!"#$%&'%" )*+ ,-.

/0/,
1"2&3'%$4 1he ConsLlLuLlonal ConvenLlon of 1971 ls sub[ecL Lo Lhe condlLlon and llmlLaLlon LhaL all
amendmenLs Lo be proposed by Lhe same musL be submlLLed Lo Lhe people ln a slngle elecLlon" or
pleblsclLe.
5$67"38*4 ConsLlLuLlonal ConvenLlon, consLlLuLlonal amendmenLs, pleblsclLe
19&$4 1971
:"%$%&$4 !usLlce 8arredo

;<"3& )$3*'"%
eLlLlon ls for prohlblLlon Lo resLraln respondenL CCMLLLC from holdlng a pleblsclLe for Lhe raLlflcaLlon
of a proposed amendmenL ln Lhe ConsLlLuLlon. eLlLloner prays LhaL Lhe resoluLlons of Lhe ConsLlLuLlonal
ConvenLlon and Lhe acLs of Comelec ln obedlence Lo such resoluLlons be declared null and vold. 1he
CourL voLed Lo granL Lhe peLlLlon.

=92&*
1he 1971 ConsLlLuLlonal ConvenLlon was convened Lhrough Lwo resoluLlons (8esoluLlons 2 and 4) of
Congress ln lLs capaclLy as a consLlLuenL assembly Lo propose amendmenLs Lo Lhe ConsLlLuLlon. 1he
proposed amendmenL ln Lhe presenL case ls Lhe lowerlng of Lhe voLlng age Lo 18.
eLlLloner submlLs LhaL Lhe sald resoluLlons conLravene Lhe ConsLlLuLlon on Lwo polnLs: 1) only
Congress as a leglslaLlve body has Lhe power Lo call and hold a pleblsclLe so LhaL lL may noL be
exerclsed by Lhe ConvenLlon, and 2) LhaL Lhe proposed amendmenLs should all be presenLed Lo
Lhe people for raLlflcaLlon.
8espondenLs poslL LhaL Lhe power Lo provlde for, flx Lhe daLe and lay down Lhe deLalls of Lhe
pleblsclLe ls wlLhln Lhe auLhorlLy of Lhe ConvenLlon, and LhaL Lhe ConvenLlon has Lhe dlscreLlon
wheLher Lo submlL Lhe amendmenLs lndlvldually or [olnLly.
lnLervenors conLend LhaL Lhe lssue ls one of a pollLlcal quesLlon over whlch Lhe CourL cannoL
rule.

>**?$*
1. uoes Lhe CourL have [urlsdlcLlon over Lhe presenL lssue?
2. ls lL wlLhln Lhe power of Lhe ConvenLlon Lo call and hold a pleblsclLe for Lhe raLlflcaLlon of
proposed amendmenLs Lo Lhe ConsLlLuLlon?
3. uoes Lhe ConsLlLuLlon allow Lhe submlsslon Lo Lhe people of plecemeal proposed amendmenLs?


@9&'"
1. ?es.
ln !"#$%$ '() *+,-./%$+ 0/112((2/", lL has been held LhaL Lhe [udlclal deparLmenL has Lhe power
Lo deLermlne Lhe proper allocaLlon of powers beLween Lhe several deparLmenLs of governmenL
and among Lhe lnLegral or consLlLuenL unlLs Lhereof.
ln conslderlng Lhe presenL lssue [usLlclable, Lhe CourL does noL undermlne Lhe auLhorlLy of Lhe
ConvenLlon. lL ls slmply because boLh Lhe CourL and Lhe ConvenLlon are sub[ecL Lo Lhe
ConsLlLuLlon and Lhe rule of law, and Lhe ConsLlLuLlon provldes LhaL lL ls Lhe duLy of Lhe CourL Lo
resolve confllcLlng clalms of auLhorlLy and Lo esLabllsh for Lhe parLles ln an acLual conLroversy
Lhe rlghLs whlch Lhe ConsLlLuLlon secures and guaranLees Lo Lhem.

