DE#LEON#VS.#ESGUERRA# deemed! to! have! been! overtaken! by! Section! 27,!

G.R.#No.#78059.#August#31,#1987.# Article!XVIII!of!the!1987!Constitution!reading:!
! ! ! ―This! Constitution! shall! take! effect!
FACTS:! immediately!upon!its!ratification!by!a!majority!of!
! In! the! May! 17,! 1982! Barangay! elections,! the!votes!cast!in!a!plebiscite!held!for!the!purpose!
petitioner! Alfredo! M.! De! Leon! was! elected! and!shall!supersede!all!previous!Constitutions.‖!
Barangay!Captain!and!the!other!petitioners!Angel! ! !
S.! Salamat,! et! al.,! as! Barangay! Councilmen! of! ! The! 1987! Constitution! was! ratified! in! a!
Barangay!Dolores,!Taytay,!Rizal.! plebiscite!on!February!2,!1987.!By!that!date,!the!
! ! Provisional!Constitution!must!be!deemed!to!have!
! On!February!9,!1987,!petitioner!Alfredo!M,! been! superseded.! Having! become! inoperative,!
de! Leon! received! a! Memorandum! antedated! Section!2,!!
December!1,!1986!but!signed!by!respondent!OIC! !
Governor!Benjamin!Esguerra!on!February!8,!1987!
designating! respondent! Florentino! G.! Magno! as! ! Article! III! of! the! Provisional! Constitution!
Barangay! Captain! of! Barangay! Dolores,! Taytay,! could! not! be! relied! on! by! the! respondent! OIC!
Rizal.!The!designation!made!by!the!OIC!Governor! Governor.! The! memorandum! dated! February! 8,!
was! "by! authority! of! the! Minister! of! Local! 1987! by! the! respondent! OIC! Governor! could! no!
Government."! longer!have!any!legal!force!and!effect.!
! ! ! The!act!of!ratification!is!the!act!of!voting!by!
! Also!on!February!8,!1987,!Esguerra!signed! the!people.!The!canvass!of!the!votes!thereafter!is!
a! Memorandum,! antedated! December! 1,! 1986! merely! the! mathematical! confirmation! of! what!
designating!respondents!Remigio!M.!Tigas,!et!al.,! was!done!during!the!date!of!the!plebiscite,!and!the!
as!members!of!the!Barangay!Council!of!the!same! proclamation!of!the!President!is!merely!the!official!
Barangay!and!Municipality.! confirmatory! declaration! of! an! act! which! was!
! ! actually! done! by! the! Filipino! people! in! adopting!
! Petitioners! maintain! that! with! the! the!Constitution!when!they!cast!their!votes!on!the!
ratification!of!the!1987!Constitution,!Esguerra!no! date!of!the!plebiscite.!
longer! has! the! authority! to! replace! them! and! to! ! !
designate!their!successors.!
! However,! respondents! rely! on! Section! 2,!
Article! III! of! the! Provisional! Constitution,! which!
provided:!
! SECTION! 2.! All! elective! and! appointive!
officials! and! employees! under! the! 1973!
Constitution! shall! continue! in! office! until!
otherwise!provided!by!proclamation!or!executive!
order!or!upon!the!designation!or!appointment!and!
qualification! of! their! successors,! if! such!
appointment!is!made!within!a!period!of!one!year!
from!February!25,!1986.!
! !
! ISSUE:!
! Whether! the! designation! of! the!
respondents! to! replace! petitioners! was! validly!
made!during!the!oneYyear!period!which!ended!on!
February!25,!1987.!
! !
! HELD:!
! NO.! While! February! 8,! 1987! is! ostensibly!
still! within! the! one! year! deadline! under! the!
Provisional! Constitution,! the! same! must! be!
! Manila#Prince#Hotel#vs.#GSIS#
G.R.#No.#122156,#February#3,#1997!
# Since!51%!of!the!shares!of!the!MHC!carries!
FACTS:!
The! controversy! arose! when! respondent!
Government! Service! Insurance! System! (GSIS),!
pursuant! to! the! privatization! program! under!
Proclamation!No.!50!decided!to!sell!through!public!
bidding!30%!to!51%!of!the!issued!and!outstanding!
shares!of!respondent!MHC.!The!winning!bidder,!or!
the! eventual! ―strategic! partner,‖! is! to! provide!
management! expertise! and/or! an! international!
marketing/reservation! system,! and! financial!
support! to! strengthen! the! profitability! and!
performance! of! the! Manila! Hotel.! In! a! close!
bidding! only! two! (2)! bidders! participated:!
petitioner! Manila! Prince! Hotel! Corporation,! a!
Filipino!corporation,!which!offered!to!buy!51%!of!
the!MHC!or!15,300,000!shares!at!P41.58!per!share,!
and! Renong! Berhad,! a! Malaysian! firm,! with! ITTY
Sheraton!as!its!hotel!operator,!which!bid!for!the!
same! number! of! shares! at! P44.00! per! share,! or!
P2.42!more!than!the!bid!of!petitioner.!
Pending!the!declaration!of!Renong!Berhard!as!the!
winning!bidder,!petitioner!matched!the!bid!price!
tendered!by!Renong!Berhad.!
Apprehensive! that! respondent! GSIS! has!
disregarded! the! tender! of! the! matching! bid! and!
that!the!sale!of!51%!of!the!MHC!may!be!hastened!
by! respondent! GSIS! and! consummated! with!
Renong!Berhad,!petitioner!came!to!this!Court!on!
prohibition!and!mandamus.!
! emanates.! It! has! been! defined! as! the!
ISSUES:!
1.! Whether!or!not!the!disposition!of!51%!of!
Manila!Hotel!falls!under!the!application!of!
Sec.! 10,! par.! 2,! Art.! XII! of! the! 1987!
Constitution.!
