EN BANC
G.R. No. 195987, January 12, 2021
PROVINCE OF PAMPANGA, Petitioner, v. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ALBERTO ROMULO AND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES (DENR), Respondents.
D E C I S I O N
LEONEN, J.:
While the power to enact laws is lodged with the legislature under the principle of separation of powers, this power may be delegated to the executive to fill in the details of the law. To be a valid delegation, however, the executive issuance must remain within the scope of authority given by the legislature.
In contrast, the president's inherent ordinance-making power is not a delegated authority from the legislature, but is a consequence of executive control over officials of the executive branch. In the exercise of executive control, the president has the inherent power to adopt rules and regulations and delegate this power to subordinate executive officials.
This Court resolves the Petition for Review1 filed by the Province of Pampanga assailing the Decision2 and Resolution3 of the Court of Appeals, which reversed the Regional Trial Court Decision4 declaring Executive Order No. 224 invalid and unconstitutional.
On March 2, 1992, about a year after Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales had erupted and spewed lahar and other volcanic material, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pampanga enacted Tax Ordinance No. 1,5 or Pampanga's Provincial Tax Code of 1992. Its Section 6 provided a 10% tax on the fair market value of quarry resources extracted from public lands and beds of water bodies in the province, and imposed permit fees for quarry operators.6
On December 14, 1992, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pampanga passed Tax Ordinance No. 3,7 which fixed the fair market value of sand, gravel, and other quarry resources at P40.00 per cubic meter and assessed a fee of P4.00 per cubic meter for every such resource extracted within the province's jurisdiction.
On October 21, 1998, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed Tax Ordinance No. 1,8 repealing Tax Ordinance No. 3, series of 1992. Tax Ordinance No. 1 imposed a quarry fee of 10% of the prevailing fair market value of the extracted materials and directed the creation of a committee that shall fix the prevailing market value of quarry resources every quarter.
On January 11, 1999, President Joseph E. Estrada issued Proclamation No. 66,9 declaring the lahar-affected rivers and embankment areas in the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales to be environmentally critical areas and mineral reservations under the direct control and supervision of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Proclamation No. 66 authorized the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary (Environment Secretary) to engage the services of the Natural Resources Development Corporation to manage the extraction and transportation of sand, gravel, and lahar, as well as to manage the rehabilitation of quarries in Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.10
On April 23, 2002, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (President Macapagal-Arroyo) issued Proclamation No. 183, revoking Proclamation No. 66.11 However, on July 4, 2003, she issued Executive Order No. 224,12 which rationalized the extraction and disposition of sand, gravel, and lahar deposits in the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.
On July 18, 2003, the Province of Pampanga filed before the Regional Trial Court a Petition for Declaratory Relief seeking to declare Executive Order No. 22413 unconstitutional. The case was filed against Executive Secretary Alberto G. Romulo (Executive Secretary Romulo) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The Petition alleged, among others, that Executive Order No. 224 violated the principle of local government autonomy under the Local Government Code; was an invalid exercise of presidential control and not just general supervision; was a violation of the equal protection clause; and was a form of executive lawmaking.14
The Province of Pampanga also applied for a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction.15 The trial court later issued a Temporary Restraining Order16 on August 11, 2003, directing Executive Secretary Romulo and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to desist from implementing Executive Order No. 224 for 20 days while the hearing on the merits of the application for preliminary injunction was still pending.17
On September 1, 2003, the Regional Trial Court issued a Writ of Preliminary Injunction,18 thus:
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the application for the issuance of Writ of Preliminary Injunction, being meritorious, the same is hereby granted.
The Respondents Executive Secretary, The Hon. Alberto G. Romulo, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as well as its officers representing them are hereby enjoined not to implement E.O. No. 224, pending termination of the above-entitled Petition and/or until further order of this Court.
The Petitioner is hereby ordered and directed to post an injunction bond in the sum of P400,000.00, and upon approval of the same, this will be effective.
SO ORDERED.19
The reason of the law is to bring directly to the coffer of the local government unit the local funds collected so that they can be used immediately without delay to meet their urgent needs in terms of local projects, general services, payrolls and others for administration purposes.
