Constitutional Litigation

Atty. Alexandria Ixara Maroto

AY 2017-18

I. Judicial Review – introduction

➢ Madbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137. (1803)

➢ Angara v. Electoral Commission, G.R. L-45081, July 15, 1936

Section 1, Article VIII, 1987 Constitution

Section 5, Article VIII, 1987 Constitution
BP 129

Judicial power v. judicial review

• Judicial review as inherent in judicial power
• cf Judicial supremacy

Political Question Doctrine and judicial power

IBP v. Zamora, G.R. No. 141284, August 15, 2000
Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (1962)
Ocampo v. Enriquez: compare – Ponencia with J. Brion Separate Concurring Opinion G.R.
No. 225973

Effect of declaration of unconstitutionality

League of Cities v. Comelec, G.R. No. 176951, August 24, 2010
Araullo v. Aquino, G.R. No. 209287, July 1, 2014
Spouses Imbong v. Executive Secretary, cf. ALFI v. Garin, G.R. No. 217872, August 24,
2016

Stare Decisis and jurisprudence

Article 8, Civil Code
Lazatin v. Desierto, G.R. No. 147097
Ting v. Lopez-Ting, G.R. No. 166562, March 31, 2009

Doctrine of hierarchy of courts

CREBA v Sec of Agrarian Reform, G.R. No. 183409, June 18, 2010.

II. Traditional Judicial Review

A. Requirements to invoking judicial review

i. Actual case or controversy

Senate v. Ermita, G.R. No. 169777, April 20, 2006

Pimentel v. Aguirre, G.R. No. 132988. July 19, 2000 cf Montesclaros v. Comelec, G.R. No.
152295. July 9, 2002
 Province of Cotabato v. Government of the Philippines Peace Panel, G.R. No. 183591
October 14, 2008 cf Philconsa v. GPH, G.R. No. 218406, November 29, 2016

Cf political question
Garcia v. Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 157584, April 2, 2009.

➢ presumption of constitutionality

Romualdez v. Sandiganbayan, G.R. No. 152259, July 29, 2004

Smart Communications v. Municipality of Malvar, G.R. No. 204429, February
18, 2014

➢ Advisory Opinions
Muskrat v. United States, 219 U.S. 346 (1911)
Guingona v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 125532 July 10, 1998

➢ Mootness

Hall v. Beals, 396 U.S. 45 (1969)

Alunan v. Mirasol, G.R. No. 108399, July 31, 1997
PS Bank v. Senate Impeachment Court, G.R. No. 200238, November 20, 2012
Pormento v. Estrada, G.R. No. 191988, August 31, 2010

Exceptions

1. Moot but capable of repetition and evading review

Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973)

Gonzales v. Comelec, G.R. No. L-28196, November 9, 1967

2. Case rendered moot by the unilateral act of desistance of the defendant but there
is reasonable ground to believe that the wrong complained of will be repeated

Defunis v. Odegaard, 416 U.S. 312 (1974)

3. Case has collateral legal consequences

Sibron v. New York, 392 US 40 (1968)

Cf Alejandrino v. Quezon, 271 US 528 (1926)

4. Symbolic function of the Court to educate the bar and the bench

Salonga v. Cruz, G.R. No. L-59524, February 18, 1985

Eastern Broadcasting Corp v. Dans, G.R. No. L-59329 July 19, 1985
Dela Camara v. Enage, G.R. Nos. L-32951-2, September 17, 1971

ii. Locus standi

 In General
Kilosbayan v. Morato, G.R. No. 118910, November 16, 1995

Taxpayer’s suit
Flast v. Cohen, 392 U.S. 83 (1968)
Pascual v. Secretary of Public Works, G.R. No. L-10405, December 29, 1960

Citizen’s Action
Tanada v. Tuvera, G.R. No. L-63915, April 24, 1985
Lozano v. Nograles, G.R. No. 187883, July 16, 2009