2.! Whether!or!not!Sec.!10,!par.!2,!Art.!XII!of!
the! 1987! Constitution! is! a! selfYexecuting!
provision.!
! that!it!is!a!supreme!law!to!which!all!other!
HELD:!
1.! Yes.!Manila!Hotel!has!been!identified!with!
the! Filipino! nation! and! has! practically!
become! a! historical! monument! which!
reflects!the!vibrancy!of!Philippine!heritage!
and! culture.! It! is! a! proud! legacy! of! an!
earlier! generation! of! Filipinos! who!
believed!in!the!nobility!and!sacredness!of!
independence!and!its!power!and!capacity!
to!release!the!full!potential!of!the!Filipino!
people.!To!all!intents!and!purposes,!it!has!
become!a!part!of!the!national!patrimony.!
with!it!the!ownership!of!the!business!of!the!
hotel!which!is!owned!by!respondent!GSIS,!
a! governmentYowned! and! controlled!
corporation,! the! hotel! business! of!
respondent! GSIS! being! a! part! of! the!
tourism! industry! is! unquestionably! a! part!
of! the! national! economy.! Thus,! any!
transaction!involving!51%!of!the!shares!of!
stock!of!the!MHC!is!clearly!covered!by!the!
term!national!economy,!to!which!Sec.!10,!
second! par.,! Art.! XII,! 1987! Constitution,!
applies.! Hence,! since! Manila! Hotel! is! part!
of!the!national!patrimony!and!its!business!
also! unquestionably! part! of! the! national!
economy! petitioner! should! be! preferred!
after! it! has! matched! the! bid! offer! of! the!
Malaysian! firm.! For! the! bidding! rules!
mandate!that!if!for!any!reason,!the!Highest!
Bidder! cannot! be! awarded! the! Block! of!
Shares,! GSIS! may! offer! this! to! the! other!
Qualified! Bidders! that! have! validly!
submitted! bids! provided! that! these!
Qualified!Bidders!are!willing!to!match!the!
highest!bid!in!terms!of!price!per!share.!
2.! 2.! A! constitution! is! a! system! of!
fundamental!laws!for!the!governance!and!
administration! of! a! nation.! It! is! supreme,!
imperious,! absolute! and! unalterable!
except! by! the! authority! from! which! it!
fundamental! and! paramount! law! of! the!
nation.! It! prescribes! the! permanent!
framework! of! a! system! of! government,!
assigns!to!the!different!departments!their!
respective! powers! and! duties,! and!
establishes! certain! fixed! principles! on!
which! government! is! founded.! The!
fundamental!conception!in!other!words!is!
laws!must!conform!and!in!accordance!with!
which! all! private! rights! must! be!
determined! and! all! public! authority!
administered.! Under! the! doctrine! of!
constitutional! supremacy,! if! a! law! or!
contract! violates! any! norm! of! the!
constitution!that!law!or!contract!whether!
promulgated! by! the! legislative! or! by! the!
executive!branch!or!entered!into!by!private!
persons! for! private! purposes! is! null! and!
 void! and! without! any! force! and! effect.!
Thus,! since! the! Constitution! is! the!
fundamental,!paramount!and!supreme!law!
of!the!nation,!it!is!deemed!written!in!every!
statute!and!contract.!
! FRANCISCO#VS.#HOUSE#OF#REPRESENTATIVES!
Admittedly,! some! constitutions! are! merely!
declarations! of! policies! and! principles.! Their!
provisions!command!the!legislature!to!enact!laws!
and! carry! out! the! purposes! of! the! framers! who!
merely! establish! an! outline! of! government!
providing! for! the! different! departments! of! the!
governmental! machinery! and! securing! certain!
fundamental! and! inalienable! rights! of! citizens.A!
provision! which! lays! down! a! general! principle,!
such! as! those! found! in! Art.! II! of! the! 1987!
Constitution! is! usually! not! selfYexecuting.! But! a!
provision!which!is!complete!in!itself!and!becomes!
operative! without! the! aid! of! supplementary! or!
enabling! legislation,! or! that! which! supplies!
sufficient!rule!by!means!of!which!the!right!it!grants!
may! be! enjoyed! or! protected,! is! selfYexecuting.!
Thus!a!constitutional!provision!is!selfYexecuting!if!
the!nature!and!extent!of!the!right!conferred!and!
the!liability!imposed!are!fixed!by!the!constitution!
itself,! so! that! they! can! be! determined! by! an!
examination! and! construction! of! its! terms,! and!
there!is!no!language!indicating!that!the!subject!is!
referred!to!the!legislature!for!action.!
! The! House! Committee! on! Justice! ruled! that! the!
Hence,! unless! it! is! expressly! provided! that! a!
legislative! act! is! necessary! to! enforce! a!
constitutional! mandate,! the! presumption! now! is!
that! all! provisions! of! the! constitution! are! selfY
executing.! If! the! constitutional! provisions! are!
treated! as! requiring! legislation! instead! of! selfY
executing,!the!legislature!would!have!the!power!to!
ignore! and! practically! nullify! the! mandate! of! the!
fundamental!law.!This!can!be!cataclysmic.!That!is!
why!the!prevailing!view!is,!as!it!has!always!been,!
that!Y!
x! x! x! x! in! case! of! doubt,! the! Constitution!
should!be!considered!selfYexecuting!rather!
than!nonYselfYexecuting!x!x!x!x!Unless!the!
contrary!is!clearly!intended,!the!provisions!
of! the! Constitution! should! be! considered!
selfYexecuting,! as! a! contrary! rule! would!
give!the!legislature!discretion!to!determine!
when,!or!whether,!they!shall!be!effective.!
These!provisions!would!be!subordinated!to!
the! will! of! the! lawmaking! body,! which!
could!make!them!entirely!meaningless!by!
simply! refusing! to! pass! the! needed!
implementing!statute.!
!
!
!
