1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE Section 5.

PHILIPPINES
No law shall be made respecting an establishment of
ARTICLE III religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. The
BILL OF RIGHTS 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 1.

No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property

without due process of law, nor shall any person be Section 6.
denied the equal protection of the laws.
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
SECTION 2. right to travel be impaired except in the interest of
national security, public safety, or public health, as
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, may be provided by law.
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 Section 7.
cause to be determined personally by the judge after
examination under oath or affirmation of the The right of the people to information on matters of
complainant and the witnesses he may produce, and public concern shall be recognized. Access to official
particularly describing the place to be searched and records, and to documents and papers pertaining to
the persons or things to be seized. 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 3.

1. The privacy of communication and

correspondence shall be inviolable except Section 8.
upon lawful order of the court, or when public
safety or order requires otherwise, as The right of the people, including those employed in
prescribed by law. the public and private sectors, to form unions,
2. Any evidence obtained in violation of this or associations, or societies for purposes not contrary to
the preceding section shall be inadmissible for law shall not be abridged.
any purpose in any proceeding.

Section 9.
Section 4.
Private property shall not be taken for public use
No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of without just compensation.
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 10. corpus is suspended. Excessive bail shall not be
required.
No law impairing the obligation of contracts shall be
passed.

Section 14.

Section 11. 1. No person shall be held to answer for a

criminal offense without due process of law.
Free access to the courts and quasi-judicial bodies 2. In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall
and adequate legal assistance shall not be denied to be presumed innocent until the contrary is
any person by reason of poverty. 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
Section 12. trial, to meet the witnesses face to face, and
to have compulsory process to secure the
1. Any person under investigation for the attendance of witnesses and the production of
commission of an offense shall have the right evidence in his behalf. However, after
to be informed of his right to remain silent and arraignment, trial may proceed
to have competent and independent counsel notwithstanding the absence of the accused:
preferably of his own choice. If the person Provided, that he has been duly notified and
cannot afford the services of counsel, he must his failure to appear is unjustifiable.
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, Section 15.
or any other means which vitiate the free will
shall be used against him. Secret detention The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be
places, solitary, incommunicado, or other suspended except in cases of invasion or rebellion,
similar forms of detention are prohibited. when the public safety requires it
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 Section 16.
sanctions for violations of this Section as well
as compensation to the rehabilitation of All persons shall have the right to a speedy
victims of torture or similar practices, and their disposition of their cases before all judicial, quasi-
families. judicial, or administrative bodies.

Section 13. Section 17.

All persons, except those charged with offenses No person shall be compelled to be a witness against
punishable by reclusion perpetua when evidence of himself.
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
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 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 and an ordinance, conviction or
acquittal under either shall constitute a bar to another
prosecution for the same act.

Section 22.

No ex post facto law or bill of attainder shall be

enacted.