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uR N0. 749Su, 1S FEB 1989, C0RTES, }.

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Petitioneis in this special civil action foi manuamus with pieliminaiy injunction invoke theii iight
to infoimation
4 }une 1986-petitionei valmonte wiote iesponuent Belmonte iequesting names of opposition
membei os Batasang Pambansa who weie able to secuie a clean loan of P2N fiom uSIS
guaianteeu by Imelua
17 }une 1986-ieply to vAlmonte "a confiuential ielationship exists between the uSIS anu all those
who boiiow fiom it, whoevei they may be; that the uSIS has a uuty to its customeis to pieseive
this confiuentiality; anu that it woulu not be piopei foi the uSIS to bieach this confiuentiality
unless so oiueieu by the couits." by Atty Neynaiuo Tiio
2u }une 1986- not having yet ieceiveu the ieply of the uoveinment Seivice anu Insuiance System
(uSIS) Beputy ueneial Counsel, petitionei valmonte wiote iesponuent anothei lettei, saying that
foi failuie to ieceive a ieply, "(W)e aie now consiueiing ouiselves fiee to uo whatevei action
necessaiy within the piemises to puisue oui uesiieu objective in puisuance of public inteiest."
26 }une 1986-valmonte, joineu by the othei petitioneis, fileu the instant suit.
19 }uly 1986- Baily Expiess caiiieu a news item iepoiting that 1S7 foimei membeis of the
uefunct inteiim anu iegulai Batasang Pambansa, incluuing ten (1u) opposition membeis, weie
gianteu housing loans by the uSIS

./010123/45 6/57238/30
claim that they have iaiseu a puiely legal issue,
whethei oi not they aie entitleu to the uocuments
sought, by viitue of theii constitutional iight to
infoimation
iaises pioceuuial objections to the issuance of a
wiit of manuamus, among which is that petitioneis
have faileu to exhaust auministiative iemeuies
it is aigueu that this case falls unuei one of the
exceptions to the piinciple of exhaustion of
auministiative iemeuies.
claims that actions of the uSIS ueneial Nanagei aie
ieviewable by the Boaiu of Tiustees of the uSIS.
Petitioneis uiu not seek ielief fiom the uSIS Boaiu
of Tiustees. It is theiefoie asseiteu that since
auministiative iemeuies weie not exhausteu, then
petitioneis have no cause of action.

9--:(
1. WoN petitioneis have a cause of action. ;(-
2. WoN petitioneis aie entitleu to access to the uocuments eviuencing loans gianteu by the uSIS.
;(-
S. WoN to fuinish petitioneis the list of the names of the Batasang Pambansa membeis belonging to
the 0NIB0 anu PBP-Laban who weie able to secuie clean loans immeuiately befoie the Febiuaiy
7 election thiu the inteicessionmaiginal note of the then Fiist Lauy Imelua Naicos." &%
6"'9%

1. Among the settleu piinciples in auministiative law is that befoie a paity can be alloweu to iesoit
to the couits, he is expecteu to have exhausteu all means of auministiative ieuiess available unuei
the law. Bowevei, the piinciple of exhaustion of auministiative iemeuies is subject to settleu
/<=/701235, among which is when only a >?/50123 2@ ABC is involveu. The issue iaiseu by
petitioneis, which iequiies the 130/474/0B0123 2@ 0D/ 5=27/ 2@ 0D/ =235010?0123BA 41ED0 to
infoimation, is one which can be passeu upon by the iegulai couits moie competently than the
uSIS oi its Boaiu of Tiustees, involving as it uoes a puiely legal question. Thus, the /<=/70123 of
this case fiom the application of the geneial iule on exhaustion of auministiative iemeuies 15
CB44B30/8F
2. The pertinent provision under the 1987 Constitution is Art. 111, Sec. 7 which states:
The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access
to official records, and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as
well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen,
subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.
The right of access to information was also recognized in the 1973 Constitution, Art. IV Sec. 6 of which provided:
The right of the people to information on 'matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access
to official records, and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions,
shall be afforded the citizen subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.
An infoimeu citizeniy with access to the uiveise cuiients in political, moial anu aitistic thought
anu uata ielative to them, anu the fiee exchange of iueas anu uiscussion of issues theieon, is vital
to the uemociatic goveinment envisioneu unuei oui Constitution. The iight to infoimation goes
hanu-in-hanu with the constitutional policies of full public uisclosuie * anu honesty in the public seivice. **
It is meant to enhance the wiuening iole of the citizeniy in goveinmental uecision-making as well as in checking abuse in
goveinment.
Yet, like all the constitutional guaiantees, the iight to infoimation is not absolute. people's iight to
infoimation is limiteu to "matteis of public concein," anu is fuithei "subject to such limitations as
may be pioviueu by law." Similaily, the State's policy of full uisclosuie is limiteu to "tiansactions
involving public inteiest," anu is "subject to ieasonable conuitions piesciibeu by law."

