G.R.NO. :G.R.No.

127255
DATEDECIDED :August14,1997
CASETOPIC :QUORUM/ LEGI
SLATI
VEPROCESS
PONENTE :Regalado,J.

FACTS

PETI
TIONER/
S

Thisi
sapet i
ti
onforcert
iorariand/
orprohi
bit
ionchall
engingtheval
i
dit
yofRepubl
icActNo.8240,
whichamendscertai
npr ovisi
onsoftheNationalInt
ernalRevenueCodebyimposingso-
cal
l
ed
si
ntaxes(
actual
lyspecif
ictaxes)onthemanuf act
ureandsaleofbeerandci
garett
es.

Petit
ioner
sar emember softheHouseofRepr esentati
ves.Theybr oughtthi
ssuitagainst
respondentsJosedeVeneci a,SpeakeroftheHouseofRepr esentati
ves,DeputySpeakerRaul
Daza,Maj orit
yLeaderRodol foAlbano,t
heExecutiveSecr et
ary,theSecretaryofFinance,and
t
heCommi ssionerofI
nternalRevenue,chargi
ngviolat
ionofther ul
esoftheHousewhi ch
peti
ti
onerscl aim ar
econsti
tut
ional
lymandatedsothattheirvi
olati
onistantamounttoavi ol
ati
on
oftheConst itut
ion.

Thel aworiginat
edintheHouseofRepresentat
ivesasH.No.7198.Thi
sbil
lwasapprovedon
thi
rdr eadi
ngonSept ember12,1996andtransmitt
edonSeptember16,1996tot
heSenate
whichappr oveditwit
hcer
tai
namendment sonthirdreadi
ngonNovember17,1996.Abicameral
conferencecommi tt
eewasformedtoreconci
lethedisagr
eei
ngprovi
si
onsoftheHouseand
Senat eversi
onsofthebil
l

Thebi cameralconferencecommi tt
eesubmi t
tedit
srepor tt
otheHouseat8a. m.onNovember21,
1996.At11: 48a. m.,aft
erarecess,Rep.Exequi elJavier,chairmanoftheCommi tt
eeonWays
andMeans,pr oceededt odeli
verhissponsor shi
pspeech,af terwhichhewasi nt
erpell
ated.Rep.
RogelioSar mientowasf i
rstt
ointer
pellate.Hewasi nterr
uptedwhenRep.Ar r
oyomovedt o
adjournforlackofquor um.Rep.Ant onioCuencoobj ectedtot hemot i
onandaskedf orahead
count.Afterar ol
lcall
,theChair(DeputySpeakerRaulDaza)decl aredthepr
esenceofaquor um.

Rep.Arr
oyoappeal
edther
uli
ngoftheChair,buthismoti
onwasdef
eat
edwhenputt
oavot
e.
Theint
erpel
l
ati
onoft
hesponsort
hereaf
terproceeded.

Peti
ti
onerRep.JokerAr royoregi
ster
edtoint
erpel
l
ate.Hewasf ourt
hintheorder,f
ollowi
ngRep.
RogelioSarmiento,Rep.EdcelC.LagmanandRep.Enr i
queGar ci
a.I
nthecourseofhi s
i
nterpell
ati
on,Rep.Ar r
oyoannouncedthathewasgoi ngt
oraiseaquestiononthequor um,
al
thoughunt i
ltheendofhisinter
pell
ati
onheneverdid.Whathappenedthereaft
erisshowni nthe
f
oll
owingt r
anscri
ptofthesessiononNovember21,1996oft heHouseofRepr esentati
ves,as
publi
shedbyCongr essinthenewspaperi
ssuesofDecember5and6,1996

cer
ti
fi
edbytherespecti
vesecret
ari
esofbot
hHousesofCongressashavi
ngbeenfi
nal
lypassed
bytheHouseofRepresentat
ivesandbytheSenat
eonNovember21,1996.Theenrol
l
edbillwas
si
gnedint
olawbyPr esi
dentFidelV.RamosonNovember22,1996.

