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Political Law Case Digests
GOROSPE
PRELIMINARY
CONSIDERATIONS
A.M. No. 93-7-696-0 February 21,
1995
In Re JOAQUIN T. BORROMEO, Ex
Rel. Cebu City Chapter of the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
HELD:
Joaquin Borromeo was declared guilty
of constructive contempt of court for
repetitiously disrespecting the decisions and
resolutions issued by the courts, and even by
issuing a circular containing libelous and
offending
accusations
(like
whimsical,
capricious,
and
tyrannical)
against
the
Supreme Court justices and its employees. He
even delivered a letter accusing lawyers of
defamatory comments and insults. This is due
to his series of dismissed complaints and
appeals against 3 banks namely Traders Royal
Bank, United Coconut Planters Bank, and
Security Bank and Trust Co. from which he
obtained loans with unfulfilled mortgages. In
relation to this, he filed cases against the
lawyers of these banks and even against the
clerks of court who signed the minute
resolutions of these cases. The actions reached
the alarming number of 50 cases varying from
civil, criminal, to administrative cases.
In response, the court answered all his
false alleged accusations through a resolution
along with declaring him guilty of contempt of
court.
THE STATE
G.R. No. L-26379 December 27,
1969
WILLIAM C. REAGAN, ET. AL vs.
COMMISSIONER OF INTERNAL
REVENUE
FACTS:
Petitioner Reagan, a civilian employee
of an American corporation providing technical
assistance to the US Air Force in the
Philippines, questioned the payment of the
income tax assessed on him by respondent CIR
on an amount realized by him on a sale of his
automobile to a member of the US Marine
Corps, the transaction having taken place at
the Clark Field Air Base at Pampanga. It is his
contention, that in legal contemplation the sale
was made outside Philippine territory and
therefore beyond our jurisdictional power to
tax. He seeks that an amount of P2,979.00 as
the income tax paid by him be refunded.
ISSUE: WON the Clark Field Air Base is a
foreign property therefore excluded from the
power of Philippine taxation.
HELD: NO.
By the [Military Bases] Agreement, it
should be noted, the Philippine Government
merely consents that the United States
exercise jurisdiction in certain cases. The
consent was given purely as a matter of
comity, courtesy, or expediency over the bases
as part of the Philippine territory or divested
itself completely of jurisdiction over offenses
committed therein. This provision is not and
can not on principle or authority be construed
as a limitation upon the rights of the Philippine
Government.
The State is not precluded from
allowing another power to participate in the
exercise of jurisdictional right over certain
portions of its territory. If it does so, it by no
VFA
is
void
HELD: NO.
Art. XVIII, Sec. 25 states:
Sec. 25. After the expiration in 1991
of
the
Agreement
between
the
Philippines and the United States of
America concerning Military Bases,
foreign military bases, troops, or
facilities shall not be allowed in the
Philippines except under a treaty duly
and
FACTS:
Plaintiffs herein
are
court
stenographers assigned in Branch VI of the
Court of First Instance of Manila. During the
pendency of Civil Case No. 2293 of said court,
entitled Francisco Sycip vs. National Coconut
Corporation, Assistant Corporate Counsel
Federico Alikpala, counsel for Defendant,
requested said stenographers for copies of the
transcript of the stenographic notes taken by
them during the hearing. Plaintiffs complied
with the request by delivering to Counsel
Alikpala the needed transcript containing 714
pages and thereafter submitted to him their
bills for the payment of their fees. The National
Coconut Corporation paid the amount of P564
to Leopoldo T. Bacani and P150 to Mateo A.
Matoto for said transcript at the rate of P1 per
page. However, the Auditor General disallowed
the payment of these fees and ordered that it
shall be reimbursed for the reason that
NACOCO, being a public corporation, is
exempted from the fees. For reimbursement to
take place, it was further ordered that the
amount of P25 per payday be deducted from
the salary of Bacani and P10 from the salary of
Matoto. Hence, this petition.
ISSUE: WON NACOCO is exempt from legal
fees being an alleged government corporation.
