Miranda v Aguirre

Miranda v Aguirre G.R. No. 133064, September 16, 1999  TOPIC: Justiciable Justiciable and political question question Petitioners: JOSE C. MIRANDA A!"REDO S. DIRI#E MAN$E! %. A"IADO MARIANO &. 'A'ARAN AND ANDRES R. CA'$(ADAO Respondents: %ON. A!E)ANDER A#$IRRE IN %IS CAPACIT( AS E)EC$TI&E SECRETAR(* %ON. EPIMACO &E!ASCO IN %IS CAPACIT( AS SECRETAR( O" !OCA! #O&ERNMENT %ON. SA!&ADOR ENRI+$E, IN %IS CAPACIT( AS SECRETAR( O" '$D#ET T%E COMMISSION ON A$DIT T%E COMMISSION ON E!ECTIONS %ON. 'ENJAMIN #. D( IN %IS CAPACIT( AS #O&ERNOR O" ISA'E!A T%E %ONORA'!E SAN##$NIAN# PAN!A!A-I#AN O" ISA'E!A ISA' E!A ATT( ATT(. 'A!TA,AR PICIO IN %IS CAPACIT( AS PRO&INCIA! ADMINISTRATOR AND MR. ANTONIO C%$A IN %IS CAPACIT( AS PRO&INCIA! TREAS$RER Pon: Puno "ACTS  /rit o0 pro1ibition assailin2 t1e constitutionalit3 o0 Republic Act No. 4564 con7ertin2 t1e cit3 o0 Santia2o Isabela 0ro8 an independent co8ponent cit3 to a co8ponent cit3. cit3.  Ma3 5 9; Republic Act No. ed b3 t1e !#C on inco8e population and land area 6K t1e la/ 8ust be appro7ed b3 t1e people b3 a 8a?orit3 o0 t1e 7otes cast in a plebiscite in t1e political units directl3 aected.  require8ents on inco8e population and land area are i8posed to 1elp assure t1e econo8ic 7iabilit3 o0 t1e

local 2o7ern8ent unit concerned.  T1e3 /ere not i8posed to deter8ine t1e necessit3 0or a plebiscite o0 t1e people.  t1e peoples plebiscite is required to ac1ie7e a political purpose  to use t1e peoples 7oice as a c1ec a2ainst t1e pernicious political practice o0 2err38anderin2 G8anipulate t1e boundaries o0 Gan electoral constituenc3K so as to 0a7or one part3 or class.K  T1e records s1o/ t1at t1e do/n2radin2 o0 Santia2o Cit3 /as opposed b3 certain se28ents o0 its people.  So8e le2islators epressed surprise 0or t1e sudden 8o7e to do/n2rade t1e status o0 Santia2o Cit3 as t1ere 1ad been no si2ni>cant c1an2e in its socio econo8icpolitical status. T1e onl3 reason 2i7en 0or t1e do/n2radin2 is to enable t1e people o0 t1e cit3 to aspire 0or t1e leaders1ip o0 t1e pro7ince.  it is t1e essence o0 an independent co8ponent cit3 t1at its people can no lon2er participate or be 7oted 0or in t1e election o0 o@cials o0 t1e pro7ince. T1e people o0  Santia2o Cit3 /ere a/are t1at t1e3 2a7e up t1at pri7ile2e /1en t1e3 7oted to be independent  T1ere /as an atte8pt on t1e part o0 t1e Co88ittee on !ocal #o7ern8ent to sub8it t1e do/n2radin2 0or plebiscite /1en a recess /as called. A0ter t1e recess t1e c1air8an o0 t1e Co88ittee announced t1e /it1dra/al o0 t1e a8end8ent a0ter a 7er3 enli21tenin2 con7ersation /it1 t1e elders o0 t1e 'od3.  sponsors1ip speec1 and interpellation Senator Sotto. Mr. President t1e o@cials o0 t1e pro7ince said durin2 t1e public 1earin2 t1at t1e3 are no lon2er 7ested /it1 t1e po/er and aut1orit3 o0 2eneral super7ision o7er t1e cit3. T1e po/er and aut1orit3 is no/ bein2 eercised b3 t1e O@ce o0 t1e President and it is quite 0ar 0ro8 t1e Cit3 o0 Santia2o. L t1ere is a cla8or 0ro8 so8e sectors t1at t1e3 /ant to participate in t1e pro7incial elections.  senator roco  I t1ou21t it s1ould be put on record t1at /e 1a7e supported ori2inall3 t1e proposal to 8ae it an independent cit3. 'ut no/ i0 it is t1eir request t1en on t1e 8ani0estation o0 t1e C1air8an let it be so. Senator Drilon  on t1e 8atter o0 t1e opinion o0 t1e citiens o0 Santia2o Cit3 t1ere is a resolution passed b3 t1e San22unian on Januar3 = 9< opposin2 t1e con7ersion o0 Santia2o 0ro8 an independent cit3.  senator al7are /1o 1ails 0ro8 t1is to/n  t1e ones /1o /ill bene>t 0ro8 t1is are t1e citiens o0 Santia2o /1o /ill no/ be en0ranc1ised in t1e pro7incial electoral process and /1ose c1ildren /ill 1a7e t1e opportunit3 to 2ro/ into pro7incial leaders1ip. T1is is one o0 t1e pri8e reasons /13 t1is a8end8ent is bein2 put 0or/ard. T1is bill /as sponsored b3 t1e con2ress8an o0  t1at district /1o represents a constituenc3 t1e 7oice o0  t1e district.  Senator Drilon /anted to do anot1er plebiscite but Mr ala7are said Q9= o0 Article ) t1at t1e do/n2radin2 is not part o0 created di7ided 8er2ed abolis1ed or its boundar3 substantiall3 alteredB  Sotto no/ /anted to /it1dra/ 1is a8end8ent o0 do/n2radin2 but Maceda said senatorial courtes3

de8ands t1at /e as 8uc1 as possible acco88odate t1e request o0 t1e Senator 0ro8 Isabela as /e 1a7e done on 8atters aectin2 t1e district o0 ot1er senatorsB since t1e 8atter aects onl3 1is cit3  Sen Al7are: I ca8pai2ned a2ainst t1e cit31ood o0 Santia2o not because I do not /ant it to be a cit3 but because it 1ad disen0ranc1ised t1e 3oun2 8en o0 83 cit3 0ro8 aspirin2 0or t1e leaders1ip o0 t1e pro7ince.  T1e to/n is t1e 2e8 o0 t1e pro7ince. %o/ could /e etricate t1e to/n 0ro8 t1e pro7ince

 t/o ot1er do/n2rades /it1out plebiscite: Cit3 o0 Oroquieta Misa8is Occidental9H and t1e Cit3 o0 San Carlos Pan2asinan  c1arters /ere a8ended to allo/ t1eir people to 7ote and be 7oted upon in t1e election o0 o@cials o0 t1e pro7ince to /1ic1 t1eir cit3 belon2s /it1out sub8ittin2 t1e a8end8ent to a plebiscite.  T1e t/o cities /ere c1artered but /ere not independent co8ponent cities 0or bot1 /ere not 1i21l3 urbanied cities /1ic1 alone /ere considered independent cities at t1at ti8e.