The 1987 Constitution: The Constitution of The Republic of The Philippines

THE 1987 CONSTITUTION
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
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 I
National Territory
The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the
islands and waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the
Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial, and
aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular
shelves, and other submarine areas. The waters around, between, and connecting
the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breadth and dimensions, form
part of the internal waters of the Philippines.
ARTICLE II
Declaration of Principles and State Policies
Principles
SECTION 1. The Philippines is a democratic and republican State.

Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from
them.
SECTION 2. The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of

national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as
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part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice,
freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations.
SECTION 3. Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the

military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is the protector of the people and
the State. Its goal is to secure the sovereignty of the State and the integrity of the
national territory.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 5. The maintenance of peace and order, the protection of

life, liberty, and property, and the promotion of the general welfare are essential
for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy.
SECTION 6. The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.
State Policies
SECTION 7. The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In

its relations with other states the paramount consideration shall be national
sovereignty, territorial integrity, national interest, and the right to
self-determination.
SECTION 8. The Philippines, consistent with the national interest,

adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 10. The State shall promote social justice in all phases of
national development.
SECTION 11. The State values the dignity of every human person and
guarantees full respect for human rights. Cdpr
SECTION 12. The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall
protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution. It shall
equally protect the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception.
The natural and primary right and duty of parents in the rearing of the youth for
civic efficiency and the development of moral character shall receive the support
of the Government.
SECTION 13. The State recognizes the vital role of the youth in
nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual,
intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and
nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.
SECTION 14. The State recognizes the role of women in

nation-building, and shall ensure the fundamental equality before the law of
women and men.
SECTION 15. The State shall protect and promote the right to health of
the people and instill health consciousness among them.
SECTION 16. The State shall protect and advance the right of the
people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony
of nature.
SECTION 17. The State shall give priority to education, science and
technology, arts, culture, and sports to foster patriotism and nationalism, accelerate
social progress, and promote total human liberation and development.
SECTION 18. The State affirms labor as a primary social economic

force. It shall protect the rights of workers and promote their welfare.
SECTION 19. The State shall develop a self-reliant and independent

national economy effectively controlled by Filipinos.
SECTION 20. The State recognizes the indispensable role of the private
sector, encourages private enterprise, and provides incentives to needed
investments.
SECTION 21. The State shall promote comprehensive rural

development and agrarian reform.
SECTION 22. The State recognizes and promotes the rights of

indigenous cultural communities within the framework of national unity and
development.
SECTION 23. The State shall encourage non-governmental,

community-based, or sectoral organizations that promote the welfare of the nation.
SECTION 24. The State recognizes the vital role of communication and
information in nation-building.
SECTION 25. The State shall ensure the autonomy of local
governments.
SECTION 26. The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities

for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.
SECTION 27. The State shall maintain honesty and integrity in the
public service and take positive and effective measures against graft and
corruption.
SECTION 28. Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the

State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions
involving public interest.
ARTICLE III
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.
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.
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.
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.
SECTION 12. (1) 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.
(2) No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means

which vitiate the free will shall be used against him. Secret detention places,
solitary, incommunicado, or other similar forms of detention are prohibited.
(3) Any confession or admission obtained in violation of this or Section

17 hereof shall be inadmissible in evidence against him.
(4) The law shall provide for penal and civil sanctions for violations of
this section as well as compensation to and rehabilitation of victims of torture or
similar practices, and their families.
SECTION 13. All persons, except those charged with offenses

punishable by reclusion perpetua when evidence of guilt is strong, shall, before
conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, or be released on recognizance as
may be provided by law. The right to bail shall not be impaired even when the
privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is suspended. Excessive bail shall not be
required.
SECTION 14. (1) No person shall be held to answer for a criminal

offense without due process of law.
(2) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall be presumed innocent

until the contrary is proved, and shall enjoy the right to be heard by himself and
counsel, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, to
have a speedy, impartial, and public trial, to meet the witnesses face to face, and to
have compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses and the production
of evidence in his behalf. However, after arraignment, trial may proceed
notwithstanding the absence of the accused provided that he has been duly notified
and his failure to appear is unjustifiable.
SECTION 15. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be
suspended except in cases of invasion or rebellion when the public safety requires
it.
SECTION 16. All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition
of their cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.
SECTION 17. No person shall be compelled to be a witness against

himself.
SECTION 18. (1) No person shall be detained solely by reason of his

political beliefs and aspirations.
(2) No involuntary servitude in any form shall exist except as a

punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.
SECTION 19. (1) Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel,
degrading or inhuman punishment inflicted. Neither shall death penalty be
imposed, unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress
hereafter provides for it. Any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced to
reclusion perpetua.
(2) The employment of physical, psychological, or degrading punishment

against any prisoner or detainee or the use of substandard or inadequate penal
facilities under subhuman conditions shall be dealt with by law.
SECTION 20. No person shall be imprisoned for debt or non-payment
of a poll tax.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 22. No ex post facto law or bill of attainder shall be enacted.
ARTICLE IV
Citizenship
SECTION 1. The following are citizens of the Philippines:
(1) Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the
adoption of this Constitution;
(2) Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines;
(3) Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who
elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority;
and
(4) Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.
SECTION 2. Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the

Philippines from birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their
Philippine citizenship. Those who elect Philippine citizenship in accordance with
paragraph (3), Section 1 hereof shall be deemed natural-born citizens.
SECTION 3. Philippine citizenship may be lost or reacquired in the
manner provided by law.
SECTION 4. Citizens of the Philippines who marry aliens shall retain

their citizenship, unless by their act or omission they are deemed, under the law, to
have renounced it.
SECTION 5. Dual allegiance of citizens is inimical to the national

interest and shall be dealt with by law.
ARTICLE V
Suffrage
SECTION 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.
SECTION 2. The Congress shall provide a system for securing the

secrecy and sanctity of the ballot as well as a system for absentee voting by
qualified Filipinos abroad.
The Congress shall also design a procedure for the disabled and the
illiterates to vote without the assistance of other persons. Until then, they shall be
allowed to vote under existing laws and such rules as the Commission on Elections
may promulgate to protect the secrecy of the ballot.
ARTICLE VI
The Legislative Department
SECTION 1. The legislative power shall be vested in the Congress of

the Philippines which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives,
except to the extent reserved to the people by the provision on initiative and
referendum.
SECTION 2. The Senate shall be composed of twenty-four Senators

who shall be elected at large by the qualified voters of the Philippines, as may be
provided by law.
SECTION 3. No person shall be a Senator unless he is a natural-born

citizen of the Philippines, and, on the day of the election, is at least thirty-five
years of age, able to read and write, a registered voter, and a resident of the
Philippines for not less than two years immediately preceding the day of the
election.
SECTION 4. The term of office of the Senators shall be six years and
shall commence, unless otherwise provided by law, at noon on the thirtieth 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.
SECTION 5. (1) 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 or organizations.
(2) The party-list representatives shall constitute twenty per centum of the
total number of representatives including those under the party list. For three
consecutive terms after the ratification of this Constitution, one-half of the seats
allocated to party-list representatives shall be filled, as provided by law, by
selection or election from the labor, peasant, urban poor, indigenous cultural
communities, women, youth, and such other sectors as may be provided by law,
except the religious sector.
(3) Each legislative district shall comprise, as far as practicable,

contiguous, compact and adjacent territory. Each city with a population of at least
two hundred fifty thousand, or each province, shall have at least one
representative.
(4) Within three years following the return of every census, the Congress
shall make a reapportionment of legislative districts based on the standards
provided in this section.
SECTION 6. No person shall be a Member of the House of

Representatives unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines and, on the
day of the election, is at least twenty-five years of age, able to read and write, and,
except the party-list representatives, a registered voter in the district in which he
shall be elected, and a resident thereof for a period of not less than one year
immediately preceding the day of the election.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 8. Unless otherwise provided by law, the regular election

of the Senators and the Members of the House of Representatives shall be held on
the second Monday of May.
SECTION 9. In case of vacancy in the Senate or in the House of

Representatives, a special election may be called to fill such vacancy in the
manner prescribed by law, but the Senator or Member of the House of
Representatives thus elected shall serve only for the unexpired term.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 11. A Senator or Member of the House of Representatives

shall, in all offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment, be
privileged from arrest while the Congress is in session. No Member shall be
questioned nor be held liable in any other place for any speech or debate in the
Congress or in any committee thereof.
SECTION 12. All Members of the Senate and the House of

Representatives shall, upon assumption of office, make a full disclosure of their
financial and business interests. They shall notify the House concerned of a
potential conflict of interest that may arise from the filing of a proposed legislation
of which they are authors.
SECTION 13. No Senator or Member of the House of Representatives

may hold any other office or employment in the Government, or any subdivision,
agency, or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled
corporations or their subsidiaries, during his term without forfeiting his seat.
Neither shall he be appointed to any office which may have been created or the
emoluments thereof increased during the term for which he was elected.
SECTION 14. No Senator or Member of the House of Representatives

may personally appear as counsel before any court of justice or before the
Electoral Tribunals, or quasi-judicial and other administrative bodies. Neither shall
he, directly or indirectly, be interested financially in any contract with, or in any
franchise or special privilege granted by the Government, or any subdivision,
agency, or instrumentality thereof, including any government-owned or controlled
corporation, or its subsidiary, during his term of office. He shall not intervene in
any matter before any office of the Government for his pecuniary benefit or where
he may be called upon to act on account of his office.
SECTION 15. The Congress shall convene once every year on the
fourth Monday of July for its regular session, unless a different date is fixed by
law, and shall continue to be in session for such number of days as it may
determine until thirty days before the opening of its next regular session, exclusive
of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. The President may call a special session
at any time.
SECTION 16. (1) The Senate shall elect its President and the House of
Representatives its Speaker, by a majority vote of all its respective Members.
Each House shall choose such other officers as it may deem necessary.
(2) A majority of each House shall constitute a quorum to do business, but

a smaller number may adjourn from day to day and may compel the attendance of
absent Members in such manner, and under such penalties, as such House may
provide.
(3) Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its
Members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two-thirds of all its
Members, suspend or expel a Member. A penalty of suspension, when imposed,
shall not exceed sixty days.
(4) Each House shall keep a Journal of its proceedings, and from time to
time publish the same, excepting such parts as may, in its judgment, affect national
security; and the yeas and nays on any question shall, at the request of one-fifth of
the Members present, be entered in the Journal.
Each House shall also keep a Record of its proceedings.
(5) Neither House during the sessions of the Congress shall, without the
consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than
that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.
SECTION 17. The Senate and the House of Representatives shall each
have an Electoral Tribunal which shall be the sole judge of all contests relating to
the election, returns, and qualifications of their respective Members. Each
Electoral Tribunal shall be composed of nine Members, three of whom shall be
Justices of the Supreme Court to be designated by the Chief Justice, and the
remaining six shall be Members of the Senate or the House of Representatives, as
the case may be, who shall be chosen on the basis of proportional representation
from the political parties and the parties or organizations registered under the
party-list system represented therein. The senior Justice in the Electoral Tribunal
shall be its Chairman.
SECTION 18. There shall be a Commission on Appointments

consisting of the President of the Senate, as ex officio Chairman, twelve Senators
and twelve Members of the House of Representatives, elected by each House on
the basis of proportional representation from the political parties and parties or
organizations registered under the party-list system represented therein. The
Chairman of the Commission shall not vote, except in case of a tie. The
Commission shall act on all appointments submitted to it within thirty session days
of the Congress from their submission. The Commission shall rule by a majority
vote of all the Members.
SECTION 19. The Electoral Tribunals and the Commission on