! G.R.#No.#160261.#Nov#10,#2003.#
! CarpioPMorales,#J.#
!
FACTS:!
On! July! 22,! 2002,! the! House! of! Representatives!
adopted! a! Resolution,! which! directed! the!
Committee! on! Justice! "to! conduct! an!
investigation,!in!aid!of!legislation,!on!the!manner!
of! disbursements! and! expenditures! by! the! Chief!
Justice! of! the! Supreme! Court! of! the! Judiciary!
Development!Fund!(JDF).!
On! June! 2,! 2003,! former! President! Joseph! E.!
Estrada! filed! an! impeachment! complaint4! (first!
impeachment! complaint)! against! Chief! Justice!
Hilario!G.!Davide!Jr.!and!seven!Associate!Justices!
of! this! Court! for! "culpable! violation! of! the!
Constitution,!betrayal!of!the!public!trust!and!other!
high! crimes."! The! complaint! was! endorsed! by!
Representatives! Suplico,! Zamora! and! Dilangalen,!
and! was! referred! to! the! House! Committee! on!
Justice!in!accordance!with!Section!3(2)!of!Article!XI!
of!the!Constitution.!
!
first! impeachment! complaint! was! "sufficient! in!
form,"! but! voted! to! dismiss! the! same! for! being!
insufficient!in!substance.!
!
On! October! 23,! 2003,! the! second! impeachment!
complait! was! filed! with! the! Secretary! General! of!
the!House!against!Chief!Justice!Hilario!G.!Davide,!
Jr.,!founded!on!the!alleged!results!of!the!legislative!
inquiry! initiated! by! aboveYmentioned! House!
Resolution.! This! second! impeachment! complaint!
was! accompanied! by! a! "Resolution! of!
Endorsement/Impeachment"! signed! by! at! least!
oneYthird!(1/3)!of!all!the!Members!of!the!House!of!
Representatives.!
!
Thus!arose!the!instant!petitions!against!the!House!
of!Representatives,!et.!al.,!most!of!which!petitions!
contend!that!the!filing!of!the!second!impeachment!
complaint! is! unconstitutional! as! it! violates! the!
provision! of! Section! 5! of! Article! XI! of! the!
Constitution! that! “no! impeachment! proceedings!
shall! be! initiated! against! the! same! official! more!
than!once!within!a!period!of!one!year.”!
# to!the!Constitution!itself!which!employs!the!wellY
ISSUE/S:#
Whether! or! not! Constitution! has! excluded!
impeachment! proceedings! from! the! coverage! of!
judicial!review.!
!
HELD:#
No.!In!cases!of!conflict,!the!judicial!department!is!
the!only!constitutional!organ!which!can!be!called!
upon! to! determine! the! proper! allocation! of!
powers! between! the! several! departments! and!
among!the!integral!or!constituent!units!thereof.!
The! Constitution! is! a! definition! of! the! powers! of!
government.! Who! is! to! determine! the! nature,!
scope! and! extent! of! such! powers?! The!
Constitution! itself! has! provided! for! the!
instrumentality! of! the! judiciary! as! the! rational!
way.!And!when!the!judiciary!mediates!to!allocate!
constitutional! boundaries,! it! does! not! assert! any!
superiority! over! the! other! departments;! it! does!
not! in! reality! nullify! or! invalidate! an! act! of! the!
legislature,!but!only!asserts!the!solemn!and!sacred!
obligation! assigned! to! it! by! the! Constitution! to!
determine! conflicting! claims! of! authority! under!
the!Constitution!and!to!establish!for!the!parties!in!
an! actual! controversy! the! rights! which! that!
instrument!secures!and!guarantees!to!them.!This!
is! in! truth! all! that! is! involved! in! what! is! termed!
"judicial!supremacy"!which!properly!is!the!power!
of! judicial! review! under! the! Constitution.! More!
than! that,! courts! accord! the! presumption! of!
constitutionality! to! legislative! enactments,! not!
only!because!the!legislature!is!presumed!to!abide!
by!the!Constitution!but!also!because!the!judiciary!
in! the! determination! of! actual! cases! and!
controversies!must!reflect!the!wisdom!and!justice!
of! the! people! as! expressed! through! their!
representatives! in! the! executive! and! legislative!
departments!of!the!government.!
As!pointed!out!by!Justice!Laurel,!this!"moderating!
power"! to! "determine! the! proper! allocation! of!
powers"!of!the!different!branches!of!government!
and! "to! direct! the! course! of! government! along!
constitutional!channels"!is!inherent!in!all!courts!as!
a! necessary! consequence! of! the! judicial! power!
itself,! which! is! "the! power! of! the! court! to! settle!
actual! controversies! involving! rights! which! are!
legally!demandable!and!enforceable."!
To!determine!the!merits!of!the!issues!raised!in!the!
instant!petitions,!this!Court!must!necessarily!turn!
settled!principles!of!constitutional!construction.!
First,! verba! legis,! that! is,! wherever! possible,! the!
words!used!in!the!Constitution!must!be!given!their!
ordinary! meaning! except! where! technical! terms!
are!employed.!
We!look!to!the!language!of!the!document!itself!in!
our! search! for! its! meaning.! We! do! not! of! course!
stop!there,!but!that!is!where!we!begin.!It!is!to!be!
assumed! that! the! words! in! which! constitutional!
provisions! are! couched! express! the! objective!
sought!to!be!attained.!They!are!to!be!given!their!
ordinary! meaning! except! where! technical! terms!
are!employed!in!which!case!the!significance!thus!
attached! to! them! prevails.! As! the! Constitution! is!
not! primarily! a! lawyer's! document,! it! being!
essential!for!the!rule!of!law!to!obtain!that!it!should!
ever!be!present!in!the!people's!consciousness,!its!
language! as! much! as! possible! should! be!
understood!in!the!sense!they!have!in!common!use.!
