passed increasing the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as provided in this constitution without its advice and concurrence. (Sec. 30, Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
20. No law granting a title of royalty or nobility shall be enacted. (Sec. 31, Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)

Question 5

Procedural limitation on the legislative power of Congress.

Answer 5

Procedural limitations

1. Every bill passed by Congress shall embrace only one subject which shall be expressed in its title. (Sec. 26(1), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
2. Three (3) readings on separate days; printed copies of the bill in its final form to be distributed to its members 3 days before its passage, except when the President certifies to its immediate enactment to meet a public calamity or emergency; upon its last reading, no amendment shall be allowed, and the vote thereon shall be taken immediately, and the yeas and nays entered into the Journal. (Sec. 26(2), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)
3. Appropriation bills, revenue bills, tariff bills, bills authorizing the increase of public debt, bills of local application and private bills shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives. (Sec. 24, Art. VI, 1987 Constitution)