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Fernando, C.J.,
Issue: Whether or not Batas Pambansa Blg 129 is unconstitutional for colliding
with the security of tenure enjoyed by judges and justices.
Ruling: No. The Court held that the unconstitutionality of Batas Pambansa Blg.
129 not having been shown. It held that the enactment thereof was in answer to a
pressing and urgent need for a major reorganization of the judiciary. It is a fundamental
proposition that the legislature may abolish courts inferior to the Supreme Court and
therefore may reorganize them territorially or otherwise thereby necessitating new
appointments and commissions. To be specific, the Batasang Pambansa is expressly
vested with the authority to reorganize inferior courts and in the process to abolish
existing ones. As in this case, the Court also held that no removal or separation of
petitioners from service is here involved, but the validity of the abolition of their offices. It
is well-known rule also that valid abolition of offices is neither removal nor separation of
the incumbents.