Ella Cayanan
RPH
INFLUENCES THAT AFFECT THE FRAMING OF
THE PHILIPPINE CONSTITUTION
Ever since Independence Day (June 12, 1898) was proclaimed after the SpanishAmerican war, the first Philippine Constitution, the Malolos Constitution was convened
in 1899. Yet The Philippine Independence Act, approved by the United States Congress,
established the conditions for establishing a Philippine constitution in 1934 and was
submitted to the President of the United States for certification on March 1935. The
National Assembly of the Philippines revised the 1935 Constitution in 1940. During
World War II, the Japanese-backed government repealed the 1935 Constitution and
replaced it with the Preparatory Committee on Philippine Independence. The Second
Republic, led by Jose P. Laurel, used the 1943 Constitution. The Constitution was
reinstated upon the liberation of the Philippines in 1945 and remained unchanged until
1947. By then, Ferdinand Marcos was elected president in 1965 and re-elected in 1969,
being the first president to do so. In early January 1973, President Marcos submitted the
1935 Constitution for ratification. Javellana, the Exec. Secretary exposed the fraud that
occurred during the ratification of the 1973 Constitution by the citizen's assembly in
January 1973. The final decision in this case, however, was that the ratification of the
1973 Constitution was valid and in force. After the restoration of democracy in 1986,
President Cory Aquino suspended certain provisions of the 1973 Constitution. That
same day, the President, other civilian officials, and members of the Armed Forces
swore allegiance to the new charter, bringing the 1987 Constitution into full force and
effect. On January 1899, President Emilio Aguinaldo issued the first proclamation
commemorating the effectiveness of a constitution. Due to the outbreak of the
Philippine-American War and the fall of the First Philippine Republic in 1901, no
subsequent declarations were issued.