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Philippine Politics
and Governance
Quarter 2 – Module 8:
The Judicial Branch of
Government- The Philippine
Judiciary
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Philippine Politics and Governance – Senior High School
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 2 – Module 8: The Judicial Branch of Government – The Philippine Judiciary
First Edition, 2020

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Published by the Department of Education May B.

Eclar, PhD, CESO III
Rhoda T. Razon, PhD, CESO V Librada
M. Rubio, PhD

Development Team of the Module

Writers: Christian C. Linsangan Anna
Maria G. Mejia Rochelle G.
Tuliao Angelica M. Burayag,
Content Editors: PhD Eva Fe F. Taclibon, PhD
Reviewers: Sergio B. Gonzales
John Paul Paje
John Paul Paje
Language Editor:
Illustration/ Layout Editor: John Paul Paje
Illustrator: Neil John L. Supan
Layout Artist: Ric Jayson M. Santos
Management Team: May B. Eclar, PhD, CESO III
Librada M. Rubio, PhD
Angelica M. Burayag, PhD Ma.
Editha R. Caparas, EdD Nestor
P. Nuesca, EdD Marie Ann C.
Ligsay, PhD Jayne M. Garcia,
EdD
Beverly T. Mangulabnan, PhD
Eva Fe F. Taclibon, PhD

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Office Address: Matalino St., D.M. Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando
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Senior High School

Philippine Politics
and Governance
Quarter 2 – Module 8:
The Judicial Branch of
Government- The Philippine
Judiciary
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Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Philippine Politics and Governance –

Senior High School Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM)
Module on The Judicial Branch of Government - The
Philippine Judiciary!
This module was designed, developed and reviewed
to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping the
learners meet the standards set by the K to 12
Curriculum while overcoming their personal, social,
and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration
their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist
the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:

Welcome to the Philippine Politics and Governance – Senior High School Alternative
Delivery Mode (ADM) Module on The Judicial Branch of Government- The Philippine
Judiciary!
The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of

the lesson. This aims to help you discover
and understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.

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Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your
level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of
learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing

this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning
and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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What I Need to Know

This module will help you understand the

important features of the the The Judicial Branch
of Philippine Government. It also aims to introduce
to you the roles and responsibilities of the different
courts that comprise the Philippine Judicial
System.

The module has one lesson, namely:

 Lesson 1 – The Judicial Branch of

Government- The Philippine Judiciary

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. identify the features of the Philippine Judiciary; and

2. discuss the roles and responsibilities of the Philippine Judiciary.

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What I Know

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Read the following items carefully. Write the letter of the
correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. What is the primary role of the Judicial Branch of Philippine government?
a. Execution of laws c. Interpretation of laws
b. Implementation of laws d. Making of laws

2. What is the special court in Philippine Judiciary that has exclusive

jurisdiction on committed violations of anti-graft and corruption laws by
public officials and employees in relation to their position and office?
a. Court of Appeals c. Regional Trial Court
b. Katarungang Pambarangay d. Sandiganbayan

3. Municipal trial courts inside the Metropolitan Area are called

.
a. Court of Appeals
b. Metropolitan Trial Courts
c. Municipal Circuit Courts
d. Municipal Metropolitan Circuit Courts

4. According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, what is the minimum age

requirement (at the time of appointment) to become a justice of the Philippine
Supreme Court?
a. 20 years c. 40 years
b. 30 years d. 50 years

5. What court of justice in the Philippines settle legal conflicts between Muslim
Filipinos in the sphere of customary and personal laws?
a. Court of Islamic Laws c. Madrasah Courts
b. Court of Muslim Laws d. Shari’a Courts
6. What is the system of amicably settling disputes to promote the speedy
administration of justice by easing the congestion of court dockets
established through Presidential Decree No. 1508?
a. Alternative Judicial Review c. Katarungang Pambarangay
b. Impeachment d. Madrasah System

