1987 PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION 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 pe rsons or things to be seized. Section 3. (1) The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolab le except upon lawful order of the court, or when public safety or order require s 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 proh ibiting the free exercise thereof. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination or preference, shall forever be a llowed. No religious test shall be required for the exercise of civil or politic al rights. Section 6. The liberty of abode and of changing the same within the limits presc ribed by law shall not be impaired except upon lawful order of the court. Neithe r shall the right to travel be impaired except in the interest of national secur ity, 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 s hall be recognized. Access to official records, and to documents and papers pert aining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government re search 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 p rivate sectors, to form unions, associations, or societies for purposes not cont rary to law shall not be abridged. Section 9. Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compe nsation. 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 leg al 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 co mpetent and independent counsel preferably of his own choice. If the person cann ot afford the services of counsel, he must be provided with one. These rights ca nnot 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, solita ry, incommunicado, or other similar forms of detention are prohibited. (3) Any confession or admission obtained in violation of this or Section 17 here of shall be inadmissible in evidence against him. (4) The law shall provide for penal and civil sanctions for violations of this s ection as well as compensation to the rehabilitation of victims of torture or si milar practices, and their families. Section 13. All persons, except those charged with offenses punishable by reclus ion perpetua when evidence of guilt is strong, shall, before conviction, be bail able by sufficient sureties, or be released on recognizance as may be provided b y law. The right to bail shall not be impaired even when the privilege of the wr it 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 t he contrary is proved, and shall enjoy the right to be heard by himself and coun sel, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, to ha ve a speedy, impartial, and public trial, to meet the witnesses face to face, an d to have compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses and the produ ction of evidence in his behalf. However, after arraignment, trial may proceed n otwithstanding the absence of the accused: Provided, that he has been duly notif ied and his failure to appear is unjustifiable. Section 15. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended ex cept 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 ca ses 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 be liefs 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 in human 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 a ny 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 acquitta l 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.

How does a Bill become a Law? There are a few major steps of the legislative process that a bill must go throu gh before it is enacted into law. Bills may be introduced in either house of the Legislature. Senate bills are fil ed with the Secretary of the Senate and House bills with the Clerk of the House. Upon introduction, bills are assigned a number. At the beginning of each bienni al session, House bills are numbered consecutively starting with House Bill No. 4001 and Senate bills are numbered starting with Senate Bill No. 1. In both hous es, joint resolutions are assigned a letter. Title Reading Under the State Constitution, every bill must be read three times before it may be passed. The courts have held, however, that this requirement can be satisfied by reading the bill's title. Upon introduction, the bill's title is read a firs t and second time in the Senate and is read once in the House. The bill is then ordered to be printed. A bill cannot be passed or become law until it has been p rinted or reproduced and in the possession of each house for at least five days. Referral to Committee Upon introduction, a bill is also referred to a standing committee in the Senate by the Majority Leader and in the House of Representatives by the Speaker of th e House. All bills involving an appropriation must be referred either directly t o the appropriations committee or to an appropriate standing committee and then to the appropriations committee. Committee Review Committee members consider a bill by discussing and debating the bill. The commi ttee may also hold public hearings on the bill. Committee Action A standing committee may act on a bill in various ways. The committee may: Report the bill with favorable recommendation. Report the bill with amendments with favorable recommendation. Report a substitute bill in place of the original bill. Report the bill without recommendation. Report the bill with amendments but without recommendation. Report the bill with the recommendation that the bill be referred to another com mittee. Take no action on a bill. Vote to not report a bill out of committee. In the cases of d and e, the bill, upon being reported from committee, is tabled on the floor (temporarily removed from consideration). A majority vote of the m embers present and voting in the house where the bill is tabled is required to r emove the bill from the table before it may be given further consideration. In both houses, a majority vote of the members serving on a committee is necessa ry to report a bill. If a committee fails to report a bill, a motion to discharg e the committee from consideration of the bill may be offered in the house havin g possession of the bill. If this motion is approved by a vote of a majority of the members elected and serving, the bill is then placed in position on the cale ndar for floor action. In the House, at least a one-day prior notice of the moti on to discharge must be given to the Clerk of the House. Committee Reports

If a bill is reported from committee favorably with or without amendment or in t he form of a substitute bill, the committee report is printed in the journal und er the order of business entitled "Reports of Standing Committees" in the House. On being reported favorably from committee, the bill and recommended committee amendments (if any) are placed on the order of "General Orders" in the Senate. I n the House, the bill and amendments are referred to the order of "Second Readin g." General Orders or Second Reading For the purpose of considering the standing committee recommendations on a bill, the Senate resolves itself into the Committee of the Whole and the House assume s the order of Second Reading. Amendments to the bill maybe offered by any membe r when the bill is being considered at this stage of the legislative process. In the Senate, a simple majority of members present and voting may recommend adopt ion of amendments to the bill and recommend a bill be advanced to Third Reading. In the House, amendments may be adopted by a majority serving, and a majority v oting may advance the bill to Third Reading. In the House, a bill may be placed on Third Reading for a specified date. Third Reading While there are provisions in the House Rules and the Senate Rules for reading b ills unless exception is made, in practice, bills are not read in full in either chamber. In both houses, amendments must be approved by a majority vote of the members serving and the previous question maybe moved and debate cut off by a vo te of a majority of the members present and voting. At the conclusion of Third R eading, the bill is either passed or defeated by a roll call vote of the majorit y of the members elected and serving (pursuant to the State Constitution, approv al of certain measures requires a "super majority" of a two-thirds or three-four ths vote) or one of the following four options is exercised to delay final actio n on the bill: (a) the bill is returned to committee for further consideration; (b) consideration of the bill is postponed indefinitely; (c) consideration is po stponed until a certain date; or (d) the bill is tabled. Following either passage or defeat of a bill, a legislator may move for reconsid eration of the vote by which the bill was passed or defeated. (A motion to recon sider can be made for any question.) In the Senate, the motion for reconsiderati on must be made within the following two session days; in the House, the motion must be made within the next succeeding session day. Five-Day Rule No bill can become law at any regular session of the Legislature until it has be en printed and reproduced and in the possession of each house for at least five days. (Constitution, Art. IV, Sec. 26.) Immediate Effect No act shall take effect until the expiration of 90 days from the end of the ses sion at which the measure was enacted. The Legislature may give immediate effect to an act by a two-thirds vote of the members elected and serving in each house . (Constitution, Art. IV, Sec. 27.) Enactment by the Legislature If a bill passes, it is sent to the other house of the Legislature where the bil l follows the procedure outlined above, resulting in defeat or passage.