Ont hesameday,t hebi

l
lwassignedbyt
heSpeakeroftheHouseofRepr esent
ati
vesandt
he
Presidentoft
heSenateandcert
if
iedbyt
herespect
ivesecret
ari
esofbot
hHousesofCongressas
havingbeenfinal
l
ypassedbytheHouseofRepresentat
ivesandbytheSenateonNovember21,
 1996.Theenr
oll
edbi
l
lwassi
gnedi
ntol
awbyPr
esi
dentFi
delV.RamosonNovember22,1996.

Pet i
ti
onerscl aimt hatt her ear eact uallyfourdi
ff
er entversi
onsoft het ranscr i
ptofthispor t
ionof
Rep.Ar royosi nter pellation:(1)t het ranscri
ptofaudio-soundr ecor dingoft heproceedi ngsi nthe
sessionhal limmedi atelyaf terthesessi onadjournedat3: 40p. m.onNovember21,1996,whi ch
petit
ionerRep.EdcelC.Lagmanobt ainedfrom theoper atorsoft hesoundsyst em;( 2)the
transcri
ptoft hepr oceedi ngsf rom 3: 00p. m.to3:40p. m.ofNovember21,1996,ascer tif
iedby
theChi efoft heTr anscr i
ptionDi visiononNovember21,1996,al soobt ainedbyRep.Lagman;( 3)
thetranscri
ptoft hepr oceedi ngsf rom 3: 00p.m.to3: 40p.m.ofNovember21,1996ascer ti
fi
edby
theChi efoft heTr anscr i
ptionDi visiononNovember28,1996,al soobt ainedbyRep.Lagman;
and( 4)thepubl ishedver sionabovequot ed.Accor di
ngt opetit
ioners,t hef ourversionsdi f
feron
threepoints,t owi t
:( 1)int heaudi o-soundr ecordingthewor dappr oved, whichappear sonl ine
13i nthethr eeot herver sions,cannotbehear d;(2)int hetranscriptcer tif
iedonNovember21,
1996t hewor d noonl ine17appear sonlyonce,whi l
eint heotherver sionsitisrepeat edt hree
ti
mes;and( 3)t hepubl ishedver siondoesnotcont ai
nthesent ence (Y) oubetterprepar ef ora
quor um becauseIwi llraiset hequest ionofthequor um, whichappear sint heotherver si
ons.

Petit
ionersall
egati
onsarevehementlydeni
edbyrespondent s.However ,t
hereisnoneedt o
discussthispointaspeti
ti
onershaveannouncedthat,inordertoexpeditetheresolut
ionofthi
s
petit
ion,theyadmi t
,wit
houtconcedi
ng,thecor
rect
nessoft hetranscri
ptsrel
ieduponbyt he
respondent s.Peti
ti
oner
sagreethatforpur
posesofthisproceedingthewor dapprovedappears
i
nt het r
anscript
s.

Onlyt
heproceedi
ngsoftheHouseofRepr
esent
ati
vesont
heconf
erencecommi
tt
eer
epor
tonH.
No.7198areinquest
ion.

Peti
ti
onerspr
inci
palargumenti
sthatR. A.No.8240isnul landvoi dbecauseitwaspassedin
vi
olati
onoftherul
esoft heHouse;thattheserulesembodyt he const
it
uti
onalmandateinArt
.VI,
secti
on16(3)t
hateachHousemaydet erminetherul
esofi t
spr oceedi
ngsandt hat
,consequent
ly,
vi
olati
onoftheHouser ulesi
sav i
olat
ionoft heConsti
tut
ionitself
.

Theycont
endthatt
hecer
ti
fi
cat
ionofSpeakerDeVeneci
athatt
hel
awwaspr
oper
lypassedi
s
f
alseandspur
ious.

