General Legislative Power Procedural (iii) 3 readings on separate days

TOLENTINO V. SECRETARY OF FINANCE FACTS: Tolentino questions the constitutionality of R.A. No. 7716, also known as the Expanded Value Added tax Law. Tolentino claimed that the revenue bill did not originate from the House of Representatives as required by Sec. 24, Art. 6 of the Constitution. R.A. No 7716 originated from the House of Representatives under H.B. No. 11197 and passed the three readings under this House but the House Bill did not undergo the three readings on separate days required in the Senate. After the 1st reading, the Senate the bill was referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee where the Senate passed its own version known as Senate Bill No. 1630. Tolentino asserted that the Senate could have just amended H.B. No. 11197 and substituting it with the text of S.B. No. 1630 in that way the bill would still remain to be a House bill with the text of the senate bill inside. ISSUE: WON the Presidents certification nullifies the need for three readings on separate days for a bill to be enacted. HELD: YES. Article 6 Sec 26 (2) nullifies the requirements: (1) printed copies of a bill in tis final form be distributed to the members three days before its passage and (2) before a bill can become a law it must have passed three readings on separate days. This support is based on the historical context of the Constitution where it was adopted from the 1973 Constitution. The Senate believed that there was an urgent need for the consideration of S. No. 1630 because they responded to the call of the President by voting on the second and third readings on the same day. Judicial department respects due coequal

departments of the government in matters committed to them by the Constitution and there being no grave abuse of discretion.