The Philippines consists of 7,641 islands, and is surrounded by the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, and the Celebes Sea. Nearest neighbors are Taiwan, Japan, Palau, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China. The population of this country is approx 10,90,35,000 with 3,00,000 square kilometers area. The official languages are Filipino and English. There are 19 recognized regional languages. Arabic and Spanish are also recognized languages. There are a lot of ethnic communities in Philippine including 33.7% Visayan, 24.4% Tagalog, 8.4% Ilocano, 6.8% Bicolano. Religiously 90% are Christian, almost all of them are Catholic. Besides, there are 6% Muslims and followers of other religions.
The Philippine Constitution has many interesting provisions. The Philippines is committed to prohibiting 'political dynasty' in a manner prescribed by law. Evidence gathered in illegal methods is not admissible in court. No educational qualification, property ownership, or other basic conditions shall be imposed for the exercise of franchise. The President is not eligible for re-election. President’s relatives are not able to hold important constitutional posts while the President is in office. In the Emergency period, the Authority is able to take over the management of any citizen-owned business in the public interest.
These are positive aspects. Now let's discuss the negative aspects.
The Philippines, despite being secular, acknowledges the existence of God. All the people of the world are entitled to equal status, but the Philippines has given special privileges to the so-called indigenous people - as if they are the original inhabitants of this earth, and we are aliens from another planet. The central monetary authority has an obligation to take majority policy-makers from the private sector. Why?
Admirable Articles of Philippines's Constitution
ARTICLE II. DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES AND STATE POLICIES PRINCIPLES (Part of it)
Sec 4
The prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people. The Government may call upon the people to defend the State and, in the fulfillment thereof, all citizens may be required, under conditions provided by law, to render personal military or civil service.
Sec 6
The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.
Sec 9
The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.
Sec 15
The State shall protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.
Sec 26
The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.
ARTICLE III. BILL OF RIGHTS (Part of it)
Sec 3
● 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.
● Any evidence obtained in violation of this or the preceding section shall be inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding.
Sec 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.
Sec 21
No person shall be twice put in jeopardy of punishment for the same offense. If an act is punished by a law and an ordinance, conviction or acquittal under either shall constitute a bar to another prosecution for the same act.
ARTICLE V. SUFFRAGE (Part of it)
Sec 1
Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the Philippines not otherwise disqualified by law, who are at least eighteen years of age, and who shall have resided in the Philippines for at least one year and in the place wherein they propose to vote for at least six months immediately preceding the election. No literacy, property, or other substantive requirement shall be imposed on the exercise of suffrage.
ARTICLE VI. LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT (Part of it)
Sec 4
The term of office of the Senators shall be six years and shall commence, unless otherwise provided by law, at noon on the thirteenth day of June next following their election.
No Senator shall serve for more than two consecutive terms. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of his service for the full term for which he was elected.
Sec 7
The Members of the House of Representatives shall be elected for a term of three years which shall begin, unless otherwise provided by law, at noon on the thirtieth day of June next following their election.
No Member of the House of Representatives shall serve for more than three consecutive terms. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of his service for the full term for which he was elected.
Sec 10
The salaries of Senators and Members of the House of Representatives shall be determined by law. No increase in said compensation shall take effect until after the expiration of the full term of all the Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives approving such increase.
Sec 31
No law granting a title of royalty or nobility shall be enacted.
ARTICLE VII. EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT (Part of it)
Sec 1
The executive power shall be vested in the President of the Philippines.
Sec 4
The President and the Vice-President shall be elected by direct vote of the people for a term of six years which shall begin at noon on the thirtieth day of June next following the day of the election and shall end at noon of the same date six years thereafter. The President shall not be eligible for any reelection. No person who has succeeded as President and has served as such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at any time.
No Vice-President shall serve for more than two successive terms. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of time shall not be considered as an interruption in the continuity of the service for the full term for which he was elected.
Sec 13
The President, Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, and their deputies or assistants shall not, unless otherwise provided in this Constitution, hold any other office or employment during their tenure. They shall not, during said tenure, directly or indirectly, practice any other profession, participate in any business, or be financially interested in any contract with, or in any franchise, or special privilege granted by the Government or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries. They shall strictly avoid conflict of interest in the conduct of their office.
The spouse and relatives by consanguinity or affinity within the fourth civil degree of the President shall not during his tenure be appointed as Members of the Constitutional Commissions, or the Office of the Ombudsman, or as Secretaries, Undersecretaries, chairmen or heads of bureaus or offices, including government-owned or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries.
ARTICLE XII. NATIONAL ECONOMY AND PATRIMONY (Part of it)
Sec 1
The goals of the national economy are a more equitable distribution of opportunities, income, and wealth; a sustained increase in the amount of goods and services produced by the nation for the benefit of the people; and an expanding productivity as the key to raising the quality of life for all, especially the underprivileged.
The State shall promote industrialization and full employment based on sound agricultural development and agrarian reform, through industries that make full and efficient use of human and natural resources, and which are competitive in both domestic and foreign markets. However, the State shall protect Filipino enterprises against unfair foreign competition and trade practices.
In the pursuit of these goals, all sectors of the economy and all regions of the country shall be given optimum opportunity to develop. Private enterprises, including corporations, cooperatives, and similar collective organizations, shall be encouraged to broaden the base of their ownership.
Sec 17
In times of national emergency, when the public interest so requires, the State may, during the emergency and under reasonable terms prescribed by it, temporarily take over or direct the operation of any privately owned public utility or business affected with public interest.
Sec 18
The State may, in the interest of national welfare or defense, establish and operate vital industries and, upon payment of just compensation, transfer to public ownership utilities and other private enterprises to be operated by the Government.
Sec 19
The State shall regulate or prohibit monopolies when the public interest so requires. No combinations in restraint of trade or unfair competition shall be allowed.
ARTICLE XIII. SOCIAL JUSTICE AND HUMAN RIGHTS (Part of it)
Sec 12
The State shall establish and maintain an effective food and drug regulatory system and undertake appropriate health manpower development and research, responsive to the country's health needs and problems.
ARTICLE XVI. GENERAL PROVISIONS (Part of it)
Sec 5
● Professionalism in the armed forces and adequate
remuneration and benefits of its members shall be a prime concern of
the State. The armed forces shall be insulated from partisan politics.
No member of the military shall engage directly or indirectly in any partisan political activity, except to vote.
Facts of Philippines's Constitution
Preamble
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.
ARTICLE II. DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES AND STATE POLICIES PRINCIPLES (Part of it)
Sec 22
The State recognizes and promotes the rights of indigenous cultural communities within the framework of national unity and development.
ARTICLE III. BILL OF RIGHTS (Part of it)
Sec 12
● Any person under investigation for the commission of an offense shall have the right to be informed of his right to remain silent and to have competent and independent counsel preferably of his own choice. If the person cannot afford the services of counsel, he must be provided with one. These rights cannot be waived except in writing and in the presence of counsel.
ARTICLE VI. LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT (Part of it)
Sec 5
● The House of Representatives shall be composed of not more than two hundred and fifty members, unless otherwise fixed by law, who shall be elected from legislative districts apportioned among the provinces, cities, and the Metropolitan Manila area in accordance with the number of their respective inhabitants, and on the basis of a uniform and progressive ratio, and those who, as provided by law, shall be elected through a party-list system of registered national, regional, and sectoral parties of organizations.
ARTICLE X. LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Part of it)
AUTONOMOUS REGIONS
Sec 15
There shall be created autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordilleras consisting of provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures, and other relevant characteristics within the framework of this Constitution and the national sovereignty as well as territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines.
Sec 16
The President shall exercise general supervision over autonomous regions to ensure that laws are faithfully executed.
Sec 17
All powers, functions, and responsibilities not granted by this Constitution or by law to the autonomous regions shall be vested in the National Government.
Sec 18
The Congress shall enact an organic act for each autonomous region with the assistance and participation of the regional consultative commission composed of representatives appointed by the President from a list of nominees from multisectoral bodies. The organic act shall define the basic structure of government for the region consisting of the executive department and legislative assembly, both of which shall be elective and representative of the constituent political units. The organic acts shall likewise provide for special courts with personal, family, and property law jurisdiction consistent with the provisions of this Constitution and national laws.
The creation of the autonomous region shall be effective when approved by majority of the votes cast by the constituent units in a plebiscite called for the purpose, provided that only provinces, cities, and geographic areas voting favorably in such plebiscite shall be included in the autonomous region.
Sec 19
The first Congress elected under this Constitution shall, within eighteen months from the time of organization of both Houses, pass the organic acts for the autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras.
Sec 20
Within its territorial jurisdiction and subject to the provisions of this Constitution and national laws, the organic act of autonomous regions shall provide for legislative powers over:
● Administrative organization;
● Creation of sources of revenues:
● Ancestral domain and natural resources:
● Personal, family, and property relations;
● Regional urban and rural planning development;
● Economic, social, and tourism development;
● Educational policies;
● Preservation and development of the cultural heritage; and
● Such other matters as may be authorized by law for the promotion of the general welfare of the people of the region.
Sec 21
The preservation of peace and order within the regions shall be the responsibility of the local police agencies which shall be organized, maintained, supervised, and utilized in accordance with applicable laws. The defense and security of the regions shall be the responsibility of the National Government.
ARTICLE XII. NATIONAL ECONOMY AND PATRIMONY (Part of it)
Sec 5
The State, subject to the provisions of this Constitution and national development policies and programs, shall protect the rights of indigenous cultural communities to their ancestral lands to ensure their economic, social, and cultural well-being.
The Congress may provide for the applicability of customary laws governing property rights or relations in determining the ownership and extent of ancestral domain.
Sec 20
The Congress shall establish an independent central monetary authority, the members of whose governing board must be natural-born Filipino citizens, of known probity, integrity, and patriotism, the majority of whom shall come from the private sector. They shall also be subject to such other qualifications and disabilities as may be prescribed by law. The authority shall provide policy direction in the areas of money, banking, and credit. It shall have supervision over the operations of banks and exercise such regulatory powers as may be provided by law over the operations of finance companies and other institutions performing similar functions.
Until the Congress otherwise provides, the Central
Bank of the Philippines, operating under existing laws, shall function
as the central monetary authority.