Mor especifi
call
y,peti
ti
oner schar gethat( 1)inviolati
onofRul eVI I
I,section35andRul eXVI I
,
secti
on103oft her ul
esoft heHouse, 2t heChai r
,insubmi t
ti
ngt heconf erencecommi tt
eerepor t
totheHouse,di dnotcal lfortheyeasornays,butsi mplyaskedf orit
sappr ovalbymot i
oninor der
topreventpet i
ti
onerAr r
oyof rom quest ioningt hepr esenceofaquor um;( 2)invi olat
ionofRule
XIX,section112,3t heChai rdeliberatelyi gnoredRep.Ar royosquest i
on, Whati sthat...Mr.
Speaker ?anddi dnotrepeatRep.Al bano smot iontoappr oveorr ati
fy;(3)invi olat
ionofRule
XVI,section97,4t heChai rrefusedt or ecognizeRep.Ar r
oyoandi nsteadpr oceededt oacton
Rep.Al banosmot i
onandaf terwarddecl aredt hereportappr oved;and( 4)invi olati
onofRuleXX,
secti
ons121- 122,Rul eXXI ,section123,andRul eXVI II
,sect i
on109, 5t heChai rsuspendedt he
sessionwi t
houtfi
rstruli
ngonRul eVIII,sect i
on35.Vot ing.Ever ymemberpr esenti nthesession
shallvoteonever yquest i
onputunl esshei nhibitshimselfonaccountofper sonalpecuni ar
y
i
nteresttherei
n.Rul eXVI I
,103.MannerofVot i
ng.TheSpeakershal lrisetoputaquest i
on
 sayingAsmanyasar
einf
avorof(asthequest
ionmaybe)
.sayAyeand,af
tert
heaf
fi
rmat
ive
voteiscount
ed.
Asmanyasareopposed.SayNay...

Rul
eXI X,sect
ion112.Readi
ngandWi t
hdrawalofMot
ions.
TheSpeakershal
lst
atethemot
ion
or
,ifi
nwr i
ti
ng,shal
lcausei
ttobereadbytheSecret
aryGener
albef
orebei
ngdebated.Amoti
on
maybewi thdr
awnanyt i
mebefor
eitsappr
oval.

Rul
eXVI,sect
ion97.Recognit
ionofMember
.Whentwoormor
emember
sri
seatt
hesame
t
ime,t
heSpeakershal
lrecogni
zetheMemberwhoist
ospeakf
ir
st.

Peti
ti
onersalsochar
gethatt
hesessionwashast
il
yadjournedat3: 40p.m.onNovember21,
1996andt hebil
lcer
ti
fi
edbySpeakerJoseDeVeneciatopr eventpeti
ti
onerRep.Ar
royof
rom
f
ormallychal
lengi
ngtheexi
stenceofaquor
um andaskingforar econsi
derat
ion.

Pet i
tioner
surgetheCourtnottofeelboundbyt hecerti
fi
cati
onoftheSpeakeroftheHouset hat
thel awhadbeenpr operl
ypassed,consideri
ngt heCourt
spowerunderAr t
.VII
I,1topasson
claimsofgr aveabuseofdiscr
eti
onbyt heotherdepartmentsofthegovernment
,andt heyaskfor
ar eexaminationofTol
ent
inov.SecretaryofFinance,6whichaff
irmedtheconcl
usivenessofan
enr oll
edbil
l,i
nviewofthechangedmember shipoftheCourt.

RESPONDENT/
S

TheSoli
ci
torGener
alf
il
edacommenti
nbehal
fofal
lrespondent
s.I
naddi
ti
on,r
espondentDe
Veneci
afi
ledasuppl
ement
alcomment
.

Respondent
sdef
ensei
sanchor
edont
her
eput
ati
onoft
heHouseorofi
tsmember
s,col
l
ect
ivel
y
ori
ndivi
dual
l
y.

Atal
levent
s,respondent
scontendthat,i
npassingt
hebillwhichbecameR. A.No.8240,t
herul
es
oft
heHouse,aswel lasparl
i
amentaryprecedentsf
orapprovalofconf
erencecommitt
eerepor
ts
onmeremotion,werefai
thf
ull
yobserved.

Inhissupplementalcomment ,r espondentDeVeneciadeniesthathiscer t
if
icati
onofH.No.7198
i
sf al
seandspur i
ousandcont endst hatundert
hejournalent
ryrule,t
hej udici
alinqui
rysoughtby
thepetit
ioner
sisbarred.Indeed,Jour nalNo.39oftheHouseofRepr esentati
ves,coveringthe
sessionsofNovember20and21,1996,showst hatOnMot i
onofMr .Albano,t herebeingno
objecti
on,theBodyappr ovedt heConf er
enceCommi tt
eeRepor tonHouseBi l
lNo.7198.
This
JournalwasapprovedonDecember2,1996overt heloneobjecti
onofpet it
ionerRep.Lagman.

