AGLIPAY V.

RUIZ
GR 45459, 13 MARCH 1937 (64 PHIL 201)

Facts:

In May 1936, the Director of Posts announced in the dailies of Manila that he would order the
issuance of postage stamps commemorating the celebration in the City of Manila of the 33rd
International Eucharistic Congress, organized by the Roman Catholic Church. The petitioner,
Mons. Gregorio Aglipay, Supreme Head of the Philippine Independent Church, in the fulfillment
of what he considers to be a civic duty, requested Vicente Sotto, Esq., member of the Philippine
Bar, to denounce the matter to the President of the Philippines. In spite of the protest of the
petitioners attorney, the Director of Posts publicly announced having sent to the United States
the designs of the postage for printing. The said stamps were actually issued and sold though the
greater part thereof remained unsold. The further sale of the stamps was sought to be prevented
by the petitioner.

Issue:

Whether the issuance of the postage stamps was in violation of the Constitution.

Held / Ruling:

There has been no constitutional infraction in the case at bar, Act No. 4052 grants the Director of
Posts, with the approval of the Secretary of Public Works and Communications, discretion to
misuse postage stamps with new designs. Even if we were to assume that these officials made
use of a poor judgment in issuing and selling the postage stamps in question still, the case of the
petitioner would fail to take in weight. Between the exercise of a poor judgment and the
unconstitutionality of the step taken, a gap exists which is yet to be filled to justify the court in
setting aside the official act assailed as coming within a constitutional inhibition.
The court resolved that petition for a writ of prohibition is hereby denied, without
pronouncement as to costs.
REYNOLDS v. UNITED STATES
98 U.S. 145 (1879)
Argued
November 14-15, 1878
Decided
Monday, January 6, 1879
Advocates
George W. Biddle
(argued the cause for the appellant)
Ben Sheeks
(argued the cause for the appellant)
Charles Devens
(Attorney General, Department of Justice, argued the cause for the United States)
Samuel F. Phillips
(Solicitor General, Department of Justice, argued the cause for the United States)
Term: 1878
Location: The Endowment House (Where Reynolds married his second wife)
Facts of the Case
George Reynolds, secretary to Mormon Church leader Brigham Young, challenged the federal
anti-bigamy statute. Reynolds was convicted in a Utah territorial district court. His conviction
was affirmed by the Utah territorial supreme court.

Question
Does the federal anti-bigamy statute violate the First Amendment's free exercise clause because
plural marriage is part of religious practice?

Conclusion
No. Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite, writing for a unanimous court, held that the statute can
punish criminal activity without regard to religious belief. The First Amendment protected
religious belief, but it did not protect religious practices that were judged to be criminal such as
bigamy. Those who practice polygamy could no more be exempt from the law than those who
may wish to practice human sacrifice as part of their religious belief.