chapter 18 the writ of habeas corpus

LANSANG VS. GARCIA [42 SCRA 448; L-33964; 11 Dec 1971] Monday, February 09, 2009
Posted by Coffeeholic Writes Labels: Case Digests, Political Law Facts: In the evening of August
21, 1971, at about 9 p.m., while the Liberal Party of the Philippines was holding a public meeting
at Plaza Miranda, Manila, for the presentation of its candidates in the general elections scheduled
for November 8, 1971, two hand grenades were thrown at the platform where said candidates and
other persons were. Eight persons were killed and many more injured. Proclamation 889 was
issued by the President suspending privilege of writ of habeas corpus stating that there is a
conspiracy of rebellion and insurrection in order to forcibly seize political power. Petitions for writ
of habeas corpus were filed by persons (13) who have been arrested without a warrant. It was
stated that one of the safeguards of the proclamation was that it is to be applied to persons caught
in flagrante delicto. Incidentally, Proc. 889-
A was issued as an amendment, inserting the word “actually staging”.
Proc. 889-B was also issued lifting the suspension of privilege in 27 provinces, 3 sub-provinces
and 26 cities. Proc. 889-C was issued restoring the suspension in 13 provinces and cities(mostly in
Mindanao). Proc. 889-D further lifted the suspension in 7 provinces and 4 cities. Only 18
provinces and sub-provinces and 2 cities whose privilege was suspended. Petitioners maintained
that Proclamation No. 889 did not declare the existence of actual "invasion insurrection or
rebellion or imminent danger thereof, however it became moot and academic since it was
amended. Petitioners further contend that public safety did not require the issuance of
proclamations stating: (a) that there is no rebellion; (b) that, prior to and at the time of the
suspension of the privilege, the Government was functioning normally, as were the courts; (c) that
no untoward incident, confirmatory of an alleged July-August Plan, has actually taken place after
August 21, 1971; (d) that the President's alleged apprehension, because of said plan, is non-
existent and unjustified; and (e) that the Communist forces in the Philippines are too small and
weak to jeopardize public safety to such extent as to require the suspension of the privilege of the
writ of habeas corpus. A resolution was issued by majority of the Court having tentatively arrived
at a consensus that it may inquire in order to satisfy itself of the existence of the factual bases for
the proclamations. Now the Court resolves after conclusive decision reached by majority. Issues:
(1) Whether or Not the authority to decide whether the exigency has arisen requiring suspension
(of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus) belongs to the President and his decision is final and
conclusive upon the courts and upon all other persons. (2) Whether or Not public safety require
the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus decreed in Proclamation No. 889-A.
Held: The President has authority however it is subject to judicial review. Two conditions must
concur for the valid exercise of the authority to suspend the privilege to the writ (a) there must be
"invasion, insurrection, or rebellion" or "imminent danger thereof," and (b) "public safety" must
require the suspension of the privilege. President has three (3) courses of action: (a) to call out the
armed forces; (b) to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus; and (c) to place the
Philippines or any part thereof under martial law. He had, already, called out the armed forces,
proved inadequate. Of the two other alternatives, the suspension of the privilege is the least harsh.
Petitioners contention that CPP-NPA has no ability, is negatived by the killing of 5 mayors, 20
barrio captains and 3 chiefs of police; that there were fourteen (14) meaningful bombing incidents
in the Greater Manila Area in 1970. CPP has managed to infiltrate or establish and control nine
major labor organizations; has exploited the (11) major student or youth organizations; about
thirty (30) mass organizations actively advancing the CPP.

Abandonment of the Doctrine Held in the Barcelon Case & the Montenegro Case

Due to the throwing of two hand grenades in a Liberal Party caucus in 1971 causing the death of 8
people, Marcos issued PP 889 which suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. Marcos
urged that there is a need to curtail the growth of Maoist groups. Subsequently, Lansang et al were
invited by the PC headed by Garcia for interrogation and investigation. Lansang et al questioned
the validity of the suspension of the writ averring that the suspension does not meet the
constitutional requisites.

ISSUE: Whether or not the suspension is constitutional.

HELD: The doctrine established in Barcelon and Montenegro was subsequently abandoned in this
case where the SC declared that it had the power to inquire into the factual basis of the suspension
of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus by Marcos in Aug 1971 and to annul the same if no
legal ground could be established. Accordingly, hearings were conducted to receive evidence on
this matter, including two closed-door sessions in which relevant classified information was
divulged by the government to the members of the SC and 3 selected lawyers of the petitioners. In
the end, after satisfying itself that there was actually a massive and systematic Communist-
oriented campaign to overthrow the government by force, as claimed by Marcos, the SC
unanimously decided to uphold the suspension of the privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus.