PRAYERFORRELI
EF

Pet
it
ionf
orcer
ti
orar
iandpr
ohi
bit
i
on

TheConst i
tuti
onempower seachhousetodeter
mineit
srulesofpr oceedings.I
tmaynotbyi
ts
rul
esignoreconsti
tut
ionalr
estr
aint
sorvi
olat
efundamentalri
ghts,andt hereshoul
dbea
reasonabl
er el
ati
onbetweenthemodeormet hodofproceedingest abl
i
shedbyt herul
eandt
he
resul
twhichissoughttobeattai
ned.

LAW I
NQUESTI
ON
LOWERCOURTSDECI
SIONS

Bi
camer
alConf
erenceCommi
tt
ee

NoruleoftheHouseofRepr esent ati

veshasbeenci t
edwhi chspeci
fi
call
yr equi
resthatincases
i
nvolvi
ngtheappr ovalofaconf erencecommi tteereport,theChairmustr estat
et hemotionand
conductavivavoceornomi nalvot ing.
Pet it
ionersarguet hat,i
naccordancewi t
htherulesofthe
House,Rep.Albanosmot i
onf ortheappr ovaloftheconf erencecommi t
teer eportshoul
dhave
beenstat
edbyt heChai randlat ertheindi
vidualvotesoft heMember sshoul dhavebeent aken.
Theysaythatthemet hodusedi nthiscaseisal egisl
ator
sni ght
marebecausei tsuggests
unanimi
tywhent hefactwast hatoneorsomel egisl
atorsopposedt herepor t

Nor uleoftheHouseofRepr esentati

veshasbeenci t
edwhichspeci fi
callyrequir
est hati
ncases
suchast hisinvolvi
ngapprovalofaconf erencecommi tt
eereport,theChai rmustr estat
ethe
motionandconductavi vavoceornomi nalvot i
ng.
Ont heot herhand,astheSol i
ci
torGener alhaspoi nt
edout,t
hemanneri nwhi chtheconference
commi tt
eer eportonH.No.7198wasappr ovedwasbynomeansauni queone.I thasbasi sin
l
egislati
vepr acti
ce.I
twasthewayt heconf er
encecommi tt
eer eportont hebill
swhi chbecamet he
LocalGover nmentCodeof1991andt heconf erencecommi t
teer eportonthebi l
lsamendi ngthe
Tari
ffandCust omsCodewer eappr oved.

Legisl
ativeJournals;TheJour nalisregar dedasconcl usivewithrespecttomatter
sthatare
requir
edbyt heConst it
uti
ont ober ecor dedt herei
n,andwi threspectt
oot hermatt
ers,i
nthe
absenceofevi dencet othecont rar
y,theJour nalhasalsobeenaccor dedconclusi
veeffect.
The
Journalisregardedasconcl usivewi t
hr espectt omattersthatarerequir
edbyt heConstit
uti
onto
berecordedt herei
n.Wi t
hr especttoot hermat t
ers,i
ntheabsenceofevi dencetothecontr
ary,t
he
Journalshaveal sobeenaccor dedconcl usiveef f
ect
.

I
SSUES

1. Whet herornott hegover

nment albr
anchoragencyhasgonebeyondt heconsti
tut
ionalli
mi t
sof
i
tsjuri
sdict
ion,notthati
terredorhasadi f
fer
entview;WhethertheAct,soauthent
icated,isin
conformit
ywi t
ht heConsti
tuti
on;Whetherornottherehasbeenagr aveabuseofdi scret
ion
amount i
ngt olackorexcessofjuri
sdi
cti
onont hepartofanybranchorinst
rumentali
tyofthe
government .

