Constitution of the Philippines The Constitution of the Philippines (Filipino: Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas), popularly known as the 1987 Constitution, is the constitution or the supreme law of the Republic of the Philippines. It was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon C. Aquino.[1] Philippine constitutional law experts recognise three other previous constitutions as having effectively governed the country — the 1935 Commonwealth Constitution, the 1973 Constitution, and the 1986 Freedom Constitution.[2][3] Two further constitutions were drafted and adopted during two short-lived war-time governments, by the revolutionary forces during the Philippine Revolution with Emilio Aguinaldo as President and by the occupation forces during the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines during World War II with José P. Laurel as President. Background of the 1987 Constitution In 1986, following the People Power Revolution which ousted Ferdinand E. Marcos as President, and following on her own inauguration, Corazon C. Aquino issued Proclamation 3, declaring a national policy to implement the reforms mandated by the people, protecting their basic rights, adopting a provisional constitution, and providing for an orderly transition to a government under a new constitution.[4] President Aquino later issued Proclamation № 9, creating a Constitutional Commission (popularly abbreviated ConCom in the Philippines) to frame a new charter to supersede the Marcos-era 1973 Constitution. Aquino appointed 50 members to the Commission. The members of the Commission were drawn from varied backgrounds, including several former congressmen, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberto Concepción, Roman Catholic bishop Teodoro Bacani, and film director Lino Brocka. Aquino also deliberately appointed five members, including former Labour Minister Blas Ople, who had been allied with Marcos until the latters ouster. After the Commission had convened, it elected Cecilia Muñoz-Palma as its president. Muñoz-Palma had emerged as a leading figure in the anti-Marcos opposition movement following her retirement as the first female Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The Commission finished the draft charter within four months after convening. Several issues were heatedly debated during the sessions, including on the form of government to adopt, the abolition of the death penalty, the continued retention of the Clark and Subic American military bases, and the integration of economic policies into the Constitution. Brocka would walk out of the Commission before its completion, and two other delegates would dissent from the final draft. The ConCom completed their task on October 12, 1986 and presented the draft constitution to President Aquino on October 15, 1986. After a nationwide information campaign, a plebiscite for its ratification was held on February 2, 1987. More than three-fourths of all votes cast, or 76.37% (17,059,495 voters) favoured ratification versus 22.65% (or 5,058,714 voters) who voted against it. On February 11, 1987, the new Constitution was proclaimed, ratified and made effective, with Aquino, her government, and the Services pledging allegiance to the It later that day.[5] Parts of the 1987 Constitution The Constitution is divided into 18 parts (excluding the Preamble) which are called Articles. • 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 Preamble of the 1987 Constitution The Preamble reads: “ Preamble We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of the 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.[1]
Posted on: Wed, 13 Nov 2013 11:35:10 +0000
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