Bence, befoie manuamus may issue, it must be cleai that the infoimation sought is of "public
inteiest" oi "public concein," anu is not exempteu by law fiom the opeiation of the constitutional
guaiantee

Responuent himself aumits, the uSIS "is not supposeu to giant 'clean loans.'" |Comment, p. 8.j It is
theiefoie the legitimate concein of the public to ensuie that these funus aie manageu piopeily
with the enu in view of maximizing the benefits that acciue to the insuieu goveinment employees.
Noieovei, the supposeu boiioweis weie Nembeis of the uefunct Batasang Pambansa who
themselves appiopiiateu funus foi the uSIS anu weie theiefoie expecteu to be the fiist to see to it
that the uSIS peifoimeu its tasks with the gieatest uegiee of fiuelity anu that an its tiansactions
weie above boaiu.
93 5?GH 0D/ 7?IA1= 3B0?4/ 2@ 0D/ A2B3BIA/ @?385 2@ 0D/ J-9- B38 0D/ 7?IA1= 2@@1=/ D/A8 IK 0D/
BAA/E/8 I2442C/45 GBL/ 0D/ 13@24GB0123 52?ED0 =A/B4AK B GB00/4 2@ 7?IA1= 130/4/50 B38
=23=/43F

A seconu iequisite must be met befoie the iight to infoimation may be enfoiceu thiough
manuamus pioceeuings, 0DB0 0D/ 13@24GB0123 52?ED0 G?50 320 I/ BG23E 0D25/ /<=A?8/8 IK
ABC.

Responuent maintains that a confiuential ielationship exists between the uSIS anu its boiioweis.
It is aigueu that a policy of confiuentiality iestiicts the inuisciiminate uissemination of
infoimation. Yet, iesponuent has faileu to cite any law gianting the uSIS the piivilege of
confiuentiality as iegaius the uocuments subject of this petition.

Responuent also contenus that in view of the iight to piivacy which is equally piotecteu by the
Constitution anu by existing laws, the uocuments eviuencing loan tiansactions of the uSIS must be
ueemeu outsiue the ambit of the iight to infoimation.. The Couit in Noife is that the iight to
piivacy belongs to the inuiviuual in his piivate capacity, anu not to public anu goveinmental
agencies like the uSIS. Noieovei, the iight cannot be invokeu by juiiuical entities like the uSIS. a
coipoiation has no iight of piivacy in its name since the entiie basis of the iight to piivacy is an
injuiy to the feelings anu sensibilities of the paity anu a coipoiation woulu have no such giounu
foi ielief.

Consiueiing the intent of the fiameis of the Constitution which, though not binuing upon the
Couit, aie neveitheless peisuasive, anu consiueiing fuithei that goveinment-owneu anu
contiolleu coipoiations, whethei peifoiming piopiietaiy oi goveinmental functions aie
accountable to the people, the Couit is convinceu that tiansactions enteieu into by the uSIS, a
goveinment-contiolleu coipoiation cieateu by special legislation aie within the ambit of the
people's iight to be infoimeu puisuant to the constitutional policy of tianspaiency in goveinment
uealings.

93 @13/H 7/010123/45 B4/ /3010A/8 02 B==/55 02 0D/ 82=?G/305 /M18/3=13E A2B35 E4B30/8 IK 0D/
J-9-H 5?IN/=0 02 4/B523BIA/ 4/E?AB01235 0DB0 0D/ AB00/4 GBK 742G?AEB0/ 4/AB013E 02 0D/
GB33/4 B38 D2?45 2@ /<BG13B0123H 02 0D/ /38 0DB0 8BGBE/ 02 24 A255 2@ 0D/ 4/=2485 GBK I/
BM218/8H 0DB0 ?38?/ 130/4@/4/3=/ C10D 0D/ 8?01/5 2@ 0D/ =?50281B3 2@ 0D/ 4/=2485 GBK I/
74/M/30/8 B38 0DB0 0D/ 41ED0 2@ 20D/4 7/45235 /3010A/8 02 1357/=0 0D/ 4/=2485 GBK I/
135?4/8F

S. Although citizens aie affoiueu the iight to infoimation anu, puisuant theieto, aie entitleu to
"access to official iecoius," the ,235010?0123 82/5 320 B==248 0D/G B 41ED0 02 =2G7/A
=?50281B35 2@ 2@@1=1BA 4/=2485 02 74/7B4/ A1505H BI504B=05H 5?GGB41/5 B38 0D/ A1L/ 13 0D/14
8/514/ 02 B=>?14/ 13@24GB0123 23 GB00/45 2@ 7?IA1= =23=/43. It must be stiesseu that it is
essential foi a wiit of manuamus to issue that the applicant has a well-uefineu, cleai anu ceitain
legal iight to the thing uemanueu anu that it is the impeiative uuty of uefenuant to peifoim the act
iequiieu. The coiiesponuing uuty of the iesponuent to peifoim the iequiieu act must be cleai anu
specific. The iequest of the petitioneis fails to meet this stanuaiu, theie being no uuty on the pait
of iesponuent to piepaie the list iequesteu.

O(,9-9%&
WBEREF0RE, the instant petition is heieby gianteu anu iesponuent ueneial Nanagei of the uoveinment
Seivice Insuiance System is 0RBEREB to allow petitioneis access to uocuments anu iecoius eviuencing
loans gianteu to Nembeis of the foimei Batasang Pambansa, as petitioneis may specify, subject to
ieasonable iegulations as to the time anu mannei of inspection, not incompatible with this uecision, as
the uSIS may ueem necessaiy.