Appointments shall be constituted within thirty days after the Senate and the
House of Representatives shall have been organized with the election of the
President and the Speaker. The Commission on Appointments shall meet only
while the Congress is in session, at the call of its Chairman or a majority of all its
Members, to discharge such powers and functions as are herein conferred upon it.
SECTION 20. The records and books of accounts of the Congress shall
be preserved and be open to the public in accordance with law, and such books
shall be audited by the Commission on Audit which shall publish annually an
itemized list of amounts paid to and expenses incurred for each Member.
SECTION 21. The Senate or the House of Representatives or any of its

respective committees may conduct inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance
with its duly published rules of procedure. The rights of persons appearing in or
affected by such inquiries shall be respected.
SECTION 22. The heads of departments may upon their own initiative,
with the consent of the President, or upon the request of either House, as the rules
of each House shall provide, appear before and be heard by such House on any
matter pertaining to their departments. Written questions shall be submitted to the
President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives at least
three days before their scheduled appearance. Interpellations shall not be limited to
written questions, but may cover matters related thereto. When the security of the
State or the public interest so requires and the President so states in writing, the
appearance shall be conducted in executive session.
SECTION 23. (1) The Congress, by a vote of two-thirds of both Houses

in joint session assembled, voting separately, shall have the sole power to declare
the existence of a state of war.
(2) In times of war or other national emergency, the Congress may, by

law, authorize the President, for a limited period and subject to such restrictions as
it may prescribe, to exercise powers necessary and proper to carry out a declared
national policy. Unless sooner withdrawn by resolution of the Congress, such
powers shall cease upon the next adjournment thereof.
SECTION 24. All appropriation, revenue or tariff bills, bills
authorizing increase of the public debt, bills of local application, and private bills
shall originate exclusively in the House of Representatives, but the Senate may
propose or concur with amendments.
SECTION 25. (1) The Congress may not increase the appropriations
recommended by the President for the operation of the Government as specified in
the budget. The form, content, and manner of preparation of the budget shall be
prescribed by law.
(2) No provision or enactment shall be embraced in the general

appropriations bill unless it relates specifically to some particular appropriation
therein. Any such provision or enactment shall be limited in its operation to the
appropriation to which it relates.
(3) The procedure in approving appropriations for the Congress shall

strictly follow the procedure for approving appropriations for other departments
and agencies.
(4) A special appropriations bill shall specify the purpose for which it is
intended, and shall be supported by funds actually available as certified by the
National Treasurer, or to be raised by a corresponding revenue proposed therein.
(5) No law shall be passed authorizing any transfer of appropriations;

however, the President, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the heads of
Constitutional Commissions may, by law, be authorized to augment any item in
the general appropriations law for their respective offices from savings in other
items of their respective appropriations.
(6) Discretionary funds appropriated for particular officials shall be

disbursed only for public purposes to be supported by appropriate vouchers and
subject to such guidelines as may be prescribed by law.
(7) If, by the end of any fiscal year, the Congress shall have failed to pass
the general appropriations bill for the ensuing fiscal year, the general
appropriations law for the preceding fiscal year shall be deemed reenacted and
shall remain in force and effect until the general appropriations bill is passed by
the Congress.
SECTION 26. (1) Every bill passed by the Congress shall embrace only
one subject which shall be expressed in the title thereof.
(2) No bill passed by either House shall become a law unless it has passed
three readings on separate days, and printed copies thereof in its final form have
been distributed to its Members three days before its passage, except when the
President certifies to the necessity of its immediate enactment to meet a public
calamity or emergency. Upon the last reading of a bill, no amendment thereto shall
be allowed, and the vote thereon shall be taken immediately thereafter, and the
yeas and nays entered in the Journal.
SECTION 27. (1) Every bill passed by the Congress shall, before it
becomes a law, be presented to the President. If he approves the same, he shall
sign it; otherwise, he shall veto it and return the same with his objections to the
House where it originated, which shall enter the objections at large in its Journal
and proceed to reconsider it. If, after such reconsideration, two-thirds of all the
Members of such House shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent, together with
the objections, to the other House by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and
if approved by two-thirds of all the Members of that House, it shall become a law.
In all such cases, the votes of each House shall be determined by yeas or nays, and
the names of the Members voting for or against shall be entered in its Journal. The
President shall communicate his veto of any bill to the House where it originated
within thirty days after the date of receipt thereof; otherwise, it shall become a law
as if he had signed it.
(2) The President shall have the power to veto any particular item or items
in an appropriation, revenue, or tariff bill, but the veto shall not affect the item or
items to which he does not object.
SECTION 28. (1) The rule of taxation shall be uniform and equitable.
The Congress shall evolve a progressive system of taxation.
(2) The Congress may, by law, authorize the President to fix within
specified limits, and subject to such limitations and restrictions as it may impose,
tariff rates, import and export quotas, tonnage and wharfage dues, and other duties
or imposts within the framework of the national development program of the
Government.
(3) Charitable institutions, churches and parsonages or convents

appurtenant thereto, mosques, non-profit cemeteries, and all lands, buildings, and
improvements, actually, directly, and exclusively used for religious, charitable, or
educational purposes shall be exempt from taxation.
(4) No law granting any tax exemption shall be passed without the
concurrence of a majority of all the Members of the Congress.
SECTION 29. (1) No money shall be paid out of the Treasury except in
pursuance of an appropriation made by law.
(2) No public money or property shall be appropriated, applied, paid, or

employed, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect,
church, denomination, sectarian institution, or system of religion, or of any priest,
preacher, minister, or other religious teacher, or dignitary as such, except when
such priest, preacher, minister, or dignitary is assigned to the armed forces, or to
any penal institution, or government orphanage or leprosarium.
(3) All money collected on any tax levied for a special purpose shall be
treated as a special fund and paid out for such purpose only. If the purpose for
which a special fund was created has been fulfilled or abandoned, the balance, if
any, shall be transferred to the general funds of the Government.
SECTION 30. No law shall be passed increasing the appellate

jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as provided in this Constitution without its
advice and concurrence.
SECTION 31. No law granting a title of royalty or nobility shall be

enacted.
SECTION 32. The Congress shall, as early as possible, provide for a

system of initiative and referendum, and the exceptions therefrom, whereby the
people can directly propose and enact laws or approve or reject any act or law or
part thereof passed by the Congress or local legislative body after the registration
of a petition therefor signed by at least ten per centum of the total number of
registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least
three per centum of the registered voters thereof.
ARTICLE VII
Executive Department
SECTION 1. The executive power shall be vested in the President of

the Philippines.
SECTION 2. No person may be elected President unless he is a

natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, able to read and write, at
least forty years of age on the day of the election, and a resident of the Philippines
for at least ten years immediately preceding such election.
SECTION 3. There shall be a Vice-President who shall have the same

qualifications and term of office and be elected with and in the same manner as the
President. He may be removed from office in the same manner as the President.
The Vice-President may be appointed as a Member of the Cabinet. Such
appointment requires no confirmation.
SECTION 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 consecutive 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.
Unless otherwise provided by law, the regular election for President and
Vice-President shall be held on the second Monday of May.
The returns of every election for President and Vice-President, duly

certified by the board of canvassers of each province or city, shall be transmitted
to the Congress, directed to the President of the Senate. Upon receipt of the
certificates of canvass, the President of the Senate shall, not later than thirty days
after the day of the election, open all certificates in the presence of the Senate and
the House of Representatives in joint public session, and the Congress, upon
determination of the authenticity and due execution thereof in the manner
provided by law, canvass the votes.
The person having the highest number of votes shall be proclaimed elected,
but in case two or more shall have an equal and highest number of votes, one of
them shall forthwith be chosen by the vote of a majority of all the Members of
both Houses of the Congress, voting separately.
The Congress shall promulgate its rules for the canvassing of the
certificates.
The Supreme Court, sitting en banc, shall be the sole judge of all contests
relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of the President or Vice-
President, and may promulgate its rules for the purpose.
SECTION 5. Before they enter on the execution of their office, the

President, the Vice-President, or the Acting President shall take the following oath
or affirmation:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully and

conscientiously fulfill my duties as President (or Vice-President or Acting
President) of the Philippines, preserve and defend its Constitution, execute
its laws, do justice to every man, and consecrate myself to the service of the
Nation. So help me God." (In case of affirmation, last sentence will be
omitted.)
SECTION 6. The President shall have an official residence. The

salaries of the President and Vice-President shall be determined by law and shall
not be decreased during their tenure. No increase in said compensation shall take
effect until after the expiration of the term of the incumbent during which such
increase was approved. They shall not receive during their tenure any other
emolument from the Government or any other source.
SECTION 7. The President-elect and the Vice-President-elect shall
assume office at the beginning of their terms.
If the President-elect fails to qualify, the Vice-President-elect shall act as

President until the President-elect shall have qualified.
If a President shall not have been chosen, the Vice-President-elect shall act
as President until a President shall have been chosen and qualified.
If at the beginning of the term of the President, the President-elect shall

have died or shall have become permanently disabled, the Vice-President-elect
shall become President.
Where no President and Vice-President shall have been chosen or shall

have qualified, or where both shall have died or become permanently disabled, the
President of the Senate or, in case of his inability, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives shall act as President until a President or a Vice-President shall
have been chosen and qualified.
The Congress shall, by law, provide for the manner in which one who is to
act as President shall be selected until a President or a Vice-President shall have
qualified, in case of death, permanent disability, or inability of the officials
mentioned in the next preceding paragraph.
SECTION 8. In case of death, permanent disability, removal from

office, or resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall become the
President to serve the unexpired term. In case of death, permanent disability,
removal from office, or resignation of both the President and Vice-President, the
President of the Senate or, in case of his inability, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, shall then act as President until the President or Vice-President
shall have been elected and qualified.
The Congress shall, by law, provide who shall serve as President in case of
death, permanent disability, or resignation of the Acting President. He shall serve
until the President or the Vice-President shall have been elected and qualified, and
be subject to the same restrictions of powers and disqualifications as the Acting
President.
SECTION 9. Whenever there is a vacancy in the Office of the

Vice-President during the term for which he was elected, the President shall
nominate a Vice-President from among the Members of the Senate and the House
of Representatives who shall assume office upon confirmation by a majority vote
of all the Members of both Houses of the Congress, voting separately.
SECTION 10. The Congress shall, at ten o'clock in the morning of the
third day after the vacancy in the offices of the President and Vice-President
occurs, convene in accordance with its rules without need of a call and within
seven days enact a law calling for a special election to elect a President and a
Vice-President to be held not earlier than forty-five days nor later than sixty days
from the time of such call. The bill calling such special election shall be deemed
certified under paragraph 2, Section 26, Article VI of this Constitution and shall
become law upon its approval on third reading by the Congress. Appropriations
for the special election shall be charged against any current appropriations and
shall be exempt from the requirements of paragraph 4, Section 25, Article VI of
this Constitution. The convening of the Congress cannot be suspended nor the
special election postponed. No special election shall be called if the vacancy
occurs within eighteen months before the date of the next presidential election.
SECTION 11. Whenever the President transmits to the President of the

Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration
that he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, and until he
transmits to them a written declaration to the contrary, such powers and duties
shall be discharged by the Vice-President as Acting President.
Whenever a majority of all the Members of the Cabinet transmit to the