If a bill is passed by both houses in identical form, the bill is ordered enroll ed by the house in which the bill originated. Following enrollment and printing, the bill is sent to the Governor. If a bill is passed in a different form by the second house, the bill must be re turned to the house of origin and one of the following occurs: a. If the amendment(s) or substitute bill of the second house is accepted in the house of origin, the bill is enrolled, printed, and sent to the Governor. It sh ould also be noted that either house may amend an amendment made by the other to a bill or joint resolution. At any time while in possession of the bill, either house may recede from its position in whole or in part and the bill may be retu rned to the other house for this purpose. If this further action is agreed to by both houses, the bill is ordered enrolled. b. If the amendment(s) or substitute proposal of the second house is rejected in the house of origin, the bill is then sent to a conference committee (a special committee composed of three legislators from each house) which attempts to comp romise differences between the two versions of the bill. The conference committe e can consider only issues in the bill upon which there is disagreement between the two houses. However, when the agreement arrived at by the conferees is such that it affects other parts of the bill, such as in an appropriations measure, t he conferees may recommend further amendments to conform with the agreement. The conferees may also recommend corrections to any errors in the bill. The confere nce committee may reach a compromise approved by at least a majority of the conf erees from each house, and submit a report to the house of origin. If adopted, t he report and bill are transmitted to the second house. If the conference commit tee report is approved in the second house, the bill is then enrolled, printed, and sent to the Governor. A conference report may not be amended by either house . If the conference committee is notable to agree, or if the report is rejected by either house, a second conference committee is appointed. When a second confe rence has met and the two houses are still unable to agree, no further conferenc e is in order. Approval by Governor Upon receipt of an enrolled bill, the Governor has fourteen days to consider the bill. The Governor may: Sign the bill, which then either becomes law at the expiration of ninety days af ter the Legislature adjourns sine die or on a date beyond the ninetieth day spec ified in the bill. If the bill has been given immediate effect by a two-thirds v ote of the members elected to and serving in each house, the bill will become la w after the Governor signs the bill and files it with the Secretary of State or on a day specified in the bill. Veto the bill and return it to the house of origin with a message stating the Go vernor's objections. Choose not to sign or veto the bill. If the bill is neither signed nor vetoed, t he bill becomes law fourteen days after having reached the Governor's desk if th e Legislature is in session or in recess. If the Legislature should adjourn sine die before the end of the fourteen days, the unsigned bill does not become law. If the Legislature has adjourned by the time the bill reaches the Governor, he or she has fourteen days to consider the bill. If the Governor fails to approve the bill, it does not become law. Legislative Veto Response If the Governor vetoes a bill while the Legislature is in session or recess, one of the following actions may occur: The Legislature may override the veto by a two-thirds vote of the members electe d to and serving in each house. The bill then becomes law. The bill may not receive the necessary two-thirds vote and thus the attempt to o

verride the veto will fail. The bill may be tabled. The bill may be re-referred to a committee.

ARTICLE XV THE FAMILY Section 1. The State recognizes the Filipino family as the foundation of the nat ion. Accordingly, it shall strengthen its solidarity and actively promote its to tal development. Section 2. Marriage, as an inviolable social institution, is the foundation of t he 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 co nvictions and the demands of responsible parenthood; (2) The right of children to assistance, including proper care and nutrition, an d 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 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 thi s Constitution; [2] Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines; [3] Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect Philippin e 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 f rom birth without having to perform any act to acquire or perfect their Philippi ne citizenship. Those who elect Philippine citizenship in accordance with paragr aph (3), Section 1 hereof shall be deemed natural-born citizens. Section 3. Philippine citizenship may be lost or reacquired in the manner provid ed by law. Section 4. Citizens of the Philippines who marry aliens shall retain their citiz enship, 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 I

NATIONAL TERRITORY The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the island s and waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippi nes has sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insu lar shelves, and other submarine areas. The waters around, between, and connecti ng the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breadth and dimensions, f orm part of the internal waters of the Philippines. ARTICLE V SUFFRAGE Section 1. Suffrage may be exercised by all citizens of the Philippines not othe rwise 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 electio n. No literacy, property, or other substantive requirement shall be imposed on t he exercise of suffrage. Section 2. The Congress shall provide a system for securing the secrecy and sanc tity of the ballot as well as a system for absentee voting by qualified Filipino s 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 allow ed to vote under existing laws and such rules as the Commission on Elections may promulgate to protect the secrecy of the ballot.