Official name

Republic of the Philippines

Form of state

Under the 1987 constitution, the government is based on a separation of powers between the executive presidency, a bicameral legislature and an independent judiciary

The executive

The president is chief executive, head of state and commander-in-chief, serves no more than one six-year term and may approve bills passed by Congress (the legislature) or exercise a veto, which can be overridden by a two-thirds majority of Congress. Cabinet appointments are subject to approval by the Congressional Commission on Appointments

Legislature

The Congress of the Philippines consists of the Senate (the upper house, with 23 members at present), and the House of Representatives (the lower house, which has 278 members, of whom 80% are directly elected and 20% are selected from party lists). Senators are elected for six-year terms and representatives for three-year terms. (The Senate normally has 24 members, but Benigno Aquino, who was a senator, has been elected president, meaning that his former seat is vacant. It should be filled at the mid-term elections in 2013, taking the number of senators back up to 24.)

Legal system

Based on US common law; the 1987 constitution contains a Bill of Rights and provides for a judiciary with the Supreme Court at its apex

National elections

Elections took place in May 2010 for the president and vice-president, the House of Representatives and one-half of the Senate. The next legislative election (for the House of Representatives and one-half of the Senate) is due in May 2013; the next presidential election is due in 2016

National government

Mr Aquino became president for a six-year term in June 2010. However, his party, the Liberal Party, does not command a majority in either house of Congress

Main political organisations

Liberal Party; Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrat (Lakas-Kampi-CMD); Nacionalista Party; Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC); Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP); Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP); Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF); Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)

President: Benigno Aquino

Vice-president: Jejomar Binay

Key ministers

Agriculture: Proceso Alcala

Budget & management: Florencio Abad

Defence: Voltaire Gazmin

Education: Armin Luistro

Energy: Jose Rene D Almendras

Environment: Ramon Paje

Finance: Cesar Purisima

Foreign affairs: Alberto Romulo

Justice: Leila de Lima

Trade & industry: Gregory Domingo

Central bank governor

Amando Tetangco