BILL OF RIGHTS

The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans’ rights in
relation to their government.

 It guarantees civil rights and liberties to the individual—like freedom of speech, press, and
religion.

 It sets rules for due process of law and reserves all powers not delegated to the Federal
Government to the people or the States.

 And it specifies that “the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be
construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”

During the summer of 1787, a group of politicians, including James Madison and Alexander
Hamilton, gathered in Philadelphia to draft a new U.S. Constitution.

Antifederalists, led by the first governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry, opposed the ratification of the
Constitution. They felt the new constitution gave the federal government too much power at the
expense of the states. They further argued that the Constitution lacked protections for people’s
individual rights.

James Madison drafted most of the Bill of Rights. Madison was a Virginia representative who would
later become the fourth president of the United States. He created the Bill of Rights during the 1st
United States Congress, which met from 1789 to 1791 – the first two years that President George
Washington was in office.

The Bill of Rights, which was introduced to Congress in 1789 and adopted on December 15, 1791,
includes the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The First Amendment

Adopted in 1791, the First Amendment protects,

1. freedom of religion,

2. freedom of speech, and

3. freedom of the press.

It also gives those in the United States the right to peacefully protest and petition the government. It
was added to the Constitution along with nine other amendments, which together became known
as the Bill of Rights.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to
assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The Second Amendment

The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms.

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to
keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

The Third Amendment

he Third Amendment prevents government from forcing homeowners to allow soldiers to use their
homes. Before the Revolutionary War, laws gave British soldiers the right to take over private
homes.

“No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor
in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.”

The Fourth Amendment

The Fourth Amendment bars the government from unreasonable search and seizure of an
individual or their private property.

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon
probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”

The Fifth Amendment

The Fifth Amendment provides several protections for people accused of crimes.

• It states that serious criminal charges must be started by a grand jury.

• A person cannot be tried twice for the same offense (double jeopardy) or have property taken
away without just compensation.

• People have the right against self-incrimination and cannot be imprisoned without due process
of law (fair procedures and trials.)

• “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a
presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or
in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be
 subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in
any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property,
without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just
compensation.”

The Sixth Amendment

The Sixth Amendment provides additional protections to people accused of crimes, such as the right
to a speedy and public trial, trial by an impartial jury in criminal cases, and to be informed of
criminal charges. Witnesses must face the accused, and the accused is allowed his or her own
witnesses and to be represented by a lawyer.

“The Sixth Amendment grants criminal defendants the right to a speedy and public trial by an
impartial jury consisting of jurors from the state and district in which the crime was alleged to have
been committed.”

The Seventh Amendment

The Seventh Amendment extends the right to a jury trial in Federal civil cases.

“In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of
trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise reexamined in any
court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.”

The Eighth Amendment

The Eighth Amendment bars excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment.

“Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual
punishments inflicted.”

The Ninth Amendment

The Ninth Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that
people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out.

“The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage
others retained by the people.”

The Tenth Amendment

The Tenth Amendment says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the
Constitution. If it isn’t listed, it belongs to the states or to the people.
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the
states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.”

The Philippine Bill of Rights

Article III of the Philippine Constitution is the Bill of Rights.

It establishes the relationship of the individual to the State and defines the rights of the individual by
limiting the lawful powers of the State. It is one of the most important political achievements of the
Filipinos.

The concept of a Bill of Rights, as such, is essentially an occidental product from British, French, and
American political thought.

The rights of the individual must be preserved and safeguarded, not through the authority of an
individual, not through membership in a particular group or party, not through reliance upon force
of arms, but rather through the accepted processes of declared constitutional law.

What laws or legal documents ensure the human rights 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 which declare a Filipino citizen’s rights and privileges that the
Constitution has to protect, no matter what.

Do criminals or those who break the law still enjoy human rights?

Criminals or those in conflict with the law are still protected by rights as indicated in many legal
documents such as the Philippines’ Criminal Code and UN’s Standard Minimum Rules for the
Treatment of Prisoners.

The Philippine 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 persons or
things to be seized.
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 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.

SECTION 17. No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.

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 acquittal under either shall constitute a bar to
another prosecution for the same act.

Facts About Human Rights in Cuba

1. Political Protest

The Human Rights Watch reported that the Cuban government uses tactics, such as arbitrary
detentions, to intimidate critics.

These unreasonable detentions are meant to discourage Cuban citizens from criticizing the
government. Additionally, they result in a serious freedom of speech crisis for the Cuban people.

2. Political Participation

Although dissent against the government is punished harshly, more Cubans are willing to express
discontent with their votes now than in previous years.

In the most recent constitutional vote, 14 percent of the population voted they were unhappy.

3. Right to Travel

Since 2003, when travel rights were reformed, many who had previously been denied permission to
travel have been able to do so. However, the government still restricts the travel rights of Cubans
who criticize the government.

4. Freedom of Religion

Although the Cuban Constitution allows for freedom of religion, there have been several significant
restrictions on freedom of religion in Cuba.
Accordingly, the government has used “threats, travel restrictions, detentions and violence against
some religious leaders and their followers.”

5. Freedom of Media

The internet is limited and expensive in Cuba. Moreover, the Cuban government censors anything
made available to the Cuban people.

“The government controls virtually all media outlets in Cuba and restricts access to outside
information.”

6. Access to Healthcare

Access to healthcare remains strong in Cuba.

This strong healthcare system is a great success for the country and brings a higher quality of life to
its citizens.

7. Labor Rights

The government has immense control over labor and the economy.

Workers’ ability to organize is very limited. The state is able to dismiss employees at will. This lack of
stability and the constant threat to citizens’ jobs enables the state control that restricts citizens’
rights to free speech.