2. Whet
herornott
her
ewasl
ackofquor
um i
npassageoft
hepr
oposedHouseBi
l
lNo.7198

HELD

RULI
NGS

1. Theestablishedr uleist
hatcour tscannotdecl areanactoft helegisl
aturevoidonaccountmer ely
ofnoncompl iancewi t
hrulesofpr oceduremadebyi t
self
,itfol
lowsthatsuchacasedoesnot
presentasi t
uat i
oni nwhichabr anchofthegover nmenthas gonebeyondt heconstit
uti
onall
imit
s
ofit
sjuri
sdictionsoast ocal lfortheexerciseoft heCour t
sAr t
.VIII
,secti
on1power .
Aswe
havealreadyhel d,underAr t.VIII
,sect
ion1,t hi
sCour t
sfunctionismerely[to]checkwhetheror
notthegover nment albr
anchoragencyhasgonebeyondt heconst i
tut
ionalli
mitsofi
tsjur
isdi
cti
on,
notthatiterr
edorhasadi f
ferentview.Intheabsenceofashowi ng...[of]graveabuseof
di
screti
onamount ingtolackofj uri
sdi
cti
on,t hereisnooccasi onfortheCour ttoexerci
seits
 correctivepower ....Ithasnopowert olookint
owhatitthi
nksisapparenterr
or.I
f,t
hen,the
establishedr uleisthatcourt
scannotdeclar
eanactofthelegisl
atur
evoidonaccountmer el
yof
noncompl iancewi t
hrulesofprocedur
emadebyi t
sel
f,i
tfol
l
owst hatsuchacasedoesnot
presentasi tuati
oninwhi chabranchofthegovernmenthasgonebeyondt heconst
it
uti
onall
imi
ts
ofit
sj urisdicti
onsoast ocallf
ortheexerci
seofourArt
.VIII
,secti
on1power .

2. Therul
esonhowt oquest
iontheexistenceofaquorum areproceduralincharact
er.Theyar e
mall
eabl
ebynaturef
ortheywer edraft
edtohelptheHouseenactl aws.Aswel lst
ated,t
hese
rul
esareser
vant
s,notmastersoftheHouse.Theirobservanceornonobser vanceisamat terof
j
udgmentcal
lonthepartofourlegi
slator
sanditi
snotthebusinessoft heCour tt
oreverset hi
s
j
udgmentwhenuntai
ntedbygr aveabuseofdiscr
eti
onamount ingtolackorexcessofjurisdict
ion.

DECI
SIONS

I
twoul dbeanunwar rantedi nvasionoft hepr er
ogativeofacoequaldepar t
mentf orthisCourt
eithertosetasi deal egislati
veact ionasvoi dbecauset heCour tthinkstheHousehas
disregardedi t
sownr ulesofpr ocedure,ortoal l
owt hosedef eatedi nthepolit
icalarenatoseeka
remat chi nthejudici
alf orum whenpet i
ti
oner scanf i
ndtheirremedyi nthatdepar t
menti t
self
.The
Cour thasnotbeeni nvest edwi t
har ovingcommi ssi
ont oinquireintocompl ai
nts,realorimagined,
oflegislati
veskulldugger y.Itwoul dbeact i
ngi nex cessofitspowerandwoul di t
selfbeguil
tyof
graveabuseofi t
sdi scretionwer eittodoso.Thesuggest i
onmadei nacasemayi nstead
appr opriat
elybemadeher e:petit
ionerscanseekt heenact mentofanewl awort her epealor
amendmentofR. A.No.8240.I ntheabsenceofanyt hi
ngtot hecont rar
y,theCour tmustassume
t
hatCongr essoranyHouset hereofactedi nthegoodf ait
hbel iefthatit
sconductwasper mitt
ed
byi t
sr ules,anddef er encer atherthandi srespectisduet hej udgmentoft hatbody.

WHEREFORE,t
hepet
it
ionf
orcer
ti
orar
iandpr
ohi
bit
ioni
sDI
SMI
SSED.SOORDERED.

CASENOTES

RELATED/
FOUNDDOCTRI
NESORPRI
NCI
PLESI
NTHECASE

Enr
oll
edbi
l
ldoct
ri
ne

Undertheenroll
edbil
ldoctr
ine,t
hesigningofabi l
lbyt
heSpeakeroftheHouseandthe
Presi
dentoft
heSenat eandt hecert
if
icat
ionbythesecret
ari
esofbot
hHousesofCongresst
hati
t
waspassedar econcl
usiveofit
sdueenact ment
;
Thereisnocl
aim eit
herhereorinthedeci si
onintheEVATcasesthattheenr
oll
edbi
l
lembodi
es
aconclusi
vepresumpti
on

TOBEMEMORI
ZED

Ar
ti
cl
eVI
,Sect
ion16
DI
SSENTI
NGOPI
NIONS

OTHERS