President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives their
written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties
of his office, the Vice-President shall immediately assume the powers and duties
of the office as Acting President.
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President of the Senate and
to the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no
inability exists, he shall reassume the powers and duties of his office. Meanwhile,
should a majority of all the Members of the Cabinet transmit within five days to
the President of the Senate and to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and
duties of his office, the Congress shall decide the issue. For that purpose, the
Congress shall convene, if it is not in session, within forty-eight hours, in
accordance with its rules and without need of call.
If the Congress, within ten days after receipt of the last written declaration,
or, if not in session, within twelve days after it is required to assemble, determines
by a two-thirds vote of both Houses, voting separately, that the President is unable
to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice-President shall act as the
President; otherwise, the President shall continue exercising the powers and duties
of his office.
SECTION 12. In case of serious illness of the President, the public shall
be informed of the state of his health. The Members of the Cabinet in charge of
national security and foreign relations and the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces
of the Philippines, shall not be denied access to the President during such illness.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 14. Appointments extended by an Acting President shall

remain effective, unless revoked by the elected President within ninety days from
his assumption or reassumption of office.
SECTION 15. Two months immediately before the next presidential

elections and up to the end of his term, a President or Acting President shall not
make appointments, except temporary appointments to executive positions when
continued vacancies therein will prejudice public service or endanger public
safety.
SECTION 16. The President shall nominate and, with the consent of
the Commission on Appointments, appoint the heads of the executive departments,
ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, or officers of the armed forces
from the rank of colonel or naval captain, and other officers whose appointments
are vested in him in this Constitution. He shall also appoint all other officers of the
Government whose appointments are not otherwise provided for by law, and those
whom he may be authorized by law to appoint. The Congress may, by law, vest
the appointment of other officers lower in rank in the President alone, in the
courts, or in the heads of departments, agencies, commissions, or boards.
The President shall have the power to make appointments during the recess
of the Congress, whether voluntary or compulsory, but such appointments shall be
effective only until after disapproval by the Commission on Appointments or until
the next adjournment of the Congress.
SECTION 17. The President shall have control of all the executive
departments, bureaus, and offices. He shall ensure that the laws be faithfully
executed.
SECTION 18. The President shall be the Commander-in-Chief of all

armed forces of the Philippines and whenever it becomes necessary, he may call
out such armed forces to prevent or suppress lawless violence, invasion or
rebellion. In case of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it, he
may, for a period not exceeding sixty days, suspend the privilege of the writ of
habeas corpus or place the Philippines or any part thereof under martial law.
Within forty-eight hours from the proclamation of martial law or the suspension of
the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, the President shall submit a report in
person or in writing to the Congress. The Congress, voting jointly, by a vote of at
least a majority of all its Members in regular or special session, may revoke such
proclamation or suspension, which revocation shall not be set aside by the
President. Upon the initiative of the President, the Congress may, in the same
manner, extend such proclamation or suspension for a period to be determined by
the Congress, if the invasion or rebellion shall persist and public safety requires it.
The Congress, if not in session, shall, within twenty-four hours following

such proclamation or suspension, convene in accordance with its rules without any
need of a call.
The Supreme Court may review, in an appropriate proceeding filed by any

citizen, the sufficiency of the factual basis of the proclamation of martial law or
the suspension of the privilege of the writ or the extension thereof, and must
promulgate its decision thereon within thirty days from its filing.
A state of martial law does not suspend the operation of the Constitution,
nor supplant the functioning of the civil courts or legislative assemblies, nor
authorize the conferment of jurisdiction on military courts and agencies over
civilians where civil courts are able to function, nor automatically suspend the
privilege of the writ.
The suspension of the privilege of the writ shall apply only to persons
judicially charged for rebellion or offenses inherent in or directly connected with
the invasion.
During the suspension of the privilege of the writ, any person thus arrested
or detained shall be judicially charged within three days, otherwise he shall be
released.
SECTION 19. Except in cases of impeachment, or as otherwise

provided in this Constitution, the President may grant reprieves, commutations and
pardons, and remit fines and forfeitures, after conviction by final judgment.
He shall also have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a
majority of all the Members of the Congress.
SECTION 20. The President may contract or guarantee foreign loans

on behalf of the Republic of the Philippines with the prior concurrence of the
Monetary Board, and subject to such limitations as may be provided by law. The
Monetary Board shall, within thirty days from the end of every quarter of the
calendar year, submit to the Congress a complete report of its decisions on
applications for loans to be contracted or guaranteed by the Government or
government-owned and controlled corporations which would have the effect of
increasing the foreign debt, and containing other matters as may be provided by
law.
SECTION 21. No treaty or international agreement shall be valid and

effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the Members of the
Senate.
SECTION 22. The President shall submit to the Congress within thirty
days from the opening of every regular session, as the basis of the general
appropriations bill, a budget of expenditures and sources of financing, including
receipts from existing and proposed revenue measures.
SECTION 23. The President shall address the Congress at the opening
of its regular session. He may also appear before it at any other time.
ARTICLE VIII
Judicial Department
SECTION 1. The judicial power shall be vested in one Supreme Court

and in such lower courts as may be established by law.
Judicial power includes the duty of the courts of justice to settle actual
controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable, and
to determine whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting
to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the
Government.
SECTION 2. The Congress shall have the power to define, prescribe,

and apportion the jurisdiction of various courts but may not deprive the Supreme
Court of its jurisdiction over cases enumerated in Section 5 hereof.
No law shall be passed reorganizing the Judiciary when it undermines the

security of tenure of its Members.
SECTION 3. The Judiciary shall enjoy fiscal autonomy.

Appropriations for the Judiciary may not be reduced by the legislature below the
amount appropriated for the previous year and, after approval, shall be
automatically and regularly released.
SECTION 4. (1) The Supreme Court shall be composed of a Chief

Justice and fourteen Associate Justices. It may sit en banc or in its discretion, in
divisions of three, five, or seven Members. Any vacancy shall be filled within
ninety days from the occurrence thereof.
(2) All cases involving the constitutionality of a treaty, international or

executive agreement, or law, which shall be heard by the Supreme Court en banc,
and all other cases which under the Rules of Court are required to be heard en
banc, including those involving the constitutionality, application, or operation of
presidential decrees, proclamations, orders, instructions, ordinances, and other
regulations, shall be decided with the concurrence of a majority of the Members
who actually took part in the deliberations on the issues in the case and voted
thereon.
(3) Cases or matters heard by a division shall be decided or resolved with

the concurrence of a majority of the Members who actually took part in the
deliberations on the issues in the case and voted thereon, and in no case, without
the concurrence of at least three of such Members. When the required number is
not obtained, the case shall be decided en banc: Provided, that no doctrine or
principle of law laid down by the court in a decision rendered en banc or in
division may be modified or reversed except by the court sitting en banc.
SECTION 5. The Supreme Court shall have the following powers:
(1) Exercise original jurisdiction over cases affecting ambassadors,

other public ministers and consuls, and over petitions for
certiorari, prohibition, mandamus, quo warranto, and habeas
corpus.
(2) Review, revise, reverse, modify, or affirm on appeal or

certiorari, as the law or the Rules of Court may provide, final
judgments and orders of lower courts in:
(a) All cases in which the constitutionality or validity of any

treaty, international or executive agreement, law,
presidential decree, proclamation, order, instruction,
ordinance, or regulation is in question.
(b) All cases involving the legality of any tax, impost,

assessment, or toll, or any penalty imposed in relation
thereto.
(c) All cases in which the jurisdiction of any lower court is

in issue.
(d) All criminal cases in which the penalty imposed is

reclusion perpetua or higher.
(e) All cases in which only an error or question of law is

involved.
(3) Assign temporarily judges of lower courts to other stations as

public interest may require. Such temporary assignment shall
not exceed six months without the consent of the judge
concerned.
(4) Order a change of venue or place of trial to avoid a miscarriage

of justice.
(5) Promulgate rules concerning the protection and enforcement of

constitutional rights, pleading, practice, and procedure in all
courts, the admission to the practice of law, the Integrated Bar,
and legal assistance to the underprivileged. Such rules shall
provide a simplified and inexpensive procedure for the speedy
disposition of cases, shall be uniform for all courts of the same
grade, and shall not diminish, increase, or modify substantive
rights. Rules of procedure of special courts and quasi-judicial
bodies shall remain effective unless disapproved by the
Supreme Court.
(6) Appoint all officials and employees of the Judiciary in

accordance with the Civil Service Law.
SECTION 6. The Supreme Court shall have administrative

supervision over all courts and the personnel thereof.
SECTION 7. (1) No person shall be appointed Member of the

Supreme Court or any lower collegiate court unless he is a natural-born citizen of
the Philippines. A Member of the Supreme Court must be at least forty years of
age, and must have been for fifteen years or more a judge of a lower court or
engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines.
(2) The Congress shall prescribe the qualifications of judges of lower

courts, but no person may be appointed judge thereof unless he is a citizen of the
Philippines and a member of the Philippine Bar.
(3) A Member of the Judiciary must be a person of proven competence,

integrity, probity, and independence.
SECTION 8. (1) A Judicial and Bar Council is hereby created under

the supervision of the Supreme Court composed of the Chief Justice as ex officio
Chairman, the Secretary of Justice, and a representative of the Congress as ex
officio Members, a representative of the Integrated Bar, a professor of law, a
retired Member of the Supreme Court, and a representative of the private sector.
(2) The regular Members of the Council shall be appointed by the

President for a term of four years with the consent of the Commission on
Appointments. Of the Members first appointed, the representative of the Integrated
Bar shall serve for four years, the professor of law for three years, the retired
Justice for two years, and the representative of the private sector for one year.
(3) The Clerk of the Supreme Court shall be the Secretary ex officio of the
Council and shall keep a record of its proceedings.
(4) The regular Members of the Council shall receive such emoluments as
may be determined by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court shall provide in its
annual budget the appropriations for the Council.
(5) The Council shall have the principal function of recommending
appointees to the Judiciary. It may exercise such other functions and duties as the
Supreme Court may assign to it.
SECTION 9. The Members of the Supreme Court and judges of lower

courts shall be appointed by the President from a list of at least three nominees
prepared by the Judicial and Bar Council for every vacancy. Such appointments
need no confirmation.
For the lower courts, the President shall issue the appointments within
ninety days from the submission of the list.
SECTION 10. The salary of the Chief Justice and of the Associate
Justices of the Supreme Court, and of judges of lower courts shall be fixed by law.
During their continuance in office, their salary shall not be decreased.
SECTION 11. The Members of the Supreme Court and judges of lower
courts shall hold office during good behavior until they reached the age of seventy
years or become incapacitated to discharge the duties of their office. The Supreme
Court en banc shall have the power to discipline judges of lower courts, or order
their dismissal by a vote of a majority of the Members who actually took part in
the deliberations on the issues in the case and voted thereon.
SECTION 12. The Members of the Supreme Court and of other courts
established by law shall not be designated to any agency performing quasi-judicial
or administrative functions.
SECTION 13. The conclusions of the Supreme Court in any case

submitted to it for decision en banc or in division shall be reached in consultation
before the case is assigned to a Member for the writing of the opinion of the Court.
A certification to this effect signed by the Chief Justice shall be issued and a copy
thereof attached to the record of the case and served upon the parties. Any
Member who took no part, or dissented, or abstained from a decision or resolution
must state the reason therefor. The same requirements shall be observed by all
lower collegiate courts.
SECTION 14. No decision shall be rendered by any court without

