Professional Documents
Culture Documents
*
G.R. No. 100113. September 3, 1991.
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 1/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
________________
* EN BANC.
211
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 2/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
PARAS, J.:
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 3/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
213
214
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 6/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
216
217
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 8/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 9/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
219
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 10/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
220
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 11/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 12/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
221
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 13/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
222
223
224
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 16/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
225
226
227
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 19/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
228
“We must interpret not by the letter that killeth, but by the spirit
that giveth life/'
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 21/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
any blade touch his skin? Did any blood flow from his
veins?” The procurator was clearly relying on the letter, not
the spirit of the agreement.
In view of the foregoing, this petition is hereby
DISMISSED.
SO ORDERED.
CONCURRENCE
NERVASA, J.:
230
DISSENTING OPINION
PADILLA, J.:
The records of this case will show that when the Court first
deliberated on the Petition at bar, I voted not only to
require the respondents to comment on the Petition, but I
was the sole vote for the issuance of a temporary
restraining order to enjoin respondent Monsod from
assuming the position of COMELEC Chairman, while the
Court deliberated on his constitutional qualification for the
office. My purpose in voting for a TRO was to prevent the
inconvenience and even embarrassment to all parties
concerned were the Court to finally decide for respondent
Monsod’s disqualification. Moreover. a reading of the
Petition then in relation to established jurisprudence
already showed prima facie that respondent Monsod did
not possess the needed qualification, that is, he had not
engaged in the practice of law for at least ten (10) years
prior to his appointment as COMELEC Chairman.
After considering carefully respondent Monsod’s
comment, I am even more convinced that the constitutional
requirement of “practice of law for at least ten (10) years”
has not been met.
The procedural barriers interposed by respondents
deserve scant consideration because, ultimately, the core
issue to be resolved in this petition is the proper construal
of the constitutional provision requiring a majority of the
membership of COMELEC, including the Chairman thereof
to “have been engaged in the practice of law for at least ten
(10) years.” (Art. IX(C), Section 1(1), 1987 Constitution).
Questions involving the construction of constitutional
provisions are best left to judicial resolution. As declared in
Angara v, Electoral Commission, (63 Phil. 139) “upon the
judicial department is thrown the solemn and inescapable
obligation of interpreting the Constitution and defining
constitutional boundaries.”
231
________________
232
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 24/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 25/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
________________
233
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 26/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
________________
4 14 SCRA 109.
234
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 27/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
DISSENTING OPINION
When this petition was filed, there was hope that engaging
in the practice of law as a qualification for public office
would be settled one way or another in fairly definitive
terms. Unfortunately, this was not the result.
Of the fourteen (14) member Court, 5 are of the view
that Mr. Christian Monsod engaged in the practice of law
(with one of these 5 leaving his vote behind while on official
leave but not expressing his clear stand on the matter); 4
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 29/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 31/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
239
240
241
242
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 35/37
11/17/2016 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED VOLUME 201
——o0o——
244
© Copyright 2016 Central Book Supply, Inc. All rights reserved.
http://www.central.com.ph/sfsreader/session/000001586e2c14a16767a61e003600fb002c009e/t/?o=False 37/37