I don’t want to nit-pick, but it’s wrong to refer to the 1935 Constitution as the “1935 Commonwealth Constitution.” The framers actually dealt with the question of whether the Constitution being framed would apply only to the Commonwealth or remain valid for the Republic. The decision was to make the 1935 Constitution apply to both. So the 1935 Constitution, while framed before the Commonwealth, was a constitution for the Republic first and foremost, which is why its transitory provisions dealt with the Commonwealth period.<\/p>\n

Incidentally, the framers of the Constitution dealt with the name of the country, which up to that time was the “Philippine Islands.” They changed the name of the country to first, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, and stated that after independence, we would be known as the Republic of the Philippines. Which is why I always scold Americans when they keep referring to the country as the “P.I.”<\/p>\n

The “Freedom Constitution” was the temporary constitution promulgated by President Aquino when it was declared she had assumed office by a direct act of sovereignty by the people, scrapping the Marcos, or 1973 Constitution. The present constitution, ratified in a national referendum, is the 1987 Constitution.<\/p>\n

Our constitutions? 1898 (Malolos), 1935, 1973, and 1987.<\/p>\n

Under foreign rule we had the Philippine Organic Act of 1902, the Jones Law of 1916, and the 1943 Constitution under the Japanese.<\/p>\n