Fortunv.

MacapagalArroyo
Petition:Consolidatedpetitionsforthewritsofcertiorariandprohibition
ChallengingtheConstitutionalityofPDNo.1959
Petitioner:PhilipSigfridA.Fortunetal
Respondent:GloriaMacapagalArroyo
Ponente:J.Abad(AsinthefatherofMaamAbadGamo,cautionwhen
recitingnalangsiguro)
DOCTRINE:PowerofSupremeCourttoinquireintothefactualbasisfor
thedeclarationofmartiallawandthesuspensionoftheprivilegeofthewrit
ofhabeascorpusbythePresident

Inherreport,PGMAsaidthatheractionswerebasedonherfinding
lawlessmenhavetakenuparmsinMaguindanaoandrisenagainstthe
government.ThePresidentdescribedthescopeoftheuprising,thenature,
quantity,andqualityoftherebelsweaponry,themovementoftheirheavily
armedunitsinstrategicpositions,theclosureoftheMaguindanaoProvincial
Capitol,AmpatuanMunicipalHall,DatuUnsayMunicipalHall,and14other
municipalhalls,andtheuseofarmoredvehicles,tanks,andpatrolcarswith
unauthorizedPNP/Policemarkings.
OnDecember9,2009Congress,injointsession,convenedpursuantto
Section18,ArticleVIIofthe1987Constitutiontoreviewthevalidityof
thePresidentsaction.
But,twodayslateroronDecember12,2009beforeCongresscouldact,the
PresidentissuedPresidentialProclamation1963.

FACTS:
November23,2009heavilyarmedmen,believedledbytherulingAmpatuan
family,gunneddownandburiedundershoveleddirt57innocentcivilianson
ahighwayinMaguindanao.
Followingtheseincidentsofwhichthefactsofsuchweallknowverywell,
PresidentArroyoissuedthefollowingPresidentialDecrees,hereinpresented
sequentially:

1. Proclamation1946declaringastateofemergencyin

Maguindanao,SultanKudarat,andCotabatoCitytopreventand
suppresssimilarlawlessviolenceinCentralMindanao;issued
November4,2009.

2. PresidentialProclamation1959(thePDmainlyassailedinthis

case)declaringmartiallawandsuspendingtheprivilegeofthe
writofhabeascorpusinthatprovinceexceptforidentifiedareas
oftheMoroIslamicLiberationFront;issuedDecember4,2009.

TwodayslateroronDecember6,2009PresidentArroyosubmittedher
reporttoCongressinaccordancewithSection18,ArticleVIIofthe1987.
Constitutionwhichrequiredher,within48hoursfromtheproclamationof
martiallaworthesuspensionoftheprivilegeofthewritofhabeascorpus,to
submittothatbodyareportinpersonorinwritingofheraction.

3. PresidentialProclamation1963liftingmartiallawand
restoringtheprivilegeofthewritofhabeascorpusin
Maguindanao;issuedDecember12,2009.
ISSUES:
WoNthereisaneedfortheCourttoreviewthesufficiencyofthefactual
basisoftheproclamationofmartiallaworthesuspensionoftheprivilegeof
thewritofhabeascorpusinthiscase,consideringthesamewereliftedwithin
afewdaysofbeingissuedandthusCongresswasnotabletoaffirm/maintain
thesamebasedonitsownevaluation.
PROVISION:
Article7,Section18ofthe1987Constitution.
ThePresidentshallbetheCommanderinChiefofallarmedforcesofthe
Philippinesandwheneveritbecomesnecessary,hemaycalloutsucharmedforcesto
preventorsuppresslawlessviolence,invasionorrebellion.Incaseofinvasionor
rebellion,whenthepublicsafetyrequiresit,hemay,foraperiodnotexceedingsixty
days,suspendtheprivilegeofthewritofhabeascorpusorplacethePhilippinesor
anypartthereofundermartiallaw.Withinfortyeighthoursfromthe

proclamationofmartiallaworthesuspensionoftheprivilegeofthewrit
ofhabeascorpus,thePresidentshallsubmitareportinpersonorin

writingtotheCongress.TheCongress,votingjointly,byavoteofat
leastamajorityofallitsMembersinregularorspecialsession,may
revokesuchproclamationorsuspension,whichrevocationshallnotbe
setasidebythePresident.UpontheinitiativeofthePresident,theCongress
may,inthesamemanner,extendsuchproclamationorsuspensionforaperiodtobe
determinedbytheCongress,iftheinvasionorrebellionshallpersistandpublic
safetyrequiresit.
TheCongress,ifnotinsession,shall,withintwentyfourhoursfollowingsuch
proclamationorsuspension,conveneinaccordancewithitsruleswithoutneedofa
call.