expressing therein clearly and distinctly the facts and the law on which it is based.
No petition for review or motion for reconsideration of a decision of the

court shall be refused due course or denied without stating the legal basis therefor.
SECTION 15. (1) All cases or matters filed after the effectivity of this
Constitution must be decided or resolved within twenty-four months from date of
submission for the Supreme Court, and, unless reduced by the Supreme Court,
twelve months for all lower collegiate courts, and three months for all other lower
courts.
(2) A case or matter shall be deemed submitted for decision or resolution

upon the filing of the last pending, brief, or memorandum required by the Rules of
Court or by the court itself.
(3) Upon the expiration of the corresponding period, a certification to this

effect signed by the Chief Justice or the presiding judge shall forthwith be issued
and a copy thereof attached to the record of the case or matter, and served upon the
parties. The certification shall state why a decision or resolution has not been
rendered or issued within said period.
(4) Despite the expiration of the applicable mandatory period, the court,
without prejudice to such responsibility as may have been incurred in consequence
thereof, shall decide or resolve the case or matter submitted thereto for
determination, without further delay.
SECTION 16. The Supreme Court shall, within thirty days from the
opening of each regular session of the Congress, submit to the President and the
Congress an annual report on the operations and activities of the Judiciary.
ARTICLE IX
Constitutional Commissions
A. Common Provisions
SECTION 1. The Constitutional Commissions, which shall be

independent, are the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Elections, and
the Commission on Audit.
SECTION 2. No Member of a Constitutional Commission shall,

during his tenure, hold any other office or employment. Neither shall he engage in
the practice of any profession or in the active management or control of any
business which in any way be affected by the functions of his office, nor shall he
be financially interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract with, or in any
franchise or privilege granted by the Government, any of its subdivisions,
agencies, or instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled
corporations or their subsidiaries.
SECTION 3. The salary of the Chairman and the Commissioners shall

be fixed by law and shall not be decreased during their tenure.
SECTION 4. The Constitutional Commissions shall appoint their

officials and employees in accordance with law.
SECTION 5. The Commission shall enjoy fiscal autonomy. Their

approved annual appropriations shall be automatically and regularly released.
SECTION 6. Each Commission en banc may promulgate its own rules

concerning pleadings and practice before it or before any of its offices. Such rules
however shall not diminish, increase, or modify substantive rights.
SECTION 7. Each Commission shall decide by a majority vote of all

its Members any case or matter brought before it within sixty days from the date of
its submission for decision or resolution. A case or matter is deemed submitted for
decision or resolution upon the filing of the last pleading, brief, or memorandum
required by the rules of the Commission or by the Commission itself. Unless
otherwise provided by this Constitution or by law, any decision, order, or ruling of
each Commission may be brought to the Supreme Court on certiorari by the
aggrieved party within thirty days from receipt of a copy thereof.
SECTION 8. Each Commission shall perform such other functions as

may be provided by law.
B. The Civil Service Commission
SECTION 1. (1) The Civil Service shall be administered by the Civil

Service Commission composed of a Chairman and two Commissioners who shall
be natural-born citizens of the Philippines and, at the time of their appointment, at
least thirty-five years of age, with proven capacity for public administration, and
must not have been candidates for any elective position in the elections
immediately preceding their appointment.
(2) The Chairman and the Commissioners shall be appointed by the

President with the consent of the Commission on Appointments for a term of
seven years without reappointment. Of those first appointed, the Chairman shall
hold office for seven years, a Commissioner for five years, and another
Commissioner for three years, without reappointment. Appointment to any
vacancy shall be only for the unexpired term of the predecessor. In no case shall
any Member be appointed or designated in a temporary or acting capacity.
SECTION 2. (1) The civil service embraces all branches, subdivisions,

instrumentalities, and agencies of the Government, including government-owned
or controlled corporations with original charters.
(2) Appointments in the civil service shall be made only according to

merit and fitness to be determined, as far as practicable, and, except to positions
which are policy-determining, primarily confidential, or highly technical, by
competitive examination.
(3) No officer or employee of the civil service shall be removed or

suspended except for cause provided by law.
(4) No officer or employee in the civil service shall engage, directly or

indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.
(5) The right to self-organization shall not be denied to government

employees.
(6) Temporary employees of the Government shall be given such

protection as may be provided by law.
SECTION 3. The Civil Service Commission, as the central personnel

agency of the Government, shall establish a career service and adopt measures to
promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness, and
courtesy in the civil service. It shall strengthen the merit and rewards system,
integrate all human resources development programs for all levels and ranks, and
institutionalize a management climate conducive to public accountability. It shall
submit to the President and the Congress an annual report on its personnel
programs.
SECTION 4. All public officers and employees shall take an oath or

affirmation to uphold and defend this Constitution.
SECTION 5. The Congress shall provide for the standardization of

compensation of government officials and employees, including those in
government-owned or controlled corporations with original charters, taking into
account the nature of the responsibilities pertaining to, and the qualifications
required for their positions.
SECTION 6. No candidate who has lost in any election shall, within

one year after such election, be appointed to any office in the Government or any
government-owned or controlled corporations or in any of their subsidiaries.
SECTION 7. No elective official shall be eligible for appointment or

designation in any capacity to any public office or position during his tenure.
Unless otherwise allowed by law or by the primary functions of his

position, no appointive official shall hold any other office or employment in the
Government or any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including
government-owned or controlled corporations or their subsidiaries.
SECTION 8. No elective or appointive public officer or employee
shall receive additional, double, or indirect compensation, unless specifically
authorized by law, nor accept without the consent of the Congress, any present,
emolument, office, or title of any kind from any foreign government.
Pensions or gratuities shall not be considered as additional, double, or

indirect compensation.
C. The Commission on Elections
SECTION 1. (1) There shall be a Commission on Elections composed

of a Chairman and six Commissioners who shall be natural-born citizens of the
Philippines and, at the time of their appointment, at least thirty-five years of age,
holders of a college degree, and must not have been candidates for any elective
position in the immediately preceding elections. However, a majority thereof,
including the Chairman, shall be Members of the Philippine Bar who have been
engaged in the practice of law for at least ten years.

seven years without reappointment. Of those first appointed, three Members shall
hold office for seven years, two Members for five years, and the last Members for
three years, without reappointment. Appointment to any vacancy shall be only for
the unexpired term of the predecessor. In no case shall any Member be appointed
or designated in a temporary or acting capacity.
SECTION 2. The Commission on Elections shall exercise the

following powers and functions:
(1) Enforce and administer all laws and regulations relative to the
conduct of an election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum, and
recall.
(2) Exercise exclusive original jurisdiction over all contests relating

to the elections, returns, and qualifications of all elective
regional, provincial, and city officials, and appellate jurisdiction
over all contests involving elective municipal officials decided
by trial courts of general jurisdiction, or involving elective
barangay officials decided by trial courts of limited jurisdiction.
Decisions, final orders, or rulings of the Commission on

election contests involving elective municipal and barangay offices
shall be final, executory, and not appealable.
(3) Decide, except those involving the right to vote, all questions
affecting elections, including determination of the number and
location of polling places, appointment of election officials and
inspectors, and registration of voters.
(4) Deputize, with the concurrence of the President, law

enforcement agencies and instrumentalities of the Government,
including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, for the
exclusive purpose of ensuring free, orderly, honest, peaceful,
and credible elections.
(5) Register, after sufficient publication, political parties,

organizations, or coalitions which, in addition to other
requirements, must present their platform or program of
government; and accredit citizens' arms of the Commission on
Elections. Religious denominations and sects shall not be
registered. Those which seek to achieve their goals through
violence or unlawful means, or refuse to uphold and adhere to
this Constitution, or which are supported by any foreign
government shall likewise be refused registration.
Financial contributions from foreign governments and

their agencies to political parties, organizations, coalitions, or
candidates related to elections constitute interference in
national affairs, and, when accepted, shall be an additional
ground for the cancellation of their registration with the
Commission, in addition to other penalties that may be
prescribed by law.
(6) File, upon a verified complaint, or on its own initiative,

petitions in court for inclusion or exclusion of voters;
investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute cases of
violations of election laws, including acts or omissions
constituting election frauds, offenses, and malpractices.
(7) Recommend to the Congress effective measures to minimize

election spending, including limitation of places where
propaganda materials shall be posted, and to prevent and
penalize all forms of election frauds, offenses, malpractices,
and nuisance candidacies.
(8) Recommend to the President the removal of any officer or

employee it has deputized, or the imposition of any other
disciplinary action, for violation or disregard of, or
disobedience to its directive, order, or decision.
(9) Submit to the President and the Congress a comprehensive

report on the conduct of each election, plebiscite, initiative,
referendum, or recall.
SECTION 3. The Commission on Elections may sit en banc or in two

divisions, and shall promulgate its rules of procedure in order to expedite
disposition of election cases, including pre-proclamation controversies. All such
election cases shall be heard and decided in division, provided that motions for
reconsideration of decisions shall be decided by the Commission en banc.
SECTION 4. The Commission may, during the election period,

supervise or regulate the enjoyment or utilization of all franchises or permits for
the operation of transportation and other public utilities, media of communication
or information, all grants, special privileges, or concessions granted by the
Government or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including any
government-owned or controlled corporation or its subsidiary. Such supervision or
regulation shall aim to ensure equal opportunity, time, and space, and the right to
reply, including reasonable, equal rates therefor, for public information campaigns
and forums among candidates in connection with the objective of holding free,
orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.
SECTION 5. No pardon, amnesty, parole, or suspension of sentence

for violation of election laws, rules, and regulations shall be granted by the
President without the favorable recommendation of the Commission.
SECTION 6. A free and open party system shall be allowed to evolve

according to the free choice of the people, subject to the provisions of this Article.
SECTION 7. No votes cast in favor of a political party, organization,

or coalition shall be valid, except for those registered under the party-list system as
provided in this Constitution.
SECTION 8. Political parties, or organizations or coalitions registered

under the party-list system, shall not be represented in the voters' registration
boards, boards of election inspectors, boards of canvassers, or other similar bodies.
However, they shall be entitled to appoint poll watchers in accordance with law.
SECTION 9. Unless otherwise fixed by the Commission in special

cases, the election period shall commence ninety days before the day of the
election and shall end thirty days after.
SECTION 10. Bona fide candidates for any public office shall be free
from any form of harassment and discrimination.
SECTION 11. Funds certified by the Commission as necessary to

defray the expenses for holding regular and special elections, plebiscites,
initiatives, referenda, and recalls, shall be provided in the regular or special
appropriations and, once approved, shall be released automatically upon
certification by the Chairman of the Commission.
D. Commission on Audit
SECTION 1. (1) There shall be a Commission on Audit composed of

a Chairman and two Commissioners, who shall be natural-born citizens of the
Philippines and, at the time of their appointment, at least thirty-five years of age,
certified public accountants with not less than ten years of auditing experience, or
members of the Philippine Bar who have been engaged in the practice of law for at
least ten years, and must not have been candidates for any elective position in the
elections immediately preceding their appointment. At no time shall all Members
of the Commission belong to the same profession.

