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STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION
Notes compiled by Joanna Marie V. Carrera
Instructor: Atty. Darniel Bustamante
Departure from literal interpretation the Third Party Complaint reasoning
that the said Complaint is not
Principle: Verba intentioni, non e contra, debent allowed under the Interim Rules of
inservire Procedure for Inter-Corporate
Words ought to be more subservient to the intent Controversies
than the intent to the words Relevantly, the Interim Rules neither
state that the Third Party Complaint
The intention of the legislature and its purpose or
is one of the prohibited pleadings nor
object control the literal interpretation of
is it one of the allowed pleadings.
particular language of a statute, and a language
capable of more than one meaning is to be taken Issue:
in such sense as to harmonize with the intention
and object of the enactment. Is the CA correct?
Held:
LITERAL IMPORT MUST YIELD TO INTENT
No. While the Third Party Complaint
SY TIONG SHIOU v. SY CHIM and FELICIDAD
is not stated as one of the prohibited
CHAN SY, G.R. No. 174168, March 30, 2009
nor allowed pleadings, the conflict
Facts: may be resolved by following the
well-entrenched rule in statutory
The corporation, of which both
construction that every part of the
petitioners and respondents are
statute must be considered with the
officers, filed an Amended Complaint
other parts, and kept subservient to
for Accounting and Damages against
the general intent of the whole
the Respondent Spouses.
enactment.
The Respondent Spouses, after
Indeed, the spirit and intent of the
having filed their Answer, also filed a
statute as may be found from the
Motion for Leave to File a Third Party
Interim Rules itself provides that the
Complaint, praying that the attached
Rules shall be liberally construed in
Third Party Complaint be admitted
order to promote their objective of
against herein Petitioners. The trial
securing a just, speedy, summary,
court granted such motion and
and inexpensive determination of
therefore admitted the third party
every action and proceeding.
complaint.
Notably, jurisprudence has been
Petitioners then questioned the
consistent in holding that the
admission of the Third Party
purpose of the third party complaint
Complaint before the CA through a
is to avoid a circuitry of action and
petition for certiorari. Ultimately, the
unnecessary of proliferation of law
CA reversed the trial court and ruled
suits. This, considering, the Third
that the trial court erred in admitting
Party Complaint shall be allowed.
Per aspera ad astra • Ora et Labora • Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus
STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION
Notes compiled by Joanna Marie V. Carrera
Instructor: Atty. Darniel Bustamante
However, ultimately, General Order
No. 8 was revoked and the military
CESSANTE RATIONE LEGIS, CESSAT ET IPSA LEX
tribunals created pursuant thereto
were dissolved when then President
Principle: Cessante ratione legis, cessat et ipsa lex
Marcos issued Proclamation No.
When the reason of the law ceases, the law itself 2045 which terminated the state of
ceases. martial law.
The reason which induced the legislature to enact Issue:
a law is the heart of the law. For this reason, the
reason of the law plays a decisive role in its Is the GCM correct in ruling that the
construction. Consequently, its cessation or right to peremptory challenge had
nullification renders the law inoperative. been discontinued under PD 39?
Facts: No.
The law obliges no one to perform an
On December 23, 2002, a complaint for impossibility. Laws and rules must be
a Sum of Money against herein interpreted in a way that they are in
Petitioner was filed by herein accordance with logic, common sense,
Respondent. The complaint is for the reason, and practicality.
Per aspera ad astra • Ora et Labora • Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus
STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION
Notes compiled by Joanna Marie V. Carrera
Instructor: Atty. Darniel Bustamante
In this case, Petitioner’s whereabouts Testamentary Succession. On the other
and residence are not known. Indeed, it hand, Oppositor Perfecta rests her claim
took almost a year before Petitioner on Art. 996 which fails under the chapter
came before the Court. So, what on Legal or Intestate Succession.
happens if the residence and Relevantly, it was argued that Art. 996
whereabouts of the defending party are cannot be made to apply in this case in
not known or that if he cannot be that the word “children” referred to
located? In such a case, there is therein does not include the term
obviously no way notice can be sent to “child”. This is so, for the instant case
him and that the notice requirement refers to a division of the estate in an
cannot apply to him. intestate proceeding wherein the
Be that as it may, it may be stressed that deceased is survived by his spouse and
the Order—of which the petitioner his only child, not children.
argues that he was not notified—was
Issue:
still sent to his last known address.
Is the argument correct?