TheSupremeCourtmayreview,inanappropriateproceedingfiledby
anycitizen,thesufficiencyofthefactualbasisoftheproclamationof
martiallaworthesuspensionoftheprivilegeofthewritofhabeas
corpusortheextensionthereof,andmustpromulgateitsdecision
thereonwithinthirtydaysfromitsfiling.
AstateofmartiallawdoesnotsuspendtheoperationoftheConstitution,nor
supplantthefunctioningofthecivilcourtsorlegislativeassemblies,norauthorize
theconfermentofjurisdictiononmilitarycourtsandagenciesovercivilianswhere
civilcourtsareabletofunction,norautomaticallysuspendtheprivilegeofthewrit
ofhabeascorpus.
Thesuspensionoftheprivilegeofthewritofhabeascorpusshallapplyonlyto
personsjudiciallychargedforrebellionoroffensesinherentin,ordirectlyconnected
with,invasion.
Duringthesuspensionoftheprivilegeofthewritofhabeascorpus,anypersonthus
arrestedordetainedshallbejudiciallychargedwithinthreedays,otherwiseheshall
bereleased.

RULING+RATIO:
No. It is evident that under the 1987 Constitution the President and the
Congress act in tandem in exercising the power to proclaim martial law
or suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus.
They exercise the power, not only sequentially, but in a sense jointly
since, after the President has initiated the proclamation or the suspension,
only the Congress can maintain the same based on its own evaluation of the
situation on the ground, a power that the President does not have.

Consequently, although the Constitution reserves to the Supreme Court

the power to review the sufficiency of the factual basis of the
proclamation or suspension in a proper suit, it is implicit that the Court
must allow Congress to exercise its own review powers, which is
automatic rather than initiated.

Only when Congress defaults in its express duty to defend the

Constitution through such review should the Supreme Court step in as
its final rampart. TheCourtthencanhearthepetitionschallengingthe
Presidentsaction,andascertainifithasafactualbasis.IftheCourtfinds
none,thenitcanannultheproclamationorthesuspension.
TheprobleminthiscaseisthatthePresidentabortedtheproclamationof
martiallawandthesuspensionoftheprivilegeofthewritofhabeascorpusin
Maguindanaoinjusteightdays.Inarealsense,theproclamationandthe
suspensionnevertookoff.TheCongressitselfadjournedwithouttouching
thematter,ithavingbecomemootandacademic.TheCourtdoesnotresolve
purelyacademicquestionstosatisfyscholarlyinterest,howeverintellectually
challengingtheseare.
AdditionalNote:
Shouldthe30daysgivenbytheConstitutionprovetobeinadequate,itis
importanttonotethatthe30dayperioddoesnotoperatetodivestthis
Courtofitsjurisdictionoverthecase.Thesettledruleisthatjurisdiction
onceacquiredisnotlostuntilthecasehasbeenterminated.
DISPOSITION:Petitionsdismissedforbeingmootandacademic.
CarpioDissenting:
ThePresidenthasthesolepowertodeclaremartiallaworsuspendthewrit.
ThispowerofthePresidentissubjecttoreviewseparatelybyCongressand
theSupremeCourt.JusticeMendozastresses,Thus,Congressandthis
Courthaveseparatespheresofcompetence.Theydonotactjointlyand
sequentiallybutindependentlyofeachother.FatherBernaspointsout,
SincethepowersofCongressandtheCourtareindependentofeachother,
thereisnothingtopreventtheCongressandtheCourtfromsimultaneously
exercisingtheirseparatepowers.