ARTICLE III

BILL OF RIGHTS

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.

Abridging - deprive of
Peaceably - refers to possession that is continuous and not
interrupted.
Petition - an application to a court for a writ.
Grievances - a real or imagined wrong or other cause for
complaint or protest.

Examples:

 As of April 2012, 72 journalists were killed, seven of which

happened during the Aquino administration. Almost all these
killings were due to the fact that these journalists were not afraid
to address their disgust against government officials, or reveal
anomalies in their local government. The Committee to Protect
 Journalists (CPJ) ranked the Philippines as the third most
dangerous country for journalists.
 Maguindanao Massacre, the worst incident involving media
workers to date, are yet to get the justice that they deserve. Two
years and five months after the incident, 93 out of 196 suspects
were jailed, and only two of the main keyplayers tagged in the
crime have been arraigned.

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.

Religion - religion is the belief in and worship of a superhuman

controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.
- A particular system of faith and worship.
- A pursuit or interest followed with devotion.
Exercise - to make use of something, such as a right or option.
Discrimination - the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different
categories of people or things, especially on the
grounds of race, age, or sex.
Example:

 The fight against the controversial Reproductive Health (RH)

bill is the biggest challenge the Catholic Church is facing.

 The Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of

2012 (Republic Act No. 10354), informally known as the
Reproductive Health Law or RH Law, is a law in the Philippines,
which guarantees universal access to methods on
contraception, fertility control, sexual education, and maternal
care.

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.
Liberty - the state of being free within society from oppressive
restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life,
behavior, or political views.
Abode - a place of residence; a house or home.
Impaired - weakened or damaged.

Example:

 Estrada hit for proposed ban on riding in tandem on bikes.

Former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada’s
plan to ban riding in tandem motorcycles may be
unconstitutional, an anti-crime crusader.

 Jimenez cited Article III, Section 6 of the 1987 Philippine

Constitution. “That’s a violation of free access to
transportation. Nasa Constitution natin ‘yan. Hindi mo
pwedeng tanggalin sa ordinaryong mamamayan, (It’s in the
Constitution. You cannot just remove that from ordinary
citizens),” Jimenez said, referring to the proposed ban.