Article 14.

Penal laws and those oI public security and saIety shall

be obligatory upon all who live or sojourn in the Philippine
territory, subject to the principles oI public international law and to
treaty stipulations. (8a)
Article 15. Laws relating to Iamily rights and duties, or to the
status, condition and legal capacity oI persons are binding upon
citizens oI the Philippines, even though living abroad. (9a)
Article 16. Real property as well as personal property is subject to
the law oI the country where it is stipulated.
However, intestate and testamentary successions, both with respect
to the order oI succession and to the amount oI successional rights
and to the intrinsic validity oI testamentary provisions, shall be
regulated by the national law oI the person whose succession is
under consideration, whatever may be the nature oI the property
and regardless oI the country wherein said property may be Iound.
(10a)
Article 17. The Iorms and solemnities oI contracts, wills, and other
public instruments shall be governed by the laws oI the country in
which they are executed.
When the acts reIerred to are executed beIore the diplomatic or
consular oIIicials oI the Republic oI the Philippines in a Ioreign
country, the solemnities established by Philippine laws shall be
observed in their execution.
Prohibitive laws concerning persons, their acts or property, and
those which have Ior their object public order, public policy and
good customs shall not be rendered ineIIective by laws or
judgments promulgated, or by determinations or conventions
agreed upon in a Ioreign country. (11a)
Article 29. When the accused in a criminal prosecution is
acquitted on the ground that his guilt has not been proved beyond
reasonable doubt, a civil action Ior damages Ior the same act or
omission may be instituted. Such action requires only a
preponderance oI evidence. Upon motion oI the deIendant, the
court may require the plaintiII to Iile a bond to answer Ior damages
in case the complaint should be Iound to be malicious.
II in a criminal case the judgment oI acquittal is based upon
reasonable doubt, the court shall so declare. In the absence oI any
declaration to that eIIect, it may be inIerred Irom the text oI the
decision whether or not the acquittal is due to that ground.
Article 30. When a separate civil action is brought to demand civil
liability arising Irom a criminal oIIense, and no criminal
proceedings are instituted during the pendency oI the civil case, a
preponderance oI evidence shall likewise be suIIicient to prove the
act complained oI.
Article 31. When the civil action is based on an obligation not
arising Irom the act or omission complained oI as a Ielony, such
civil action may proceed independently oI the criminal proceedings
and regardless oI the result oI the latter.
Article 32. Any public oIIicer or employee, or any private
individual, who directly or indirectly obstructs, deIeats, violates or
in any manner impedes or impairs any oI the Iollowing rights and
liberties oI another person shall be liable to the latter Ior damages:
(1) Freedom oI religion;
(2) Freedom oI speech;
(3) Freedom to write Ior the press or to maintain a
periodical publication;
(4) Freedom Irom arbitrary or illegal detention;
(5) Freedom oI suIIrage;
(6) The right against deprivation oI property without
due process oI law;
(7) The right to a just compensation when private
property is taken Ior public use;
(8) The right to the equal protection oI the laws;
(9) The right to be secure in one's person, house,
papers, and eIIects against unreasonable searches and
seizures;
(10) The liberty oI abode and oI changing the same;
(11) The privacy oI communication and
correspondence;
(12) The right to become a member oI associations or
societies Ior purposes not contrary to law;
(13) The right to take part in a peaceable assembly to
petition the Government Ior redress oI grievances;
(14) The right to be a Iree Irom involuntary servitude in
any Iorm;
(15) The right oI the accused against excessive bail;
(16) The right oI the accused to be heard by himselI and
counsel, to be inIormed oI the nature and cause oI the
accusation against him, to have a speedy and public
trial, to meet the witnesses Iace to Iace, and to have
compulsory process to secure the attendance oI witness
in his behalI;
(17) Freedom Irom being compelled to be a witness
against one's selI, or Irom being Iorced to conIess guilt,
or Irom being induced by a promise oI immunity or
reward to make such conIession, except when the
person conIessing becomes a State witness;
(18) Freedom Irom excessive Iines, or cruel and
unusual punishment, unless the same is imposed or
inIlicted in accordance with a statute which has not
been judicially declared unconstitutional; and
(19) Freedom oI access to the courts.
In any oI the cases reIerred to in this article, whether or not the
deIendant's act or omission constitutes a criminal oIIense, the
aggrieved party has a right to commence an entirely separate and
distinct civil action Ior damages, and Ior other relieI. Such civil
action shall proceed independently oI any criminal prosecution (iI
the latter be instituted), and may be proved by a preponderance oI
evidence.
The indemnity shall include moral damages. Exemplary damages
may also be adjudicated.
The responsibility herein set Iorth is not demandable Irom a judge
unless his act or omission constitutes a violation oI the Penal Code
or other penal statute.
Article 33. In cases oI deIamation, Iraud, and physical injuries a
civil action Ior damages, entirely separate and distinct Irom the
criminal action, may be brought by the injured party. Such civil
action shall proceed independently oI the criminal prosecution, and
shall require only a preponderance oI evidence.
Article 34. When a member oI a city or municipal police Iorce
reIuses or Iails to render aid or protection to any person in case oI
danger to liIe or property, such peace oIIicer shall be primarily
liable Ior damages, and the city or municipality shall be
subsidiarily responsible thereIor. The civil action herein
recognized shall be independent oI any criminal proceedings, and a
preponderance oI evidence shall suIIice to support such action.
Article 35. When a person, claiming to be injured by a criminal
oIIense, charges another with the same, Ior which no independent
civil action is granted in this Code or any special law, but the
justice oI the peace Iinds no reasonable grounds to believe that a
crime has been committed, or the prosecuting attorney reIuses or
Iails to institute criminal proceedings, the complaint may bring a
civil action Ior damages against the alleged oIIender. Such civil
action may be supported by a preponderance oI evidence. Upon the
deIendant's motion, the court may require the plaintiII to Iile a
bond to indemniIy the deIendant in case the complaint should be
Iound to be malicious.
II during the pendency oI the civil action, an inIormation should be
presented by the prosecuting attorney, the civil action shall be
suspended until the termination oI the criminal proceedings.
Article 36. Pre-judicial questions, which must be decided beIore
any criminal prosecution may be instituted or may proceed, shall
be governed by rules oI court which the Supreme Court shall
promulgate and which shall not be in conIlict with the provisions
oI this Code.