seven years without reappointment. Of those first appointed, the Chairman shall
hold office for seven years, one Commissioner for five years, and the other
Commissioner for three years, without reappointment. Appointment to any
vacancy shall be only for the unexpired portion of the term of the predecessor. In
no case shall any Member be appointed or designated in a temporary or acting
capacity.
SECTION 2. (1) The Commission on Audit shall have the power,

authority, and duty to examine, audit, and settle all accounts pertaining to the
revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property, owned or
held in trust by, or pertaining to, the Government, or any of its subdivisions,
agencies, or instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled
corporations with original charters, and on a post-audit basis: (a) constitutional
bodies, commissions and offices that have been granted fiscal autonomy under this
Constitution; (b) autonomous state colleges and universities; (c) other
government-owned or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries; and (d) such
non-governmental entities receiving subsidy or equity, directly or indirectly, from
or through the Government, which are required by law or the granting institution
to submit to such audit as a condition of subsidy or equity. However, where the
internal control system of the audited agencies is inadequate, the Commission may
adopt such measures, including temporary or special pre-audit, as are necessary
and appropriate to correct the deficiencies. It shall keep the general accounts of the
Government and, for such period as may be provided by law, preserve the
vouchers and other supporting papers pertaining thereto.
(2) The Commission shall have exclusive authority, subject to the

limitations in this Article, to define the scope of its audit and examination,
establish the techniques and methods required therefor, and promulgate accounting
and auditing rules and regulations, including those for the prevention and
disallowance of irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable
expenditures, or uses of government funds and properties.
SECTION 3. No law shall be passed exempting any entity of the

Government or its subsidiary in any guise whatever, or any investment of public
funds, from the jurisdiction of the Commission on Audit.
SECTION 4. The Commission shall submit to the President and the

Congress, within the time fixed by law, an annual report covering the financial
condition and operation of the Government, its subdivisions, agencies, and
instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations, and
non-governmental entities subject to its audit, and recommend measures necessary
to improve their effectiveness and efficiency. It shall submit such other reports as
may be required by law.
ARTICLE X
Local Government
General Provisions
SECTION 1. The territorial and political subdivisions of the Republic

of the Philippines are the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays. There
shall be autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras as
hereinafter provided.
SECTION 2. The territorial and political subdivisions shall enjoy local

autonomy.
SECTION 3. The Congress shall enact a local government code which

shall provide for a more responsive and accountable local government structure
instituted through a system of decentralization with effective mechanisms of
recall, initiative, and referendum, allocate among the different local government
units their powers, responsibilities, and resources, and provide for the
qualifications, election, appointment and removal, term, salaries, powers and
functions and duties of local officials, and all other matters relating to the
organization and operation of the local units.
SECTION 4. The President of the Philippines shall exercise general

supervision over local governments. Provinces with respect to component cities
and municipalities, and cities and municipalities with respect to component
barangays shall ensure that the acts of their component units are within the scope
of their prescribed powers and functions.
SECTION 5. Each local government unit shall have the power to

create its own sources of revenues and to levy taxes, fees, and charges subject to
such guidelines and limitations as the Congress may provide, consistent with the
basic policy of local autonomy. Such taxes, fees, and charges shall accrue
exclusively to the local governments.
SECTION 6. Local government units shall have a just share, as

determined by law, in the national taxes which shall be automatically released to
them.
SECTION 7. Local governments shall be entitled to an equitable share

in the proceeds of the utilization and development of the national wealth within
their respective areas, in the manner provided by law, including sharing the same
with the inhabitants by way of direct benefits.
SECTION 8. The term of office of elective local officials, except

barangay officials, which shall be determined by law, shall be three years and no
such official 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.
SECTION 9. Legislative bodies of local governments shall have

sectoral representation as may be prescribed by law.
SECTION 10. No province, city, municipality, or barangay may be

created, divided, merged, abolished, or its boundary substantially altered, except in
accordance with the criteria established in the Local Government Code and subject
to approval by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite in the political units
directly affected.
SECTION 11. The Congress may, by law, create special metropolitan

political subdivisions, subject to a plebiscite as set forth in Section 10 hereof. The
component cities and municipalities shall retain their basic autonomy and shall be
entitled to their own local executives and legislative assemblies. The jurisdiction
of the metropolitan authority that will hereby be created shall be limited to basic
services requiring coordination.
SECTION 12. Cities that are highly urbanized, as determined by law,

and component cities whose charters prohibit their voters from voting for
provincial elective officials, shall be independent of the province. The voters of
component cities within a province, whose charters contain no such prohibition,
shall not be deprived of their right to vote for elective provincial officials.
SECTION 13. Local government units may group themselves,

consolidate or coordinate their efforts, services, and resources for purposes
commonly beneficial to them in accordance with law.
SECTION 14. The President shall provide for regional development

councils or other similar bodies composed of local government officials, regional
heads of departments and other government offices, and representatives from
non-governmental organizations within the regions for purposes of administrative
decentralization to strengthen the autonomy of the units therein and to accelerate
the economic and social growth and development of the units in the region.
Autonomous Region
SECTION 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.
SECTION 16. The President shall exercise general supervision over

autonomous regions to ensure that the laws are faithfully executed.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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:
(1) Administrative organization;
(2) Creation of sources of revenues;
(3) Ancestral domain and natural resources;
(4) Personal, family, and property relations;
(5) Regional urban and rural planning development;
(6) Economic, social, and tourism development;
(7) Educational policies;
(8) Preservation and development of the cultural heritage; and
(9) Such other matters as may be authorized by law for the

promotion of the general welfare of the people of the region.
SECTION 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 XI
Accountability of Public Officers
SECTION 1. Public office is a public trust. Public officers and

employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost
responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice,
and lead modest lives.
SECTION 2. The President, the Vice-President, the Members of the

Supreme Court, the Members of the Constitutional Commissions, and the
Ombudsman may be removed from office, on impeachment for, and conviction of,
culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other
high crimes, or betrayal of public trust. All other public officers and employees
may be removed from office as provided by law, but not by impeachment.
SECTION 3. (1) The House of Representatives shall have the

exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment.
(2) A verified complaint for impeachment may be filed by any Member of

the House of Representatives or by any citizen upon a resolution of endorsement
by any Member thereof, which shall be included in the Order of Business within
ten session days, and referred to the proper Committee within three session days
thereafter. The Committee, after hearing, and by a majority vote of all its
Members, shall submit its report to the House within sixty session days from such
referral, together with the corresponding resolution. The resolution shall be
calendared for consideration by the House within ten session days from receipt
thereof.
(3) A vote of at least one-third of all the Members of the House shall be
necessary either to affirm a favorable resolution with the Articles of Impeachment
of the Committee, or override its contrary resolution. The vote of each Member
shall be recorded.
(4) In case the verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by

at least one-third of all the Members of the House, the same shall constitute the
Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed.
(5) No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same

official more than once within a period of one year.
(6) The Senate shall have the sole power to try and decide all cases of
impeachment. When sitting for that purpose, the Senators shall be on oath or
affirmation. When the President of the Philippines is on trial, the Chief Justice of
the Supreme Court shall preside, but shall not vote. No person shall be convicted
without the concurrence of two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.
(7) Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than

removal from office and disqualification to hold any office under the Republic of
the Philippines, but the party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to
prosecution, trial, and punishment according to law.
(8) The Congress shall promulgate its rules on impeachment to effectively
carry out the purpose of this section.
SECTION 4. The present anti-graft court known as the Sandiganbayan

shall continue to function and exercise its jurisdiction as now or hereafter may be
provided by law.
SECTION 5. There is hereby created the independent Office of the

Ombudsman, composed of the Ombudsman to be known as Tanodbayan, one
overall Deputy and at least one Deputy each for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. A
separate Deputy for the military establishment may likewise be appointed.
SECTION 6. The officials and employees of the Office of the

Ombudsman, other than the Deputies, shall be appointed by the Ombudsman
according to the Civil Service Law.
SECTION 7. The existing Tanodbayan shall hereafter be known as the

Office of the Special Prosecutor. It shall continue to function and exercise its
powers as now or hereafter may be provided by law, except those conferred on the
Office of the Ombudsman created under this Constitution.
SECTION 8. The Ombudsman and his Deputies shall be natural-born

citizens of the Philippines, and at the time of their appointment, at least forty years
old, of recognized probity and independence, and members of the Philippine Bar,
and must not have been candidates for any elective office in the immediately
preceding election. The Ombudsman must have for ten years or more been a judge
or engaged in the practice of law in the Philippines.
During their tenure, they shall be subject to the same disqualifications and
prohibitions as provided for in Section 2 of Article IX-A of this Constitution.
SECTION 9. The Ombudsman and his Deputies shall be appointed by

the President from a list of at least six nominees prepared by the Judicial and Bar
Council, and from a list of three nominees for every vacancy thereafter. Such
appointments shall require no confirmation. All vacancies shall be filled within
three months after they occur.
SECTION 10. The Ombudsman and his Deputies shall have the rank of
Chairman and Members, respectively, of the Constitutional Commissions, and
they shall receive the same salary, which shall not be decreased during their term
of office.
SECTION 11. The Ombudsman and his Deputies shall serve for a term
of seven years without reappointment. They shall not be qualified to run for any
office in the election immediately succeeding their cessation from office.
SECTION 12. The Ombudsman and his Deputies, as protectors of the

people, shall act promptly on complaints filed in any form or manner against
public officials or employees of the Government, or any subdivision, agency or
instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations,
and shall, in appropriate cases, notify the complainants of the action taken and the
result thereof.
SECTION 13. The Office of the Ombudsman shall have the following
powers, functions, and duties:
(1) Investigate on its own, or on complaint by any person, any act

or omission of any public official, employee, office or agency,
when such act or omission appears to be illegal, unjust,
improper, or inefficient.
(2) Direct, upon complaint or at its own instance, any public

official or employee of the Government, or any subdivision,
agency or instrumentality thereof, as well as of any
government-owned or controlled corporation with original
charter, to perform and expedite any act or duty required by
law, or to stop, prevent, and correct any abuse or impropriety in
the performance of duties.
(3) Direct the officer concerned to take appropriate action against a

public official or employee at fault, and recommend his
removal, suspension, demotion, fine, censure, or prosecution,
and ensure compliance therewith.
(4) Direct the officer concerned, in any appropriate case, and

subject to such limitations as may be provided by law, to
furnish it with copies of documents relating to contracts or
transactions entered into by his office involving the
disbursement or use of public funds or properties, and report
any irregularity to the Commission on Audit for appropriate
action.
(5) Request any government agency for assistance and information

necessary in the discharge of its responsibilities, and to
examine, if necessary, pertinent records and documents.
(6) Publicize matters covered by its investigation when

circumstances so warrant and with due prudence.
(7) Determine the causes of inefficiency, red tape, mismanagement,
fraud, and corruption in the Government and make
recommendations for their elimination and the observance of
high standards of ethics and efficiency.
(8) Promulgate its rules of procedure and exercise such other

powers or perform such functions or duties as may be provided
by law.
SECTION 14. The Office of the Ombudsman shall enjoy fiscal

autonomy. Its approved annual appropriations shall be automatically and regularly
released.
SECTION 15. The right of the State to recover properties unlawfully
acquired by public officials or employees, from them or from their nominees or
transferees, shall not be barred by prescription, laches, or estoppel.
SECTION 16. No loan, guaranty, or other form of financial

accommodation for any business purpose may be granted, directly or indirectly, by
any government-owned or controlled bank or financial institution to the President,
the Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, the Congress, the Supreme Court,
and the Constitutional Commissions, the Ombudsman, or to any firm or entity in
which they have controlling interest, during their tenure.
SECTION 17. A public officer or employee shall, upon assumption of