2. Amblguous.
1he CourL conslders lL Lo be of Lhe uLmosL lmporLance LhaL Lhe ConvenLlon should be
unLrammeled and unresLralned ln Lhe performance of lLs consLlLuLlonally asslgned mlsslon ln Lhe
manner and form lL may concelve besL, and so Lhe CourL may sLep ln Lo clear up doubLs as Lo Lhe
boundarles seL down by Lhe ConsLlLuLlon only when and Lo Lhe speclflc exLenL only LhaL lL would
be necessary Lo do so Lo avold a consLlLuLlonal crlses or a clearly demonsLrable vlolaLlon of Lhe
exlsLlng CharLer.
1he CourL refralned from maklng any pronouncemenL or expresslon of vlews because lL ls
dlvlded ln lLself, and LhaL lL found lLself shorL of Llme Lo sLudy and dellberaLe Lhe case.

3. no.
1he CourL holds LhaL all Lhe amendmenLs Lo be proposed by Lhe same ConvenLlon musL be
submlLLed Lo Lhe people ln a slngle elecLlon" or pleblsclLe.
ArLlcle xv, SecLlon 1 provldes LhaL . such amendmenLs shall be valld as parL of Lhls
ConsLlLuLlon when approved by a ma[orlLy of Lhe voLes casL aL an elecLlon aL whlch Lhe
amendmenLs are submlLLed Lo Lhe people for Lhelr raLlflcaLlon.
Any amendmenL of Lhe ConsLlLuLlon ls as lmporLanL as Lhe whole of lL, lf only because Lhe
ConsLlLuLlon has Lo be an lnLegraLed and harmonlous lnsLrumenL. Cnce Lhe orlglnal consLlLuLlon
ls approved, Lhe parL LhaL Lhe people play ln lLs amendmenL becomes harder, for when a whole
consLlLuLlon ls submlLLed Lo Lhem, more or less Lhey can assume lLs harmony as an lnLegraLed
whole, and Lhey can elLher accepL or re[ecL lL ln lLs enLlreLy. SubmlLLlng Lo Lhem only Lhe
proposed amendmenL deprlves Lhe voLer of a flxed frame of reference as Lo whaL wlll be Lhe
flnal drafL, so LhaL Lhey cannoL declde lnLelllgenLly wheLher Lo accepL or re[ecL lL.

A?*&'2$ .9B9#'%&9#
voLe reserved: enLerLalns grave doubLs as Lo Lhe valldlLy of Lhe premlses posLulaLed and
concluslons reached ln supporL of Lhe dlsposlLlve porLlon.
A?*&'2$* @$6$*C D9#8')93C ,9*&3"C .9B9*'93
Concurrlng: Lhere can be no proper submlsslon of Lhe proposed amendmenL and LhaL Lhe
holdlng of Lhe pleblsclLe on Lhe same day as naLlonal and local elecLlons ls noL proper.
lor Lhere Lo be proper submlsslon, 1) Lhe people should be afforded ample opporLunlLy Lo mull
over Lhe orlglnal provlslons, compare Lhem wlLh Lhe proposed amendmenLs, and Lry Lo reach an
lndependenL concluslon, and 2) Lhe governmenL should sLraln every efforL Lo lnform clLlzens of
Lhe provlslons Lo be amendmenL and Lhe meanlng, naLure and effecLs Lhereof.
ConcenLraLlon of Lhe people's aLLenLlon ls dlverLed by oLher lssues, such as Lhe cholce of local
and naLlonal offlclals.
A?*&'2$ =$3%9%8"
Concurrlng and dlssenLlng: concurs LhaL Lhe CourL, Congress and Lhe ConvenLlon all bow Lo Lhe
supremacy of Lhe ConsLlLuLlon, dlssenLs on Lhe nulllflcaLlon of Lhe acLlon of Lhe ConvenLlon.
1he ConsLlLuLlon uses Lhe word elecLlon" ln Lhe slngular, buL LhaL ls noL declslve. 1he words
used ln Lhe ConsLlLuLlon are noL lnerL, Lhey derlve vlLallLy from Lhe obvlous purposes aL whlch
Lhey are almed.