Requisites for the exercise of JUDICIAL REVIEW. - G.R. No. 164!

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G.R. No. 164!"
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Li$e %&'ost %&& (o)ers co*ferre+ ,- the Co*stitutio*. the (o)er of /u+ici%& re0ie) is su,/ect to
&i'it%tio*s. to )it1 213 there 'ust ,e %* %ctu%& c%se or co*tro0ers- c%&&i*4 for the exercise of /u+ici%&
(o)er5 263 the (erso* ch%&&e*4i*4 the %ct 'ust h%0e the st%*+i*4 to questio* the 0%&i+it- of the su,/ect %ct
or issu%*ce5 other)ise st%te+. he 'ust h%0e % (erso*%& %*+ su,st%*ti%& i*terest i* the c%se such th%t he h%s
sust%i*e+. or )i&& sust%i*. +irect i*/ur- %s % resu&t of its e*force'e*t5 273 the questio* of co*stitutio*%&it-
'ust ,e r%ise+ %t the e%r&iest o((ortu*it-5 %*+ 243 the issue of co*stitutio*%&it- 'ust ,e the 0er- lis
mota of the c%se.
8169

A* %s(ect of the :c%se-or-co*tro0ers-; require'e*t is the requisite of :ri(e*ess.; I* the U*ite+ <t%tes.
courts %re ce*tr%&&- co*cer*e+ )ith )hether % c%se i*0o&0es u*cert%i* co*ti*4e*t future e0e*ts th%t '%-
*ot occur %s %*tici(%te+. or i*+ee+ '%- *ot occur %t %&&. A*other co*cer* is the e0%&u%tio* of the t)ofo&+
%s(ect of ri(e*ess1 first. the fit*ess of the issues for /u+ici%& +ecisio*5 %*+ seco*+. the h%r+shi( to the
(%rties e*t%i&e+ ,- )ithho&+i*4 court co*si+er%tio*. I* our /uris+ictio*. the issue of ri(e*ess is 4e*er%&&-
tre%te+ i* ter's of %ctu%& i*/ur- to the (&%i*tiff. =e*ce. % questio* is ri(e for %+/u+ic%tio* )he* the %ct
,ei*4 ch%&&e*4e+ h%s h%+ % +irect %+0erse effect o* the i*+i0i+u%& ch%&&e*4i*4 it.
81"9