NUMBER AND GENDER OF WORDS
Held:
Principle: When the context of the statute so
indicates, words in plural include the singular, No.
and vice versa. It is a maxim of statutory construction
that words in plural include the singular.
Likewise, in construing a statute, the masculine, Thus, Art. 996—which, as worded,
but not the feminine, includes all genders unless provides “If a widow or widower and
the context in which the word is used in the legitimate children or descendants are
statute indicates otherwise. left, the surviving spouse has in the
succession the same share as that of
SANTILLON v. MIRANDA, G.R. No. 19281, June each of the children--could or should be
30, 1965 read as “if a widow or widower and
legitimate child are left, the surviving
Facts: spouse has in the succession the same
Pedro Santillon died intestate leaving his share as that of the child.”
only son, Petitioner Claro Santillon and MODULE 7: IMPLICATIONS
his wife, Oppositor Perfecta Miranda. In
dividing the estate of Pedro Santillon, NECESSARY IMPLICATIONS
Petitioner Claro argues that he should Principle: Ex necessitate legis or from the
get ¾ of the estate and then, ¼ shall necessity of the law.
pertain to Oppositor Perfecta. On the
other hand, Oppositor Perfecta argues What is implied in a statute is as much part as
that the division shall be ½ for her and ½ that which is expressed.
for Petitioner.
Petitioner based his argument on Art.
892 which falls under the chapter on
Per aspera ad astra • Ora et Labora • Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus
STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION
Notes compiled by Joanna Marie V. Carrera
Instructor: Atty. Darniel Bustamante
petitioner on July 12, 2012. Dissatisfied
with the said Order, petitioner, on
Every statute is understood, by implication, September 10, 2012, filed a petition for
to contain all such provisions as may be certiorari before the CA against the RTC
necessary to effectuate its object and for confirming and ordering the
purpose, or to make effective rights, powers, execution of the Arbitral Award.
privileges or jurisdiction which it grants, The CA dismissed the petition for
including all such collateral and subsidiary certiorari on the ground that the petition
consequences as may be fairly and logically was filed out of time.
inferred from its terms. Rule 19.26 of the Special ADR Rules
provides that a special civil action for
certiorari may be filed to annul or set
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND aside the order of the RTC confirming a
domestic arbitral award; which petition
NATURAL RESOURCES (DENR) v. UNITED
should be filed with the CA within 15
PLANNERS CONSULTANTS, INC., G.R. No.
212081, February 23, 2015 days from the notice of judgment, order
or resolution pursuant to Rule 19.28 of
Facts: the said Special ADR Rules.
Petitioner, relevantly, argues that the
Petitioner entered into an Agreement
15-day period under said Special ADR
for Consultancy Services with
Rules shall not be applicable because the
respondent.
Special ADR Rules did not provide
For failure to pay its obligation under the
specifically for the procedure on
Consultancy Agreement despite
execution. What shall, therefore, be
repeated demands, respondent
applicable is the60-day period provided
instituted a Complaint against petitioner
under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court.
before the Regional Trial Court of
Quezon City, which complaint was later Issue:
referred to arbitration pursuant to the
Is the petitioner’s argument meritorious?
arbitration clause in the Agreement.
Ultimately, the Arbitral Tribunal Held:
rendered its Award in favor of
Respondent; which Award was No.
confirmed by the RTC pursuant to Under the doctrine of necessary
Special ADR Rules. implication, every statute is understood,
Later, respondent moved for the by implication, to contain all such
issuance of a writ of execution, which provisions as may be necessary to
the RTC later granted in an Order. By effectuate its object and purpose, or to
reason of such Order, petitioner moved make effective rights, powers, privileges
to quash the writ of execution. or jurisdiction which it grants, including
However, the RTC, in its Order dated July all such collateral and subsidiary
9, 2012 denied the said motion to quash, consequences as may be fairly and
which said Order was received by logically inferred from its terms.
Per aspera ad astra • Ora et Labora • Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus
STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION
Notes compiled by Joanna Marie V. Carrera
Instructor: Atty. Darniel Bustamante
In the case at bar, while it appears that employees from assisting, forming,
the Special ADR Rules remain silent on joining a union is Art. 245 of the Labor
the procedure for the execution of a Code. However, while the said Article
confirmed arbitral award, it is the expressly mentions managerial
Court's considered view that the Rules' employees, it does not directly prohibit
procedural mechanisms cover not only confidential employees from engaging in
aspects of confirmation but necessarily union activities.
extend to a confirmed award's execution
Issue:
in light of the said doctrine of necessary
implication. Execution is but a necessary May confidential employees be considered as
incident to the Court's confirmation of not eligible under Art. 245 of the Labor Code?
an arbitral award. To construe it
Held:
otherwise would result in an absurd
situation whereby the confirming court Yes.
previously applying the Special ADR Under the doctrine of necessary
Rules in its confirmation of the arbitral implication, the disqualification of
award would later shift to the regular managerial employees are equally
Rules of Procedure come execution. applicable to confidential employees.
