Constitution of the Philippine

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For citizens, students, teachers, lawyers, or just anyone who want to know about basic Philippine laws.

For more than 300 years, the Philippines was under Spanish occupation. And in the later period of the Spanish colonization, national conciousness and sentiment grew that sparked Filipinos to revolt. In its dream to be free from the Spanish rule, the Philippine revolutionary society Katipunan drafted its very own Constitution. A revolution was later launched against Spain and the Filipinos declared its independence in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898. Malolos Congress was convened September of the same year and first Philippine Constitution, the Malolos Constitution, was approved.

HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTIONS

• November 1, 1897- December 14, 1897 - The Katipunan drafted the Constitution of Biak-na-Bato through Isabelo Artacho and Félix Ferrer.

• January, 23, 1899 -March 23, 1901 -Under the First Philippine Republic, the Malolos Congress ratified the Malolos Constitution. It is the first republican constitution in Asia.

• December 10, 1898 - March 24, 1934 - While under the American occupation, three laws were passed by the American Congress that affected the country: Philippine Organic Act of 1902, Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916, and the Tydings–McDuffie Act (1934).

• November 15, 1935 - July 4, 1946 - The Commonwealth Government written and approved the 1935 Philippine Constitution. It was amended twice, in 1940 to create a bicameral Congress, and in 1971 to remove the presidential term limit of ousted President Ferdinand Marcos.

• October 14, 1943 - August 17, 1945 - During the Second World War, Japanese occupied the Philippines, set up the Second Philippine Republic, and through Preparatory Committee for Philippine Independence, ratified the 1943 Philippine Constitution.

• January 17, 1973 - February 22, 1986 Before Marcos declared Martial Law, a Constitutional Convention was formed to draft a new constitution in hopes of establishing a parliamentary form of goverment. The 1973 Constitution was amended thrice:

1st - In 1976, to extend the martial rule and substitute Interim Batasang Pambansa for the Regular Batasang Pambansa.
2nd - In 1981, to delegate power to the President, creation of Executive committee and modified parliamentary system.
3rd - In 1984, to create the Office of the Vice President and abolish the Executive Committee

• February 2, 1987 up to present - After Marcos dictatorship, late President Corazon Aquino repealed Marcos-era laws. A Constitutional Commission, composed of 48 members, drafted a new constitution and a people in a plebiscite ratified it. It was mostly modelled on the United States Contitution.

The 1987 Constitution divides the powers into three branches of government: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. Three independent constitutional commissions were formed: Commission on Audit, the Civil Service Commission, and the Commission on Elections. The 1987 Constitution is complete with the Bill of Rights that protects civil and political rights, including regular elections.