David v. Macapagal-Arroyo

Randolf David v. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (BJC) FACTS On February 24, 2006, President Arroyo issued PP No. 1017 declaring a state of emergency, tus! NO", #$%&%FO& #$%&%FO&%, %, ', (loria )aca*agal+Arroyo, President of te &e*ublic of te Pili**ines and ommander+in+ief of  te Armed Forces of te Pili**ines, -calling+out *oer/ by irtue of te *oers ested u*on me by ection 1, Article 7 of  te Pili**ine onstitution ic states tat! 3#e President. . . eneer it becomes necessary, . . . may call out te5 armed forces to *reent *reent or su**ress. . .rebellion. ... and in my ca*acity as teir ommander+in+ief, ommander+in+ief, do ereby command te Armed Forces of te Pili**ines, to maintain la and order trougout te Pili**ines, *reent or su**ress all forms of laless iolence as ell as any act of insurrection or rebellion -tae care *oer/ and to enforce obedience to all te las and to all decrees, orders and regulations *romulgated by me *ersonally or u*on my direction8 and -*oer to tae oer/ as *roided in ection 17, Article Article 12 of te onstitution do ereby declare a tate of National %mergency. On te same day, P()A issued (.O. No. 9 im*lementing PP1017, directing te members of te AFP and PNP to immediately carry out te necessary and a**ro*riate actions and measures to su**ress and *reent acts of terrorism and laless iolence.  At te eigt of te im*lementation im*lementation of PP 1017, seeral anti+goernment anti+goernment *ersonalities *ersonalities ere arrested arrested and detained by te *olice. O*eraties of te riminal 'nestigation and :etection (rou* ':(5 of te PNP, on te basis of PP 1017 and (.O. No. 9, raided te :aily #ribune #ribune offices in )anila. #e raiding team confiscated nes stories b y re*orters, documents, *ictures, and moc+u*s of te aturday issue. Policemen from am* rame in ;ue onstitution. #is ourt rules tat te assailed PP 1017 is unconstitutional insofar as it grants President Arroyo te autority to *romulgate 3decrees.@ Iegislatie *oer is *eculiarly itin te *roince of te Iegislature. ection 1, Article B' categorically states tat 3-t/e legislatie *oer sall be ested in te ongress of te Pili**ines ic sall consist of a enate and a $ouse of &e*resentaties.@ #o be sure, neiter )artial Ia nor a state of rebellion nor a state of emergency can ?ustify President ArroyoGs eDercise of legislatie *oer by issuing decrees. Ta'e O!er Power – UNCONSTITUTIONAL )Outline Topi*  #ird *roision! 3as *roided in ection 17, Article H'' of te onstitution do ereby declare a tate of National %mergency.@ Sec 17, Art XII.  In times of national emergen"# when the publi interest so re%uires# the State ma"# during the emergen" 

and under reasonable terms presribed b" it# temporaril" ta'e o!er or diret the operation of an" pri!atel"-owned publi utilit" or business affeted with publi interest$ :istinction must be dran beteen te PresidentGs autority to declare 3a state of national emergency@ and to eDercise emergency *oers. #o te first, ection 1, Article B'' grants te President suc *oer, ence, no legitimate constitutional ob?ection can be raised. Eut to te second, manifold constitutional issues arise. (enerally, ongress is te re*ository of emergency *oers. #is is eident in te tenor of ection 2> 25, Article B' autori5 #e delegation must be sub?ect to suc restrictions as te ongress may *rescribe. 45 #e emergency *oers must be eDercised to carry out a national *olicy declared by ongress. ection 17, Article H'' must be understood as an as*ect of te emergency *oers clause. #e taing oer of *riate business affected it *ublic interest is ?ust anoter facet of te emergency *oers generally re*osed u*on ongress.  #us, en ection 17 states tat te 3te tate may, during te emergency and under reasonable terms *rescribed by it, tem*orarily tae oer or direct te o*eration of any *riately oned *ublic utility or business affected it *ublic interest,@ it refers to ongress, not te President. No, eter or not te President may eDercise suc *oer is de*endent on eter ongress may delegate it to im *ursuant to a la *rescribing te reasonable terms tereof. Folloing our inter*retation of ection 17, Article H'', inoed b y President Arroyo in issuing PP 1017, tis ourt rules tat suc Proclamation does not autori, ae been occasioned by a ide range of situations, classifiable under tree >5 *rinci*al eads! a5economic, b5 natural disaster,and c5 national security. %mergency, as contem*lated in our onstitution, is of te same breadt. 't may include rebellion, economic crisis, *estilence or e*idemic, ty*oon, flood, or oter similar catastro*e of n ationide *ro*ortions or effect. Folloing our inter*retation of ection 17, Article H'', inoed b y President Arroyo in issuing PP 1017, tis ourt rules tat suc Proclamation does not autori