What!it!says!according!to!the!text!of!the!provision!
to!be!construed!compels!acceptance!and!negates!
the!power!of!the!courts!to!alter!it,!based!on!the!
postulate!that!the!framers!and!the!people!mean!
what!they!say.!Thus!these!are!the!cases!where!the!
need!for!construction!is!reduced!to!a!minimum.!
Second,! where! there! is! ambiguity,! ratio! legis! est!
anima.! The! words! of! the! Constitution! should! be!
interpreted! in! accordance! with! the! intent! of! its!
framers.!
A! foolproof! yardstick! in! constitutional!
construction! is! the! intention! underlying! the!
provision! under! consideration.! Thus,! it! has! been!
held! that! the! Court! in! construing! a! Constitution!
should! bear! in! mind! the! object! sought! to! be!
accomplished!by!its!adoption,!and!the!evils,!if!any,!
sought! to! be! prevented! or! remedied.! A! doubtful!
provision! will! be! examined! in! the! light! of! the!
history! of! the! times,! and! the! condition! and!
circumstances! under! which! the! Constitution! was!
framed.! The! object! is! to! ascertain! the! reason!
which!induced!the!framers!of!the!Constitution!to!
enact! the! particular! provision! and! the! purpose!
sought! to! be! accomplished! thereby,! in! order! to!
construe! the! whole! as! to! make! the! words!
consonant!to!that!reason!and!calculated!to!effect!
that!purpose.!
Finally,! ut! magis! valeat! quam! pereat.! The!
Constitution!is!to!be!interpreted!as!a!whole.!
It! is! a! wellYestablished! rule! in! constitutional!
construction! that! no! one! provision! of! the!
Constitution!is!to!be!separated!from!all!the!others,!
to!be!considered!alone,!but!that!all!the!provisions!
bearing! upon! a! particular! subject! are! to! be!
brought!into!view!and!to!be!so!interpreted!as!to!
effectuate!the!great!purposes!of!the!instrument.!
Sections!bearing!on!a!particular!subject!should!be!
considered! and! interpreted! together! as! to!
effectuate!the!whole!purpose!of!the!Constitution!
and! one! section! is! not! to! be! allowed! to! defeat!
another,! if! by! any! reasonable! construction,! the!
two!can!be!made!to!stand!together.!
In!other!words,!the!court!must!harmonize!them,!if!
practicable,! and! must! lean! in! favor! of! a!
construction! which! will! render! every! word!
operative,! rather! than! one! which! may! make! the!
words!idle!and!nugatory.!
If,!however,!the!plain!meaning!of!the!word!is!not!
found!to!be!clear,!resort!to!other!aids!is!available.!
While!it!is!permissible!in!this!jurisdiction!to!consult!
the!debates!and!proceedings!of!the!constitutional!
convention! in! order! to! arrive! at! the! reason! and!
purpose! of! the! resulting! Constitution,! resort!
thereto!may!be!had!only!when!other!guides!fail!as!
said!proceedings!are!powerless!to!vary!the!terms!
of! the! Constitution! when! the! meaning! is! clear.!
Debates! in! the! constitutional! convention! "are! of!
value! as! showing! the! views! of! the! individual!
members,!and!as!indicating!the!reasons!for!their!
votes,!but!they!give!us!no!light!as!to!the!views!of!
the!large!majority!who!did!not!talk,!much!less!of!
the!mass!of!our!fellow!citizens!whose!votes!at!the!
polls! gave! that! instrument! the! force! of!
fundamental!law.!We!think!it!safer!to!construe!the!
constitution! from! what! appears! upon! its! face."!
The! proper! interpretation! therefore! depends!
more! on! how! it! was! understood! by! the! people!
adopting! it! than! in! the! framers's! understanding!
thereof.!
! and! at! the! same! time! call! for! a! Constitutional!
! Convention!to!propose!amendments.!
! Indeed,!the!power!to!amend!the!Constitution!or!to!
! propose! amendments! thereto! is! not! included! in!
! Congress.!It!is!part!of!the!inherent!powers!of!the!
GONZALES#VS.#COMELEC!
G.R.#No.#LP28196,#November#9,#1967.#
Concepcion,#C.J.#
#
FACTS:#
The! Congress! simultaneously! passed! three!
resolutions.! The! first,! proposing! amendments! to!
the!Constitution!so!as!to!increase!the!membership!
of!the!House!of!Representatives!from!a!maximum!
of!120,!as!provided!in!the!present!Constitution,!to!
a! maximum! of! 180.! The! second,! calling! a!
convention! to! propose! amendments! to! said!
Constitution,! the! convention! to! be! composed! of!
two! (2)! elective! delegates! from! each!
representative!district,!to!be!elected!in!the!general!
elections.!And!the!third,!proposing!that!the!same!
Constitution!be!amended!so!as!to!Representatives!
to! become! delegates! to! the! aforementioned!
constitutional!convention,!without!forfeiting!their!
respective! seats! in! Congress.! Subsequently,!
Congress! passed! a! bill,! which,! upon! approval! by!
the! President,! became! Republic! Act! No.! 4913!
providing! that! the! amendments! to! the!
Constitution! proposed! in! the! aforementioned!
resolutions! be! submitted,! for! approval! by! the!
people,! at! the! general! elections.! The! petitioner!
assails! the! constitutionality! of! the! said! law!
contending! that! the! Congress! cannot!
simultaneously! propose! amendments! to! the!
Constitution! and! call! for! the! holding! of! a!
constitutional!convention.!
!
ISSUES:!
1.! Is!Republic!Act!No.!4913!constitutional?!
2.! Whether! or! not! Congress! can!
simultaneously! propose! amendments! to!
the!Constitution!and!call!for!the!holding!of!
a!constitutional!convention?!
!
HELD:!
