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1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Philippines
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Latest Version in WIPO Lex
Details
Details
Year of Version
1987
Dates
Entry into force:
February 11, 1987
Adopted:
February 2, 1987
Type of Text
Framework Laws
Subject Matter
Other
Notes
The current constitution is the 1987 Constitution which came into force on February 11, 1987. It was approved by the 1986 Constitutional Commission on October 12, 1986, and was ratified in a national plebiscite held on February 2, 1987.
The 1987 Constitution establishes the Philippines as a democratic and republican State (Article II, Section 1). It provides for separation of powers among the legislative, executive and judicial branches.
The legislative power is vested in the Congress of the Philippines which shall consist of a Senate and a House of Representatives (Article VI, Section 1). Congress enacts laws subject to the veto power of the President (Article VI, Section 27). The executive power is vested in the President who shall ensure the faithful execution of the laws (Article VII, Sections 1 & 17). The President is both the chief of State and head of the government and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces (Article VII, Section 17). The judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court and the lower courts (Article VIII, Section 1). The Supreme Court has the power to review and revise, reverse, and modify on appeal, as the law or the Rules of Court may provide final judgments and decrees of inferior courts.
The Philippine legal system belongs to a mix legal system which includes both civil law and common law traditions.
The main sources of laws of the Philippines are composed of:
• The Constitution
• Treaties and Conventions
• Statutes including Acts, Commonwealth Acts, Batas Pambansa issued by the legislature
• Presidential issuances including Presidential Decrees, Executive Orders, , Memorandum Circulars, Administrative Orders, Proclamations, etc. issued by the President
• Administrative rules and regulations issued by the Departments, Bureaus, and other agencies of the government
The Constitution contains specific provisions on intellectual property such as the protection of the exclusive rights of scientists, inventors, artists to their intellectual property creations and the priority given to research, development, invention, and innovation (Article XIV, Sections 10-13), and the promotion of arts and culture, including the recognition and protection of the rights of indigenous cultural communities (Article XIV, Sections 14-18).
The text of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines has been reproduced with the express permission of the Lawphil Project © 2002. All rights reserved.
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1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines
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WIPO Lex No.
PH020