7. What is the composition of the Philippine Supreme Court?

a. One (1) Chief Justice and fourteen (14) Associate Justices
b. One (1) Chief Justice and nineteen (19) Associate Justices
c. One (1) Chief Justice and four (4) Associate Justices
d. One (1) Chief Justice and nine (9) Associate Justices

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8. What refers to the power of the Supreme Court to inquire into the
constitutionality of the acts of both the executive and legislative branches of
Philippine government?
a. Impeachment c. Judicial Review
b. Judicial Investigation d. Supreme Court Deliberation

9. What court of justice in the Philippines covers two or more municipalities?

a. Court of Appeals
b. Metropolitan Trial Court
c. Municipal Circuit Court
d. Municipal Metropolitan Circuit Court

10. One of the qualifications to become a member of the Supreme Court is:
a. have been a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the
country for 5 years
b. have been a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the
country for 10 years
c. have been a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the
country for 15 years
d. have been a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in the
country for 20 years

TRUE OR FALSE. For items 11-15, write TRUE if the statement is correct and write
FALSE if otherwise.

11. The term of office of Supreme Court members is not fixed. Their tenure during
good behavior is until they reach seventy years old or become incapacitated to
perform their duties. They can be removed from their position only through
impeachment.

12. The Judicial and Bar Council appoints members of the judiciary from a list
submitted by the Philippine President.
13. Declaring rules for the admission into the practice of law, for legal assistance to
the underprivileged, and the procedural rules to be observed in all courts throughout
the country is an example of judicial function of the Supreme Court.
14. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the Philippines. It is the final court
that decides in any and all judicial issues. It can review, revise, reverse, modify, or
affirm, final judgments and orders of the lower court.
15. The role of judiciary is important because this branch interprets the meaning of
laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides if laws violate the Constitution.

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The Judicial Branch of

Lesson
Government - The Philippine
1 Judiciary

What’s In

As you learned from the previous module, the

government of a country has three major functions:
rule-making, rule-implementation and rule
adjudication or rule interpretation. You learned in
Module 7 the roles and responsibilities of the law-
making branch of Philippine government, the
legislature. In this module, you will learn the
features of another branch of government in charge
with the adjudication or interpretation of laws in the
country-the Philippine Judiciary.

What’s New

The focus of this lesson is on the Philippine Judiciary. Before you proceed with
the lesson, list eight (9) important characteristics that a member of the body that
interprets the laws of the country should possess. Similar with the opening activity
in Module 7, each characteristic should start with each letter in the word
JUDICIARY.

J -

U -

D -

I -

C -

I -

A -

R -
Y -

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Essential Features of the Judicial Branch of Philippine

Government
As indicated in Article VIII of the 1987 Philippine
Constitution as of July 15, 2020 at the webpage of The
Official Gazette of the Philippine Government, the
judicial power shall be vested in one Supreme Court
and in such lower courts as may be established by law.
As defined in the same article, judicial power includes
the duty of the courts of justice to settle actual
controversies involving rights which are legally
demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether
or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion
amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or
instrumentality of the Government. The role of judiciary is important because this
branch interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to individual cases, and decides
if laws violate the Constitution.

According to the Judiciary Organization Act of 1980, the Philippine judicial

system is composed of lower courts and the highest court.

I. Lower Courts

Municipal Trial Courts and

Municipal Circuit Trial Court
Every municipality in the
Philippines has a municipal trial
court. It is called municipal court if
it covers only one municipality; it
is called municipal circuit court if it
covers two or more municipalities.

Metropolitan Trial Courts and Municipal Trial Courts in Cities

Municipal trial courts inside the Metropolitan Area are called Metropolitan trial
courts. Municipal trial courts in cities outside Metropolitan Manila are called
Municipal trial courts in cities.

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Regional Trial Courts (RTC)
Regional Trial Courts are called second level courts and are divided into thirteen
(13) judicial regions (further subdivided into several branches). RTCs are called
appellate courts because these courts hear appeals and review the decisions of lower
courts.