Yes.!The!constituent!power!or!the!power!to!amend!
or! revise! the! Constitution,! is! different! from! the!
lawYmaking! power! of! Congress.! Congress! can!
directly!propose!amendments!to!the!Constitution!
!
the! general! grant! of! legislative! powers! to!
people! —! as! the! repository! of! sovereignty! in! a!
republican! state,! such! as! ours—! to! make,! and,!
hence,! to! amend! their! own! Fundamental! Law.!
Congress! may! propose! amendments! to! the!
Constitution! merely! because! the! same! explicitly!
grants! such! power.! Hence,! when! exercising! the!
same,!it!is!said!that!Senators!and!Members!of!the!
House!of!Representatives!act,!not!as!members!of!
Congress,! but! as! component! elements! of! a!
constituent! assembly.! When! acting! as! such,! the!
members!of!Congress!derive!their!authority!from!
the! Constitution,! unlike! the! people,! when!
performing!the!same!function,!for!their!authority!
does! not! emanate! from! the! Constitution! —! they!
are!the!very!source!of!all!powers!of!government,!
including!the!Constitution!itself.!
! in!its!capacity!as!a!Constituent!Assembly?!
Since,!when!proposing,!as!a!constituent!assembly,!
amendments!to!the!Constitution,!the!members!of!
Congress! derive! their! authority! from! the!
Fundamental!Law,!it!follows,!necessarily,!that!they!
do!not!have!the!final!say!on!whether!or!not!their!
acts! are! within! or! beyond! constitutional! limits.!
Otherwise,! they! could! brush! aside! and! set! the!
same! at! naught,! contrary! to! the! basic! tenet! that!
ours!is!a!government!of!laws,!not!of!men,!and!to!
the!rigid!nature!of!our!Constitution.!Such!rigidity!is!
stressed! by! the! fact! that,! the! Constitution!
expressly! confers! upon! the! Supreme! Court,! the!
power! to! declare! a! treaty! unconstitutional,!
despite!the!eminently!political!character!of!treatyY
making!power.!
!
! The! reasons! cited! by! the! Court! in! upholding! the!
IMBONG#VS.#COMELEC!
G.R.#No.#LP32432,#September#11,#1970.#
# 1.! Congress,! acting! as! a! Constituent! Assembly!
FACTS:#
Petitioners! Manuel! Imbong! and! Raul! Gonzales,!
both! interested! in! running! as! candidates! in! the!
1971! Constitutional! Convention,! filed! separate!
petitions! for! declaratory! relief,! impugning! the!
constitutionality! of! RA! 6132,! claiming! that! it!
prejudices!their!rights!as!candidates.!
Congress,! acting! as! a! Constituent! Assembly,!
passed! Resolution! No.2! which! called! for! the!
Constitutional! Convention! to! propose!
Constitutional! amendments.! After! its! adoption,!
Congress,!acting!as!a!legislative!body,!enacted!R.A.!
4914! implementing! said! resolution,! restating!
entirely!the!provisions!of!said!resolution.!
Thereafter,! Congress,! acting! as! a! Constituent!
Assembly,!passed!Resolution!No.!4!amending!the!
Resolution!No.!2!by!providing!that!―xxx!any!other!
details! relating! to! the! specific! apportionment! of!
delegates,! election! of! delegates! to,! and! the!
holding!of!the!Constitutional!Convention!shall!be!
embodied!in!an!implementing!legislation!xxx‖!
Congress,!acting!as!a!legislative!body,!enacted!R.A.!
6132,!implementing!Resolution!Nos.!2!and!4,!and!
expressly!repealing!R.A.!4914.!
ISSUE:!
May!Congress!in!acting!as!a!legislative!body!enact!
R.A.6132!to!implement!the!resolution!passed!by!it!
#
HELD:!
YES.!The!Court!declared!that!while!the!authority!to!
call! a! Constitutional! Convention! is! vested! by! the!
Constitution! solely! and! exclusively! in! Congress!
acting!as!a!constitutional!assembly,!the!power!to!
enact!the!implementing!details!or!specifics!of!the!
general! law! does! not! exclusively! pertain! to!
Congress,! the! Congress! in! exercising! its!
comprehensive! legislative! power! (not! as! a!
Constitutional!Assembly)!may!pass!the!necessary!
implementing!law!providing!for!the!details!of!the!
Constitutional! Conventions,! such! as! the! number,!
qualification,!and!compensation!of!its!member.!
constitutionality!of!the!enactment!of!R.A.!6132!are!
as!follows:!
pursuant! to! Article! XV! of! the! Constitution,! has!
authority! to! propose! constitutional! amendments!
or!call!a!convention!for!the!purpose!by!¾!votes!of!
each!house!in!joint!session!assembled!but!voting!
separately.!
2.!Such!grant!includes!all!other!powers!essential!to!
the! effective! exercise! of! the! principal! power! by!
necessary!implication.!
3.!Implementing!details!are!within!the!authority!of!
the!Congress!not!only!as!a!Constituent!Assembly!
but! also! in! the! exercise! of! its! comprehensive!
legislative! power! which! encompasses! all! matters!
not! expressly! or! by! necessary! implication!
withdrawn! or! removed! by! the! Constitution! from!
the!ambit!of!legislative!action!so!long!as!it!does!not!
contravene!any!provision!of!the!Constitution;!and!
4.! Congress! as! a! legislative! body! may! thus! enact!
necessary! implementing! legislation! to! fill! in! the!
gaps! which! Congress! as! a! Constituent! Assembly!
has!omitted.!
! Supreme!Court!and!with!the!recognition!of!
Occena#vs.#COMELEC!
G.R.#No.#56350,#April#2,#1981.#
Fernando,#C.J.#
! Court! can! check! as! well! as! legitimate.! In!
FACTS:!
The! challenge! in! these! two! prohibition!
proceedings! is! against! the! validity! of! three!
