Rights and Responsibilities of Filipinos

Every individual has the right to enjoy and responsibilities to fulfill. According to Study. com, rights are freedoms we have that are protected by our laws. Rights are predominately privileges, as stated by DifferenceBetween.net, granted to individuals by governing bodies, and generally written into laws.

Rights may also be granted on an individual on unique basis, by other governing bodies, like employers or partners through the mechanism of contracts. Such rights are built into a legal framework that allows them to be defended in a court of law.

A right, therefore, is not just a law that allows individuals or governing bodies to do or say anything they wish. It is the foundation or framework on which society as a whole structure and defines itself.

In the Philippines, we are protected by our Constitution under Article III or also known as the Bill of Rights. Section 1 states that “No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, nor shall any person be denied the equal protection of the laws.” These three rights are inherent and inalienable.

On the other hand, responsibilities are duties or things that we should do. The obligations can be assigned to an individual or assumed by an individual. Whether in contractual law or social behavior, without having the responsibility, none is accomplished. Both rights and responsibilities can exist in a symbiotic relationship that cannot be severed.

In the 1973 Constitution, Article V states the duties and obligations of citizens. Section 1 says that it shall be the duty of the citizen to be loyal to the Republic and to honor the Philippine flag, to defend the State and contribute to its development and welfare, to uphold the Constitution and obey the laws, and to cooperate with the duly constituted authorities in the attainment and preservation of a just and orderly society.

Section 2 says that the rights of the individual impose upon him the correlative duty to exercise them responsibly and with due regard for the rights of others.

Meanwhile, Section 3 says that it shall be the duty of every citizen to engage in gainful work to assure himself and his family a life worthy of human dignity.

Lastly, in Section 4, it is stated that it shall be the obligation of every citizen qualified to vote to register and cast his vote.

In summary, in Newsroom.com, we work without responsibilities, and responsibilities do not work without a higher purpose.