<P> Article X pursues for local autonomy and mandates Congress to enact a law for the local government, now currently the Local Government Code . </P> <P> Article XI establishes the Office of the Ombudsman which is responsible for investigating and prosecuting government officials . It also vests upon the Congress the power to impeach the President, the Vice President, members of the Supreme Court, and the Ombudsman . </P> <P> The Constitution also contains several other provisions enumerating various state policies including, i.e., the affirmation of labor "as a primary social economic force" (Section 14, Article II); the equal protection of "the life of the mother and the life of the unborn from conception" (Section 12, Article II); the "Filipino family as the foundation of the nation" (Article XV, Section 1); the recognition of Filipino as "the national language of the Philippines" (Section 6, Article XIV), and even a requirement that "all educational institutions shall undertake regular sports activities throughout the country in cooperation with athletic clubs and other sectors ." (Section 19.1, Article XIV) Whether these provisions may, by themselves, be the source of enforceable rights without accompanying legislation has been the subject of considerable debate in the legal sphere and within the Supreme Court . The Court, for example, has ruled that a provision requiring that the State "guarantee equal access to opportunities to public service" could not be enforced without accompanying legislation, and thus could not bar the disallowance of so - called "nuisance candidates" in presidential elections . But in another case, the Court held that a provision requiring that the State "protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology" did not require implementing legislation to become the source of operative rights . </P> <Table> Historical Philippine Constitutions <Tr> <Th> In operation </Th> <Th> Constitution </Th> <Th> Historical Period </Th> <Th> Form of Government </Th> <Th> Promulgated by </Th> <Th> Ratification </Th> <Th> Amendments </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> November 1, 1897 - December 14, 1897 </Td> <Td> Constitution of Biak - na - Bato </Td> <Td> Republic of Biak - na - Bato </Td> <Td> De Facto Constitutional Republic </Td> <Td> Katipunan, acting as Constitutional Assembly, Drafted by Isabelo Artacho and Félix Ferrer </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> January, 23, 1899 - March 23, 1901 </Td> <Td> Malolos Constitution </Td> <Td> First Philippine Republic </Td> <Td> Unitary semi-presidential constitutional republic </Td> <Td> Malolos Congress </Td> <Td> 1899 constitutional Plebiscite <Table> <Tr> <Th> Choice </Th> <Th> Votes </Th> <Th>% </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> For </Td> <Td> 98 </Td> <Td> 100 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Against </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> <Td> 0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Invalid / blank votes </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td>--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Total </Td> <Td> 98 </Td> <Td> 100 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="3"> Source: The Laws of the First Philippine Republic (The Laws of Malolos) 1898 - 1899 </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> December 10, 1898 - March 24, 1934 </Td> <Td> Philippine Organic Act (1902) </Td> <Td> American Colonial Period </Td> <Td> Unincorporated territories of the United States </Td> <Td> United States Congress </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Philippine Autonomy Act of 1916 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tydings--McDuffie Act </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> November 15, 1935 - July 4, 1946 </Td> <Td> 1935 Constitution </Td> <Td> Commonwealth of the Philippines </Td> <Td> Presidential commonwealth </Td> <Td> 1934 Constitutional Convention </Td> <Td> Philippine constitutional plebiscite, 1935 <Table> <Tr> <Th> Choice </Th> <Th> Votes </Th> <Th>% </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> For </Td> <Td> 1,213,046 </Td> <Td> 96.43 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Against </Td> <Td> 44,963 </Td> <Td> 3.57 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Invalid / blank votes </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td>--</Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Total </Td> <Td> 1,258,009 </Td> <Td> 100 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Registered voters / turnout </Td> <Td> 1,935,972 </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="3"> Source: Direct Democracy </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> 1940 amendment (Establishment of Bicameral Philippine Congress) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> July 4, 1946 - January 16, 1973 </Td> <Td> Third Philippine Republic </Td> <Td> Unitary presidential Constitutional republic </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> 1947 amendment (Provision of the Parity Rights) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> October 14, 1943 - August 17, 1945 </Td> <Td> 1943 Constitution </Td> <Td> Second Philippine Republic </Td> <Td> Single - party authoritarian republic </Td> <Td> Preparatory Committee for Philippine Independence </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> January 17, 1973 - February 22, 1986 </Td> <Td> 1973 Constitution </Td> <Td> Fourth Philippine Republic </Td> <Td> Unitary dominant - party pseudo-parliamentary republic under totalitarian civic - military rule </Td> <Td> 1973 Constitutional Convention </Td> <Td> Philippine constitutional plebiscite, 1973 <Table> e d Summary of the 10 January - 15 January 1973 Philippine constitutional plebiscite results <Tr> <Th> Choice </Th> <Th> Votes </Th> <Th>% </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Yes </Td> <Td> 14,976,561 </Td> <Td> 95.3 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> No </Td> <Td> 743,869 </Td> <Td> 4.7 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Total valid votes </Td> <Td> 15,720,430 </Td> <Td> 79.0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Total votes cast </Td> <Td> 19,908,760 </Td> <Td> 87.0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Registered voters </Td> <Td> 22,883,632 </Td> <Td> 100 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="3"> Source: Commission on Elections (Philippines) </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> 1976 Amendment (Continuation of Martial law and substitution of Interim Batasang Pambansa for the Regular Batasang Pambansa) </Li> <Li> 1981 Amendment (Delegation of Power to the President, creation of Executive committee, establishment of modified parliamentary system) </Li> <Li> 1984 Amendment (Creation of the Office of the Vice President and abolition of the Executive committee) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> March 25, 1986 - February 1, 1987 </Td> <Td> Provisional Constitution of the Philippines (1986) </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> Revolutionary Government </Td> <Td> President Corazon Aquino, Drafted by Reynato Puno </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> February 2, 1987 - Present </Td> <Td> 1987 Constitution </Td> <Td> Republic of the Philippines </Td> <Td> Unitary presidential constitutional republic </Td> <Td> 1986 Constitutional Convention </Td> <Td> Philippine constitutional plebiscite, 1987 <Table> Philippine constitutional plebiscite, 1987 <Tr> <Th> Choice </Th> <Th> Votes </Th> <Th>% </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Yes </Td> <Td> 16,622,111 </Td> <Td> 77.04 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> No </Td> <Td> 4,953,375 </Td> <Td> 22.96 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Valid votes </Td> <Td> 21,575,486 </Td> <Td> 99.04 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Invalid or blank votes </Td> <Td> 209,730 </Td> <Td> 0.96 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Total votes </Td> <Td> 21,785,216 </Td> <Td> 100.00 </Td> </Tr> </Table> </Td> <Td> Proposed Constitutional amendments to the 1987 Constitution </Td> </Tr> </Table>

18 articles of the 1987 constitution and its preamble