Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 7834)
The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, including all islands and waters therein, and all other territories belonging by historic right or legal title, including the territorial sea, air space, subsoil, sea-bed, insular shelves, and other submarine areas under Philippine sovereignty or jurisdiction.
The Philippines is a republican state where sovereignty resides in the people, and all governmental authority emanates from them.
The defense of the State is a prime duty of the Government and the people. All citizens may be required by law to render personal military or civil service.
Article IV, Section 3 provides that people have the right to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures. A search warrant or warrant of arrest can only be issued upon probable cause determined by a judge or authorized officer, after examination under oath detailing the place and persons or things to be seized.
Article IV, Section 4 guarantees the inviolability of the privacy of communication and correspondence except upon lawful court order or when public safety requires otherwise. Evidence obtained in violation of this shall be inadmissible in any proceeding.
The President must be a natural-born citizen of the Philippines, a registered voter, at least fifty years old on election day, able to read and write, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years immediately preceding the election.
The Constitutional Commissions are the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Elections, and the Commission on Audit.
The Commission on Elections enforces and administers all laws related to elections, judges election contests, decides administrative election questions, deputizes law enforcement to ensure honest elections, registers political parties, recommends measures to minimize election fraud, and submits reports on elections.
They can be removed by impeachment for culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, other high crimes, or graft and corruption. Impeachment is initiated, tried, and decided exclusively by the Batasang Pambansa with specified voting thresholds.
The Supreme Court is composed of a Chief Justice and fourteen Associate Justices. They hold office during good behavior until they reach seventy years of age or become incapacitated.