5/28/22, 7:17 PM 5.1.4.

Political Rights and Privileges: GEC 001-CE12S11 - Understanding the Self

5.1.4. Political Rights and Privileges

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. identify the various political rights and privileges of a citizen;
2. determine how these rights and privileges help develop oneself; and
3. apply ways on how you can make use of these rights and privileges.

What laws or legal documents ensure

the political rights and privileges of
Filipino citizens?
The rights of Filipinos can be found in Article III of the 1987
Philippine Constitution. Also called the Bill of Rights, it
includes 22 sections that declare a Filipino citizen’s rights
and privileges that the Constitution has to protect, no matter
what. Aside from various local laws, human rights in the
Philippines are also guided by the UN's International Bill of
Human Rights – a consolidation of 3 legal documents
including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights (ICCPR), and the International Covenant on
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).

Why are rights important to citizens?

It is extremely important to know our legal and Constitutional rights. These rights are the foundation of
our legal system and are in place for the protection of every citizen of this country. Failure to know and
utilize these rights leads to their erosion and possibly to you getting yourself deeper into
trouble. Human rights are the basic rights inherent to all human beings from birth until death. These
rights include the right to life and liberty, personal security, freedom from torture, freedom from
discrimination, and freedom from arbitrary arrest, among others. The political self, before combatting
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the great challenges of modern times, need to equip himself with the corresponding ethical standards
of society.

What are human rights?

Human rights, according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of
Philosophy, refers to norms that aim to protect people from
political, legal, and social abuses. human rights are a vital
component of most modern democracies. Human rights allow a
person to live with dignity and in peace, away from the abuses that
can be inflicted by abusive institutions or individuals. But the fact
remains that there are rampant human rights violations around the
world. The United Nations (UN) defines human rights as universal
and inalienable, interdependent and indivisible, and, equal and
non-discriminatory:
It is universal and inalienable.
Human rights belong to all and cannot be taken away unless
specific situations call for it. However, the deprivation of a person's
right is subject to due process.
It is Interdependent and indivisible
Whatever happens to even one right – fulfillment or violation – can
directly affect others.
It is equal and non-discriminatory.
Human rights protect all people regardless of race, nationality, gender, religion, and political
leaning, among others. They should be respected without prejudice.
Human rights can also be classified under individual, collective, civil, political, economic and social,
and cultural.
Human rights are both rights and obligations, according to the UN. The state – or the government – is
obliged to “respect, protect, and fulfill” these rights. Respect begets commitment from the state that no
law should be made to interfere or curtail the fulfillment of the stated human rights. Protecting means
that human rights violations should be prevented and if they exist, immediate action should be made.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Right to equality
Freedom from discrimination
Right to life, liberty, and personal security
Freedom from slavery
Freedom from torture and degrading treatment

What are the Rights

and Duties of a
Filipino Citizen?
As to duties,
every Filipino citizen is
asked to uphold this
Constitution, obey the
laws of the land, pay
taxes, and cooperate
with the duly constituted
authorities in the
attainment and
preservation of a just and orderly society. It shall be the duty of every citizen to be loyal
to the Republic of the Philippines, honor the Philippine Flag, defend the State, contribute to its
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development and welfare, uphold the Constitution and obey the laws, pay taxes, and cooperate
with the duly constituted authorities in the attainment and maintenance of the peace and order in
the country.
As to rights, it includes the following: the right to use and dispose of his property, the right to
practice one's profession, and the right to make a living. In other words, a Filipino citizen
cannot be deprived of his life, liberty, or property and is given the chance to defend himself.

Specifically, it is the duty of every Filipino:

To be loyal and honor the Philippine flag
To defend the State and contribute to its development
To uphold the Constitution and obey the laws
To cooperate with the duly constituted authorities in the attainment and preservation of a just and
humane society.

Article III of 1987 Constitution – My Statutory Rights

Right to receive a minimum wage
Right to preliminary investigation
Right to information
Right to a fair and speedy trial
Right to remain silent and seek counsel
Right to bail
Right to vote
Right to privacy
Freedom of opinion

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/human-rights-philippines
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1973-constitution-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines-
2/
http://noblesdefense.com/KnowYourRights.aspx

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