The vice president of the Philippines is the second-highest executive official in the government of the Philippines. The vice president is directly elected by qualified voters to a six-year term, and may be a cabinet member without confirmation from the Commission on Appointments and is first in the presidential line of succession.[1]

The incumbent vice president is Sara Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, 2022.[2]

History

The office of vice president was initially created following the ratification of the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines, which states that the vice president shall be elected by direct vote of the people.[3] Vice presidents during the Commonwealth of the Philippines were under American sovereignty,[4] and there was no office of vice president during the Second Republic,[5] which was considered to be a puppet state of Imperial Japan during World War II.[6] During the martial law declared by President Ferdinand Marcos from 1972 to 1981, the office of the vice president was abolished and the sitting vice president, Fernando Lopez, was removed from the office.[5] Though the 1973 Constitution initially did not provide for a vice president, subsequent amendments restored the office.[5] A vice president was appointed after the 1986 election when Marcos and Arturo Tolentino were proclaimed as winners by the Batasang Pambansa. However, in 1986, the People Power Revolution overthrew Marcos' dictatorship and repealed the 1973 Constitution.[5][7] In 2013, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines through Resolution No. 2, series of 2013 declared that Tolentino is not part of the official list of vice presidents of the Philippines.[8] The subsequently formed 1987 Constitution of the Philippines was established, which states that: "There shall be a vice-president who shall have the same qualifications and term of office and be elected with, and in the same manner, as the president."[9]

Before the ratification of the 1987 Constitution, in case of an intra-term vacancy, there was no process to appoint a new vice president until after the next election.[5] However, after the ratification of the 1987 constitution, the president could nominate a vice president in case of an intra-term vacancy from a member of the congress, whom both houses vote separately for confirmation by a majority vote.[9] In 2001, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became president after the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled that President Joseph Estrada resigned.[10] A few days later, she appointed Teofisto Guingona as the vice president.[11] Guingona is the only person being unelected to the position.[12]

Three vice presidents have succeeded to the presidency due to the death of presidents: Sergio Osmeña in 1944,[13] Elpidio Quirino in 1948,[14] and Carlos P. Garcia in 1957.[15] Fernando Lopez was the longest-serving vice president, who served for a combined total of almost 11 years. Elpidio Quirino served the shortest time as vice president for approximately 1 year and 11 months.

