Philippine Politics and Governance

1. Philippine Politics and Governance
The Preamble
Lesson 5c

2. Philippine Politics and Governance
Rationale
• The preamble provides us an overview of the intent and aspirations of
the Constitutional Commission (ConCom) representing the Filipino
people.
• The comparison between the preamble to the 1973 Constitution with
the preamble to 1987 Constitution gives us an idea on how the
ConCom desired to veer away from what they perceived as ghosts of
the Marcos government.

3. Philippine Politics and Governance
Topics
• Introduction
• The “Preamble” defined
• Full Text
• Value of the Preamble
• The “People” in the Constitution
• Changes in the Preamble

4. Philippine Politics and Governance
INTRODUCTION
SOSC5

5. Philippine Politics and Governance
The “Preamble” Defined
• Etymology
• Latin: Preambulus or Preambulare
• Preambulus: going before
• Preambulare: to walk before
• Definition (from Oxford Universal Illustrated Dictionary)
• It is a preliminary statement in speech or writing;
• A preface, prologue, introduction
• An introductory paragraph or part of in a statute, deed, etc. setting forth the
ground or intention of it.

6. Philippine Politics and Governance
Full Text of the Preamble
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.

7. Philippine Politics and Governance
Value of the Preamble
• Is the Preamble Self-executing?
• The Preamble by and of itself does not confer any right nor
imposes any duties nor create any office
• Is the Preamble part of the Constitution?
• Technically speaking it not an integral part of the
Constitution

8. Philippine Politics and Governance
Value of the Preamble
• Is a preamble necessary in all authoritative
enactments?
• It is a traditional part of authoritative enactments
• However, absence or presence of such does not make a
constitution or law less or more effective or valid.

9. Philippine Politics and Governance
Value of the Preamble
• If it not self-executing and not even part of the
Constitution, why is it important then?
• It introduces the fundamental law by setting the mood to
its importance
• It sets down the author and purposes of the Constitution
• It may serve as an aid in its interpretation

10. Philippine Politics and Governance
SOSC 5
Parts of the preamble

11. Philippine Politics and Governance
Parts of the Preamble
• Authorship
• Invocation
• Objective
• General Objectives
• Specific Objectives
• Methodology
• Promulgation

12. Philippine Politics and Governance
Parts of the Preamble
• Authorship (Who are the author/s?)
• The Sovereign Filipino people
• Invocation (Who is being asked to intercede?)
• The Almighty God
• Primary Objectives (What are primary objectives of
the people?)
• Build a just and humane society
• Establish a Government

13. Philippine Politics and Governance
Parts of the Preamble
• Specific Objectives (What are specific objectives of
the people?)
• To 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

14. Philippine Politics and Governance
Parts of the Preamble
• Methodology (How shall it be done?)
• It shall be done:
• under the rule of law; and
• a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace
• Promulgation
• do ordain and promulgate this Constitution

15. Philippine Politics and Governance
The “People” in the Constitution
• Who are the “people” as used in the Constitution?
• The Citizens (Article IV – Citizenship)
• Voters (Article V – Suffrage; Sec. 4 Article XVIII –
Ratification by the People)
• Inhabitants (Sec. 2 Article III – Right Against Unreasonable
Searches and Seizures)

16. Philippine Politics and Governance
Preamble - 1973 Constitution
We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of
Divine Providence, in order to establish a government
that shall embody our ideals, promote the general
welfare, conserve and develop the patrimony of our
Nation, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the
blessings of democracy under a regime of justice,
peace, liberty, and equality, do ordain and promulgate
this Constitution.

17. Philippine Politics and Governance
Significant Changes in the Preamble
• From Divine Providence to Almighty God
• Divine Providence is considered as vague and impersonal
• From General Welfare to Common Good
• “ikabubuti nakararami” to “ikabubuti ng lahat”
• General Welfare may refer only to the welfare of the
majority
• From “develop the patrimony of our nation” to
“develop our patrimony”

18. Philippine Politics and Governance
New Words in the Preamble
• “to build a just and humane society”
• To emphasize that justice is the basis of all hman society
• “the rule of law”
• To distinguish the new Constitution from Marcos’s “rule of
man”
• aspiration (added to ideals)
• Aspirations: unrealized dreams
• Ideals: accepted norms and principles

19. Philippine Politics and Governance
…New Words in the Preamble
• Truth
• To emphasize the need for transparency and honesty in
the conduct of public affairs
• Love
• Re-echoes the motto of the French Revolution:
• Equality (egalite)
• Fraternity (fraternite)
• Liberty (liberte)

20. Philippine Politics and Governance
More on Love…
• According to Delfin S. Felipe, the “Love” in the
Preamble refers to…
• Highest and strongest EXPRESSION OF THE WILL OF AN
INDIVIDUAL
• When justice is lost, love recovers it; and once justice is
regained, love perfects it
• Hindi mo lamang "kursunada", hindi mo
lamang "gusto", kundi "ibig na ibig" mo!

21. Philippine Politics and Governance
Questions?