Standing to raise the constitutional rights of others

Barrows v. Jackson, 346 U.S. 249 (1953)
Tileston v. Ullman, 318 U.S. 44 (1943)
Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965)

Cf
Cuyegkeng v. Cruz, G.R. No. L-16263, July 26, 1960
Oposa v. Factoran, G.R. No. 101083, July 30, 1993

Standing as legislators
Macias v Comelec, G.R. No. L-18684, September 14, 1961
Philconsa v. Enriquez, G.R. No. 113105, August 19, 1994

Government
People v. Vera, G.R. No. L-45685, November 16, 1937

Cf estoppel:

Zandueta v. dela Costa, G.R. No. L-46267, November 28, 1938

iii. Raised at the earliest opportunity

Matibag v. Benipayo, G.R. No. 149036, April 2, 2002

Serrano v. Gallant Maritime Services, G.R. No. 167614, March 24, 2009

Cf no collateral attack of constitutionality of law

PNB v. Palma, G.R. No. 157279, August 9, 2005
Dasmarinas Water District v. Monterey, G.R. No. 175550, September 17, 2008

Exceptions

People v. Vera, supra

1. in criminal cases, at the discretion of the court

 Robb and Hilscher v. People of the Philippines, G.R. No. L-45866, June 12, 1939

2. in civil cases, if necessary for the determination of the case itself

3. when the jurisdiction of the court is involved

iv. Lis mota

General v. Urro, G.R. No. 191560, March 29, 2011

Cf: judicial restraint

Laurel v. Garcia, G.R. No. 92013, July 25, 1990

Lalican v. Vergara, G.R. No. 108619, July 31, 1997

B. Rules on constitutional avoidance

Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Auth., 297 U.S. 288, 347 (1936) (Brandeis, J., concurring).
Francisco Jr. v. House of Representatives, G.R. No. 160261. November 10, 2003

III. Expanded jurisdiction

➢ Transcendental importance

Section 1, Article VIII, 1987 Constitution

Section 5, Article VIII, 1987 Constitution

Section 1, Article X, 1973 Constitution

Section 5, Article X, 1973 Constitution

Section 1, Article VIII, 1935 Constitution

Section 2, Article VIII, 1935 Constitution

Cf traditional judicial review

Galicto v. Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 193978, February 28, 2012

Cf locus standi, and actual case or controversy; doctrine of hierarchy of courts

Cases:

Imbong v. Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 204819, April 8, 2014

See also J. Brion Opinion
Araullo v. Aquino, G.R. No. 209287, July 1, 2014
See also J. Brion Opinion
Jardeleza v. Sereno, G.R. No. 213181, August 19, 2014
See also J. Brion Opinion
AMCOW v. GAMCA, G.R. No. 207132, December 06, 2016
IV. Remedies for invoking judicial review

A. Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court

NB: doctrine of hierarchy of courts, cf appeal v. certiorari jurisdiction

Rule 65, ROC

Rule 45, ROC

B. Declaratory Relief

Rule 63, ROC

City of Manila v. Laguio, G.R. No. 118127, April 12, 2005

Cf Muskrat, supra

C. Others

Goldenway Merchandising Corporation v. Equitable PCI Bank, G.R. No. 195540, March 13, 2013
People v. Ferrer, G.R. Nos. L-32613-14, December 27, 1972.
Garcia v. Drilon, G.R. No. 179267, June 25, 2013.

V. Scope of judicial review

Facial vs. as applied challenge

Estrada v. Sandiganbayan, G.R. No. 148560, November 19, 2001.

Romualdez v. Sandiganbayan, supra

Approach under the expanded jurisdiction

Disini v. Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 203335, February 11, 2014

Imbong v. Executive Secretary, supra

VI. Martial Law Cases

Lagman v. Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 231658, July 4, 2017

Lagman v. Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 231658, December 5, 2017
Lagman v. Senate President, G.R. No. 235935, Feb 6, 2018