REACTION PAPER

THE 1987 CONSTITUTION

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

Introduction

The Philippines is a Southeast Asian archipelago consisting of 7,107 islands with 300,000
square kilometers. It is bounded on the north by the Pacific Ocean, on the west by the South
China Sea, on the south by the Sulu and Celebes Seas, and on the east by the Philippine Sea.
Over 90 million people inhabit the islands, with 12 million living in Metro Manila, the capital.
There are eight primary languages and over a hundred dialects spoken in the country.

The 1987 Constitution created a representative democracy with three distinct and
independent aspects of government: the Executive, a bicameral Legislature, and the Judiciary.
The Commission on Audit, the Civil Service Commission, and the Commission on Elections was
independent constitutional commissions. A complete Bill of Rights was added to the
Constitution, guaranteeing fundamental civil and political rights and fair and annual elections.
Many Filipinos emerging from 20 years of political repression and persecution have seen this
Constitution as ideal compared to the weak document that had provided Marcos with a legal
fiction behind which to hide.

The Constitution

A Constitution is a set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political
organization works. So this is like a rulebook for the government, and the government must
follow all rules stated in this rulebook. This document also creates two branches, the powers, and
responsibilities of government. And it also contains the Rights of the People, and it is illegal for
the government to violate these rights; if they do, the law will punish them.

The Constitution is also often known as the Supreme Law of Land; it is the highest law in
the country. The government cannot pass a law against the Constitution, and all laws must
comply with the principles set out in a constitution. No one, not even the president, can go
against the Constitution.

For every change in the Constitution, the president will release a proclamation to
commemorate when the new Charter occurs. This day is called the “Constitution day.”

The latest Constitution of the Philippines was ratified on February 2, 1987. This is the
reason why Constitution day is celebrated every second day of February.
The 1987 Constitution

The 1987 Constitution is also known as the Anti-Marcos Constitution. It revolves around
four themes which are the following:

 Upholding of national sovereignty

 Democratic governance and the prevention of another dictatorship
 Respect for human rights and civil liberties
 Promotion of social justice

The Constitution provided three governmental powers: the Executive branch, Legislative
Branch, and the Judicial Branch. Now, these three works like a ‘Basketball Game.’ The
Executive works like a coach who leads the team. The Legislative branch, since it is divided into
two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives, acts as players of the game trying to
score points against each other, and the Judicial branch is much like the referee of the match that
helps settle disputes. They are to clarify the rules and make sure that each side is acting
reasonably.

The Power of these three branches is separated from one another. This is what we call the
Separation of Powers. It also has a system of Checks and Balances.

The 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.

The preamble is significant because it explains why specific clauses of the Philippine
Constitution exist. It would reveal what the Filipino people want to be, what they believe in, and
what they strive towards.

Article III – Bill of Rights

Ours is a history of the revolutionary fight for national liberation, justice, equality, and
peace against all forms of tyranny. Our collective spirit has been motivated by the same battle
and ambitions for independence and respect for human rights that have driven us to create a
nation proud of our heritage and unique culture. Today, we must renew the same revolutionary
spirit in our fight against globalization's harmful repercussions, including debt, environmental
degradation, social injustice, and poverty. These make human and peoples’ rights our foremost
concern.
 We claim that human and peoples' rights are fundamental, inherent, and inalienable rights
to life, dignity, and growth. These rights are universal, interconnected, and indivisible, and they
are necessary to meet our civil, political, economic, social, cultural, spiritual, and environmental
demands. They are what distinguishes us as human beings.

The 1973 Constitution: Article V – Duties and Obligations of Citizens

Therefore, as citizens in a developing democracy, we should balance our emphasis on

individual rights and privileges with a more profound sense of personal, social, and communal
duties and obligations. Many more folks may become patriotic, responsible, and effective in
support of our kapwa Pilipino in this way. We can then create a solid national community, a
functioning democracy, a just and compassionate society, and the Philippines that is peaceful and
non-killing.

Social Issues

Social problems involved within our country are the following:

 Corruption
 Poor law enforcement and an ineffective justice system
 Lack of transparency and accountability in public office
 Polarization between the few who are poor
 Weak protection of the human rights of vulnerable groups (women, children, minorities,
journalists, political activists)
 Involvement of the military in political questions
 Ending the Muslim insurgency in Southern Mindanao

Summary

The importance of the Constitution is to maintain law and order. Imagine a country
without a constitution. It will be in chaos. And anarchy is possible in which a society without
authorities or a governing body, so without someone who will lead us, our society will be
completely confused.

In addition, the Constitution serves as the guide for government officials to impose rules
and regulations. The Constitution also protects the rights and freedom of the people. The
Constitution limits the power of the government as well.

The expanding democratic process and human rights knowledge, as evidenced by civil
society's active engagement and assertion, have functioned as instruments in combating all sorts
of human rights violations and all factors that obstruct our personal and national growth.

Therefore, we proclaim the basic principles for the Filipino's protection, promotion,
respect, and realization of human and people's rights in this constitution.