Historical Background Overview 1. Judicial System Prior to the Spanish Conquest Before the Spanish conquistadors came to the Philippines, the Filipinos had their own laws and system of administering justice. The government was patriarchal in form. The unit of government was the barangay, a settlement of about 30 to 100 families. The barangays were independent of each other. Each barangay was governed by a datu, who gained position by inheritance, wisdom, physical prowess or wealth. The datu

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... cised all functions of government. He was the executive, legislative and the judge in times of peace and the commander in chief in times of war. There were elders who assisted and advised him on vital matters, such as the promulgation of laws, the trial of cases, the declaration of war and the negotiation of treaties with other barangay (Blair and Robertson,.