Batasang! Pambansa! Resolutions! proposing!
constitutional! amendments.! Petitioners! urged!
that!the!amendments!proposed!are!so!extensive!
in!character!that!they!go!far!beyond!the!limits!of!
the! authority! conferred! on! the! Interim! Batasang!
Pambansa! as! successor! of! the! Interim! National!
Assembly.!For!them,!what!was!done!was!to!revise!
and!not!to!amend.!
Petitioners! Samuel! Occena! and! Ramon! A.!
Gonzales,!both!members!of!the!Philippine!Bar!and!
former! delegates! to! the! 1971! Constitutional!
Convention!that!framed!the!present!Constitution,!
are! suing! as! taxpayers.! The! rather! unorthodox!
aspect!of!these!petitions!is!the!assertion!that!the!
1973!Constitution!is!not!the!fundamental!law.!
The!suits!for!prohibition!were!filed!respectively!on!
March!6!and!March!12,!1981.!
ISSUES:!
1.! Whether! or! not! the! 1973! Constitution! is!
already!in!effect.!
2.! Whether! or! not! the! Interim! Batasang!
Pambansa! has! the! power! to! propose!
amendments.!
3.! Whether! or! not! the! three! resolutions! are!
valid.!
!
HELD:#
1.! Yes.!it!is!much!too!late!in!the!day!to!deny!
the! force! and! applicability! of! the! 1973!
Constitution.! In! the! dispositive! portion! of!
Javellana! v.! The! Executive! Secretary,!
dismissing! petitions! for! prohibition! and!
mandamus! to! declare! invalid! its!
ratification,!this!Court!stated!that!it!did!so!
by!a!vote!of!six!to!four.!It!then!concluded:!
"This!being!the!vote!of!the!majority,!there!
is! no! further! judicial! obstacle! to! the! new!
Constitution!being!considered!in!force!and!
effect."!
2.! With! such! a! pronouncement! by! the!
the! cardinal! postulate! that! what! the!
Supreme!Court!says!is!not!only!entitled!to!
respect!but!must!also!be!obeyed,!a!factor!
for!instability!was!removed.!The!Supreme!
declaring!what!the!law!is,!it!may!not!only!
nullify!the!acts!of!coordinate!branches!but!
may!also!sustain!their!validity.!In!the!latter!
case,!there!is!an!affirmation!that!what!was!
done! cannot! be! stigmatized! as!
constitutionally! deficient.! The! mere!
dismissal!of!a!suit!of!this!character!suffices.!
That! is! the! meaning! of! the! concluding!
statement! in! Javellana.! Since! then,! this!
Court! has! invariably! applied! the! present!
Constitution.! The! latest! case! in! point! is!
People! v.! Sola,! promulgated! barely! two!
weeks! ago.! During! the! first! year! alone! of!
the!effectivity!of!the!present!Constitution,!
at!least!ten!cases!may!be!cited.!
3.! Yes.! The! existence! of! the! power! of! the!
Interim!Batasang!Pambansa!is!indubitable.!
The! applicable! provision! in! the! 1976!
Amendments! is! quite! explicit.! Insofar! as!
pertinent! it! reads! thus:! "The! Interim!
Batasang! Pambansa! shall! have! the! same!
powers! and! its! Members! shall! have! the!
same! functions,! responsibilities,! rights,!
privileges,! and! disqualifications! as! the!
interim!National!Assembly!and!the!regular!
National! Assembly! and! the! Members!
thereof."! One! of! such! powers! is! precisely!
that! of! proposing! amendments.! Article!
XVII,!Section!15!of!the!1973!Constitution!in!
its!Transitory!Provisions!vested!the!Interim!
National! Assembly! with! the! power! to!
propose!amendments!upon!special!call!by!
the! Prime! Minister! by! a! vote! of! the!
majority! of! its! members! to! be! ratified! in!
accordance! with! the! Article! on!
Amendments.! When,! therefore,! the!
Interim!Batasang!Pambansa,!upon!the!call!
of! the! President! and! Prime! Minister!
Ferdinand!E.!Marcos,!met!as!a!constituent!
 body!it!acted!by!virtue!Of!such!impotence!
Its! authority! to! do! so! is! clearly! beyond!
doubt.! It! could! and! did! propose! the!
amendments!embodied!in!the!resolutions!
now!being!assailed.!
4.! Yes.!The!question!of!whether!the!proposed!
resolutions! constitute! amendments! or!
revision! is! of! no! relevance.! It! suffices! to!
quote! from! the! opinion! of! Justice!
Makasiar,! speaking! for! the! Court,! in! Del!
Rosario! v.! Commission! on! Elections! to!
dispose! of! this! contention.! Whether! the!
Constitutional! Convention! will! only!
propose! amendments! to! the! Constitution!
or! entirely! overhaul! the! present!
Constitution!and!propose!an!entirely!new!
Constitution!based!on!an!Ideology!foreign!
to! the! democratic! system,! is! of! no!
moment;! because! the! same! will! be!
submitted! to! the! people! for! ratification.!
Once! ratified! by! the! sovereign! people,!
there!can!be!no!debate!about!the!validity!
of!the!new!Constitution.!The!fact!that!the!
present! Constitution! may! be! revised! and!
replaced!with!a!new!one!...!is!no!argument!
against! the! validity! of! the! law! because!
'amendment'! includes! the! 'revision'! or!
total! overhaul! of! the! entire! Constitution.!
At! any! rate,! whether! the! Constitution! is!
merely! amended! in! part! or! revised! or!
totally!changed!would!become!immaterial!
the! moment! the! same! is! ratified! by! the!
sovereign!people."!
! separately! from,! the! whole! draft! of! the!
TOLENTINO#VS.#COMELEC!
G.R.#No.#LP34150,#October#16,#1971.#
! the!same!violate!the!condition!in!Section!1,!Article!
FACTS:!