■ JOSE M. NAVA ET AL., petitioners,

PARAS, C.J.:

By express mandate of the Constitution (Article III, Section 1, Paragraph 14), the privilege of the
writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in cases of invasion, insurrection, or rebellion,
when the public safety requires it, in any of which events the same may be suspended whenever
during such period the necessity for such suspension shall exist. The power to suspend the
privileges of the writ of habeas corpus in case of invasion, insurrection, or rebellion, or imminent
danger thereof, when the public safety requires it, has been lodged by the Constitution (Article
VII, Section 10, Paragraph 2) in the President.

On January 31, 1905, for the first time in Philippine history, the writ of habeas corpus was
suspended in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite under the following Executive Order issued by
governor General Luke E. Wright:

WHEREAS, certain organized bands of ladrones exist in the Provinces of Cavite and Batangas
who are levying forced contributions upon the people, who frequently require them, under
compulsion, to join their bands, and who kill or maim the most barbarous manner those who fail
to respond to their unlawful demands, and are therefore terrifying the law-abiding and inoffensive
people of those provinces; and

WHEREAS, these bands have in several instances attacked police and constabulary detachments,
and are in open insurrection against the constituted authorities, and it is believed that the said
bands have numerous agents and confederates living within the municipalities of said provinces;
and

WHEREAS, because of the foregoing conditions there exists a state of insecurity and terrorism
among the people which makes it impossible in the ordinary way to conduct preliminary
investigations before the justices of the peace and other judicial officers:

In the interest of public safety, it is hereby ordered that the writ of habeas corpus is from this date
suspended in the Provinces of Cavite and Batangas.

On October 22, 1950, for the second time in the Philippine history, the suspension of the privilege
of the writ of habeas corpus was decreed by virtue of the following Proclamation No. 210 issued
by the President:

WHEREAS, lawless elements of the country have committed overt acts of sedition, insurrection
and rebellion for the purpose of overthrowing the duly constituted authorities and, in pursuance
thereof, have created a state of lawlessness and disorder affecting public safety and the security of
the state;

WHEREAS, these acts of sedition, insurrection and rebellion consisiting of armed raids, sorties
and ambushes and the wanton acts of murder, rape, spoilage, looting, arson, planned destruction of
public and private buildings, and attacks against civilian lives and properties, as reported by the
Commanding General of the Armed Forces, have seriously endangered and still continue to
endanger the public safety;

WHEREAS, these acts of sedition, insurrection and rebellion have been perpetrated by various
groups of persons well organized for concerted action and well armed with machine guns, rifles,
pistols and other automatic weapons, by reason whereof there is actual danger of rebellion which
may extend throughout the country;

WHEREAS, 100 leading members of these lawless elements have been apprehended and are
presently under detention, and strong and convincing evidence has been found in their possession
to show that they are engaged in rebellious, seditiuos and otherwise subersive acts as above set
forth; and

WHEREAS, public safety requires that immediate and effective action be taken to insure the
peace and security of the population and to maintain the authority of the government;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ELPIDIO QUIRINO, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the
powers vested upon me by Article VII, section 10, Paragraph (2) of the Constitution, do hereby
suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus for the persons presently detained, as well as all
others who may be hereafter similarly detained for the crimes of sedition, insurrection or rebellion,
and all other crimes and offenses committed by them in furtherance or on the occassion thereof, or
incident thereto, or in connection therewith.

The writ of habeas corpus was devised and exists as a speedy and effectual remedy to relive
persons from unlawful restraint, and as the best and only sufficient defense of personal freedom.
(Villavicencio vs, Lukban, 39 Phil., 778,788.) It secures to a prisoner the right to have the cause of
his detention examined and determined by a court of justice, and to have ascertained if he is held
under lawful authority. (Quintos vs. Director of Prisons, 55 Phil., 304, 306.)

The necessity for suspending the writ of habeas corpus in 1905 arose obviously from the fact that
it was "impossible in the ordinary way to conduct preliminary investigations before the justice of
the peace and other judicial officers," so that undoubtedly it was never aimed at the indefinite
detention of suspects, but at an investigation (other than judicial) to determine whether there is
evidence sufficient for the filing in court of the necessary information.

The immediate cause for the issuance of Proclamation No. 210 on October 22, 1950, was the
apprehension and detention of 100 alleged leading members of lawless elements in whose
possession strong and convincing evidence was allegedly found showing that they are engaged in
rebellious, seditious and otherwise subversive acts. The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus had
to be suspended not only because it was desirable for the prosecuting officials to have sufficient
time to investigate and file the necessary charges in court, but also because a public officer or
employee who shall detain any person for some legal ground and shall fail to deliver such person
to the proper judicial authorities within the period of six hours, shall suffer the penalties provided
in article 125 of the Revised Penal Code. In other words, the only effect of Proclamation No. 210
is that any person detained thereunder has no right to have the cause of his detention examined
and determined by a court of justice through a writ of habeas corpus.

