PREAMBLE

BY:
CHRYS PHILIP M. PELAYO
 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.
 MEANING OF PREAMBLE

• Preamble is derived from the Latin preambulare which

means “to walk before”
• It is an introduction to the main subject
• It is the prologue of the Constitution
 PREAMBLE NOT ESSENTIAL IN A
CONSTITUTION
• Technically speaking, the Preamble forms of no integral part
of our Constitution
• Of itself alone, it cannot be invoked as source of private right
enforceable by the courts or of any governmental power not
expressly granted or at least, clearly implied therefrom.
• It is significant to note, however, that a majority of the
constitutions of the world contain preamble.
 OBJECTS AND VALUE OF PREAMBLE

• Sets down origin and purposes of the Constitution.

• While a preamble is not a necessary part of a constitution, it is advisable
to have one
• In the case of the Constitution of the Philippines, the Preamble which is
couched in general terms, the broad outline of, and the spirit behind the
Constitution.
• May serve as an aid in its interpretation
• The Preamble has a value for purposes of construction or interpretation
of the meaning of constitutional provisions.
• The statement of the general purposes may be restored to as
an aid in determining the meaning of vague or ambiguous
provisions of the Constitution proper
• By way of illustration, the government is without power to
impose taxes for private purpose
• According to the Preamble it is established for public purpose,
the promotion of the common good and not for private purpose
 TWO VERY IMPORTANT ENDS OF THE
PREAMBLE
• It tells us who are the authors of the Constitution and for
whom it has promulgated
• It states the general purposes which are intended to be
achieved by the Constitution and the government
established under it, and certain basic principles underlying
the fundamental charter