Shari’a Courts
Shari’a Courts settle legal conflicts between Muslim Filipinos in the sphere of
customary and personal laws.
Court of Appeals
Court of Appeals has jurisdiction over appeals from the decision of the Regional
Trial Courts.

Sandiganbayan
This is a special court that has exclusive jurisdiction on committed violations of
anti-graft and corruption laws by public officials and employees in relation to their
position and office.

II. Highest Court

Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in
the Philippines. It is the final court that
decides in any and all judicial issues. It can
review, revise, reverse, modify, or affirm,
final judgments and orders of the lower
court. The most common reason by which a
case reaches the Supreme Court is through an
appeal from a decision rendered by a lower
court. Appealed cases generally originate
from cases tried in
the trial courts. The Supreme Court does not entertain cases originally filed before it
that should have been filed first with the trial courts.

Functions of the Supreme Court

There are two categories in the functions of the Supreme Court: administrative
and judicial.

Administrative Functions
- Supervision and control over the judicial branch of the government and its
employees.
- Declare rules for the admission into the practice of law, for legal assistance to
the underprivileged, and the procedural rules to be observed in all courts
throughout the country.

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Judicial Functions
- Settlement of actual controversies involving rights which are legally
demandable and enforceable.
- Judicial Review or the power of the Supreme Court to inquire into the
constitutionality of the acts of both the executive and legislative branches of
government.

Composition of Supreme Court

As indicated in Article VIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the Supreme
Court is composed of one (1) Chief Justice and fourteen (14) Associate Justices. The
Philippine President appoints members of the judiciary from a list submitted by the
Judicial and Bar Council which is under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

Qualifications

The following are the requirements to be appointed to the Supreme Court:

- Natural-born citizen of the Philippines

- At least 50 years old at the time of appointment
- Must have been a judge of a lower court or engaged in the practice of law in
the country for 15 years or more
- Must be a person of proven competence, integrity, probity and independence.

Tenure of Service
The term of office of Supreme Court members is not fixed. Their tenure during
good behavior is until they reach seventy years old or become incapacitated to
perform their duties. They can be removed from their position only through
impeachment.

III. Katarungang Pambarangay

As of July 15, 2020, The Official Gazette of the Philippine Government mentioned
under the topic of Philippine Judiciary the existence of Katarungang Pambarangay.
Through Katarungang Pambarangay Law (Presidential Decree No. 1508), a system of
amicably settling disputes at the barangay level was established. It aims to promote
the speedy administration of justice by easing the congestion of court dockets. The
court does not take cognizance of cases filed if they are not filed first with the
Katarungang Pambarangay.

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What’s More

ACTIVITY 1
Look for three words/concepts that are related with Philippine Judiciary in the
search box below then explain each word based on your understanding. Write your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.

N Y U A R T I C L E V I I I Z I R X L E I R D A
E S I G N D E S T C A E R O U T E S B R I G G N
R C H E S A N D I G A N B A Y A N W E N V M F E
T D E L S T O O B N A I E A M R T A M H L E T Z
Y S U P R E M E C O U R T O T I C H T V I N S I
M G O G N E D L N I N G J U D I C I A R Y M I A
K A S Q X V N G Y I P L C I E R D N A L E I R A

1.

2.

3.

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ACTIVITY 2
MATCHING TYPE. Match the descriptions in Column A with the correct
words/phrases/concepts in Column B. Write the letter of the correct answer on a
separate sheet of paper.

A B
1. Court of justice that has jurisdiction over
a. Katarungang Pambarangay
appeals from the decision of the Regional
Trial Courts. b. Judicial Review

2. Courts that settle legal conflicts between c. Shari’a Courts

Muslim Filipinos in the sphere of
d. Municipal Circuit Court
customary and personal laws.
e. Municipal Trial Court
3. System of amicably settling disputes to
promote the speedy administration of f. Court of Appeals
justice by easing the congestion of court
dockets established through Presidential g. Sandiganbayan
Decree No. 1508

Court of justice that covers two or more

4. municipalities.

5. The power of the Supreme Court to inquire

into the constitutionality of the acts of both
the executive and legislative branches of
government.

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What I Have Learned

Answer the following questions. Write your answers on a

separate sheet of paper.

1. How does the topic of Philippine Judiciary help you

understand more about the Philippine Government?

2. Why is the Philippine Judiciary considered important in our government and in

our society as a whole? Write your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

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What I Can Do

On a separate sheet of paper, create an Advocacy Poster illustrating the

importance of Philippine Judiciary in our society. Use symbols that signify concepts
or ideas that are related with the positive roles of the judicial branch of government.
Follow the format given below:

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Assessment

I. IDENTIFICATION. Identify the name/level of court being described in the

following items. Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.

1. The special court in Philippine Judiciary that has exclusive jurisdiction on

committed violations of anti-graft and corruption laws by public officials and
employees in relation to their position and office.

2. Court of justice in the Philippines that settle legal conflicts between Muslim
Filipinos in the sphere of customary and personal laws.

3. Municipal trial courts inside the Metropolitan Area

4. Court of justice in the Philippines that covers two or more municipalities.

5. The highest court in the Philippine Judiciary. It is the final court that decides in
any and all judicial issues. It can review, revise, reverse, modify, or affirm, final
judgments and orders of the lower court.

II. MODIFIED TRUE OR FALSE. Read the following statements. Write TRUE if the
statement is correct. Write FALSE and change the underlined word or phrase if it
is incorrect. Write your answer on a separate answer sheet.

1. According to Article VIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the judicial power
shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be
established by law.
2. Interpretation of laws is the primary role of the Judicial Branch of Philippine
government.
3. Supervision and control over the judicial branch of the government and its
employees is an administrative function of the Supreme Court.
4. The Supreme Court is composed of one (1) Chief Justice and nine (9) Associate
Justices.
5. According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the minimum age requirement
(at the time of appointment) to become a justice of the Philippine Supreme
Court is 40 years.

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III. Read the statement in Column A to determine the correct words or phrases of
the jumbled letters in Column B. Arrange the scrambled letters in Column B. Write
your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

Column A Column B
1. The power of the Supreme Court to inquire into DALUJICI WIREVE
the constitutionality of the acts of both the
executive and legislative branches of Philippine
government
2. The system of amicably settling disputes to RANUTAKGANG
promote the speedy administration of justice by MABARNGAPAY
easing the congestion of court dockets established
through Presidential Decree No. 1508
3. The function of the Supreme Court such as VEDATRINIMSITA
declaring rules for the admission into the practice of
law, for legal assistance to the underprivileged, and
the procedural rules to be observed in all courts
throughout the country.
4. Second level courts that are divided into thirteen OGALIRNE AIRLT STRUCO
(13) judicial regions (further subdivided into several
branches).
5. The official who appoints members of the judiciary LEHPIPINPI NETSIDERP
from a list submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council
which is under the supervision of the Supreme
Court.

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Additional Activities

Complete the table below. Accomplish this on a separate sheet of paper.

First column: Write your most important learning about the Judicial Branch of
Government
Second column: Cite a political phenomenon related to your most important
learning
Third column: How can you apply your most important learning in analyzing the
political phenomenon in second column?

What I Know Political Application

Phenomenon

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References
n.d. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1054885.

n.d. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1994/03/25/republic-act-no-7691/.
n.d.
https://www.dbm.gov.ph/wpcontent/uploads/OPCCB/OPIF2010/JUDICIA
RY/SC.pdf.
n.d. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/about/gov/judiciary/.

n.d. https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1987-constitution/#article-
viii.

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For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education Region III- Learning

Resources Management Section (DepEd Region III-
LRMS)
Office Address: Diosdado Macapagal Government Center
Maimpis, City of San Fernando (P)