STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION

Ateneo Law School

Blocks 1-D and 1-F
A.Y. 2018-2018
Atty. Jun Pilares

Grading System: Recitation/Quizzes: 1/3; Midterm Exam: 1/3; Final Exam: 1/3

General Instructions:

1. Read all prescribed cases in the original.

2. No coaching/ prompting.

3. Additional cases/ reading materials may be assigned during the course of the semester.

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Definition of Statutory Construction

- Caltex v. Palomar, G.R. No.L-19650, 29 September 1966

B. When construction is necessary

- People v. Mapa, G.R. No. L-22301, 30 August 1967
- Daoang v. Municipal Judge, G.R. No. L-34568, March 28, 1988

C. Characteristics of Construction

1. Art or process
2. involves determination of legislative intent
3. necessary when legislative intent cannot be readily ascertained
from the words used in the law as applied under a set of facts
- Alonzo v. IAC, G.R. No.72873, 28 May 1987
4. judicial function
- Endencia v. David, G.R. Nos. L-6355-56, 31 August 1953

D. Purpose of construction; limits on the power of construction

1. Purpose of construction; determine legislative intent

- Nitafan v. CIR, G.R. No. 78780, 23 July 1987
- People v. Concepcion, 44 Phil. 126 (29 November 1922)
2. Limitation on the power of courts to construe
- Tanada v. Yulo, G.R. No. 43575, 31 May 1935
- Floresca v. Philex, G.R. No. L-30642, April 30, 1985

E. Related legal principles

1. Separation of Powers

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 2. Checks and balances
3. Hierarchy of laws (Civil Code, Art. 7)
4. Stare decisis (Civil Code, Art. 8)

II. SUBJECT MATTER OF CONSTRUCTION

A. Subject of Construction; Types of Laws

1. Constitution
2. Statutes
3. Executive issuances
4. Ordinances

B. Parts of a Statute
1. Title
- Art. VI, Sec. 26(1), 1987 Constitution
- Government of the Phil. Islands v. HSBC, G.R. No. 44257,
22 November 1938
2. Preamble
- Eugenio v. Drilon, G.R. No. 109404, 22 January 1996
3. Enacting Clause
4. Body
5. Repealing Clause
6. Separability Clause
- Antonio v. Miranda, G.R. No. 135869, 22 September 1999
- Tatad v. DOE, G.R. No. 124360, 3 December 1997
7. Effectivity Clause
- Tañada v. Tuvera, G.R. No. 63915, 24 April 1985
- Tañada v. Tuvera, G.R. No. L-63915, 29 December 1986

III. LEGISLATIVE INTENT; VERBA LEGIS AND RATIO LEGIS

A. Verbal Legis v. Ratio Legis

1. Verba legis; literal interpretation

- Tanada v. Yulo (supra);

- Globe-Mackay Cable and Radio Corporation v. NLRC and
Salazar, G.R. No. 82511, 3 March 1992
- Saguisag et.al. v. Ochoa, et.al., G.R. No. 212426, 12 January 2016.

2. Ratio legis; spirit of the law

- Alonzo v. IAC, (supra); Salvacion v. Central Bank, G.R. No. 94723,

21 August 1997;
- People v. Purisima, G.R. No. L-42050-66, 20 November 1978
- Matabuena v. Cervantes, 38 SCRA 284 (31 March 1971)

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 B. When is construction necessary?

- Del Mar v. PAGCOR et.al., G.R. No. 138298, 29 November 2000

- People v. Nazario, G.R. No. L-44143, 31 August 1988
- In re Allen, G.R. No. 1455, 29 October 1903.

B. Clerical error

- Lopez & Sons, Inc. v. Court of Tax Appeals, G.R. No. L-9274, 1
February 1957

IV. PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTION

A. General Policies on Construction

- Philippines American Drug Co., v. CIR, L-13032, 31 August 1959

- NAPOLCOM v. De Guzman, G.R. No. 106724, 9 February 1994
- Tanada v. Tuvera, 146 SCRA 446 (supra)
- City of Naga v. Agna, 71 SCRA 285

B. General Principles/ Presumptions on the Interpretation of Certain Statutes

1. Penal Laws
- Centeno v. Villalon Pornillos, G.R. No. 113092, 1 September
1994
- U.S. v. Go Chico, G.R. No. 4963, 15 September 1909

