NSTP - CWTS 2023

MODULE 2
Citizenship Training
Philippine Constitution
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Topic Overview:

The module discusses the History of Philippine Constitution, the Preamble, Bill of
Rights and UNDP Principles in Human Rights. These topics are necessary for citizenship
training, it will help develop values of citizenry.

Objectives:

At the end of the module, the student will be able to:

1. Acquire knowledge on the history and legal bases of NSTP
2. Articulate on the Philippine Constitution
3. Apply the values of a good citizen to everyday living.

Philippine Constitution

- Since June 12, 1898, Proclamation of Independence, there have been a total of six (6)
Philippine Constitution. Below is the evolution of the constitution:

1. Malolos Constitution (1898 – 1901)

- First Philippine Constitution; First republican constitution in Asia

2. Philippine Organic Act of 1902 & Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916 (1902 – 1935)
- The Phil. Organic Act of 1902 provided a Philippine Assembly composed of Filipino
citizen while the Phil. Autonomy Act of 1916 included the first pledge of Philippine
Independence.

3. Commonwealth and Third Republic/1935 Constitution (1935 – 1943 & 1945 – 1972)
- The United States Congress in 1934 passed the Philippine Independence Act that
paved way to the creation of a constitution for the Philippines. Through the 1934
Constitutional Convention, a draft of the Constitution for the Philippines was produced.
It was ratified through a national plebiscite on May 14, 1935. In November 15, 1935
with the inauguration of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, the constitution was
fully implemented and enforced. Part of its provision states that the said constitution
will remain in effect once independence was declared on July 4, 1946. In 1940, the
National Assembly of the Philippines amended the constitution from having a
unicameral assembly to a bicameral congress and changing the term limit of the
president from NSTP Modules six (6) years with no re-election to four (4) years with a
possibility of re-election for a second term. In 1945, the constitution was again
observed with the liberation of the country.

4. Japanese-Sponsored Republic/Second Republic/1943 Constitution (1943 – 1945)

- The Japanese-sponsored government nullified the constitution during the World War
II. The government created a Preparatory Committee on Philippine Independence to
replace the constitution. The new constitution was used by the administration under
President Jose P. Laurel.

5. Martial Law Constitution/1973 Constitution (1973 – 1986)

- During the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos, a Constitutional Convention was
formed to amend the 1935 Constitution. Through the Presidential Decree No. 86, s.
1972 – creation of a citizen assembly to ratify a drafted constitution by means of a
Viva Voce in place of secret ballots, President Marcos announced the ratification and
its effectivity on January 17, 1973. Although there were several opposition to its
ratification, the 1973 Constitution was deemed valid and was enforced.
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6. Freedom Constitution/1987 Constitution (1987 – Present)
- After Martial Law and the democracy was restored, President Corazon Aquino issued
the suspension of several provision in the 1973 Constitution and promulgated a
transitory constitution through Proclamation No. 3. The Constitutional Commission
was created by Proclamation No. 9, s. 1986 and was tasked to write a new charter to
replace the previous Constitution. The National Plebiscite for the new Constitution was
held on February 2, 1987. Then, on February 11, 1987, by virtue of Proclamation No.
58 the new constitution was ratified.

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

Task 1 - Essay: Answer the following question comprehensively.

1. What is the importance of constitution to you as a student?

2. What is your opinion on the issue of constitutional reform during this time of pandemic?

BILL OF RIGHTS

SEC. 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.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 3
1. The privacy of communication and correspondence shall be inviolable except upon
lawful order of the court, or when public safety or order requires otherwise as
prescribed by law.

2. Any evidence obtained in violation of this or the preceding section shall be

inadmissible for any purpose in any proceeding.

SEC. 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.
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SEC. 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.

SEC. 6
- The liberty of abode and of changing the same within the limits prescribed by law shall
not be impaired except upon lawful order of the court. Neither shall the right to travel
be impaired except in the interest of national security, public safety, or public health,
as may be provided by law.

SEC. 7
- The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be
recognized. Access to official records, and to documents, and papers pertaining to
official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used
as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such
limitations as may be provided by law.

SEC. 8
- The right of the people, including those employed in the public and private sectors, to
form unions, associations, or societies for purposes not contrary to law shall not be
abridged.

SEC. 9
- Private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation.

SEC. 10
- No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be passed.

SEC. 11
- Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal assistance
shall not be denied to any person by reason of poverty.

SEC. 12
1. Any person under investigation for the commission of an offense shall have right to be
informed of his right to remain silent and to have competent and independent counsel
preferably of his own choice. If the person cannot afford the services of counsel, he
must be provided with one. These rights cannot be waived except in writing and in the
presence of counsel.

2. No torture, force, violence, threat, intimidation, or any other means which vitiate the
free will shall be used against him. Secret detention places, solitary, incommunicado,
or other similar forms of detention are prohibited.

3. Any confession or admission obtained in violation of this or Section 17 hereof shall be

inadmissible in evidence against him.

4. The law shall provide for penal and civil sanctions of violations of this section as well
as compensation to and rehabilitation of victims of torture or similar practices, and
their families.
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SEC. 13
- All persons, except those charged with offenses punishable by reclusion perpetual
when evidence of guilt is strong, shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient
securities, or be released on recognizance as may be provided by law. The right to
bail shall not be impaired even when the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is
suspended. Excessive bail shall not be required.

SEC. 14
1. No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense without due process of law.

2. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall be presumed innocent until the contrary
is proved, and shall enjoy the right to be heard by himself and counsel, to be informed
of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, to have a speedy, impartial,
and public trial, to meet the witnesses face to face, and to have compulsory process to
secure the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence in his behalf.
However, after arraignment, trial may proceed notwithstanding the absence of the
accused provided that he has been duly notified and his failure to appear is
unjustifiable.

SEC. 15
- The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in cases of
invasion or rebellion when the public safety requires it.

SEC. 16
- All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their cases before all
judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.

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

SEC. 18
1. No person shall be detained solely by reason of his political beliefs and aspirations.

2. No involuntary servitude in any form shall exist except as a punishment for a crime
whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.

SEC. 19
1. Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment
inflicted. Neither shall death penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling reasons
involving heinous crimes, the Congress hereafter provides for it. Any death penalty
already imposed shall be reduced to reclusion perpetual.

2. The employment of physical, psychological, or degrading punishment against any

prisoner or detainee or the use of substandard or inadequate penal facilities under
subhuman conditions shall be dealt with by law. SEC. 20 No person shall be
imprisoned for debt or non-payment of a poll tax.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 22
- No ex post facto law or bill of attainder shall be enacted.
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DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF FILIPINO CITIZENS

1. It is the duty of every Filipino to respect, honor and give due accord to his Filipino
heritage, patrimony, values and tradition.

2. It is the duty of every Filipino to contribute to the development, welfare and nation-
building of its country.

3. It is the duty of every Filipino to engage in gainful work to assure himself and his
family a life of worthy of human dignity.

4. Loyalty to the federal republic and national consciousness, aspirations and ideals shall
be asked from every Filipino citizen.

5. Every Filipino citizen is asked to uphold this Constitution, obey the laws of the land,
pay taxes and duties, and to cooperate with the duly constituted authorities in the
attainment and preservation of a just and orderly society.

6. Every Filipino citizen must give due honor to the Philippine flag, National Anthem,
Philippine President and other national symbols and emblems.

7. It is the duty of very Filipino citizen to defend the national territory from aggressive
invaders, protect the sovereignty of its people, and preserve the continuity of a just,
human society and government.

8. It is the duty of every Filipino to report to the proper authorities all plots of terrorism,
plans of rebellion, subversion, or insurrection toward the duly and legally acknowledge
government, and other acts that will compromise the union and sovereignty of the
federal republic.

9. It is the obligation of every Filipino, to report corrupt, dishonest or fraudulent

government officials to the proper forum, courts and agencies. A Filipino shall not
tempt or bribe government officials, steal from the coffers of the government, or
escape or abandon his lawful responsibilities.

10. It is the responsibilities of every Filipino to elect officials of government as a means of

demonstrating his personal ideas and aspirations for the motherland. Omission or
abstention from this responsibility may indicate a person’s renunciation of his rights of
suffrage. No fine or inappropriate or excessive penalty shall be asked from him as
reparation for his choice not to vote. People, who lost their social right of suffrage, may
reclaim such rights accordance of law.

Task 2 - Assignment: Concept Poster

If the Philippine Constitution mandates the Bill of Rights of the Filipino people, what is also
our reciprocal obligation to the State?

With your answer, create a Concept Poster.

The students’ task is to create a poster that explains their topic. There are two constraints:

1. It must be self-explanatory. If you gave it to a person without walking her through it, would
he understand?
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2. It must be visual. Words and labels are good, but text alone will not be enough to get
people’s attention, or help them understand. When creating their poster, participants may be
helped by
thinking about three kinds of explanation: background, basic concepts and assumptions.

EVALUATION:

A. True or False. Write AKO ANG BATAS if the statement is right and write PASAWAY AKO if
the statement is wrong in the space provided.

______________1. The commonwealth government nullified the Third Republic Constitution

during the World War II.

______________2. The 1987 Constitution was a transitory constitution that tasked the
Philippine commission to write a new charter in replacement of the previous constitution.

______________3. The Preamble is the summary of the Philippine Constitution’s purpose and
ideals.

______________4. Malolos Constitution was the first constitution of the Philippines and the
second republican constitution in Asia.

______________5. The creation of a constitutional convention under the administration of the

late President Ferdinand Marcos amend the 1935 Constitution.

B. Determine if the phrase is about the rights to the citizens of the country or an obligation and
duties of the citizen to the state. If it’s a Bill of Right, write “IPAGLABAN MO” and if the
statement refers to the duties and responsibilities of the citizens write “MAALAALA MO
KAYA”.

________________ 1. freedom of speech, expression or of the press

________________ 2. territorial defense
________________ 3. formation of unions, associations or societies.
________________ 4. Ex post facto law or bill of attainder
________________ 5. country’s development, welfare and nation-building