HELD: NO.
There
are
functions
which
our
government is required to exercise to promote
its objectives as expressed in our Constitution
and which are exercised by it as an attribute of
sovereignty (constitute), and those which it
may exercise to promote merely the welfare,
progress and prosperity of the people
(ministrant). To this latter class belongs the
organization of those corporations owned or
controlled by the government to promote
certain aspects of the economic life of our
people such as the National Coconut
Corporation.
These
are
what
we
call
government-owned or controlled corporations
which may take on the form of a private
enterprise or one organized with powers and
formal characteristics of a private corporations
under the Corporation Law. They do not
STATE IMMUNITY
ACT NO. 3083
AN ACT DEFINING THE
CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS MAY BE
SUED
Section 1. Complaint against Government.
Subject to the provisions of this Act, the
Government of the Philippine Islands hereby
consents and submits to be sued upon any
moneyed claim involving liability arising from
contract, expressed or implied, which could
serve as a basis of civil action between private
parties.
Sec. 2. A person desiring to avail himself of
the privilege herein conferred must show that
he has presented his claim to the Insular
Auditor 1 and that the latter did not decide the
same within two months from the date of its
presentation.
Sec. 3. Venue. Original actions brought
pursuant to the authority conferred in this Act
shall be instituted in the Court of First Instance
of the City of Manila or of the province were
the claimant resides, at the option of the latter,
upon which court exclusive original jurisdiction
is hereby conferred to hear and determine
such actions.
Sec. 4. Actions instituted as aforesaid shall be
governed by the same rules of procedure, both
original and appellate, as if the litigants were
ISSUE:
1)
WON the Government conceded its
liability to the plaintiff by allowing a lawsuit to
commence against it.
2)
WON the chauffeur is a government
employee or agent.
FACTS:
HELD:
1) NO.
By consenting to be sued a state simply
waives its immunity from suit. It does not
thereby concede its liability to plaintiff, or
create any cause of action in his favor, or
extend its liability to any cause not previously
recognized. It merely gives a remedy to
enforce a preexisting liability and submits itself
to the jurisdiction of the court, subject to its
right to interpose any lawful defense.
2) NO.
We will now examine the substantive law
touching the defendant's liability for the
negligent acts of its officers, agents, and
employees. Paragraph 5 of article 1903 of the
Civil Code reads: The state is liable in this
FACTS:
In the petition filed by the Republic of
the Philippines, a summary of facts was set
forth thus:
A decision was rendered in favor of
respondents P. J. Kiener Co., Ltd., Gavino
Unchuan,
and
International
Construction
Corporation, and against the petitioner herein,
confirming
the arbitration award in the
amount of P1,712,396.40, subject of Special
Proceedings. Respondent Judge Villasor, issued
an Order declaring the aforestated decision
final and executory, directing the Sheriffs of
Rizal Province, Quezon City [as well as] Manila
to execute the said decision. Pursuant to the
said Order, the corresponding Alias Writ of
Execution [was issued]. On the strength of the
afore-mentioned Alias Writ of Execution, the
Provincial Sheriff of Rizal (respondent herein)
served notices of garnishment with several
Banks, specially on the monies due the Armed
Forces of the Philippines in the form of deposits
sufficient to cover the amount mentioned in
the said Writ of Execution. The Philippine
Veterans Bank received the same notice of
garnishment. The funds of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines on deposit with the Banks,
particularly, with the Philippine Veterans Bank
and the Philippine National Bank [or] their
branches are public funds duly appropriated
and allocated for the payment of pensions of
retirees, pay and allowances of military and
civilian personnel and for maintenance and
operations of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines.
ISSUE: WON the Republic can invoke state
immunity from suit.
HELD: YES.
Since government funds and properties
may not be seized under writs of execution or
garnishment to satisfy such judgments, is
based on obvious considerations of public
policy. Disbursements of public funds must be
covered by the corresponding appropriation as
required
by
law.
The
functions
and
public services rendered by the State cannot
be allowed to be paralyzed or disrupted by the