2. Tax Laws
- Marinduque Iron Mines v. Municipal Council, G.R. No. L-
18924, 30 June 1964
- NPC v. City of Cabanatuan, G.R. No. 149110, 9 April 2003

3. Social Legislation
- International Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Secretary, G.R. No.
92981, 9 January 1992

4. Rules of Court
- Office of the Court Administrator v. Garong, A.M. No. P-
99-1311, 15 August 2001
- Provincial Sheriff of Rizal v. CA, et.al., G.R. No. L-22606, 12
December 1975

5. Law on adoption
- Duncan v. Court of First Instance, G.R. No.L-30576, 10
February 1976

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 6. Local Government/ Local Autonomy
- San Juan v. CSC, G.R. No. 92299, 19 April 1991

7. Constitution
- Bagong Bayani v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 147589, 26 June
2011
- Manila Prince Hotel v. GSIS, G.R. No. 122156, 3 February
1997
- Francisco v. House of Representatives, G.R. No. 160261, 10
November 2003
- de Castro v. JBC, G.R. No. 191002, 17 March 2010 (read also
resolution on the MR dated 20 April 2010)
- Chavez v. JBC, G.R. No. 202242, 17 July 2012
- David v. Senate Electoral Tribunal, G.R. No. 221538, 20 September
2016.

V. INTRINSIC AIDS OF CONSTRUCTION

A. Law construed as a whole and in relation to other laws

- Caudal v. CA, G.R. No. 83414, 31 July 1989

B. Title of the law
- City of Baguio v. Marcos, G.R. No. 26100, 27 SCRA 342
C. Preamble
- People v. Purisima, G.R. No. 42050, 20 November 1978
D. Punctuation marks
- Florentino v. PNB, 98 Phil. 959 (1956)

E. Headnotes or epigraphs
- People v. Yabut, 58 Phil. 499 (1933)
F. Conflicting provisions
- Manila Railroad Co. v. Collector, 52 Phil. 950
G. Meaning of word qualified by purpose of the statute
- David v. CA, 161 SCRA 114 (1988)
H. Words construed in their ordinary sense
- Collector v. Manila Lodge No. 761, 105 Phil. 983 (1957)
I. General words construed generally
- Gatchalian v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 32560, 22 October 1970)

J. Use of generic words include things that arise after enactment of the
law - progressive interpretation
- Geotina v. CA, G.R. No. 33500, 30 August 1971)

K. Words and phrases construed in relation to other provisions
- Claudio v. COMELEC, 331 SCRA 388 (2000)
L. Where the law does not distinguish
- Pilar v. COMELEC, 245 SCRA 759 (1995) 

M. Use of technical terms
- Manila Herald Publishing v. Ramos, 88 Phil. 94 (1951) 

N. Use of associated words
- Buenaseda v. Secretary Flavier,G.R. No. 106719, 21 September

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 1991 (see however, Ledesma v. CA, G.R. No. 161629, 29 July 2005)
- Mutuc v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 32717, 36 SCRA 288
- Cagayan Valley Enterprises v. CA, 179 SCRA 218)
O. Express mention and implied exclusion
- Sarmiento III v. Mison, 156 SCRA 549 (1987);
P. Necessary implication
- Pepsi Cola Products Phils., Inc. v. Secretary of Labor, G.R. No.
96663, 10 August 1999)
Q. Cassus Omissus
- People v. Manantan, 115 Phil. 657 (1962))
R. Each to each
- People v. Tamani, G.R. No. 22160, 21 January 1974)
S. Relative and qualifying terms
- Mapa v. Arroyo, 175 SCRA 76)
T. Context and related clauses
-Paras v. COMELEC, 264 SCRA 49)
U. Use of punctuation marks
- U.S. v. Hart, 26 Phil. 149)
V. Words and Phrases:

1. Proviso
- Mercado et.al. v. NLRC, G.R. No. 79869, 5 September 1991)
2. “Including”
- Sterling Selections Corporation v. LLDA, G.R. No. 171427,
30 March 2011)
3. Negative vs affirmative words
- In re McGee v. Republic, G.R. No. L-5387, 29 April 1954)
4. Mandatory v permissive
- Director of Lands v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 102858, 28 July 1997.
- Bersabal v. Salvador, G.R. No. L-35910, 21 July 1978
- Diokno v. Rehabilitation Finance Corp., 91 Phil 608 (1952)
5. “and/or”
- RMBSA v. HDMF, G.R. No. 131082, 19 June 2000
- Microsoft Corporation v. Manansala, G.R. No. 166391, 21 October
2015.
6. Plural v. Singular
- In re The Intestate Estate of Pedro Satillon, G.R. No. L-19281, 30 June
1965

