Agustin v Edu (1979)

J. Fernando
Facts:
Leovillo Agustin, the owner of a Beetle, challenged the constitutionality of Letter of
Instruction 229 and its implementing order No. 1 issued by LTO Commissioner
Romeo Edu. His car already had warning lights and did not want to use this.
The letter was promulgation for the requirement of an early warning device installed
on a vehicle to reduce accidents between moving vehicles and parked cars.
The LTO was the issuer of the device at the rate of not more than 15% of the
acquisition cost.
The triangular reflector plates were set when the car parked on any street or
highway for 30 minutes. It was mandatory.
Petitioner: 1. LOI violated the provisions and delegation of police power, equal
protection, and due process/
2. It was oppressive because the make manufacturers and car dealers millionaires
at the expense f car owners at 56-72 pesos per set.
Hence the petition.
The OSG denied the allegations in par X and XI of the petition with regard to the
unconstitutionality and undue delegation of police power to such acts.
The Philippines was also a member of the 1968 Vienna convention of UN on road
signs as a regulation. To the petitioner, this was still an unlawful delegation of police
power.
Issue:
Is the LOI constitutional? If it is, is it a valid delegation of police power?
Held: Yes on both. Petition dismissed.
Ratio:
Police power, according to the case of Edu v Ericta, which cited J. Taney, is nothing
more or less than the power of government inherent in every sovereignty.
The case also says that police power is state authority to enact legislation that may
interfere with personal liberty or property to promote the general welfare.

Primicias v Fulgoso- It is the power to describe regulations to promote the health,

morals, peace, education, good order, and general welfare of the people.
J. Carazo- government limitations to protect constitutional rights did not also intend
to enable a citizen to obstruct unreasonable the enactment of measures calculated
to insure communal peace.
There was no factual foundation on petitioner to refute validity.
Ermita Malate Hotel-The presumption of constitutionality must prevail in the
absence of factual record in over throwing the statute.
Brandeis- constitutionality must prevail in the absence of some factual foundation in
overthrowing the statute.
Even if the car had blinking lights, he must still buy reflectors. His claims that the
statute was oppressive was fantastic because the reflectors were not expensive.
SC- blinking lights may lead to confusion whether the nature and purpose of the
driver is concerned.
Unlike the triangular reflectors, whose nature is evident because its installed when
parked for 30 minutes and placed from 400 meters from the car allowing drivers to
see clearly.
There was no constitutional basis for petitioner because the law doesnt violate any
constitutional provision.
LOI 229 doesnt force motor vehicle owners to purchase the reflector from the LTO.
It only prescribes rge requirement from any source.
The objective is public safety.
The Vienna convention on road rights and PD 207 both recommended enforcement
for installation of ewds. Bother possess relevance in applying rules with the
decvlaration of principles in the Constitution.
On the unlawful delegation of legislative power, the petitioners have no settled legal
doctrines.