office and as often thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration
under oath of his assets, liabilities, and net worth. In the case of the President, the
Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, the Congress, the Supreme Court, the
Constitutional Commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the
armed forces with general or flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the
public in the manner provided by law.
SECTION 18. Public officers and employees owe the State and this
Constitution allegiance at all times, and any public officer or employee who seeks
to change his citizenship or acquire the status of an immigrant of another country
during his tenure shall be dealt with by law.
ARTICLE XII
National Economy and Patrimony
SECTION 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.
SECTION 2. All lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal,

petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests
or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the
State. With the exception of agricultural lands, all other natural resources shall not
be alienated. The exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources
shall be under the full control and supervision of the State. The State may directly
undertake such activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture, or
production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens, or corporations or
associations at least sixty per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens.
Such agreements may be for a period not exceeding twenty-five years, renewable
for not more than twenty-five years, and under such terms and conditions as may
be provided by law. In cases of water rights for irrigation, water supply, fisheries,
or industrial uses other than the development of water power, beneficial use may
be the measure and limit of the grant.
The State shall protect the nation's marine wealth in its archipelagic waters,
territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment
exclusively to Filipino citizens.
The Congress may, by law, allow small-scale utilization of natural

resources by Filipino citizens, as well as cooperative fish farming, with priority to
subsistence fishermen and fishworkers in rivers, lakes, bays, and lagoons.
The President may enter into agreements with foreign-owned corporations

involving either technical or financial assistance for large-scale exploration,
development, and utilization of minerals, petroleum, and other mineral oils
according to the general terms and conditions provided by law, based on real
contributions to the economic growth and general welfare of the country. In such
agreements, the State shall promote the development and use of local scientific
and technical resources.
The President shall notify the Congress of every contract entered into in
accordance with this provision, within thirty days from its execution.
SECTION 3. Lands of the public domain are classified into

agricultural, forest or timber, mineral lands, and national parks. Agricultural lands
of the public domain may be further classified by law according to the uses which
they may be devoted. Alienable lands of the public domain shall be limited to
agricultural lands. Private corporations or associations may not hold such alienable
lands of the public domain except by lease, for a period not exceeding twenty-five
years, renewable for not more than twenty-five years, and not to exceed one
thousand hectares in area. Citizens of the Philippines may lease not more than five
hundred hectares, or acquire not more than twelve hectares thereof by purchase,
homestead, or grant.
Taking into account the requirements of conservation, ecology, and

development, and subject to the requirements of agrarian reform, the Congress
shall determine, by law, the size of lands of the public domain which may be
acquired, developed, held, or leased and the conditions therefor.
SECTION 4. The Congress shall, as soon as possible, determine by

law the specific limits of forest lands and national parks, marking clearly their
boundaries on the ground. Thereafter, such forest lands and national parks shall be
conserved and may not be increased nor diminished, except by law. The Congress
shall provide, for such period as it may determine, measures to prohibit logging in
endangered forests and watershed areas.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 6. The use of property bears a social function, and all

economic agents shall contribute to the common good. Individuals and private
groups, including corporations, cooperatives, and similar collective organizations,
shall have the right to own, establish, and operate economic enterprises, subject to
the duty of the State to promote distributive justice and to intervene when the
common good so demands.
SECTION 7. Save in cases of hereditary succession, no private lands
shall be transferred or conveyed except to individuals, corporations, or
associations qualified to acquire or hold lands of the public domain.
SECTION 8. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 7 of this

Article, a natural-born citizen of the Philippines who has lost his Philippine
citizenship may be a transferee of private lands, subject to limitations provided by
law.
SECTION 9. The Congress may establish an independent economic

and planning agency headed by the President, which shall, after consultations with
the appropriate public agencies, various private sectors, and local government
units, recommend to Congress, and implement continuing integrated and
coordinated programs and policies for national development.
Until the Congress provides otherwise, the National Economic and

Development Authority shall function as the independent planning agency of the
government.
SECTION 10. The Congress shall, upon recommendation of the

economic and planning agency, when the national interest dictates, reserve to
citizens of the Philippines or to corporations or associations at least sixty per
centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens, or such higher percentage as
Congress may prescribe, certain areas of investments. The Congress shall enact
measures that will encourage the formation and operation of enterprises whose
capital is wholly owned by Filipinos.
In the grant of rights, privileges, and concessions covering the national

economy and patrimony, the State shall give preference to qualified Filipinos.
The State shall regulate and exercise authority over foreign investments
within its national jurisdiction and in accordance with its national goals and
priorities.
SECTION 11. No franchise, certificate, or any other form of

authorization for the operation of a public utility shall be granted except to citizens
of the Philippines or to corporations or associations organized under the laws of
the Philippines at least sixty per centum of whose capital is owned by such
citizens, nor shall such franchise, certificate, or authorization be exclusive in
character or for a longer period than fifty years. Neither shall any such franchise or
right be granted except under the condition that it shall be subject to amendment,
alteration, or repeal by the Congress when the common good so requires. The
State shall encourage equity participation in public utilities by the general public.
The participation of foreign investors in the governing body of any public utility
enterprise shall be limited to their proportionate share in its capital, and all the
executive and managing officers of such corporation or association must be
citizens of the Philippines.
SECTION 12. The State shall promote the preferential use of Filipino
labor, domestic materials and locally produced goods, and adopt measures that
help make them competitive.
SECTION 13. The State shall pursue a trade policy that serves the
general welfare and utilizes all forms and arrangements of exchange on the basis
of equality and reciprocity.
SECTION 14. The sustained development of a reservoir of national

talents consisting of Filipino scientists, entrepreneurs, professionals, managers,
high-level technical manpower and skilled workers and craftsmen in all fields shall
be promoted by the State. The State shall encourage appropriate technology and
regulate its transfer for the national benefit.
The practice of all professions in the Philippines shall be limited to Filipino

citizens, save in cases prescribed by law.
SECTION 15. The Congress shall create an agency to promote the

viability and growth of cooperatives as instruments for social justice and economic
development.
SECTION 16. The Congress shall not, except by general law, provide
for the formation, organization, or regulation of private corporations.
Government-owned or controlled corporations may be created or established by
special charters in the interest of the common good and subject to the test of
economic viability.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 21. Foreign loans may only be incurred in accordance with

law and the regulation of the monetary authority. Information on foreign loans
obtained or guaranteed by the Government shall be made available to the public.
SECTION 22. Acts which circumvent or negate any of the provisions

of this Article shall be considered inimical to the national interest and subject to
criminal and civil sanctions, as may be provided by law.
ARTICLE XIII
Social Justice and Human Rights
SECTION 1. The Congress shall give highest priority to the enactment

of measures that protect and enhance the right of all the people to human dignity,
reduce social, economic, and political inequalities, and remove cultural inequities
by equitably diffusing wealth and political power for the common good.
To this end, the State shall regulate the acquisition, ownership, use, and
disposition of property and its increments.
SECTION 2. The promotion of social justice shall include the

commitment to create economic opportunities based on freedom of initiative and
self-reliance.
Labor
SECTION 3. The State shall afford full protection to labor, local and
overseas, organized and unorganized, and promote full employment and equality
of employment opportunities for all.
It shall guarantee the rights of all workers to self-organization, collective
bargaining and negotiations, and peaceful concerted activities, including the right
to strike in accordance with law. They shall be entitled to security of tenure,
humane conditions of work, and a living wage. They shall also participate in
policy and decision-making processes affecting their rights and benefits as may be
provided by law.
The State shall promote the principle of shared responsibility between

workers and employers and the preferential use of voluntary modes in settling
disputes, including conciliation, and shall enforce their mutual compliance
therewith to foster industrial peace.
The State shall regulate the relations between workers and employers,
recognizing the right of labor to its just share in the fruits of production and the
right of enterprises to reasonable returns on investments, and to expansion and
growth.
Agrarian and Natural Resources Reform
SECTION 4. The State shall, by law, undertake an agrarian reform

program founded on the right of farmers and regular farmworkers, who are
landless, to own directly or collectively the lands they till or, in the case of other
farmworkers, to receive a just share of the fruits thereof. To this end, the State
shall encourage and undertake the just distribution of all agricultural lands, subject
to such priorities and reasonable retention limits as the Congress may prescribe,
taking into account ecological, developmental, or equity considerations, and
subject to the payment of just compensation. In determining retention limits, the
State shall respect the right of small landowners. The State shall further provide
incentives for voluntary land-sharing.
SECTION 5. The State shall recognize the right of farmers,

farmworkers, and landowners, as well as cooperatives, and other independent
farmers' organizations to participate in the planning, organization, and
management of the program, and shall provide support to agriculture through
appropriate technology and research, and adequate financial, production,
marketing, and other support services.
SECTION 6. The State shall apply the principles of agrarian reform or

stewardship, whenever applicable in accordance with law, in the disposition or
utilization of other natural resources, including lands of the public domain under
lease or concession suitable to agriculture, subject to prior rights, homestead rights
of small settlers, and the rights of indigenous communities to their ancestral lands.
The State may resettle landless farmers and farmworkers in its own
agricultural estates which shall be distributed to them in the manner provided by
law.
SECTION 7. The State shall protect the rights of subsistence

fishermen, especially of local communities, to the preferential use of local marine
and fishing resources, both inland and offshore. It shall provide support to such
fishermen through appropriate technology and research, adequate financial,
production, and marketing assistance, and other services. The State shall also
protect, develop, and conserve such resources. The protection shall extend to
offshore fishing grounds of subsistence fishermen against foreign intrusion.
Fishworkers shall receive a just share from their labor in the utilization of marine
and fishing resources.
SECTION 8. The State shall provide incentives to landowners to

invest the proceeds of the agrarian reform program to promote industrialization,
employment creation, and privatization of public sector enterprises. Financial
instruments used as payment for their lands shall be honored as equity in
enterprises of their choice.
Urban Land Reform and Housing
SECTION 9. The State shall, by law, and for the common good,
undertake, in cooperation with the public sector, a continuing program of urban
land reform and housing which will make available at affordable cost decent
housing and basic services to underprivileged and homeless citizens in urban
centers and resettlements areas. It shall also promote adequate employment
opportunities to such citizens. In the implementation of such program the State
shall respect the rights of small property owners.
SECTION 10. Urban or rural poor dwellers shall not be evicted nor
their dwellings demolished, except in accordance with law and in a just and
humane manner.
No resettlement of urban or rural dwellers shall be undertaken without

adequate consultation with them and the communities where they are to be
relocated.
Health
SECTION 11. The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive

approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods,
health and other social services available to all the people at affordable cost. There
shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged sick, elderly, disabled,
women, and children. The State shall endeavor to provide free medical care to
paupers.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 13. The State shall establish a special agency for disabled
persons for rehabilitation, self-development and self-reliance, and their integration
into the mainstream of society.
Women
SECTION 14. The State shall protect working women by providing

safe and healthful working conditions, taking into account their maternal
functions, and such facilities and opportunities that will enhance their welfare and
enable them to realize their full potential in the service of the nation.
Role and Rights of People's Organizations
SECTION 15. The State shall respect the role of independent people's
organizations to enable the people to pursue and protect, within the democratic
framework, their legitimate and collective interests and aspirations through
peaceful and lawful means.
People's organizations are bona fide associations of citizens with

demonstrated capacity to promote the public interest and with identifiable
leadership, membership, and structure.
SECTION 16. The right of the people and their organizations to

effective and reasonable participation at all levels of social, political, and
economic decision-making shall not be abridged. The State shall, by law, facilitate
the establishment of adequate consultation mechanisms.
Human Rights
SECTION 17. (1) There is hereby created an independent office called

the Commission on Human Rights.
(2) The Commission shall be composed of a Chairman and four Members

who must be natural-born citizens of the Philippines and a majority of whom shall
be members of the Bar. The term of office and other qualifications and disabilities
of the Members of the Commission shall be provided by law.
(3) Until this Commission is constituted, the existing Presidential

