Laguna Lake Development Authority vs.

Court of Appeals
Posted on November 18, 2012 G.R.No. 1208 !"#1 De$em%er #& 1''! (a$ts: The Laguna Lake Development Authorit !LLDA" #as $reated through %A No& '8(0 in order to e)e$ute the poli$ to#ards environmental prote$tion and sustainable development so as to a$$elerate the development and balan$ed gro#th o* the Laguna Lake area and the surrounding provin$es and to#ns& PD No& 81+ amended $ertain se$tions o* %A '8(0 sin$e #ater ,ualit studies have sho#n that the lake #ill deteriorate *urther i* steps are not taken to $he$k the same& -. /20 *urther de*ined and enlarged the *un$tions and po#ers o* the LLDA and enumerated the to#ns, $ities and provin$es en$ompassed b the term 1Laguna de 2a %egion3& 4pon implementation o* %A 0150 !Lo$al 6overnment 7ode o* 1//1", the muni$ipalities assumed e)$lusive 8urisdi$tion 9 authorit to issue *ishing privileges #ithin their muni$ipal #aters sin$e :e$&1'/ thereo* provides: 1;uni$ipal $orporations shall have the authorit to grant *isher privileges in the muni$ipal #aters and impose rental *ees or $harges there*ore<3 2ig *ishpen operators took advantage o* the o$$asion to establish *ishpens 9 *ish $ages to the $onsternation o* the LLDA& The implementation o* separate independent poli$ies in *ish $ages 9 *ish pen operation and the indis$riminate grant o* *ishpen permits b the lakeshore muni$ipalities have saturated the lake #ith *ishpens, thereb aggravating the $urrent environmental problems and e$ologi$al stress o* Laguna Lake& The LLDA then served noti$e to the general publi$ that !1" *ishpens, $ages 9 other a,ua= $ulture stru$tures unregistered #ith the LLDA as o* ;ar$h +1, 1//+ are de$lared illegal> !2" those de$lared illegal shall be sub8e$t to demolition b the Presidential Task ?or$e *or @llegal ?ishpen and @llegal ?ishing> and !+" o#ners o* those de$lared illegal shall be $riminall $harged #ith violation o* :e$&+/=A o* %A '8(0 as amended b PD 81+& A month later, the LLDA sent noti$es advising the o#ners o* the illegall $onstru$ted *ishpens, *ish$ages and other a,ua=$ulture stru$tures advising them to dismantle their respe$tive stru$tures other#ise demolition shall be e**e$ted& )ssues: 1&Ahi$h agen$ o* the government B the LLDA or the to#ns and muni$ipalities $omprising the region B should e)er$ise 8urisdi$tion over the Laguna lake and its environs inso*ar as the issuan$e o* permits *or *isher privileges is $on$ernedC 2& Ahether the LLDA is a ,uasi=8udi$ial agen$ C

*el+: 1& :e$&'!k" o* the $harter o* the LLDA, %A '8(0, the provisions o* PD 81+,and :e$&2 o* -. No&/20, spe$i*i$all provide that the LLDA shall have e)$lusive 8urisdi$tion to issue permits *or the use o* all sur*a$e #ater *or an pro8e$ts or a$tivities in or a**e$ting the said region& .n the other hand, %A 0150 has granted to the muni$ipalities the e)$lusive authorit to grant *isher privileges on muni$ipal #aters& ,he provisions of RA #1 0 +o not ne$essarily repeal the la-s $reating the LLDA and granting the latter #ater rights authorit over Laguna de 2a and the lake region& .here there is a $onfli$t %et-een a general la- an+ a spe$ial statute, latter shoul+ prevail sin$e it evin$es the legislative intent more $learly than the general statute& The special law is to be taken as an exception to the general law in the absence of special circumstances forcing a contrary conclusion& @mplied repeals are not *avored and, as mu$h as possible, e**e$t must be given to all ena$tments o* the legislature& A spe$ial la$annot %e repeale+& amen+e+ or altere+ %y a su%se/uent general la- %y mere impli$ation& The power of LGUs to issue fishing privileges was granted for revenue purposes. .n the other hand, the po#er o* the LLDA to grant permits *or *ishpens, *ish $ages, and other a,ua=$ulture stru$tures is *or the purpose o* e**e$tivel regulating 9 monitoring a$tivities in the Laguna de 2a region and *or lake $ontrol and management& @t partakes o* the nature of poli$e po-er #hi$h is the most pervasive& least limita%le an+ most +eman+ing of all state po-ers in$luding the po#er o* ta)ation& A$$ordingl , the charter of the LLDA which embodies a valid exercise of police power should prevail over the LG of !""! on matters affecting Laguna de #ay& 2& The LLDA has e)press po#ers as a regulator and ,uasi=8udi$ial bod in respe$t to pollution $ases #ith authorit to issue a 1$ease and desist order3 and on matters a**e$ting the $onstru$tion o* illegal *ishpens, *ish $ages and other a,ua=$ulture stru$tures in Laguna de 2a & :e$&1'/ o* %A 0150 has not repealed the provisions o* the $harter o* the LLDA, %A '8(0, as amended& Thus, the LLDA has the exclusive $urisdiction to issue permits for en$oyment of fishery privileges in Laguna de #ay to the exclusion of municipalities situated therein and the authority to exercise such powers as are by its charter vested on it