The important question is whether or not, after a person covered by the Proclamation has been
formally indicted in court by the filing against him of an information charging rebellion with
multiple murder, arson and robberies, he may be entitled to bail.

Under paragraph 16, Section 1, Areticle II of the Constitution,all persons shall before conviction
be bailable by sufficientsureties, except those charged with capital offenses when evidence of guilt
is strong. The crime of rebellion or insurrection is certainly not a capital offense, because it is
penalized only by prision mayor and a fine not to exceed 20,000pesos. The privilege of the writ of
habeas corpus and the right to bail guaranteed under the Bill of Rights are separate and co-equal.
If the intention of the framers of the Constitution was that the suspension of the privilege of the
writ of habeas corpus carries or implies the suspension of the right to bail, they would have very
easily provided that all persons shall before conviction be bailable by sufficient sureties, except
those charged with capital offenses when evidence of guilt is strong and except when the privilege
of the writ of habeas corpus is suspended. As stated in the case of Ex parte Miligan, 4 Wall. 2, 18
Law Ed. 297, the Constitution limited the suspension to only one great right, leaving the rest to
remain forever inviolable.

It is essential to the safety of every government that, in a great crisis, like the one we have just
passed through, there should be a power somewhere of suspending the writ of habeas corpus. In
every war, there are men of previously good character, wicked enough to counsel their fellow
citizens to resist the measures deemed necessary by a good government to sustain its just authority
and overthrow its enemies; and their influence may lead to dangerous combinations. In the
emergency of the times, an immediate public investigation according to law may not be possible;
and yet, the peril to the country may be too imminent to suffer such persons to go at large.
Unquestionably, there is then an exigency which demands that the government, if it should see fit,
in the exercise of a proper discretion, to make arrests, should not be required to produce the person
arrested in answer to a writ of habeas corpus. The constitution goes no further. It does not say after
a writ of habeas corpus is denied a citizen, that he shall be tried otherwise than by the course of
common law. If it had intended this result, it was easy by the use of direct words to have
accomplished it. The illustrious men who framed that instrument were guarding the foundations of
civil liberty against the abuses of unlimited power; they were full of wisdom, and the lessons of
history informed them that a trial by an established court, asisted by an impartial jury, was the
only sure way of protecting the citizen against oppression and wrong. Knowing this, they limited
the suspension of one great right, and left the rest to remain forever inviolable.

The purpose of the proclamation has already been accomplished inrespect of those who are now
facing charges in court, to be dealtwith necessarily in accordance with the constitution and the
law.The court, in passing upon petitions to bail and granting thesame in proper cases, does not
inquire into the cause of their detention which is plainly under and by virtue of
commitmentsissued by the court upon the filing of the information forrebellion with multiple
murder, arson and robberies. The court,therefore, cannot be said to be interfering in an act of
theExecutive, for it cannot be seriously contended that, after thefiling of the information, the
accused continues to be underdetention as a result of an executive commitment and stillcovered by
the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. otherwise, the suspension will operate
as a judgment of conviction, in violation of the constitutional mandate that no person shall be held
to answer for criminal offense without due process of law (Article III, section 1, Paragraph 15).
"The laws which protect the liberties of the whole people must not be violated or set aside in order
to inflict, even upon the guilty, unauthorized though merited justice." Ex parte Milligan, supra.

The right to bail, along with the right of an accused to be heard by himself and counsel, to be
informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him, to have a speedy and public trial,
to meet the witnesses face to face, and to have compulsory process to secure the attendance of
witnesses in his behalf (Article III, Section 1, Paragraph 17, of the Constitution), tends to aid the
accused to prove his innocence and obtain acquittal. If it be contended that the suspension of the
privilege of the writ of habeas corpus includes the suspension of the distinct right to bail or to be
provisionally at liberty, it would a fortiori imply the suspension of all his other rights (even the
rights to be tried by a court) that may win for him ultimate acquittal and, hence, absolute freedom.
The latter result is not insisted upon for being patently untenable. it is not correct to say that, if a
person covered by Proclamation No. 210 is not entitled to be released before he is indicted in
court, there is more reason to hold that he should not be released after an information is filed
against him, because it is then logical to assume that the Government holds sufficient evidence. If
he cannot secure his release before the filing of the information, it is because, in view of the
suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, the court cannot look into the legality of
his detention under an executive act, and not because he is assumed to be guilty. As already stated,
after the filing of the information, in granting to bail in proper cases, the court does not determine
the legality of his prior detention which has already been superseded by a detention underjudicial
process, but merely proceeds with and carries into effect its jurisdiction over the criminal case and
grants a right guaranteed by the Constitution. Besides, it is significant that in all criminal
prosecutions the accused shall be presumed to be innocent (Article III, Section 1, Paragraph 17).

