DEVELOPMENT

OF PHILIPPINE
CONSTITUTION
THE 1973
CONSTITUTION THE 1987
The 1973 Constitution shifted the system of the
Philippine national government from
CONSTITUTION
presidential to parliamentary. Instead of This Constitution reinstated the bicameral
Congress, it is the National Assembly which is legislature, removed the position of Prime
vested with the power of legislation, headed by Minister, and strengthened certain provisions to
the Prime Minister, who serves as the Head of prevent government abuse, empower the
Government and the Commander-in-Chief of the people, and ensure the operation of republican
Armed Forces of the Philippines. The President and democratic principles. It has the Preamble
retains being Head of State and Chief Executive. and 18 articles. In it, it describes the three
The 1973 Constitution has 17 articles. Many of its branches of government and the independent
provisions were given with the imprimatur of constitutional commissions: COA, COMELEC,
then-dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr., favoring him and CSC. The date of effectivity of the 1987
and his ilk and allowing him to remain in power Constitution is on February 2, 1987, the date of
and plunder the country for more than twenty the plebiscite, and not on the date its
years. Certain provisions were revised in 1976, ratification was proclaimed.
1980, and 1981. This Constitution persisted until
the promulgation of the 1987 Constitution. The 1987 Constitution established a
representative democracy with power divided
We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the among three separate and independent
aid of Divine Providence, in order to establish a branches of government: the Executive, a
Government that shall embody our ideals, bicameral Legislature, and the Judiciary. There
promote the general welfare, conserve and were three independent constitutional
develop the patrimony of our Nation, and secure commissions as well: the Commission on Audit,
to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of the Civil Service Commission, and the
democracy under a regime of justice, peace, Commission on Elections. Integrated into the

LAURENCE CINCO
liberty, and equality, do ordain and promulgate Constitution was a full Bill of Rights, which
this Constitution. guaranteed fundamental civil and and political
In 1973, after the declaration of martial law, the
rights, and it provided for free, fair, and periodic G11 HUMMS B
elections. In comparison with the weak
1935 Constitution was replaced by a new charter, document that had given Marcos a legal fiction
the 1973 Constitution. In commemoration, behind which to hide, this Constitution seemed
President Marcos, repealed President Quezon's ideal to many Filipinos emerging from 20 years
Proclamation No. 36, s. 1936, by virtue of of political repression and oppression.
Proclamation No. 1219, s.
THE 1899
THE 1935 JAPANESE
MALOLOS
CONSTITUTION OCCUPATION
CONSTITUTION
In 1899, the Malolos Constitution, the
The Filipino people, imploring the aid of During the Japanese Occupation of the
first Philippine Constitution, the first
Divine Providence, in order to establish Philippines, a new Constitution was enacted.
republican constitution in Asia, was
a government that shall em­body their It was called a “puppet government” because
drafted and adopted by the First
ideals, conserve and develop the decisions and actions were highly controlled
Philippine Republic, which lasted from by the Japanese Military Administration. The
patrimony of the nation, promote the
1899 to 1901. 1943 Constitution differed from the previous
general welfare, and secure to
constitution in a number of ways. For
themselves and their posterity the
During the American Occupation, the example, this version of the Constitution
blessings of independence under a
Philippines was governed by the laws of begins with the Republic and an
régime of justice, liberty, and enumeration of the three branches of
the United States of America. ORGANIC
democracy, do ordain and promulgate government. The Bill of Rights was renamed
ACTS were passed by the United States
this Constitution. “Duties and Rights of the Citizen.” It is also
Congress for the administration of the
the shortest Philippine Constitution at only 12
Government of the Philippine Islands.
The 1935 Constitution established the articles. After the Japanese Occupation, the
Philippine Commonwealth. It had a Philippines reverted to the 1935 Constitution.
The first was the Philippine Organic Act
total of 17 articles, subdivided into
of 1902, which provided for a Philippine The Japanese occupation of the Philippines
sections, and prepared the Philippines
Assembly composed of Filipino citizens. occurred between 1943 and 1945 during
to establish its complete independence
WWII. Filipinos staged guerrilla resistance
from the sovereignty of the United against the Japanese until 1945. The
The second was the Philippine
States. Key sections include the Bill of Philippines was liberated from Japanese
Autonomy Act of 1916, which included
Rights, Citizenship and Suffrage, as well control by Allied forces in 1944. The
the first pledge of Philippine
as the powers of the three branches of Philippines was granted full independence
independence. These laws served as
the government. by the United States in 1946.
constitutions of the Philippines from
1902 to 1935.