The Philippine constitution play a big role in the country, in order to fill the present

constitution which is the 1987 constitution. There are six constitutions in the country including
the present constitution. It gives the country the identity and a set of basis to build a law in the
country.

The first constitution is the 1899 Malolos constitution. This constitution is made on
January 21, 1899, historically speaking this constitution aims to free the country in the arms of
Spanish as their colony. This constitution has been built because of the trust issues between the
two parties, in this case it will be the Spaniards and the Filipinos. The Spaniards become the
dictatorial in that time making the Spaniards decide for their one, even labelling the Filipinos as
“Indio” but after the years of colonizing, we tried to make a constitution that will somehow free
us from the Spaniards. According to George A. Malcolm, after we fall in the dictatorship, the
government gave up with the Revolutionary Government which is lead by Emilio Aguinaldo after
having the revolutionist group to fight for the Spaniards, they are thinking that they’re free from the
colony but they didn’t know that the country is sold by the Spaniards. The Malolos constitution is
unicameral and the assembly which is the unicameral legislator has full control of executive. There’s
also a separation of church and the state during that time. There is also the bill of rights on the citizen.
In this, the civil is enjoying their freedom by doing civil services and protecting the sovereignty of the
country.

After losing of the Filipinos in the US war, the US shows that they colonize the country
because of the war but in reality, we are sold by the Spaniards or the treaty of Paris. This puts our
revolutionary government under the military government with a civil government. William Taft is the
first civil governor and then the 1901 Philippine bill was ratified creating a lower legislative branch of
government that comprises of elected Filipino Legislators. This gave the Filipinos to govern for
themselves. The 1935 Commonwealth Constitution is where the Americans freed us by the help of the
“McDuffle Act which is the 10th year of the commonwealth. This constitution is bicameral legislation
which divides by the house of representatives and the senate. There is a suffrage or the right to vote
that is extended to the woman at that time the right age to vote was 21 years old. The president and
vice president will be selected with the votings but without re-election. The 1935 Commonwealth
Constitution was pattern after the American government.

The 1943 constitution which doesn’t live that long as the US came back to free us from the
Japanese. According to the website of Emerson Madayag, the 1943 Constitution has the duties
and rights of the citizens, requires the government to develop Tagalog as the national language,
and stipulates that one year after the termination of the Great East Asia War or the World War II;
a new constitution shall be formulated and adopted to replace this Constitution. The constitution
has strong executive power and a unicameral national assembly which is the Kalibapi that drafts
a new constitution. The constitution of 1943 will bind the Japanese controlled parts of the
Philippines and completely ignored by the US.

The 1973 Constitution which is the constitution Marcos and the Constitutional convention
Amend in the 1935 Constitution into the 1973 constitution. This features the Martial Law to fight for
the so-called Communist parties. The constitution provides the Preamble that contrasts the 1935 and
there is 17 articles as a duty of the citizens. During this time the President will most likely to become a
rime minister that will exercise legislative powers until the Martial Law was lifted. As an obligation,
people will have to do a military services as one of their obligations.

The 1987 constitution also known as the freedom constitution. It gaves people more rights and
equality, this constitution was made to protect basic human rights of the people. By the time that this
constitution is ratified in 1987 there is also division of powers, bill of rights and proper making of bill
into law. Decentralized powers has been practiced with this constitution and that gaves the concept of
every constitution should have a respect on our rights.

(e) The Constitution depicts an

autocratic leadership to
maintain and
improve the discipline of every
individual person.
C. 1987 Constitution
1. History: President Corazon
Aquino in April 1986 created,
through
Proclamation No. 9, the 1986
Constitutional Commission,
which was
responsible for drafting a
replacement for the 1973
Constitution.
2. Salient features:
(a) It has supplanted the
"Freedom Constitution" upon
its ratification in
1987.
(b) It has declared a National
Policy to implement the reforms
mandated by
the people, protect their Basic
Rights, adopt a Provisional
Constitution,
and provide for an orderly
transition to a government
under the new
constitution.
(b) It has adopted some
provisions of the 1973
Constitution provided that
they are not contrary to the
proclamation such as the