We are not insensitive to the proposition that the very nature of the crime of rebellion suggests the
likehood that a person accused thereof will jump his bail. The remedy, however, is unfortunately
not in the hands of the court. The lawmakers or the framers of the Constitution should have made
the offense capital or even unbailable.

In the cases now before us, the accused have been charged with rebellion so complexed with other
offenses as to make them capital. Their right to bail is accordingly not absolute and may be denied
when evidence of guilt is strong. The filing of the information implies that the prosecution holds
sufficient evidence for conviction, and it is fair to suppose that the court will duly exercise its
judgment when called upon to pass on the question of whether or not the evidence of guilt is
strong. At any rate, on admission to bail, the accused is delivered to the custody of his sureties as a
continuance of the original detention. (U.S. vs. Sunico and Ng Chiong, 40 Phil. 826).

And it should be borne in mind that if the worse comes to the worst — to the extent that the
security of the State is in factimperiled and the regular constitutional processes can no longerbe
observed with general safety to the people, — the President isauthorized by the Constitution
(Article VIII, Section 10,Paragraph 2) to "place the Philippines or any part thereof undermartial
law." Even then, the primordial objective should be a"regime of justice" as contemplated in the
Preamble of the Constitution. The stubborn fact, however, is that the meresuspension of the
privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is anadmission that the courts can function and are
functioningnormal; otherwise, there is no need for the suspension as therewill be no court to grant
the writ.

Reyes and Jugo, JJ., concur.

■ Roque Gumaua vs Maj. Gen. Romeo Espino

Martial Law as Valid Declaration– Military Courts – Constitutional Allowance

In 1972, a Chinaman was kidnapped by allegedly the group of a certain Sgt. Cordova. Gumaua, an
ex – PC aided Cordova as he even sheltered them in his sari-sari store. After surveillance,
Gumaua’s house was raided and he was arrested. Since martial law is being imposed at that time,
Gumaua was held under the custody and trial of the military court [No. 2]. Gumaua then
petitioned for prohibition and mandamus with restraining order and preliminary injunction against
Major General Romeo Espino as Chief of Staff of the AFP and Military Commission No. 2,
challenging the validity of the creation and jurisdiction over him as a civilian of respondent
Military Commission No. 2. He filed for habeas corpus and averred that (a) military tribunals
cannot try civilians if civil courts are open; (b) the President cannot deprive the civil courts of
their jurisdiction to try criminal cases involving civilians; (c) as a civilian, he is entitled even
during Martial Law to his constitutional right to counsel during the preliminary investigation, to
be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts only upon his arrest or voluntary submission.

ISSUE: Whether or not Gumaua can be validly tried before the military court.

HELD: The SC first and foremost affirmed that the declaration of martial law is valid. The 1973
Constitution has been validly ratified by the sovereign people and is now in full force and effect.
Proclamation No. 1081 placing the entire country under martial law is valid. That the
proclamation of martial law automatically suspends the privileges of the writ of habeas corpus.
That the President of the Philippines, “as Commander-in-Chief and as enforcer or administrator of
martial law, . . . can promulgate proclamations, orders and decrees during the period of martial law
essential to the security and preservation of the Republic, to the defense of the political and social
liberties of the people, and to the institution of reforms to prevent the resurgence of rebellion or
insurrection or secession or the threat thereof as well as to meet the impact of a worldwide
recession, inflation or economic crisis which presently threatens all nations including highly
developed countries . . .” . That the President of the Philippines, as legislator during the period of
martial law, can legally create military commissions or courts martial to try, not only members of
the armed forces, but also civilian offenders, for specified offenses including kidnapping.

And finally, there is likewise ample proof that Sgt. Aguinaldo Cordova and Sgt. Barbelonio
Casipi, co-accused of petitioners in the kidnapping charge, belonged to the armed forces at the
time of the commission of the crime, in much the same way that the evidence demonstrates that
petitioner Gumaua himself is a retired PC non-commissioned officer. Consequently, the trial of
petitioners Gumaua and Halasan before the respondent Military Commission No. 2, along with the
two other accused who are members of the Armed Forces is valid under General Orders Nos. 8