ARTICLE XI 6.
The Senate shall have the sole power to
ACCOUNTABILITY OF PUBLIC OFFICERS try and decide all cases of
impeachment. When sitting for that
Section 1. Public office is a public trust. Public purpose, the Senators shall be on oath
officers and employees must, at all times, be or affirmation. When the President of
accountable to the people, serve them with the Philippines is on trial, the Chief
utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and Justice of the Supreme Court shall
efficiency; act with patriotism and justice, and preside, but shall not vote. No person
lead modest lives. (Code of Conduct) shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two-thirds of all the
Section 2. The: Members of the Senate.
1. President;
2. Vice-President; 7. Judgment in cases of impeachment shall
3. Members of the Supreme Court; not extend further than removal from
4. Members of the Constitutional office and disqualification to hold any
Commissions; office under the Republic of the
5. Ombudsman may be removed from Philippines, but the party convicted
office on impeachment for, and shall nevertheless be liable and subject
conviction of: to prosecution, trial, and punishment,
a. culpable violation of the Constitution according to law.
b. treason
c. bribery 8. The Congress shall promulgate its rules
d. graft and corruption on impeachment to effectively carry out
e. other high crimes, or betrayal of the purpose of this section.
public trust.
Section 4. The present anti-graft court
Section 3. known as the Sandiganbayan shall continue
1. The House of Representatives shall to function and exercise its jurisdiction as now
have the exclusive power to initiate all or hereafter may be provided by law.
cases of impeachment.
Section 5. There is hereby created the
2. A verified complaint for impeachment independent Office of the Ombudsman,
may be filed by any Member of the House composed of the Ombudsman to be known as
of Representatives or by any citizen upon Tanodbayan, one overall Deputy and at least
a resolution or endorsement by any one Deputy each for Luzon, Visayas, and
Member thereof, which shall be included Mindanao. A separate Deputy for the military
in the Order of Business within ten establishment may likewise be appointed.
session days, and referred to the proper
Committee within three session days Section 6. The officials and employees of the
thereafter. The Committee, after Office of the Ombudsman, other than the
hearing, and by a majority vote of all its Deputies, shall be appointed by the
Members, shall submit its report to the Ombudsman, according to the Civil Service
House within sixty session days from Law.
such referral, together with the
corresponding resolution. Section 7. The existing Tanodbayan shall
hereafter be known as the Office of the
3. A vote of at least one-third of all the Special Prosecutor. It shall continue to
Members of the House shall be function and exercise its powers as now or
necessary either to affirm a favorable hereafter may be provided by law, except those
resolution with the Articles of conferred on the Office of the Ombudsman
Impeachment of the Committee, or created under this Constitution.
override its contrary resolution. The vote
of each Member shall be recorded. Section 8. The Ombudsman and his Deputies
shall be:
4. In case the verified complaint or 1. natural-born citizens of the Philippines,
resolution of impeachment is filed by at 2. at least forty years old
least one-third of all the Members of the 3. of recognized probity and independence,
House, the same shall constitute the 4. Member of the Philippine Bar, and
Articles of Impeachment, and trial by the 5. must not have been candidates for any
Senate shall forthwith proceed. elective office in the immediately
preceding election
5. No impeachment proceedings shall be 6. The Ombudsman must have, for ten
initiated against the same official years or more, been a judge or engaged
more than once within a period of one in the practice of law in the Philippines.
year.
Section 9. The Ombudsman and his Deputies
shall be appointed by the President from a
list of at least six nominees prepared by the
Judicial and Bar Council, and from a list of
three nominees for every vacancy thereafter.
Such appointments shall require no
confirmation. All vacancies shall be filled
within three months after they occur.
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Section 11. The Ombudsman and his
Deputies shall serve for a term of seven years
without reappointment. They shall not be
qualified to run for any office in the election
immediately succeeding their cessation from
office.
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Section 18. Public officers and employees owe
the State and this Constitution allegiance at all
times and any public officer or employee who
seeks to change his citizenship or acquire the
status of an immigrant of another country
during his tenure shall be dealt with by law.