A! Constitutional! Convention! was! called! upon! to!
propose! amendments! to! the! Constitution! of! the!
Philippines,! in! which,! the! delegates! to! the! said!
Convention!were!all!elected!under!and!by!virtue!of!
resolutions! and! the! implementing! legislation!
thereof,! Republic! Act! 6132.! The! Convention!
approved! Organic! Resolution! No.! 1,! amending!
section!one!of!article!5!of!the!Constitution!of!the!
Philippines!so!as!to!lower!the!voting!age!to!18.!Said!
resolution! also! provided! in! its! Section! 3! that! the!
partial!amendment,!which!refers!only!to!the!age!
qualification! for! the! exercise! of! suffrage! shall! be!
without!prejudice!to!other!amendments!that!will!
be! proposed! in! the! future! by! the! 1971!
Constitutional! Convention! on! other! portions! of!
the!amended!Section!or!on!other!portions!of!the!
entire!Constitution.!
The! main! thrust! of! the! petition! is! that! Organic!
Resolution! No.! 1! and! the! other! implementing!
resolutions!thereof!subsequently!approved!by!the!
Convention!have!no!force!and!effect!as!laws!in!so!
far!as!they!are!in!contravention!to!Section!1!Article!
XV!of!the!Constitution.!Under!the!said!provision,!
the!proposed!amendment!in!question!cannot!be!
presented!to!the!people!for!ratification!separately!
from!each!and!all!of!the!other!amendments!to!be!
drafted!and!proposed!by!the!Convention.!
ISSUE:!
Is! the! Resolution! approved! by! the! 1971!
Constitutional!Convention!constitutional?!
HELD:!
NO.!Organic!Resolution!No.!1!of!the!Constitutional!
Convention! of! 1971! and! the! implementing! acts!
and!resolutions!of!the!Convention,!insofar!as!they!
provide!for!the!holding!of!a!plebiscite,!as!well!as!
the! resolution! of! the! respondent! Comelec!
complying!therewith!are!null!and!void.!
The!Court!is!of!the!opinion!that!in!providing!for!the!
questioned! plebiscite! before! it! has! finished,! and!
constitution! it! has! been! called! to! formulate,! the!
Convention's! Organic! Resolution! No.! 1! and! all!
subsequent!acts!of!the!Convention!implementing!
XV! that! there! should! only! be! one! "election"! or!
plebiscite! for! the! ratification! of! all! the!
amendments! the! Convention! may! propose.! We!
are!not!denying!any!right!of!the!people!to!vote!on!
the! proposed! amendment;! We! are! only! holding!
that! under! Section! 1,! Article! XV! of! the!
Constitution,! the! same! should! be! submitted! to!
them!not!separately!from!but!together!with!all!the!
other!amendments!to!be!proposed!by!this!present!
Convention.!
Prescinding! already! from! the! fact! that! under!
Section!3!of!the!questioned!resolution,!it!is!evident!
that! no! fixed! frame! of! reference! is! provided! the!
voter,! as! to! what! finally! will! be! concomitant!
qualifications! that! will! be! required! by! the! final!
draft!of!the!constitution!to!be!formulated!by!the!
Convention!of!a!voter!to!be!able!to!enjoy!the!right!
of!suffrage,!there!are!other!considerations!which!
make! it! impossible! to! vote! intelligently! on! the!
proposed! amendment.! No! one! knows! what!
changes! in! the! fundamental! principles! of! the!
constitution! the! Convention! will! be! minded! to!
approve.!To!be!more!specific,!we!do!not!have!any!
means! of! foreseeing! whether! the! right! to! vote!
would!be!of!any!significant!value!at!all.!Who!can!
say!whether!or!not!later!on!the!Convention!may!
decide! to! provide! for! varying! types! of! voters! for!
each! level! of! the! political! units! it! may! divide! the!
country! into.! The! root! of! the! difficulty! in! other!
words,!lies!in!that!the!Convention!is!precisely!on!
the!verge!of!introducing!substantial!changes,!if!not!
radical!ones,!in!almost!every!part!and!aspect!of!the!
existing!social!and!political!order!enshrined!in!the!
present! Constitution.! How! can! a! voter! in! the!
proposed! plebiscite! intelligently! determine! the!
effect!of!the!reduction!of!the!voting!age!upon!the!
different! institutions! which! the! Convention! may!
establish! and! of! which! presently! he! is! not! given!
any!idea?!Clearly,!there!is!improper!submission.!
! therefore! outside! the! power! of! the! people‘s!
SANTIAGO#VS.#COMELEC!
G.R.#No.#127325.#March#19,#1997.#
! COMELEC! nor! any! other! department,! agency!
FACTS:!
Private!respondent!Delfin!filed!with!the!COMELEC!
a!Petition!to!Amend!the!Constitution,!to!Lift!Term!
Limits! of! Elective! Officials,! by! People‘s!
amendments! to! the! Constitution! granted! under!
Section!2,!Art.!XVII!of!the!1987!Constitution.!R.A.!
6735! and! COMELEC! Resolution! No.! 2300.! The!
proposed!amendments!consist!of!the!submission!
of!this!proposition!to!the!people:!“Do!you!approve!
the!lifting!of!the!term!limits!of!all!elective!officials,!
amending! for! the! purpose! section! 4! and! 7! of!
Art.VI,!Section!4!of!Art.VII,!and!Section!8!of!Art.!X!
of!the!Philippine!Constitution?”!
! !
Petitioners! filed! a! special! civil! action! directing!
respondents! COMELEC! and! Delfin‘s! Petition! to!
directly!propose!amendments!to!the!Constitution!
through!the!system!of!initiative!under!Sec.2!of!Art.!
XVII!of!the!1987!Constitution.!Petitioners!raise!the!
following!arguments:!
