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Meaning of Constitution
In broad sense, the term constitution refers to that body of rules and
principles in accordance with which the powers of sovereignty are regularly
exercised. As thus defined, it covers both written and unwritten constitution.
Kinds of Constitution
Constitution may classify as follows:
1. As to their origin and history
a. Conventional or enacted. One which is enacted by a constituent
assembly or granted by a monarch to his subjects like the
Constitution of Japan in 1889; and
b. Cumulative or evolved. Like the English Constitution, one which is a
product of growth or a long period of development originating in
customs, traditions, judicial decisions, etc., rather than from a
deliberate and formal enactment.
2. As to their form
a. Written. One which has been given definite written form at a
particular time, usually by a specially constituted authority called a
constitutional convention; and
b. Unwritten. One which is entirely the product of political revolution,
consisting largely of a mass of customs, usages and judicial
decisions together with a smaller body of statutory enactments of a
fundamental character, usually bearing different dates.
3. As to manner of amending them
a. Rigid or inelastic. One regarded as a document of special sanctity
which cannot be amended or altered except by some special
machinery more cumbrous than the ordinary legislative process;
and
b. Flexible or elastic. One which possesses no higher legal authority
than ordinary laws and which may be altered in the same way as
other laws.
The Philippine Constitution may be classified as conventional or
enacted, written, rigid or inelastic. It was drafted by an appointive body
called Constitutional Commission.
2. A constitution merely states the general framework of the law and the
government, while a statute provides the details of the subject of
which it treats;
3. A constitution is intended not merely to meet existing conditions but to
govern the future, while a statute is intended primarily to meet existing
conditions only; and
4. A constitution is the supreme or fundamental law of the State to which
the statutes and all other laws must conform.
27, 1945 and the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines On July
4, 1946.
16.
officials, individuals, and the people as a whole is what will sustain our
democracy and assure the existence of a truly free, orderly, and
equitable society.
Every citizen has thus a stake in the rule of law as contrasted to the rule
of men. Without it, there is only anarchy, or mere semblance of order under
a dictatorship.