Vice presidents

No. Portrait Name
(Lifespan) 		Term start Term end Term length Party Election President
1 Sergio Osmeña
(1878–1961)
[16] 		November 15,
1935 		August 1,
1944[a] 		8 years, 260 days Nacionalista 1935 Manuel L. Quezon
1941[b]
Vacant[c]
(August 1, 1944 – May 28, 1946) 		Sergio Osmeña
2 Elpidio Quirino
(1890–1956)
[17] 		May 28,
1946 		April 17,
1948[a] 		1 year, 323 days Liberal 1946 Manuel Roxas
Vacant[c]
(April 17, 1948 - December 30, 1949) 		Elpidio Quirino
3 Fernando Lopez
(1904–1993)
[18] 		December 30,
1949 		December 30,
1953 		4 years Liberal
(until 1953) 		1949
Democratic
(from 1953)
4 Carlos P. Garcia
(1896–1971)
[19] 		December 30,
1953 		March 18,
1957[a] 		3 years, 78 days Nacionalista 1953 Ramon Magsaysay
Vacant[c]
(March 18, 1957 – December 30, 1957) 		Carlos P. Garcia
5 Diosdado Macapagal
(1910–1997)
[20] 		December 30,
1957 		December 30,
1961 		4 years Liberal 1957
6 Emmanuel Pelaez
(1915–2003)
[21] 		December 30,
1961 		December 30,
1965 		4 years Liberal
(until 1964) 		1961 Diosdado Macapagal
Nacionalista
(from 1964)
7 Fernando Lopez
(1904–1993)
[22] 		December 30,
1965 		January 17,
1973 		7 years, 18 days Nacionalista 1965 Ferdinand Marcos
1969
Position abolished[d]
(January 17, 1973 – January 27, 1984)
Vacant[e]
(January 27, 1984 – February 25, 1986)
8 Salvador Laurel
(1928–2004)
[23] 		February 25,
1986 		June 30,
1992 		6 years, 126 days UNIDO
(until 1988) 		1986[f] Corazon Aquino
Nacionalista
(from 1988)
9 Joseph Estrada
(born 1937)
[23] 		June 30,
1992 		June 30,
1998 		6 years NPC
(until 1997) 		1992 Fidel V. Ramos
LAMMP
(from 1997)
10 Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
(born 1947)
[24] 		June 30,
1998 		January 20,
2001[a] 		2 years, 204 days Lakas 1998 Joseph Estrada
Vacant[g]
(January 20 – February 7, 2001) 		Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
11 Teofisto Guingona Jr.
(born 1928)
[25] 		February 7,
2001 		June 30,
2004 		3 years, 144 days Lakas
(until 2003) 		2001[h]
Independent
(from 2003)
12 Noli de Castro
(born 1949)
[26] 		June 30,
2004 		June 30,
2010 		6 years Independent 2004
13 Jejomar Binay
(born 1942)
[27] 		June 30,
2010 		June 30,
2016 		6 years PDP–Laban
(until 2012) 		2010 Benigno Aquino III
UNA
(from 2012)
14 Leni Robredo
(born 1965)
[28] 		June 30,
2016 		June 30,
2022 		6 years Liberal 2016 Rodrigo Duterte
15 Sara Duterte
(born 1978)
[29] 		June 30,
2022 		Incumbent 3 years, 261 days Lakas
(until 2023) 		2022 Bongbong Marcos
HNP[i]

Timeline


Living former vice presidents

Unofficial vice presidents

Historians and other figures have identified the following people as having held the vice presidency of a government intended to represent the Philippines, but their terms of office are not counted by the Philippine government as part of the presidential succession.

The inclusion of Mariano Trías in the list is disputed, because Trias was chosen as vice president at the Tejeros Convention, and again as vice president for the short-lived Republic of Biak-na-Bato, which was dissolved after the signing of the Pact of Biak-na-Bato and Aguinaldo's exile. Neither the reassumption of power by Emilio Aguinaldo when the revolution was resumed in May 1898 nor his formal proclamation and inauguration as president under the First Philippine Republic in 1899 were regimes that provided for a vice presidency.[30]

Portrait Name
(Lifespan) 		Term start Term end Term length Party Election President Era
Mariano Trías
(1868–1914)
[31] 		March 22, 1897 January 23, 1899 1 year, 307 days Nonpartisan[j] 1897 Emilio Aguinaldo Tejeros Convention
— Republic of Biak-na-Bato
Francisco Carreón
(1868–1939/1941)
[32] 		May 6, 1902 July 14, 1906[k] 4 years, 69 days Nonpartisan[j] — Macario Sakay Tagalog Republic
Ramón Avanceña
(1872–1957)
[33] 		October 14, 1943 January 15, 1944 93 days KALIBAPI — Jose P. Laurel Second Republic
Benigno Aquino Sr.
(1894–1947)
[33] 		January 15, 1944 August 17, 1945 1 year, 272 days KALIBAPI —
Ramón Avanceña
(1872–1957)
[33] 		December 30, 1948 December 30, 1949 1 year Nonpartisan[l] — Elpidio Quirino Third Republic