SUGBUANON RURAL BANK, INC. v. HON. The confidential-employee rule justifies
UNDERSECRETARY BIENVENIDO E. LAGUESMA, exclusion of confidential
G.R. No. 116194, February 2, 2000 employees because in the normal
course of their duties, they become
Facts: aware of management policies relating
to labor relations.
Petitioner Sugbuanon Rural Bank, Inc.,
(SRBI, for brevity) is a duly-registered
banking institution. Private respondent GRANT OF POWER INCLUDES INCIDENTAL
SRBI — Association of Professional, POWER
Supervisory, Office, and Technical
Employees Union (APSOTEU) is a Principle: Where a general power is
legitimate labor organization affiliated conferred or duty enjoined, every particular
with the Trade Unions Congress of the power necessary for the exercise of one or
Philippines (TUCP), hereinafter referred the performance of the other is also
to as the Union. conferred.
Later, the Union filed a petition for Incidental powers are those which are
certification election of the supervisory necessarily included in, and are therefore of
employees of SRBI. Said petition was lesser degree than the power granted.
however opposed by petitioner in its
motion to dismiss alleging that the CARMELO F. LAZATIN v. HRET, G.R. No. 84297,
members of the Union were in fact December 8, 1988
managerial or confidential employees. Facts:
Relevantly, the applicable provision as
regards the disqualification of certain
Per aspera ad astra • Ora et Labora • Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus
STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION
Notes compiled by Joanna Marie V. Carrera
Instructor: Atty. Darniel Bustamante
Petitioner and private respondent were House of Representatives in the
among the candidates for respective Electoral Tribunals, no
Representative of the first district of provision either in the Omnibus Election
Pampanga during the elections of May Code nor in any executive orders
11, 1987. applicable to the May 11, 1987
Later, Petitioner was proclaimed as Congressional elections can be found as
Congressman-elect. Private respondent to the period within which to file
thus filed in the COMELEC a petition to election protests in the Electoral
declare petitioner's proclamation Tribunals.
void ab initio.
Issue:
Later, the COMELEC declared
petitioner's proclamation void ab May the HRET promulgate rules as regards the
initio. Petitioner then challenged the period within which to file an election protest
COMELEC resolution before the as it did as found under Section 9 of the HRET
Supreme Court. Rules?
In a decision promulgated on January 25,
Held:
1988, the Supreme Court set aside the
COMELEC's revocation of petitioner's Yes.
proclamation. Thus, on February 8, It is a settled rule of construction that
1988, private respondent filed an where a general power is conferred or
election protest in the House of duly enjoined, every particular power
Representatives Electoral Tribunal. necessary for the exercise of the one or
Relevantly, Petitioner moved to dismiss the performance of the other is also
the petition arguing that the election conferred |||
protest was filed out of time pursuant to Thus, the power of the HRET, as the sole
Sec. 250 of the Omnibus Election Code. judge of all contests relating to the
The HRET, however, dismissed the said election of the Members of the House of
motion of the petitioner ruling that the Representatives, to promulgate rules
election protest was filed on time and regulations relative to matters
pursuant to Sec. 9 of the HRET Rules. within its jurisdiction, including the
Relevantly, Sec. 250 cannot be made period for filing election protests before
applicable in this case for the same it, is beyond dispute. Its rule-making
provision provides for election protests power necessarily flows from the
concerning the Members of Batasang general power granted it by
Pambansa, regional, provincial, or city the Constitution.
official; the Batasang Pambansa, being
already abolished under the 1987
Constitution. CEMCO HOLDINGS, INC. v. NATIONAL LIFE
On the other hand, while the INSURANCE COMPANY OF THE PHILIPPINES,
Constitution vests exclusive jurisdiction INC., G.R. No. 171815, August 7, 2007
over all contests relating to the election Facts:
of the Members of the Senate and the
Per aspera ad astra • Ora et Labora • Ut In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus
STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION
Notes compiled by Joanna Marie V. Carrera
Instructor: Atty. Darniel Bustamante
Facts: