The Never Ending Democratization of the Philippines 119 officers and board members of government-owned and controlled corporations, prosecutors, judges, and justices are also appointed by the President. The number of Presidential appointees is estimated to total 4,237 officials (Commissioner Alexander Magno, 2005 Preparatory Commission to Propose Revisions to the 1987 Constitution). These officials constitute what Commissioner Magno calls the “bureaucratic aristocracy”. Implied in this description is autonomy of the executive branch of government in the planning and implementation of its priority programs. This practice has adversely affected the development of a professional civil service. It has politicized the appointment process and opened it to abuse. A manicurist and beautician of a President can be appointed member of the board of trustees of PAG-IBIG. Bureaucrats hoping to land choice positions in the civil service need connection, the rules on merit promotion are ignored in favor of personal connections. The goal of developing a career civil service is waylaid by the vagaries of clientelism. Immunity from Suits and Rigid Impeachment Process The weak horizontal accountability which allows the President to dominate the legislature and the judiciary is further reinforced by his immunity from suits during his term of office and the rigid process of impeachment. The weak horizontal accountability makes the President uncontrollable, in other words, the other state bodies cannot check his employment of delegative authority. His immunity from suits and the rigid impeachment process make him virtually above the law. But nobody should be above the law, remember? A formidable barrier in removing the President before the end of his term is the rigid impeachment process. It has served as an impenetrable shield even for a President who had abused his power. The procedure for impeachment requires that a petition to remove the President from office should be reviewed by the House of Representatives and found to be adequate in “form and substance”. After this determination, the House meets in plenary and votes on the complaint. If one-third of the 250 members favor the complaint, it is elevated to the Senate for trial. The Senate then convenes itself as an impeachment court to try the President. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court presides over the impeachment court, and after the trial gives a verdict of guilty or not guilty. If the President is found guilty, he is removed from office and the vice-President assumes the presidency. The 1987 Constitution states: