Environmental Laws - 8/22/23

Consti Provisions:

a. Art. 2 Sec. 16 of 1987 Constitution

- "balanced and healthful ecology" source: international principle.

self-executing vs. non self-executing laws

Article 2 of PH Consti - self executing provision

Opposa vs. Factoran

3 issues:
1. legal standing: allowed sila i-represent their generation as well as the generation unborn kapag ang
usapan ay ang environment
- Doctrine of Intergenerational Responsibility
- naging basis ng SC sa cause of action ng mga minor ay ang Art. 2 Sec. 16
2. is there a valid class suit?
- YES. present ang lahat ng elements. the SC ruled that they are numerous and it is
impractical to bring all the petitioners before the court. and they all share a general interest.
3. non-impairment of contract?
- no. the sc ruled that this TLA are not contract but merely a privilege given to companies to
conduct timber cutting. regardless na consider sya as contract, mag prevail pa rin ang police
power, dahil mas importante ang rights ng mga tao.

Resident Marine Mammals vs. Sec. Angelo Reyes

- consolidated cases (2 set of petitoners)
- sino lang ang pwede mag file ng case? natural or juridical persons.
1. ano basis sa pag favor sa resident mamamals?
- ans. Environmental Procedure, Sec. 5. -- Filipino citizen in representation of others.
- ginamit ang ruling sa Oposa vs. Factoran
2. sino ang pwede mag file sa citizen suit?
- ans. only Filipino citizen.
- sa case na ito, yung dalawa na considered as steward of nature, ay suing on behalf of Filipino citizen
which means may legal standing to sue.

International Service for the Acquisition vs. Greenpeace Southeast Asia

- case about the bioengineered eggplants called the BT Talong. BT Talong was genetically engineered to
kill certain pests attacking eggplants.
- harmful daw sa envi ang BT Talong and uncertain pa ang results since wala pang previous study.
1. precautionary principle?
- ans. The precautionary principle requires that, if there is a strong suspicion that a certain
activity may have environmentally harmful consequences, it is better to control that activity
now rather than to wait for incontrovertible scientific evidence.
- it shift the burden sa mga tao na nag claim sa mga bagong invention from envi esp
masalalay ang health ng mga tao.

b. Art. 12 Sec. 2 of 1987 Constitution

- Regalian Doctrine or Jura Regalia wc means all natural resources (land, waters minerals and etc.) are
generally owned by the state.
● Classification of lands:
- Agricultural lands, forest or timberland, mineral land, and national park
- Private lands lahat ng wala sa classification.
 ● Ano proof ng private land?
- ans. Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT).
● Paano ma acquire ang ownership sa public domain?

Republic vs. Tri-plus Corporation

● Requirements para ma acquire ang agricultural land or ma transfer as priv ownership.
1. kailangan ng declaration ng gov na disposable and alienable ang land.
2. yung mga nag acquire, they have been in open, continous, exclusive and notorious
possession under bona fide ownership since time immemorial on or before June 12, 1945.
- sa case na ito, hindi na prove yung dalawa reqs na 'yan. therefore its still considered as agri land.

DENR vs. Yap

- bago ang Proclamation ni Marcos (No. 1604) ang boracay ay unclassified land, therefore, ay forest land.
- nung proclamation ni Marcos, naging agri land. (declared)
- pero ano ba ang requirement? dineclare lang as agri land pero hindi sinabi na alienable and disposable.
- GR: dapat may declaration ng positive act ng gov to say na alienable and disposable ang land.
- Ano ang positive act? ans. PD, Proclamation or EO, Adminstrative action, through legislative action
(gagawa ng batas)
- Hindi sapat na i-declare na agri na. Dapat may positive act na enumerated.

Oh Cho vs. Director of Lands

1. Ano raw ang gusto ni Oh Cho?
- ans. Ipa register ang land.
- mere possesory lang yung kay Oh Cho dahil hindi na pa registered ang land before due.
2. issue din ang kanyang citizenship dahil siya ay chinese.
- under PH Consti, only PH citizen lang ang pwede mag acquire ng real estate.
- absolute ba 'yon? hindi.
- xpn: through succession.

Art. 12 Sec. 3 of PH Consti

-

Narra Nickel Mining Vs. Redmont

- 3 yung petitioners
1. Ano ang finding ng SC applying the grandfather rule?
- ans. they are owned by 100% Canadian.
● Mining industry, utilizing natural resources.
- as per consti, dapat gov or atleast for private company 60% ownership ng corp ay Filipino
owned sa utilization ng natural resources.
- Ineffective. violates the grand father rule.
- Control Test. Kung sino ang nag ooperate, anong nationality.
- Pwede ba yung foreign corp mag engage sa exploration? ans. Yes. Art 12 Sec. 2 (4) & (5)

● Applicable ba alter ego doctrine pag enter ng agreement w/ foreign corp sa exploration ng natural
resources?
- ans. No. President lang dapat ang mag enter sa exploration agreement.
- alter ego (secretaries of admin agencies)
- kapag nag enter ang Pres sa agreement, the congress must be notified within 30 days.

Article 1 of PH Consti (National Territory)

- MEMORIZE
- PH Territorial Sea Limits
- Right of innocent passage only applies to ship. ex. warship
- rights over the contiguous zone
- EEZ right only exploitation, exploration... under UN convention andon ang mga EEZ ng lahat ng countries.

next meet:
- nat'l territory
- related cases