VI. EXTRINSIC AIDS OF CONSTRUCTION

A. Contemporaneous Circumstances

- Manila Jockey Club, Inc. v. GAB, G.R. No. L-12727, 29 February 1960
- Lagman et.al. v. Medialdea, et.al., G.R. No. 231658, 4 July 2017

B. Legislative History

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 - Commissioner v. Esso, G.R. No. L-28329, 7 August 1975
- Filipinas Life Assurance Company v. Court of Tax Appeals, G.R. No. L-
21258, 31 October 1967

C. Legislative Debates and Committee Reports

- Manila Jockey Club, Inc. v. GAB, supra

- Astorga v. Villegas, G.R. No. L-23475, 30 April 1974
- Gaanan v. IAC, L-69809, 16 October 1986
- League of Cities v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 176951, 21 December 2009

D. Executive/Contemporaneous Construction

- Bengzon v. Secretary of Justice, 62 Phil. 912 (1936)

- Navarro et.al., v. Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 180050, 12 April 2011
(legislative construction)
- Philippine Global Communications, Inc. v. Relova, G.R. No. L-60548,
10 November 1986

E. Reference to other statutes

- Escosura v. San Miguel Brewery, Inc., G.R. No. L-16696, 31 January

1962

F. Statutes borrowed from foreign jurisdictions

- United States v. De Guzman, G.R. No. L-9144, 27 March 1915

VII. CONSTRUCTION OF CONFLICTING STATUTES/ CONFLICTING PROVISIONS

A. Special Law v. General Law

- Gordon v. Veridiano II, G.R. No. L-55230, 8 November 1988
- Lopez Jr. v. Civil Service Commission, G.R No. 87119, 16 April
1991

B. Substantive Law v. Procedural Law

- Philippine National Bank v. Asuncion, G.R. No. L-46095, 23
November 1977

C. Earlier v. later law

- Philippine National Bank v. Cruz, G.R. No. 80593, 18 December
1989 (latter statute prevails)
- People v. Palma, G.R. No. L-44113, 31 March 1977 (general law
cannot impliedly repeal a special law); however, see contra
Bagatsing v. Ramirez, G.R. No. L-41631, 17 December 1976
- City of Manila v. Teotico, et.al., G.R. No. L-23052, 29 January 1968

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 (general provision in a special law vs. special provision in a general
law)
D. Proviso v. body
- Arenas v. City of San Carlos, G.R. No. L-34024, 5 April 1978
(proviso vs. body of a statute)

VIII. AMENDMENT AND REPEAL

1. Mecano v. COA, G.R. No. 103982, 11 December 1992

2. LLDA v. CA, G.R. No. 120865, 7 December 1995
3.Dreamwork Construction v. Janiola, G.R. No. 184861, 30 June 2009
4. U.S. v. Soliman, G.R. No. 11555, 6 January 1917

IX. PROSPECTIVITY AND RETROACTIVITY

1. Universal Corn Products, Inc. et.al. v. Rice and Corn Board, G.R. No. L-21013, 17
August 1967
2. Senarillos v. Hermosisima, G.R. No. L-10662, 14 December 1956
3. People v. Lucero, G.R. No. L-10845, 28 April 1958; People v. Macarandang, G.R. No.
L-12088, 23 December 1959; People v. Jabinal, G.R. No. L-30061, 27 February 1974
(Read these 3 cases together)

X. INTERPRETATION OF CONTRACTS

1. Read Arts. 1370 to 1379 of the Civil Code (Rules on Interpretation of Contracts); Rule
130, Secs. 10 to 19 of the Rules of Court
2. Lambert v. Fox, G.R. No. 7991, 29 January 1914
3. Manila Banking Corp. v. Teodoro, G.R. No. 53955, 13 January 1989
4. Abad v. Goldloop, G.R. No. 168108, 13 April 2007
5. NIA v. Gamit, G.R. No. 85869, 6 November 1992