Section 15Sec./Art. 15

Vacancies in the Offices of President and Vice-President. - When neither the President-elect nor the Vice-President-elect shall have qualified, or in the event of the removal, death or resignation of both the President and the Vice-President, or of the inability of both of them to discharge the powers and duties of the office of President, the President of the Senate, or if there be none, or in the event of his removal, death, resignation, or of his inability to act as President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or if there be none, or in the event of his removal, death, resignation, or of his inability to act as President, the Senator or Representative elected by the members of the Congress in joint session shall act as President of the Philippines until the President or President-elect or the Vice-President or Vice-President-elect shall have qualified, or until their disability shall be removed, or a President shall have been elected and shall have qualified.

In case of permanent vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President the Congress shall determine by joint resolution whether or not a special election shall be held to elect a President and a Vice-President or only a President. In the affirmative case, the date on which the special election is to be held shall be fixed in the resolution and the Commission shall accordingly issue the proclamation in accordance with Section eighteen hereof. The Congress shall convene in special joint session to proclaim the President and Vice-President elected as soon as all the certificates of election returns from the provincial and city boards of canvassers are received by the President of the Senate, but not later than thirty days after election day.

The officers elected shall qualify at twelve o'clock in the morning of the day next following the date of their proclamation by the Congress and shall held office until their successors, elected at the next regular election, shall qualify.