PREAMBLE Section 3. (1) The privacy of Section 7.

The right of the people to

communication and correspondence information on matters of public concern
We, the sovereign Filipino people, shall be inviolable except upon lawful shall be recognized. Access to official
imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order of the court, or when public safety records, and to documents and papers
order to build a just and humane society, or order requires otherwise, as pertaining to official acts, transactions,
and establish a Government that shall prescribed by law. or decisions, as well as to government
embody our ideals and aspirations, research data used as basis for policy
promote the common good, conserve (2) Any evidence obtained in violation of development, shall be afforded the
and develop our patrimony, and secure this or the preceding section shall be citizen, subject to such limitations as
to ourselves and our posterity, the inadmissible for any purpose in any may be provided by law.
blessings of independence and proceeding.
democracy under the rule of law and a Section 8. The right of the people,
regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, Section 4. No law shall be passed including those employed in the public
equality, and peace, do ordain and abridging the freedom of speech, of and private sectors, to form unions,
promulgate this Constitution. expression, or of the press, or the right associations, or societies for purposes
of the people peaceably to assemble not contrary to law shall not be
ARTICLE III and petition the government for redress abridged.
BILL OF RIGHTS of grievances.
Section 9. Private property shall not be
Section 1. No person shall be deprived Section 5. No law shall be made taken for public use without just
of life, liberty, or property without due respecting an establishment of religion, compensation.
process of law, nor shall any person be or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
denied the equal protection of the laws. The free exercise and enjoyment of Section 10. No law impairing the
religious profession and worship, obligation of contracts shall be passed.
Section 2. The right of the people to be without discrimination or preference,
secure in their persons, houses, papers, shall forever be allowed. No religious Section 11. Free access to the courts
and effects against unreasonable test shall be required for the exercise of and quasi-judicial bodies and adequate
searches and seizures of whatever civil or political rights. legal assistance shall not be denied to
nature and for any purpose shall be any person by reason of poverty.
inviolable, and no search warrant or Section 6. The liberty of abode and of
warrant of arrest shall issue except upon changing the same within the limits Section 12. (1) Any person under
probable cause to be determined prescribed by law shall not be impaired investigation for the commission of an
personally by the judge after except upon lawful order of the court. offense shall have the right to be
examination under oath or affirmation of Neither shall the right to travel be informed of his right to remain silent and
the complainant and the witnesses he impaired except in the interest of to have competent and independent
may produce, and particularly describing national security, public safety, or public counsel preferably of his own choice. If
the place to be searched and the health, as may be provided by law. the person cannot afford the services of
persons or things to be seized. counsel, he must be provided with one.
These rights cannot be waived except in (2) In all criminal prosecutions, the crime whereof the party shall have been
writing and in the presence of counsel. accused shall be presumed innocent duly convicted.
until the contrary is proved, and shall
(2) No torture, force, violence, threat, enjoy the right to be heard by himself Section 19. (1) Excessive fines shall not
intimidation, or any other means which and counsel, to be informed of the be imposed, nor cruel, degrading or
vitiate the free will shall be used against nature and cause of the accusation inhuman punishment inflicted. Neither
him. Secret detention places, solitary, against him, to have a speedy, impartial, shall the death penalty be imposed,
incommunicado, or other similar forms and public trial, to meet the witnesses unless, for compelling reasons involving
of detention are prohibited. face to face, and to have compulsory heinous crimes, the Congress hereafter
process to secure the attendance of provides for it. Any death penalty
(3) Any confession or admission witnesses and the production of already imposed shall be reduced to
obtained in violation of this or Section 17 evidence in his behalf. However, after reclusion perpetua.
hereof shall be inadmissible in evidence arraignment, trial may proceed
against him. notwithstanding the absence of the (2) The employment of physical,
accused provided that he has been duly psychological, or degrading punishment
(4) The law shall provide for penal and notified and his failure to appear is against any prisoner or detainee or the
civil sanctions for violations of this unjustifiable. use of substandard or inadequate penal
section as well as compensation to and facilities under subhuman conditions
rehabilitation of victims of torture or Section 15. The privilege of the writ of shall be dealt with by law.
similar practices, and their families. habeas corpus shall not be suspended
except in cases of invasion or rebellion Section 20. No person shall be
Section 13. All persons, except those when the public safety requires it. imprisoned for debt or non-payment of a
charged with offenses punishable by poll tax.
reclusion perpetua when evidence of Section 16. All persons shall have the
guilt is strong, shall, before conviction, right to a speedy disposition of their Section 21. No person shall be twice put
be bailable by sufficient sureties, or be cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, in jeopardy of punishment for the same
released on recognizance as may be or administrative bodies. offense. If an act is punished by a law
provided by law. The right to bail shall and an ordinance, conviction or acquittal
not be impaired even when the privilege Section 17. No person shall be under either shall constitute a bar to
of the writ of habeas corpus is compelled to be a witness against another prosecution for the same act.
suspended. Excessive bail shall not be himself.
required. Section 22. No ex post facto law or bill
Section 18. (1) No person shall be of attainder shall be enacted.
Section 14. (1) No person shall be held detained solely by reason of his political
to answer for a criminal offense without beliefs and aspirations.
due process of law.
(2) No involuntary servitude in any form
shall exist except as a punishment for a