PHILIPPINE

CONSTITUTI
ON

NSTP1 - LESSON 2
LESSON 2: PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION

Lesson outline

• The Philippine Constitution

• Preamble
• Bill of Rights and Duties
• Responsibilities of Filipino Citizen

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 What is Constitution?
”Etymology: Latin word “ CONSTITUO” which means
“fixed”, “established”, or “settled”

A constitution is a system
for government, codified as a
written document, which
contains fundamental laws and
principles. It usually contains
fundamental political principles,
and establishes the structure,
procedures, powers and duties,
of a government
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 The Constitution of the Philippines

- is the supreme law of the Philippines. The

Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987,
during the administration of President Corazon C.
Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987
Constitution―.
Philippine constitutional law experts
recognize three other previous constitutions as
having effectively governed the country —
>the 1935 Commonwealth Constitution,
>the 1973 Constitution, and
>the 1986 Freedom Constitution.

Constitutions for the Philippines were also drafted

and adopted during the short-lived governments of
Presidents Emilio Aguinaldo (1898)and José P. Laurel
(1943).
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 Parts of the 1987 Constitution
The Constitution is divided into 18 parts,
excluding the Preamble, which are called Articles.
The Articles are as follows:
Article I - National Territory
Article II - Declaration of Principles and State Policies
Article III - Bill of Rights
Article IV – Citizenship
Article V – Suffrage
Article VI - Legislative Department
Article VII - Executive Department
Article VIII - Judicial Department
Article IX - Constitutional Commission
Article X - Local Government
Article XI - Accountability of Public Officers
Article XII - National Economy and Patrimony
Article XIII - Social Justice and Human Rights
Article XIV - Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture and
Sports
Article XV - The Family
Article XVI - General Provisions
Article XVII - Amendments or Revisions
Article XVIII - Transitory Provisions Nstp1 - LESSON 2
Article III – Bill of Rights (1987 Philippine
Constitution)
fundamental rights and freedoms that protect
every Filipino

• Right to life, liberty, and property

• Freedom of speech, expression,
and the press
• Freedom of religion
• Right to peaceful assembly
• Right to due process and equal
protection of the law
• Right to a fair trial
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 Article IV – Citizenship
defines who are considered citizens of the
Philippines and how citizenship can be acquired
or lost
• Citizens of the Philippines at the time of
the adoption of the 1987 Constitution

• Those whose fathers or mothers are

citizens of the Philippines

• Those who are naturalized according to

law

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 Article IV – Citizenship
Section 2: Dual Citizenship

• The law allows Filipinos who

became citizens of another
country (e.g., through
migration) to retain or
reacquire Philippine
citizenship under certain
conditions Nstp1 - LESSON 2
 Preamble of the 1987 Constitution
From Latin “preambulare” which means “to walk before”.

The Preamble reads:

“We, the sovereign Filipino people,

imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order
to build a just and humane society, and
establish a Government that shall embody
our ideals and aspirations, promote the
common good, conserve and develop our
patrimony, and secure to ourselves and
our posterity, the blessings of
independence and democracy under the
rule of law and a regime of truth, justice,
freedom, love, equality, and peace, do
ordain and promulgate this Constitution.”
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 Historical Constitution
• Malolos Constitution (1899)

• Commonwealth and Third Republic

(1935)

• Japanese Sponsored Republic

(1943)

• Martial Law Constitution (1973)

• Freedom Constitution (1986) >

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The 1899 Malolos Constitution

Malolos congress was

inaugurated at the Barasoain church in
Malolos, Bulacan. This paved the way to
launching the first Philippine Republic.
It established a democratic, republication
government with three branches - the
Executive, Legislative and the Judicial
branches. It called for the separation of
church and state

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 Executive Branch
Main function:Enforces or carries
out the laws

Head: The President of the

Philippines

Other members: Vice President,

Cabinet Secretaries (e.g., Secretary
of Education, Secretary of Health)
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 Legislative Branch
Main function: Makes or creates the
laws

Composed of: Senate (24 Senators –

national level)

House of Representatives (district

and party-list representatives)

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 Judicial Branch
Main function: Interprets the laws
and settles legal disputes

Head: The Supreme Court of the

Philippines

Other members: Chief Justice,

Associate Justices, and lower courts
(e.g., Regional Trial Courts)
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 Commonwealth and Third Republic (1935)

- In 1934, the United States Congress

passed the Philippine Independence Act, which
set the parameters for the creation of a
constitution for the Philippines. The Act mandated
the Philippine Legislature to call for an election of
delegates to a Constitutional Convention to draft a
Constitution for the Philippines. The constitution
established the Commonwealth government,
provided a Democratic and Republican
government, and inclusion of the Bill of Rights.

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 Commonwealth and Third Republic (1935)

The Third Republic officially

began when the Philippines gained
full independence from the United
States.