I* this c%se. the (etitio*er co*teste+ the implementation of %* %&&e4e+ u*co*stitutio*%& st%tute. %s citi>e*s
%*+ t%x(%-ers. Accor+i*4 to LA?@. the (r%ctice ofdirect %&&oc%tio* %*+ re&e%se of fu*+s to the ?e',ers
of Co*4ress %*+ the %uthorit- 4i0e* to the' to (ro(ose %*+ se&ect (ro/ects is the core of the &%)As f&%)e+
executio* resu&ti*4 i* % serious co*stitutio*%& tr%*s4ressio* i*0o&0i*4 the ex(e*+iture of (u,&ic
fu*+s.U*+e*i%,&-. %s t%x(%-ers. LA?@ )ou&+ so'eho) ,e %+0erse&- %ffecte+ ,- this. A fi*+i*4 of
u*co*stitutio*%&it- )ou&+ *ecess%ri&- ,e t%*t%'ou*t to % 'is%((&ic%tio* of (u,&ic fu*+s )hich. i* tur*.
c%use i*/ur- or h%r+shi( to t%x(%-ers. Bhis %ffor+s :ri(e*ess; to the (rese*t co*tro0ers-.
Curther. the %&&e4%tio*s i* the (etitio* +o *ot %i' to o,t%i* sheer &e4%& o(i*io* i* the *%ture of %+0ice
co*cer*i*4 &e4is&%ti0e or executi0e %ctio*. Bhe (ossi,i&it- of co*stitutio*%& 0io&%tio*s i* the
i'(&e'e*t%tio* of @DAC sure&- i*0o&0es the i*ter(&%- of &e4%& ri4hts susce(ti,&e of /u+ici%& reso&utio*.
Cor LA?@. this is the ri4ht to reco0er (u,&ic fu*+s (ossi,&- 'is%((&ie+ ,- *o &ess th%* the ?e',ers of
Co*4ress. =e*ce. )ithout (re/u+ice to other recourse %4%i*st erri*4 (u,&ic offici%&s. %&&e4%tio*s of i&&e4%&
ex(e*+iture of (u,&ic fu*+s ref&ect % co*crete i*/ur- th%t '%- h%0e ,ee* co''itte+ ,- other ,r%*ches of
4o0er*'e*t ,efore the court i*ter0e*es. Bhe (ossi,i&it- th%t this i*/ur- )%s i*+ee+ co''itte+ c%**ot ,e
+iscou*te+. Bhe (etitio* co'(&%i*s of i&&e4%& +is,urse'e*t of (u,&ic fu*+s +eri0e+ fro' t%x%tio* %*+ this
is sufficie*t re%so* to s%- th%t there i*+ee+ exists %+efi*ite. co*crete. re%& or su,st%*ti%& co*tro0ers-
,efore the Court.
A*e*t locus standi. :the ru&e is th%t the (erso* )ho i'(u4*s the 0%&i+it- of % st%tute 'ust h%0e % (erso*%&
%*+ su,st%*ti%& i*terest i* the c%se such th%t he h%s sust%i*e+. or )i&& sust%i*e+. +irect i*/ur- %s % resu&t of
its e*force'e*t.
81!9
Bhe 4ist of the questio* of st%*+i*4 is )hether % (%rt- %&&e4es :such % (erso*%& st%$e
i* the outco'e of the co*tro0ers- %s to %ssure th%t co*crete %+0erse*ess )hich sh%r(e*s the (rese*t%tio*
of issues u(o* )hich the court so &%r4e&- +e(e*+s for i&&u'i*%tio* of +ifficu&t co*stitutio*%&
questio*s.;
819
I* (u,&ic suits. the (&%i*tiff. re(rese*ti*4 the 4e*er%& (u,&ic. %sserts % :(u,&ic ri4ht; i*
%ss%i&i*4 %* %&&e4e+&- i&&e4%& offici%& %ctio*. Bhe (&%i*tiff '%- ,e % (erso* )ho is %ffecte+ *o +iffere*t&-
fro' %*- other (erso*. %*+ cou&+ ,e sui*4 %s % :str%*4er.; or %s % :citi>e*; or :t%x(%-er.;
86D9
Bhus.
t%x(%-ers h%0e ,ee* %&&o)e+ to sue )here there is % c&%i' th%t (u,&ic fu*+s %re i&&e4%&&- +is,urse+ or th%t
(u,&ic 'o*e- is ,ei*4 +ef&ecte+ to %*- i'(ro(er (ur(ose. or th%t (u,&ic fu*+s %re )%ste+ throu4h the
e*force'e*t of %* i*0%&i+ or u*co*stitutio*%& &%).
8619
Ef 4re%ter i'(ort th%* the +%'%4e c%use+ ,- the
i&&e4%& ex(e*+iture of (u,&ic fu*+s is the 'ort%& )ou*+ i*f&icte+ u(o* the fu*+%'e*t%& &%) ,- the
e*force'e*t of %* i*0%&i+ st%tute.
8669

=ere. the sufficie*t i*terest (re0e*ti*4 the i&&e4%& ex(e*+iture of 'o*e- r%ise+ ,- t%x%tio* require+ i*
t%x(%-ersA suits is est%,&ishe+. Bhus. i* the c&%i' th%t @DAC fu*+s h%0e ,ee* i&&e4%&&- +is,urse+ %*+
)%ste+ throu4h the e*force'e*t of %* i*0%&i+ or u*co*stitutio*%& &%). LA?@ shou&+ ,e %&&o)e+ to
sue. Bhe c%se of Pascual v. Secretary of Public Works
8679
is %uthorit- i* su((ort of the (etitio*er1
I* the +eter'i*%tio* of the +e4ree of i*terest esse*ti%& to 4i0e the requisite st%*+i*4 to %tt%c$ the
co*stitutio*%&it- of % st%tute. the 4e*er%& ru&e is th%t *ot o*&- (erso*s i*+i0i+u%&&- %ffecte+. ,ut
%&so taxpayers have sufficient interest in preventing the illegal expenditures of moneys raised by
taxation and may therefore question the constitutionality of statutes requiring expenditure of public
moneys. 811 A'. Jur. "61. E'(h%sis su((&ie+.9

L%st&-. the Court is of the 0ie) th%t the (etitio* (oses issues i'(resse+ )ith (%r%'ou*t (u,&ic i*terest.
Bhe r%'ific%tio* of issues i*0o&0i*4 the u*co*stitutio*%& s(e*+i*4 of @DAC +eser0es the co*si+er%tio* of
the Court. )%rr%*ti*4 the %ssu'(tio* of /uris+ictio* o0er the (etitio*.
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