1.! The! constitutional! provision! on! people‘s!
initiative! to! amend! the! Constitution! can! only!
be! implemented! by! law! to! be! passed! by!
Congress.!No!such!law!has!been!passed.!
2.! R.A.!6735!failed!to!provide!subtitle!initiative!on!
the!Constitution,!unlike!in!the!other!modes!of!
initiative.!It!only!provides!for!the!effectivity!of!
the! law! after! the! publication! in! print! media!
indicating!that!the!Act!covers!
1.! only!laws!and!not!constitutional!amendments!
because! the! latter! takes! effect! only! upon!
ratification!and!not!after!publication.!
2.! COMELEC! Resolution! No.2300,! adopted! on!
January! 16,! 1991! to! govern! the! ―conduct! of!
initiative!on!the!Constitution!and!initiative!and!
referendum! on! national! and! local! laws‖,! is!
ultra!vires!insofar!as!initiative!or!amendments!
to! the! Constitution! are! concerned,! since! the!
COMELEC!has!no!power!to!provide!rules!and!
regulation! for! the! exercise! of! the! right! of!
initiative!to!amend!the!Constitution.!Only!the!
Congress!is!authorized!by!the!Constitution!to!
pass!the!implementing!law.!
3.! The! people‘s! initiative! is! limited! to!
amendments! to! the! Constitution,! to! the!
revision! thereof.! Extending! or! lifting! of! the!
term! limits! constitutes! a! revision! and! is!
initiative.!
4.! Finally,! Congress! has! not! yet! appropriated!
funds! for! people‘s! initiative,! neither! the!
or! office! of! the! government! has! realigned!
funds!for!the!purpose.!
5.! The! Supreme! Court! gave! due! course! to! this!
petition! and! granted! the! Motions! for!
Intervention! filed! by! PetitionersYIntervenors!
DIK,!MABINI,!IBP,!LABAN,!and!Senator!Roco.!
!
ISSUE/S:#
1.! Whether! Sec.! 2,! Art.! XVII! of! the! 1987!
Constitution!is!a!selfYexecuting!provision?!
2.! Whether!R.A.6735!is!a!sufficient!statutory!
implementation! of! the! said! constitutional!
provision?!
HELD:!
1.! NO.! Although! the! mode! of! amendment!
which! bypasses! congressional! action,! in!
 the! last! analysis,! it! is! still! dependent! on! HELD:!
congressional! action.! While! the! No,! the! Initiative! Petition! does! not! comply! with!
Constitution! has! recognized! or! granted! Article!XVII,!Section!2!of!the!Constitution.!First,!the!
that!right,!the!people!cannot!exercise!it!if! petitioners! failed! to! embody! the! full! text! of! the!
the! Congress! for! whatever! reason,! does! proposed! amendment.! The! rationale! of!
not!provide!for!its!implementation.! amendments! proposed! by! the! people! through!
2.! NO.! R.A.! 6735! is! insufficient! and! initiative!is!that!the!entire!proposal!is!a!petition!by!
incomplete!to!fully!comply!with!the!power! the!people.!This!conveys!that!two!elements!must!
and! duty! of! the! Congress! to! enact! the! be!present.!One,!the!people!must!author!and!sign!
statutory!implementation!of!sec.2,!Art.XVII! the! entire! proposal;! and! two,! the! proposal! must!
of! the! Constitution.! Although! said! Act! be!embodied!in!the!petition.!These!elements!are!
intended!to!include!the!system!of!initiative! present! only! if! the! full! text! of! the! proposed!
on! amendments! to! the! Constitution,! it! is! amendments! is! first! shown! to! the! people! who!
deemed! inadequate! to! cover! that! system! express! their! assent! by! signing! such! complete!
and! accordingly! provide! for! a! local! proposal!in!a!petition.!!
initiative! required! for! proposing! !
Constitutional!changes.! Second,!a!shift!from!a!bicameralYpresidential!to!a!
! unicameralYparliamentary! system! constitutes! a!
! revision!and!not!of!an!amendment,!which!is!not!in!
LAMBINO#VS.#COMELEC! the!scope!of!people’s!initiative!as!mandated!by!the!
G.R.#No.#174153,#October#25,#2006.# Constitution.!
! !
FACTS:! Lastly,! the! Court! held! that! there! is! no! need! to!
Herein! petitioners! sought! to! propose! revisit!this!Court’s!ruling!in!Santiago!declaring!RA!
amendments! to! the! Constitution! by! People’s! 6735!inadequate!to!cover!the!system!of!initiative!
Initiative! through! Republic! Act! 6735.! The! sheet! to!amend!the!Constitution!because!the!outcome!
used! to! gather! signatures! from! the! people! of!the!case!will!not!be!changed!thereby.!
contained!only!the!questions:!“Do!you!approve!of!
the! Amendments! VI! and! VII! of! the! 1987!
Constitution,! changing! the! form! of! government!
from!the!present!bicameralYpresidential!system!to!
a! unicameralYparliamentary! system! of!
government!in!order!to!achieve!greater!efficiency;!
and! providing! an! Article! XVIII! as! Transitory!
Provisions?”.! Subsequently,! petitioners! filed! a!
petition!with!the!Commission!on!Elections!to!hold!
a!plebiscite!to!ratify!their!proposal.!They!have!in!
fact!gathered!signatures!of!>12%!of!all!registered!
votes!with!each!district!represented!by!3%!at!least.!!
!
Respondent! COMELEC! denied! the! petition.!
COMELEC!invoked!the!ruling!in!DefensorYSantiago!
v.!COMELEC!which!provides!that!the!enabling!law!
RA!6735!is!inadequate!to!implement!the!initiative!
petitions.!
!
ISSUE:!
Whether! or! not! the! initiative! petition! of! the!
petitioners!complies!with!Article!XVII,!Section!2!of!
the! Constitution! on! amendments! to! the!
Constitution!through!a!people’s!initiative.!
!