Malolos Constitution established the first independent republic of the Philippines. It went into effect in 1899, though it was in place only for a short time. The Malolos Constitution was the first democratic constitution in Asia.
Background.
The Philippines had been under Spanish rule since the 1500’s. During the Spanish-American War (1898), Philippine rebels under the command of Emilio Aguinaldo helped American troops fight the Spaniards. The Filipinos declared their independence on June 12, 1898. They proclaimed a provisional (temporary) republic with Aguinaldo as president. Philippine and American soldiers defeated the Spanish troops in August.
A new constitution.
In September, the provisional government declared Malolos, north of Manila, as the new capital of the Philippines. That same month, the government held a congress in Malolos to draw up a constitution.
The congress modeled the Malolos Constitution on the constitutions of Belgium, France, and several Latin American nations. The Malolos Constitution established a republic with powers divided among judicial, executive, and legislative branches. The document included a bill of rights that protected individual liberties.
The congress approved the Malolos Constitution on November 29. The document was officially proclaimed on Jan. 21, 1899. Aguinaldo was inaugurated as president on January 23 and established the Philippine Republic.
Relations with the United States.
In December 1898, Spain and the United States had signed a peace treaty. Under the treaty, the United States paid Spain $20 million in return for possession of the Philippines.
Aguinaldo claimed that the United States had promised to make the Philippines independent immediately. However, U.S. forces remained in the Philippines, and fighting between American and Philippine troops began in February 1899. The conflict became known as the Philippine-American War (1899-1902). In 1901, U.S. forces captured Aguinaldo and installed a colonial government in the Philippines. The Malolos Constitution was no longer in effect.
In 1935, the Philippines became an American commonwealth with its own elected government and a new constitution. The United States granted the Philippines complete independence in 1946.
See also Mabini, Apolinario; Philippines, History of the.