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Commonwealth and Third Republic (1935)
Date of Independence: July 4, 1946

First President of the Third Republic: Manuel Roxas

Main Goals:

Rebuild the country after World War II

Strengthen democracy

Develop the economy

Ended in: 1972, when Martial Law was declared by

President Ferdinand Marcos

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Japanese Sponsored Republic (1943)

- During World War II the Japanese-sponsored

government nullified the 1935 Constitution and
appointed Preparatory Committee on Philippine
Independence to replace it. The 1943 Constitution
was used by the Second Republic with Jose P. Laurel
as President.
- The President is the head of government,
and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. The
powers of the President are: to veto any bill of the
Assembly, to promulgate regulations when the
Assembly is not in session and in times of war
or national emergency, to declare martial law,
and to appoint the members of the Council of
State and officials of the local government.

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Martial Law Constitution (1973)

The 1973 Constitution, promulgated after

Marcos declaration of martial law, was supposed
to introduce a parliamentary-style government.
Legislative power was vested in a National
Assembly whose members were elected for six-
year terms.
a) Establishment of a modified
parliamentary government.
b) Suspension of the Bill of Rights.
c) Has given greater power to the
Executive Department.

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 The 1987 Constitution

President, Corazon C. Aquino issued Proclamation

No. 3 as a provisional constitution. It adopted certain
provisions from the 1973 constitution and granted the
President broad powers to reorganize the government and
remove officials from office, and mandated that the
president would appoint a commission to draft a new
constitution.
- The 1987 Constitution Ratified on February 2, 1987
Features:
a) Reinstitution of a Democratic Government
b) Separation of Church and State
c) Sovereignty of the people
d) Renunciation of war as a national policy
e) Supremacy of Civilian authority over the military
f) Separation of Powers

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 Parts of the 1987 Constitution
The Constitution is divided into 18 parts,
excluding the Preamble, which are called Articles.
The Articles are as follows:
Article I - National Territory
Article II - Declaration of Principles and State Policies
Article III - Bill of Rights
Article IV – Citizenship
Article V – Suffrage
Article VI - Legislative Department
Article VII - Executive Department
Article VIII - Judicial Department
Article IX - Constitutional Commission
Article X - Local Government
Article XI - Accountability of Public Officers
Article XII - National Economy and Patrimony
Article XIII - Social Justice and Human Rights
Article XIV - Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture and Sports
Article XV - The Family
Article XVI - General Provisions
Article XVII - Amendments or Revisions
Article XVIII - Transitory Provisions
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 1987 Constitution Article III
THE BILL OF RIGHTS
Section 1. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or
property without due process of law, nor shall any person be
denied the equal protection of the laws.

Section 2. The right of the people to be secure in their

persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable
searches and seizures of whatever nature and for any purpose
shall be inviolable, and no search warrant or warrant of arrest
shall issue except upon probable cause to be determined
personally by the judge after examination under oath or
affirmation of the complainant and the witnesses he may
produce, and particularly describing the place to be searched
and the persons or things to be seized.

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1987 Constitution Article III : THE BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 3. (1) The privacy of communication and

correspondence shall be inviolable except upon lawful order of
the court, or when public safety or order requires otherwise, as
prescribed by law.
(2) Any evidence obtained in violation of this or the preceding
section shall be inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding.

Section 4. No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of

speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress
of grievances.

Section 5. No law shall be made respecting an establishment

of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The free
exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship,
without discrimination or preference, shall forever be allowed.
No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or
political rights.
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1987 Constitution Article III : THE BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 6. The liberty of abode and of changing the same within

the limits prescribed by law shall not be impaired except upon
lawful order of the court. Neither shall the right to travel be
impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety, or
public health, as may be provided by law.

Section 7. The right of the people to information on matters of

public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and
to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or
decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis
for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to
such limitations as may be provided by law.

Section 8. The right of the people, including those employed in the

public and private sectors, to form unions, associations, or
societies for purposes not contrary to law shall not be abridged.

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1987 Constitution Article III : THE BILL OF RIGHTS

Section 9. Private property shall not be taken for public use

without just compensation.

Section 10. No law impairing the obligation of contracts

shall be passed.

Section 11. Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial

bodies and adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to
any person by reason of poverty.

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 1987 Constitution Article IV
DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF CITIZENS
Section 1. It shall be the duty of the citizen to be loyal to the Republic
and to honor the Philippine flag, to defend the State and contribute to
its development and welfare, to uphold the Constitution and obey the
laws, and to cooperate with the duly constituted authorities in the
attainment and preservation of a just and orderly society.

Section 2. The rights of the individual impose upon him the

correlative duty to exercise them responsibly and with due regard for
the rights of others.

Section 3. It shall be the duty of every citizen to engage in gainful

work to assure himself and his family a life worthy of human dignity.

Section 4. It shall be the obligation of every citizen qualified to vote

to register and cast his vote.

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LINKS for additional information
• https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYKMKsPKkYo