Constitution of the Philippines Minister, and provisions which gave the
President legislative powers. Often called the
CreatedOctober 15, 1986 "Freedom Constitution," this constitution was Ratified February 2, 1987 only intended as a temporary constitution to ensure the freedom of the people and the return Location Legislative Archives of the to democratic rule. A constitutional assembly House of Representatives, was soon called to draft a new constitution for the country. Quezon City The Constitutional Commission was composed Author(s) Constitutional Commission of of fifty members appointed by Aquino from 1986 varied backgrounds including several former Signatories 46 of the 50 commissioners members of the House of Representatives, former justices of the Supreme Court, a Roman Catholic bishop, and political activists against Purpose National constitution to replace the Marcos regime. The Commission Presidential Proclamation No. 3 elected Cecilia Muoz-Palma, a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, as its president. Several issues were of particular contention during the Commission's sessions, The Constitution of the including the form of government to adopt, the Philippines (Filipino: Saligang Batas ng abolition of the death penalty, the retention of the Pilipinas) is the constitution or supreme law of U.S. bases in Clark and Subic, and the integration of economic policies into the the Republic of the Philippines. Its final draft was constitution. Lino Brocka, a film director and completed by the Constitutional Commission on political activist who was member of the October 12, 1986 and was ratified by a Commission, walked out before the nationwide plebiscite on February 2, 1987. constitution's completion, and two other delegates dissented from the final draft. The Three other previous constitutions have Commission finished the final draft on October effectively governed the country in the past: the 12, 1986 and presented it to Aquino on October 1935 Commonwealth Constitution, the 1973 15. The constitution was ratified by a nationwide Constitution, and the 1986 Freedom plebiscite on February 2, 1987. Constitution. The earliest constitution establishing a "Philippine Republic," the 1899 Malolos Constitution, was never fully Article 1. National Territory implemented throughout the Philippines and did not establish a state that was internationally The national territory comprises the Philippine recognized, due in great part to the impending archipelago, with all the islands and waters American occupation during its adoption. embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or Background jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial, Ruling by decree during the early part of her and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, tenure and as a president installed via the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and the People Power Revolution, other submarine areas. The waters around, President Corazon C. Aquino issued between, and connecting the islands of the Proclamation No. 3 on March 25, 1986 which archipelago, regardless of their breadth and abrogated many of the provisions of the then dimensions, form part of the internal waters of 1973 Constitution adopted during the Marcos the Philippines. regime including the unicameral legislature (the Batasang Pambansa), the office of Prime