Committee on Human Rights shall continue to exercise its present functions and
powers.
(4) The approved annual appropriations of the Commission shall be

automatically and regularly released.
SECTION 18. The Commission on Human Rights shall have the

following powers and functions:
(1) Investigate, on its own or on complaint by any party, all forms

of human rights violations involving civil and political rights;
(2) Adopt its operational guidelines and rules of procedure, and cite
for contempt for violations thereof in accordance with the Rules
of Court;
(3) Provide appropriate legal measures for the protection of human

rights of all persons within the Philippines, as well as Filipinos
residing abroad, and provide for preventive measures and legal
aid services to the underprivileged whose human rights have
been violated or need protection;
(4) Exercise visitorial powers over jails, prisons, or detention

facilities;
(5) Establish a continuing program of research, education, and

information to enhance respect for the primacy of human rights;
(6) Recommend to the Congress effective measures to promote

human rights and to provide for compensation to victims of
violations of human rights, or their families;
(7) Monitor the Philippine Government's compliance with

international treaty obligations on human rights;
(8) Grant immunity from prosecution to any person whose

testimony or whose possession of documents or other evidence
is necessary or convenient to determine the truth in any
investigation conducted by it or under its authority;
(9) Request the assistance of any department, bureau, office, or

agency in the performance of its functions;
(10) Appoint its officers and employees in accordance with law; and
(11) Perform such other duties and functions as may be provided by
law.
SECTION 19. The Congress may provide for other cases of violations
of human rights that should fall within the authority of the Commission, taking
into account its recommendations.
ARTICLE XIV
Education, Science and Technology, Arts, Culture, and Sports
Education
SECTION 1. The State shall protect and promote the right of all
citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make
such education accessible to all.
SECTION 2. The State shall:
(1) Establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and

integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the
people and society;
(2) Establish and maintain a system of free public education in the

elementary and high school levels. Without limiting the natural
right of parents to rear their children, elementary education is
compulsory for all children of school age;
(3) Establish and maintain a system of scholarship grants, student

loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives which shall be
available to deserving students in both public and private
schools, especially to the underprivileged;
(4) Encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning

systems, as well as self-learning, independent, and
out-of-school study programs particularly those that respond to
community needs; and
(5) Provide adult citizens, the disabled, and out-of-school youth

with training in civics, vocational efficiency, and other skills.
SECTION 3. (1) All educational institutions shall include the study of

the Constitution as part of the curricula.
(2) They shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of

humanity, respect for human rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in
the historical development of the country, teach the rights and duties of
citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual values, develop moral character and
personal discipline, encourage critical and creative thinking, broaden scientific and
technological knowledge, and promote vocational efficiency.
(3) At the option expressed in writing by the parents or guardians, religion

shall be allowed to be taught to their children or wards in public elementary and
high schools within the regular class hours by instructors designated or approved
by the religious authorities of the religion to which the children or wards belong,
without additional cost to the Government.
SECTION 4. (1) The State recognizes the complementary roles of

public and private institutions in the educational system and shall exercise
reasonable supervision and regulation of all educational institutions.
(2) Educational institutions, other than those established by religious

groups and mission boards, shall be owned solely by citizens of the Philippines or
corporations or associations at least sixty per centum of the capital of which is
owned by such citizens. The Congress may, however, require increased Filipino
equity participation in all educational institutions.
The control and administration of educational institutions shall be vested in

citizens of the Philippines.
No educational institution shall be established exclusively for aliens and no

group of aliens shall comprise more than one-third of the enrollment in any school.
The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to schools established for foreign
diplomatic personnel and their dependents and, unless otherwise provided by law,
for other foreign temporary residents.
(3) All revenues and assets of non-stock, non-profit educational

institutions used actually, directly, and exclusively for educational purposes shall
be exempt from taxes and duties. Upon the dissolution or cessation of the
corporate existence of such institutions, their assets shall be disposed of in the
manner provided by law.
Proprietary educational institutions, including those cooperatively owned,

may likewise be entitled to such exemptions subject to the limitations provided by
law including restrictions on dividends and provisions for reinvestment.
(4) Subject to conditions prescribed by law, all grants, endowments,

donations, or contributions used actually, directly, and exclusively for educational
purposes shall be exempt from tax.
SECTION 5. (1) The State shall take into account regional and
sectoral needs and conditions and shall encourage local planning in the
development of educational policies and programs.
(2) Academic freedom shall be enjoyed in all institutions of higher

learning.
(3) Every citizen has a right to select a profession or course of study,

subject to fair, reasonable, and equitable admission and academic requirements.
(4) The State shall enhance the right of teachers to professional

advancement. Non-teaching academic and non-academic personnel shall enjoy the
protection of the State.
(5) The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and
ensure that teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available
talents through adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and
fulfillment.
Language
SECTION 6. The national language of the Philippines is Filipino. As

it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing
Philippine and other languages.
Subject to provisions of law and as the Congress may deem appropriate, the
Government shall take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium
of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational
system.
SECTION 7. For purposes of communication and instruction, the

official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and, until otherwise provided by
law, English.
The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions
and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein.
Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on a voluntary and optional basis.
SECTION 8. This Constitution shall be promulgated in Filipino and

English and shall be translated into major regional languages, Arabic, and Spanish.
SECTION 9. The Congress shall establish a national language

commission composed of representatives of various regions and disciplines which
shall undertake, coordinate, and promote researches for the development,
propagation, and preservation of Filipino and other languages.
Science and Technology
SECTION 10. Science and technology are essential for national

development and progress. The State shall give priority to research and
development, invention, innovation, and their utilization; and to science and
technology education, training, and services. It shall support indigenous,
appropriate, and self-reliant scientific and technological capabilities, and their
application to the country's productive systems and national life.
SECTION 11. The Congress may provide for incentives, including tax
deductions, to encourage private participation in programs of basic and applied
scientific research. Scholarships, grants-in-aid, or other forms of incentives shall
be provided to deserving science students, researchers, scientists, inventors,
technologists, and specially gifted citizens.
SECTION 12. The State shall regulate the transfer and promote the
adaptation of technology from all sources for the national benefit. It shall
encourage the widest participation of private groups, local governments, and
community-based organizations in the generation and utilization of science and
technology.
SECTION 13. The State shall protect and secure the exclusive rights of
scientists, inventors, artists, and other gifted citizens to their intellectual property
and creations, particularly when beneficial to the people, for such period as may be
provided by law.
Arts and Culture
SECTION 14. The State shall foster the preservation, enrichment, and
dynamic evolution of a Filipino national culture based on the principle of unity in
diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression.
SECTION 15. Arts and letters shall enjoy the patronage of the State.
The State shall conserve, promote, and popularize the nation's historical and
cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations.
SECTION 16. All the country's artistic and historic wealth constitutes
the cultural treasure of the nation and shall be under the protection of the State
which may regulate its disposition.
SECTION 17. The State shall recognize, respect, and protect the rights
of indigenous cultural communities to preserve and develop their cultures,
traditions, and institutions. It shall consider these rights in the formulation of
national plans and policies.
SECTION 18. (1) The State shall ensure equal access to cultural
opportunities through the educational system, public or private cultural entities,
scholarships, grants and other incentives, and community cultural centers, and
other public venues.
(2) The State shall encourage and support researches and studies on the
arts and culture.
Sports
SECTION 19. (1) The State shall promote physical education and
encourage sports programs, league competitions, and amateur sports, including
training for international competitions, to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and
excellence for the development of a healthy and alert citizenry.
(2) All educational institutions shall undertake regular sports activities

throughout the country in cooperation with athletic clubs and other sectors.
ARTICLE XV
The Family
SECTION 1. The State recognizes the Filipino family as the

foundation of the nation. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively
promote its total development.
SECTION 2. Marriage, as an inviolable social institution, is the

foundation of the family and shall be protected by the State.
SECTION 3. The State shall defend:
(1) The right of spouses to found a family in accordance with their

religious convictions and the demands of responsible
parenthood;
(2) The right of children to assistance, including proper care and

nutrition, and special protection from all forms of neglect,
abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to
their development;
(3) The right of the family to a family living wage and income; and
(4) The right of families or family associations to participate in the
planning and implementation of policies and programs that
affect them.
SECTION 4. The family has the duty to care for its elderly members
but the State may also do so through just programs of social security.
ARTICLE XVI
General Provisions
SECTION 1. The flag of the Philippines shall be red, white, and blue,
with a sun and three stars, as consecrated and honored by the people and
recognized by law.
SECTION 2. The Congress may, by law, adopt a new name for the
country, a national anthem, or a national seal, which shall all be truly reflective
and symbolic of the ideals, history, and traditions of the people. Such law shall
take effect only upon its ratification by the people in a national referendum.
SECTION 3. The State may not be sued without its consent.
SECTION 4. The Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be composed

of a citizen armed force which shall undergo military training and serve, as may be
provided by law. It shall keep a regular force necessary for the security of the
State.
SECTION 5. (1) All members of the armed forces shall take an oath or
affirmation to uphold and defend this Constitution.
(2) The State shall strengthen the patriotic spirit and nationalist
consciousness of the military, and respect for people's rights in the performance of
their duty.
(3) 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.
(4) No member of the armed forces in the active service shall, at any time,
be appointed or designated in any capacity to a civilian position in the
Government including government-owned or controlled corporations or any of
their subsidiaries.
(5) Laws on retirement of military officers shall not allow extension of

their service.
(6) The officers and men of the regular force of the armed forces shall be
recruited proportionately from all provinces and cities as far as practicable.
(7) The tour of duty of the Chief of Staff of the armed forces shall not
exceed three years. However, in times of war or other national emergency declared
by the Congress, the President may extend such tour of duty.
SECTION 6. The State shall establish and maintain one police force,
which shall be national in scope and civilian in character, to be administered and
controlled by a national police commission. The authority of local executives over
the police units in their jurisdiction shall be provided by law.
SECTION 7. The State shall provide immediate and adequate care,

benefits, and other forms of assistance to war veterans and veterans of military
campaigns, their surviving spouses and orphans. Funds shall be provided therefor
and due consideration shall be given them in the disposition of agricultural lands
of the public domain and, in appropriate cases, in the utilization of natural
resources.
SECTION 8. The State shall, from time to time, review to upgrade the
pensions and other benefits due to retirees of both the government and the private
sectors.
SECTION 9. The State shall protect consumers from trade

malpractices and from substandard or hazardous products.
SECTION 10. The State shall provide the policy environment for the
full development of Filipino capability and the emergence of communication
structures suitable to the needs and aspirations of the nation and the balanced flow
of information into, out of, and across the country, in accordance with a policy that
respects the freedom of speech and of the press.
SECTION 11. (1) The ownership and management of mass media shall
be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or
associations, wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.
The Congress shall regulate or prohibit monopolies in commercial mass

media when the public interest so requires. No combinations in restraint of trade or
unfair competition therein shall be allowed.
(2) The advertising industry is impressed with public interest, and shall be
regulated by law for the protection of consumers and the promotion of the general
welfare.
Only Filipino citizens or corporations or associations at least seventy per

centum of the capital of which is owned by such citizens shall be allowed to
engage in the advertising industry.
The participation of foreign investors in the governing body of entities in

such industry shall be limited to their proportionate share in the capital thereof,
and all the executive and managing officers of such entities must be citizens of the
Philippines.
SECTION 12. The Congress may create a consultative body to advise

the President on policies affecting indigenous cultural communities, the majority
of the members of which shall come from such communities.
ARTICLE XVII
Amendments or Revisions
SECTION 1. Any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution may

be proposed by:
(1) The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members;

or
(2) A constitutional convention.
SECTION 2. Amendments to this Constitution may likewise be

directly proposed by the people through initiative upon a petition of at least twelve
per centum of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative
district must be represented by at least three per centum of the registered voters
therein. No amendment under this section shall be authorized within five years
following the ratification of this Constitution nor oftener than once every five
years thereafter.
The Congress shall provide for the implementation of the exercise of this
right.
SECTION 3. The Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of all its

