The President

Section 1. The President shall be the head of state and chief executive of the Republic of the Philippines.

SEC. 2. No person may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines. a registered voter, able to read and write, at least fifty years of age on the day of election for President, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding such election.

SEC. 3. The President shall be elected by direct vote of the people for a term of six years which shall begin at noon on the thirtieth day of June following the day of the election and shall end at noon of the same date six years thereafter when the term of his successor shall begin.

The returns of every election for President, duly certified by the board of canvassers of each province or city, shall be transmitted to the Speaker at the Batasang Pambansa, who shall, not later than thirty days after the day of the election, and in the presence of the Batasang Pambansa open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted.

The person having the highest number of votes shall be proclaimed elected; but in case two or more shall have an equal and the highest number of votes, one of them shall forthwith be chosen by a vote of a majority of all the Members of the Batasang Pambansa in session assembled.

SEC 4. If, at the time fixed for the beginning of his term, the President-elect shall have died or shall have failed to qualify or if the President shall not have been chosen, the Executive Committee, headed by the Prime Minister, as hereinafter provided, shall exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the President until a President shall have been elected and qualified. If the Batasang Pambansa withdraws its confidence in the Prime Minister, the Speaker shall preside over the Executive Committee. In the absence of an Executive Committee, the Speaker of the Batasang Pambansa shall act as President until a President shall have been elected and qualified.

In the event of death or failure to qualify as herein provided, the Batasang Pambansa shall call a special election in the manner prescribed in Section 7 hereof.

SEC. 5. The President, on assuming office, shall take the following oath or affirmation:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully and conscientiously fulfill my duties as President of the Philippines, preserve and defend its Constitution, execute its laws, do justice to every man and consecrate myself to the service of the Nation. So help me God.” (In case of affirmation, the last sentence is omitted.)

SEC. 6. (1) The President shall have an official residence and shall receive a compensation to be fixed by law, which shall not be increased or decreased during his term of office. He shall not receive during his tenure any other emolument from the Government or any other source. Until the Batasang Pambansa shall provide otherwise, the President shall receive an annual salary of one hundred thousand pesos.

(2) The President shall not, during his tenure, hold any other office, practice any profession, participate directly or indirectly in the management of any business, or be financially interested directly or indirectly in any contract with, or in any franchise or special privilege granted by, the Government or any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including any government-owned or controlled corporation.

SEC. 7. In case of permanent disability, death, removal from office or resignation of the President, the Executive Committee headed by the Prime Minister as hereinafter provided shall exercise the powers of the President until a President shall have been elected and qualified. If the permanent disability, death, removal from office or resignation of the President occurs earlier than eighteen (18) months before the expiration of his term, the Batasang Pambansa shall, within thirty days from the time the vacancy occurs, call a special election to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days from the time of such call, to elect a President to serve the unexpired term.

In the absence of an Executive Committee, the Speaker shall act as President until the President shall have been elected and qualified.

SEC. 8. The President shall have control of the ministries.

SEC. 9. The President shall be commander-in-chief of all armed forces of the Philippines and, whenever it be­comes necessary, he may call out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion, insurrection, or rebellion. In case of invasion, insurrection, or rebellion, or imminent danger thereof, when the public safety requires it, he may suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, or place the Philippines or any part thereof under martial law.

SEC. 10. The President shall appoint the heads of bureaus and offices, the officers of the armed forces of the Philippines from the rank of brigadier general or commodore, and all other officers of the Government whose appointments are not otherwise provided for, those whom he may be authorized by law to appoint. However, the Batasang Pambansa may by law vest in the Prime Minister, members of the Cabinet, the Executive Committee, courts, heads of agencies, commissions, and boards the power to appoint inferior officers.

SEC. 11. The President may, except in cases of impeachment, grant reprieves, commutations and pardons, remit fines and forfeitures and, with the concurrence of the Batasang Pambansa, grant amnesty.

SEC. 12. The President may contract and guarantee foreign and domestic loans on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.

SEC. 13. The President shall formulate the guidelines of national policy.

SEC. 14. The President shall address the Batasang Pambansa at the opening of its regular session. He may also appear before it at any other time.

SEC. 15. The President shall be immune from suit during his tenure. Thereafter, no suit whatsoever shall lie for official acts done by him or by others pursuant to his specific orders during his tenure.

The immunities herein provided shall apply to the incumbent President referred to in Article XVII of this Constitution.

SEC. 16. All powers vested in the President of the Philippines under the 1935 Constitution and the laws of the land which are not herein provided for or conferred upon any official shall be deemed and are hereby vested in the President unless the Batasang Pambansa provides otherwise.