1935
CONSTITUTION
Quezon eventually brought in from
the United States the Tydings-
McDuffie Act (Public Law 73-127)
authored by Sen. Millard Tydings
and Rep. John McDuffie, a slightly
amended version of the Hare-
Hawes-Cutting bill signed by
President Franklin Roosevelt on
March 24, 1934.
The 1935 Constitution with
accordance with the Philippine
Independence Act of 1934 was
ratified by the Filipino people
through a national plebiscite, on
May 14, 1935 and came into full
force and effect on November 15,
1935 with the inauguration of the
Commonwealth of the Philippines.
Upon the proclamation of the
President of the United States
recognizing the independence of
the Philippines- all property rights
of the United States and the
Philippines shall be promptly
adjusted and settled and the
government of the Philippines will
assume all continuing obligations
of the United States under the
Treaty of Peace with Spain ceding
the Philippine Islands to the United
States.
The 1935 Constitution was
amended by the National
Assembly of the Philippines. The
legislature was changed from a
unicameral assembly to a
bicameral congress. And it also
changed the term limit of the
President of the Philippines from
six years with no reelection to four
years with a possibility of being
reelected for a second term.
1973
CONSTITUTION
FRAMERS
Marcos manipulated an ongoing
Constitutional Convention and
drafted a new constitution which
allows him to rule by decree until
1978 when the presidential system
of the 1935 Constitutions was
replaced with a parliamentary one.
RATIFICATION
Upon seeing that the ratification was
bound to fail, Marcos issued
Presidential Decree No. 86, creating
citizens assemblies to ratify the
newly drafted constitution by means
of a Viva Voce vote in place of secret
ballots. The 1973 Constitution was
ratified by the virtue of Presidential
Proclamation No. 1102 dated
January 17, 1973.
PROVISIONS
There shall be an Interim Batasang
Pamabasa and shall continue until
the Members of the regular
Batasang Pambansa shall have
been elected and shall have
assumed office following an election
called for the purpose by the Interim
Batasang Pambansa. Except as
otherwise provided in this
Constitution, the Interim Batasang
Pambansa shall have the same
powers and its Members shall have
the same functions, responsibilities,
rights, priviledges, and
disqualifications as the regular
Batasang Pambansa and the
Members thereof.
AMENDMENTS
The Constitution vests the legislative
power in the National Assembly. A
Prime Minister is elected from
among the members of the National
Assembly and serves as the head of
government and commander-in-chief
of the Philippine Armed Forces. A
President is elected from among the
members of the National Assembly
and serves as the symbolic head of
state with a six-year term. The
judicial power is vested in the
Supreme Court, composed of a
Chief Justice and 14 Justices. The
National Assembly exercises the
power to define, prescribe and
1987
CONSTITUTION
Aquino issued a unilateral proclamation
establishing a provisional constitution
repealing many of the Marcos’
regulations that had repressed the
people. This constitution gave the
President broad powers ad great
authority.
When democracy was restored in 1986,
Aquino issued Proclamation No. 3,
suspending certain provisions of the 1973
Constitution and issued Proclamation No.
9, which created a new Constitution. The
National Plebiscite was held on February
2, 1987 to ratify the new Constitution and
upon virtue of Proclamation No. 58 the
1987 Constitution finally came into effect
the day with the President and other
civilian officials.
The Constitution established a
representative democracy with power
divided among three independent
branches of government- the Executive, a
bicameral Legislature, ad Judiciary.
There were three independent
constitutional commissions- the
Commission on Audit, the Civil Service
Commission, and the Commission on
Elections. Integrated into the Constitution
was a full Bill of Rights, which guarantee
fundamental civil and political rights, and
it provided for free, fair, and periodic
elections.
The 1987 Constitution established a
representative democracy with power
divided among three separate and
independent branches of government: the
Executive, a bicameral Legislature, and
the Judiciary. There were three
independent constitutional commissions
as well: the Commission on Audit, the
Civil Service Commission, and the
Commission on Elections. Integrated into
the Constitution was a full Bill of Rights,
which guaranteed fundamental civil and
and political rights, and it provided for
free, fair, and periodic elections. In
comparison with the weak document that
had given Marcos a legal fiction behind
 apportion the jurisdiction of the lower which to hide, this Constitution seemed
courts. All justices of the Supreme ideal to many Filipinos emerging from 20
Court and judges of the lower courts years of political repression and
are appointed by the Prime Minister. oppression.

Constitutional Convention and Constitutional Commission

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
The constitutional convention is composed of duly-elected
delegates of the people. It has plenary powers and is
capable of drafting an entirely new constitution, if need be.
Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of all its members,
call a constitutional convention, or by a majority vote of all
of its members, submit to the electorate the question of
calling such a convention.
CONSTITUTION COMMISSION
In January 1942, the Philippine Executive Commission, or
PEC, was established as the temporary caretaker
government of the City of Greater Manila, and eventually,
of the whole Philippines during the Japanese occupation
of the country during World War II. The PEC existed until
the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic was
established in October 1943.

Proponents of a constitutional convention, argue for the
following:
1. the proposed amendments are of such basic nature
that only a body of delegates duly-elected for the
specific purpose can do the job:
2. participation of the people in constitution-making is
more assured in a convention:
3. Congress should not do it because it would be
affected by the proposed changes: and
4. it is a more democratic, transparent ad deliberate
process.
In 1986, President Corazon Aquino dissolved the 1973
Constitution and called for its revision. From February
1986 to February 1987, the Philippines was governed
under a provisional constitution called the "Freedom
Constitution", which was drafted by her Executive
Secretary Joker Arroyo. In September 1986,
the Constitutional Commission of 1986 was set up with all
its members appointed by Aquino. The revised Philippine
Constitution was ratified by a plebiscite with 76% of votes
in the affirmative.
An unrelated concept is a "constitutional commission",
which is a commission created by the 1987 Constitution.
These are governmental bodies that are independent of
the three main branches of government. These
constitutional commissions are the:

 Civil Service Commission

 Commission on Audit
 Commission on Elections

The 1987 Constitution does not place upon a

constitutional commission the task of amending the
Constitution—that task falls to the Constitutional
Convention, the Constituent Assembly, or the People's
Initiative, the three constitutionally sanctioned methods of
amending the Constitution.