Members, call a constitutional convention, or by a majority vote of all its
Members, submit to the electorate the question of calling such a convention.
SECTION 4. Any amendment to, or revision of, this Constitution

under Section 1 hereof shall be valid when ratified by a majority of the votes cast
in a plebiscite which shall be held not earlier than sixty days nor later than ninety
days after the approval of such amendment or revision.
Any amendment under Section 2 hereof shall be valid when ratified by a

majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite which shall be held not earlier than sixty
days nor later than ninety days after the certification by the Commission on
Elections of the sufficiency of the petition.
ARTICLE XVIII
Transitory Provisions
SECTION 1. The first elections of Members of the Congress under

this Constitution shall be held on the second Monday of May, 1987.
The first local elections shall be held on a date to be determined by the

President, which may be simultaneous with the election of the Members of the
Congress. It shall include the election of all Members of the city or municipal
councils in the Metropolitan Manila area.
SECTION 2. The Senators, Members of the House of Representatives,

and the local officials first elected under this Constitution shall serve until noon of
June 30, 1992.
Of the Senators elected in the election of 1992, the first twelve obtaining
the highest number of votes shall serve for six years and the remaining twelve for
three years.
SECTION 3. All existing laws, decrees, executive orders,

proclamations, letters of instructions, and other executive issuances not
inconsistent with this Constitution shall remain operative until amended, repealed,
or revoked.
SECTION 4. All existing treaties or international agreements which

have not been ratified shall not be renewed or extended without the concurrence of
at least two-thirds of all the Members of the Senate.
SECTION 5. The six-year term of the incumbent President and

Vice-President elected in the February 7, 1986 election is, for purposes of
synchronization of elections, hereby extended to noon of June 30, 1992.
The first regular elections for the President and Vice-President under this
Constitution shall be held on the second Monday of May, 1992.
SECTION 6. The incumbent President shall continue to exercise
legislative powers until the first Congress is convened.
SECTION 7. Until a law is passed, the President may fill by

appointment from a list of nominees by the respective sectors the seats reserved
for sectoral representation in paragraph (2), Section 5 of Article VI of this
Constitution.
SECTION 8. Until otherwise provided by the Congress, the President

may constitute the Metropolitan Authority to be composed of the heads of all local
government units comprising the Metropolitan Manila area.
SECTION 9. A sub-province shall continue to exist and operate until

it is converted into a regular province or until its component municipalities are
reverted to the mother province.
SECTION 10. All courts existing at the time of the ratification of this
Constitution shall continue to exercise their jurisdiction, until otherwise provided
by law. The provisions of the existing Rules of Court, judiciary acts, and
procedural laws not inconsistent with this Constitution shall remain operative
unless amended or repealed by the Supreme Court or the Congress.
SECTION 11. The incumbent Members of the Judiciary shall continue

in office until they reach the age of seventy years or become incapacitated to
discharge the duties of their office or are removed for cause.
SECTION 12. The Supreme Court shall, within one year after the
ratification of this Constitution, adopt a systematic plan to expedite the decision or
resolution of cases or matters pending in the Supreme Court or the lower courts
prior to the effectivity of this Constitution. A similar plan shall be adopted for all
special courts and quasi-judicial bodies.
SECTION 13. The legal effect of the lapse, before the ratification of
this Constitution, of the applicable period for the decision or resolution of the
cases or matters submitted for adjudication by the courts, shall be determined by
the Supreme Court as soon as practicable.
SECTION 14. The provisions of paragraphs (3) and (4), Section 15 of

Article VIII of this Constitution shall apply to cases or matters filed before the
ratification of this Constitution, when the applicable period lapses after such
ratification.
SECTION 15. The incumbent Members of the Civil Service

Commission, the Commission on Elections, and the Commission on Audit shall
continue in office for one year after the ratification of this Constitution, unless
they are sooner removed for cause or become incapacitated to discharge the duties
of their office or appointed to a new term thereunder. In no case shall any Member
serve longer than seven years including service before the ratification of this
Constitution.
SECTION 16. Career civil service employees separated from the

service not for cause but as a result of the reorganization pursuant to Proclamation
No. 3 dated March 25, 1986 and the reorganization following the ratification of
this Constitution shall be entitled to appropriate separation pay and to retirement
and other benefits accruing to them under the laws of general application in force
at the time of their separation. In lieu thereof, at the option of the employees, they
may be considered for employment in the Government or in any of its
subdivisions, instrumentalities, or agencies, including government-owned or
controlled corporations and their subsidiaries. This provision also applies to career
officers whose resignation, tendered in line with the existing policy, had been
accepted.
SECTION 17. Until the Congress provides otherwise, the President

shall receive an annual salary of three hundred thousand pesos; the Vice-President,
the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, two hundred forty thousand pesos each; the
Senators, the Members of the House of Representatives, the Associate Justices of
the Supreme Court, and the Chairmen of the Constitutional Commissions, two
hundred four thousand pesos each; and the Members of the Constitutional
Commissions, one hundred eighty thousand pesos each.
SECTION 18. At the earliest possible time, the Government shall

increase the salary scales of the other officials and employees of the National
Government.
SECTION 19. All properties, records, equipment, buildings, facilities,

and other assets of any office or body abolished or reorganized under
Proclamation No. 3 dated March 25, 1986 or this Constitution shall be transferred
to the office or body to which its powers, functions, and responsibilities
substantially pertain.
SECTION 20. The first Congress shall give priority to the

determination of the period for the full implementation of free public secondary
education.
SECTION 21. The Congress shall provide efficacious procedures and

adequate remedies for the reversion to the State of all lands of the public domain
and real rights connected therewith which were acquired in violation of the
Constitution or the public land laws, or through corrupt practices. No transfer or
disposition of such lands or real rights shall be allowed until after the lapse of one
year from the ratification of this Constitution.
SECTION 22. At the earliest possible time, the Government shall

expropriate idle or abandoned agricultural lands as may be defined by law, for
distribution to the beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program.
SECTION 23. Advertising entities affected by paragraph (2), Section

11 of Article XVI of this Constitution shall have five years from its ratification to
comply on a graduated and proportionate basis with the minimum Filipino
ownership requirement therein.
SECTION 24. Private armies and other armed groups not recognized by
duly constituted authority shall be dismantled. All paramilitary forces including
Civilian Home Defense Forces not consistent with the citizen armed force
established in this Constitution, shall be dissolved or, where appropriate, converted
into the regular force.
SECTION 25. After the expiration in 1991 of the Agreement between

the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America concerning
Military Bases, foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not be allowed in
the Philippines except under a treaty duly concurred in by the Senate and, when
the Congress so requires, ratified by a majority of the votes cast by the people in a
national referendum held for that purpose, and recognized as a treaty by the other
contracting State.
SECTION 26. The authority to issue sequestration or freeze orders

under Proclamation No. 3 dated March 25, 1986 in relation to the recovery of
ill-gotten wealth shall remain operative for not more than eighteen months after
the ratification of this Constitution. However, in the national interest, as certified
by the President, the Congress may extend said period.
A sequestration or freeze order shall be issued only upon showing of a

prima facie case. The order and the list of the sequestered or frozen properties
shall forthwith be registered with the proper court. For orders issued before the
ratification of this Constitution, the corresponding judicial action or proceeding
shall be filed within six months from its ratification. For those issued after such
ratification, the judicial action or proceeding shall be commenced within six
months from the issuance thereof.
The sequestration or freeze order is deemed automatically lifted if no
judicial action or proceeding is commenced as herein provided.
SECTION 27. This Constitution shall take effect immediately upon its
ratification by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite held for the purpose and
shall supersede all previous Constitutions.
Ratified: February 2, 1987

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THE 1987 CONSTITUTION

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

Declaration of Principles and State Policies

SECTION 1. The Philippines is a democratic and republican State.

SECTION 2. The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of

SECTION 3. Civilian authority is, at all times, supreme over the

SECTION 4. The prime duty of the Government is to serve and

SECTION 5. The maintenance of peace and order, the protection of

SECTION 6. The separation of Church and State shall be inviolable.

SECTION 7. The State shall pursue an independent foreign policy. In

SECTION 8. The Philippines, consistent with the national interest,

SECTION 14. The State recognizes the role of women in

SECTION 18. The State affirms labor as a primary social economic

SECTION 19. The State shall develop a self-reliant and independent

SECTION 21. The State shall promote comprehensive rural

SECTION 22. The State recognizes and promotes the rights of

SECTION 23. The State shall encourage non-governmental,

SECTION 26. The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities

SECTION 28. Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the

SECTION 1. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property

SECTION 2. The right of the people to be secure in their persons,

SECTION 3. (1) The privacy of communication and correspondence

(2) Any evidence obtained in violation of this or the preceding section

SECTION 4. No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech,

SECTION 5. No law shall be made respecting an establishment of

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

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

SECTION 10. No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be

(2) No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means

(3) Any confession or admission obtained in violation of this or Section

SECTION 13. All persons, except those charged with offenses

SECTION 14. (1) No person shall be held to answer for a criminal

(2) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall be presumed innocent

SECTION 17. No person shall be compelled to be a witness against

SECTION 18. (1) No person shall be detained solely by reason of his

(2) No involuntary servitude in any form shall exist except as a

(2) The employment of physical, psychological, or degrading punishment

SECTION 21. No person shall be twice put in jeopardy of punishment

SECTION 22. No ex post facto law or bill of attainder shall be enacted.

SECTION 1. The following are citizens of the Philippines:

(2) Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines;

(4) Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.

SECTION 2. Natural-born citizens are those who are citizens of the

SECTION 4. Citizens of the Philippines who marry aliens shall retain

SECTION 5. Dual allegiance of citizens is inimical to the national

SECTION 2. The Congress shall provide a system for securing the

The Legislative Department

SECTION 1. The legislative power shall be vested in the Congress of

SECTION 2. The Senate shall be composed of twenty-four Senators

SECTION 3. No person shall be a Senator unless he is a natural-born

(3) Each legislative district shall comprise, as far as practicable,

SECTION 6. No person shall be a Member of the House of

SECTION 7. The Members of the House of Representatives shall be

SECTION 8. Unless otherwise provided by law, the regular election

SECTION 9. In case of vacancy in the Senate or in the House of

SECTION 10. The salaries of Senators and Members of the House of

SECTION 11. A Senator or Member of the House of Representatives

SECTION 12. All Members of the Senate and the House of

SECTION 13. No Senator or Member of the House of Representatives