Vice presidents who later served as president

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

See also

Notes

  1. Succeeded to the presidency.
  2. Sergio Osmeña's second term was supposed to end on December 30, 1943. However, Joint Resolution No. 95 of the United States Congress was approved on November 12, 1943, to extend Osmeña's term due to the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
  3. The 1935 Constitution did not provide for the filling of a vacancy in the vice presidency.
  4. The 1973 Constitution did not provide for a vice presidency.
  5. The 1973 Constitution was amended in 1981 to provide for a vice presidency. However, a vice presidential election was not called until 1986.
  6. In the 1986 vice presidential election, Arturo Tolentino was declared the winner by the Batasang Pambansa based on the results from the Commission on Elections, while Salvador Laurel was declared the winner by the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections. The fraudulent conduct and disputed result of the election led to the People Power Revolution, resulting in Laurel's assumption of the vice presidency.
  7. The vice presidency was vacant from January 20 until February 7, 2001, after Gloria Macapagal Arroyo succeeded to the presidency upon Joseph Estrada's removal from office as a result of the Second EDSA Revolution.
  8. Appointed as vice president in accordance with Section 9 of Article VII of the 1987 Constitution.
  9. Sara Duterte was affiliated with both Lakas and Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) at election. She remained with HNP after resigning from Lakas–CMD on May 19, 2023.
  10. Allied with the Magdalo faction of the revolutionary society Katipunan.
  11. Term ended with his capture by the American Forces.
  12. Avanceña did not have any political affiliation at this time

References

  1. Rappler (b) (2021).
  2. ABS-CBN news (2016).
  3. Constitution of the Philippines (1935) § Article VII: Executive Department
  4. Ooi (2004), p. 387.
  5. Vice president of the Philippines.
  6. Vellut (1964), p. 128.
  7. BBC News (2016).
  8. "Resolution Clarifying the Issue of Legitimacy of the Vice-Presidentcy of Arturo Tolentino in the 1986 Snap Elections" (PDF). National Historical Commission of the Philippines. March 11, 2023.
  9. Constitution of the Philippines (1987) § Article VII: Executive Department
  10. The Wall Street Journal (2001).
  11. Tehran Times (2001).
  12. Santos, Sammy. "Tito quits Lakas over slow reforms". Philstar.com.
  13. Zaide (1999), pp. 348–349.
  14. Zaide (1999), p. 357.
  15. Zaide (1999), p. 361.
  16. Vice president of the Philippines; De Guzman & Reforma (1988), p. 42, 118; St. Louis Star-Times (1935); The Caledonian-Record (1935); Zaide (1999), p. 319.
  17. Vice president of the Philippines; De Guzman & Reforma (1988), p. 119–120; Spokane Chronicle (1946); The Courier-Journal (1948); Zaide (1999), p. 353.
  18. Vice president of the Philippines; The Californian (1949); Senate of the Philippines (a).
  19. Vice president of the Philippines; De Guzman & Reforma (1988), p. 120; The Spokesman-Review (1953); Fort Worth Star-Telegram (1957); Zaide (1999), p. 361.
  20. Vice president of the Philippines; De Guzman & Reforma (1988), pp. 121–122; The Honolulu Advertiser (1957); Calgary Herald (1961); Zaide (1999), p. 361.
  21. Vice president of the Philippines; Guam Daily News (1961); Senate of the Philippines (b); Zaide (1999), p. 362.
  22. Vice president of the Philippines; Chicago Tribune (1965); Senate of the Philippines (a); Zaide (1999), p. 363.
  23. Vice president of the Philippines; Hartford Courant (1986); The Windsor Star (1992); Zaide (1999), p. 400.
  24. Vice president of the Philippines; Encyclopædia Britannica & 2021(b); Senate of the Philippines (d); Rodell (2002), p. 219; Zaide (1999), p. 411.
  25. Vice president of the Philippines; Senate of the Philippines (e); Gulf News (2001).
  26. Vice president of the Philippines; Rappler (2021); The New York Times (2004).
  27. Vice president of the Philippines; Rappler (2016); The New York Times (2013).
  28. Vice president of the Philippines; Rappler (2016); Reuters (2021).
  29. Reuters (2022).
  30. "Office of the Vice President". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines.
  31. Zaide (1999), p. 247.
  32. National Historical Institute of the Philippines.
  33. Los Angeles Times (1943); The Decatur Daily (1945).

Works cited

Books and journals

Articles

Online sources