Preamble
1987 Constitution of the Philippines.
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.
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 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.
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 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 9. Private property shall not be taken for public use without just
compensation.
SECTION 10. No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be passed.
SECTION 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
SECTION 12. (1) Any person under investigation for the commission of an
offense shall have the 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 for violations of this
section as well as compensation to and
rehabilitation of victims of torture or similar practices, and their families.
SECTION 13. All persons, except those charged with offenses punishable by
reclusion perpetua when evidence of guilt is
strong, shall, before conviction, be bailable by sufficient sureties, 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.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 15. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be
suspended except in cases of invasion or rebellion when. public safety
requires it.
SECTION 16. All persons shall have the right to a speedy disposition of their
cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies.
SECTION 17. No person shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.
SECTION 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.
SECTION 19. (1) Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel, degrading,
or inhuman punishment inflicted. Neither shall
the 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
perpetua.
(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.
SECTION 20. No person shall be imprisoned for debt or non-payment of a
poll tax.
SECTION 21. No person shall be twice put in jeopardy of punishment for the
same offense. If an act is punished by a law
an ordinance, conviction or acquittal under either shall constitute a bar to
another prosecuation for the same act
Section 22: NO expost facto law or bill of attainder shall be enacted