Citizenship entails being under the laws of the country, such as the Philippines. There are citizens and aliens. Citizens enjoy rights and privileges like voting, while aliens have limited rights and cannot vote. Citizens have rights to life, liberty, and property under the Bill of Rights, including due process and equal protection. Citizens also have responsibilities, like obeying laws. Responsibilities are attached to each right. For example, the right to property requires paying taxes. Citizens must act with justice, honesty, and not cause harm to others.

1. Rights, Privileges and
Responsibilities of a Citizen
LESSON 15

2. Objectives
1. Explain what is
citizenship.
3. Illustrate the value
of citizenship.
2. Enumerate the rights,
privileges, and responsibilities
of a citizen.

3. Plato
“The heaviest penalty
for declining to rule is
to be ruled by
someone inferior to
yourself.”

4. Citizenship
Citizenship is more than having
an affiliation to a certain country
and government, in our case, the
Republic of the Philippines. It also
entails that the person is under
the law of the country.

5. There are basically, two types of
persons living within the jurisdiction
of the Republic of the Philippines:
(1) citizens
(2) aliens

6. Aliens
Aliens are people who live within the territory of the
Philippines but “owe permanent allegiance to a foreign country”
(Ramirez 1969). They are not entitled to vote or run for
elections. They have limited business capabilities, and they
cannot engage in professions like law and medicine, among other
restrictions. But the State provides them protection by
extending the civil rights guaranteed by the Constitution,
provided that they also obey the laws of the land and pay
taxes (Ramirez 1969).

7. Citizen
A citizen meets the qualifications stated under Section 1. Article IV
of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which are
[1] Those who are citizens of the Philippines at the time of the adoption
of this Constitution,
[2] Those whose fathers or mothers are citizens of the Philippines;
[3] Those born before January 17, 1973, of Filipino mothers, who elect
Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority; and
[4] Those who are naturalized in accordance with law.

8. There are two kinds of citizens based
on the manner by which citizenship is
acquired:
1. Natural-born citizens
2. Naturalized citizens

9. Natural-born Citizens
Filipino citizens from birth without having
to perform any act to acquire citizenship, as
well as those who chose Filipino citizenship in
accordance with paragraph 3 of Section 1,
Article IV

10. Naturalized Citizens
Aliens who became citizens through
naturalization or the legal act of
adopting alien and giving him the rights
that belong to natural-born citizens.

11. Citizenship can be acquired (Section 1 [4], Article (V)
but it can also be lost in special circumstances such as, but
not limited to, express renunciation of citizenship, and
subscribing to an oath of allegiance to a foreign country,
and becoming a naturalized citizen of another country.
A Filipino citizen who marries an alien or
foreigner retains his/her Filipino citizenship
unless circumstances will prove that
he/she renounced his/her Filipino
citizenship.

12. While aliens have limited rights, a citizen of the country
enjoys all the rights and privileges provided under the law.
One of the important rights enjoyed by the citizens is the
right of suffrage or the right to vote and run for elections
(provided that the citizen is qualified to participate in the
elections as provided by law). This means that citizens are
capable of participating in the government,
that they have the power to voice out their
opinions, something that aliens in the
country cannot do..

13. Under the Philippine Constitution, Article III
(Bill of Rights) of the 1987 Constitution
provides the basic rights of Filipino citizens.
All the provisions in Article III can actually be
divided into three “fundamental rights” of
the citizens, namely,
(1) right to life,
(2) right to liberty
(3) right to property

14. Section 2
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses
papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures of whatever
nature and for any purpose shall be inviolable, and no search warrant or
warrant of arrest shall issue except upon probable cause to be determined
personally by the judge after examination under oath or affirmation of
the complainant and the witnesses he may produce, and particularly
describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be
seized.

15. Section 9
Sec. 9: Private property shall not be taken for public
use without just compensation.
Sec. 14: No person shall be held to answer for a criminal
offense without due process of law.
Sec. 17:No person shall be compelled to be a witness
against himself.

16. There are also two fundamental
clauses incorporated in the Bill
of Rights.
(1) due process clause
(2) equal protection clause

17. Due Process Clause
Gives every citizen the right to be
notified and heard in court before any of his
or her rights “be reduced or affected by any
action of the state” (Defensor Santiago
2002).

18. Equal Protection Clause
Means that every person facing similar
cases must receive similar, although not
necessarily identical, treatment under the law
(Defensor-Santiago 2002).

19. The 1987 Constitution does not directly enumerate
the responsibilities of a citizen. But the provisions of the
law actually provide us with the attached responsibility of
each right and privilege.
For example, under Section 1 of Article 3:
No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or
property without due process of law, nor
shall any person be the equal protection
of the laws.

20. CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES CHAPTER 1:
Effects and Application of Laws
Article 3: Ignorance of the law excuses no one from compliance
therewith,
Article 4: Rights may be waived, unless the waiver is contrary to law,
public order, public policy, morals, or good customs or
prejudicial to a third person with a right
recognized by law.
Article 9: No judge or court shall decline to
render judgment by reason of the silence,
obscurity or insufficiency of laws;

21. CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES CHAPTER 1:
Effects and Application of Laws
Article 11: Customs which are contrary to law, public order or public
policy shall not be countenanced;
Article 15: Laws relating to family rights and duties, or to the
status, condition and legal capacity of persons are binding upon
citizens of the Philippines, even though living abroad;
Article 16: Real property as well as
personal property is subject to the law
of the country where it is situated;

22. CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES CHAPTER 2:
Human Relations
Article 19: Every person must, in the exercise of his rights
and in the performance of his duties, act with justice, give
everyone his due, and observe honesty and good faith;
Article 20: Every person who, contrary to law, willfully or
negligently causes damage to another, shall indemnify the
latter for the same; Any person who willfully causes loss or
injury to another in a manner that is contrary to morals,
good customs or public policy shall compensate the latter
for the damage;

23. CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES CHAPTER 2:
Human Relations
Article 21: Any person who willfully causes loss or injury to
another in a manner that is contrary to morals, good
customs or public policy shall compensate the latter for the
damage;
Article 22: Every person who through an act of
performance by another, or any other means, acquires or
comes into possession of something at the expense of the
latter without just or legal ground, shall return the same
to him;

24. CIVIL CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES CHAPTER 2:
Human Relations
Article 23: Even when an act or event causing damage to
another’s property was not due to the fault or nog emce
of the defendant, the latter shall be liable for indemnity if
through the act or event he was benefited:
Article 26: Every person shall respect the dignity,
personality privacy and peace of mind of his neighbors and
other persons.

25. 1
2
3
Prying into the privacy of
another’s residence.
Meddling with or disturbing the
private life or family relations of
another;
Intriguing to cause another to be
alienated from his friends;
Vexing or humiliating another on
account of his religious beliefs, lowly
station in life, place of birth, physical
defect, or other personal condition.
4

26. Thank You
Any question?