This is further emphasized by Section 6 of Article X [of the Constitution] with respect to the share of said local government unit in the national taxes which shall be automatically released to them[.] Local taxes are their very lifeblood which can not be delayed and withheld any minute longer. This is what local autonomy demands.23 (Emphasis in the original)
WHEREFORE, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered in favor of the Province of Pampanga, by:
- Declaring that petitioner Province of Pampanga has the exclusive power and legal authority to issue permit to extract sand, gravel and other gravel resources within their territorial jurisdiction pursuant to Section 38 of R.A. 7[16]0 and applicable related laws such as R.A. 7942; and
- Declaring the Treasurers of the Province of Pampanga, municipality or city concerned or their authorized deputies, shall have the sole legal authority to collect all local taxes, fees and charges in accordance to Section 170 R.A. 7160 and applicable related laws such as R.A. 7942.
SO ORDERED.28
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the instant appeal is granted. Accordingly, the Decision of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 48 of San Fernando City, Pampanga dated May 21, 2004 is hereby REVERSED AND SET ASIDE.
SO ORDERED.37 (Emphasis in the original)
RATIONALIZING THE EXTRACTION AND DISPOSITION OF SAND AND GRAVEL/LAHAR DEPOSITS IN THE PROVINCES OF PAMPANGA, TARLAC AND ZAMBALES
WHEREAS, Section 17(3)(iii) (sic) of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, provides that a province shall, subject to the supervision, control and review of the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), enforce small-scale mining law and other laws on the protection of the environment;
WHEREAS, Sections 4 and 8 of R.A. No. 79[42], otherwise known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, provides that the exploration, development, utilization and processing of mineral resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State, that it may directly undertake such activities or it may enter into mineral agreements with contractors and that the DENR shall be the primary agency responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the State's mineral resources;
WHEREAS, Executive Order (E.O.) No. 192 mandates that the DENR shall be the primary government agency responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the country's environment and natural resources as may be provide (sic) for by law in order to ensure equitable sharing of the benefits derived therefrom for the welfare of the present and future generations of Filipinos;
WHEREAS, Chapter 8 of R.A. [No.] 7942 further provides that industrial sand and gravel permit covering an area of more than five (5) hectares shall be issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB);
WHEREAS, it is necessary to protect and properly manage the utilization of the sand and gravel/lahar deposits of the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales to improve the water flows of its river systems, ensure the integrity of the various protective dikes and infrastructures, and thereby reduce risks to lives and properties;
WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the State that said sand and gravel/lahar deposits be properly utilized for the benefit of both local and the national governments and all concerned, with due regard to the environment.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:
SECTION 1. Processing and Issuance of Mining Permits. The issuance of permit to extract and dispose of industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits by the MGB shall be governed by Chapter 8 of R.A. No. 7942 .
The acceptance, processing and evaluation of applications for permits to extract industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits in Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales shall be undertaken through a Task Force composed of the MGB and the Provincial Governor.
SEC. 2. Creation of a Task Force. To ensure compliance by all permit holders with the terms and conditions of their permits, properly monitor the volume of extracted materials, and collect the proper taxes and fees from sand and gravel/lahar operations, a Task Force is hereby created for the purpose to be composed of the following:
- The [Mines and Geosciences Bureau] Regional Director, by himself or through his duly authorized representative – Team Leader
- The Provincial Governor, by himself or his duly authorized representative – Deputy Team Leader
SEC. 3. Functions and Authorities of the Task Force. The Task Force shall have the following functions:
- To accept, process and evaluate applications for permits to extract industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits;
- To immediately monitor all reported illegal mining and quarrying operations and, for this purpose, set up as may be necessary checkpoints and other monitoring stations within the territorial jurisdiction of the province of Pampanga;
- To arrest mining/quarrying operators, and their agents and employees who willfully cooperate in the violation of provincial and national mining and environmental laws, and to confiscate and detain as evidence all instruments, objects and products of illegal mining/quarrying operations committed within the territorial jurisdiction of the Province;
- To immediately deliver confiscated and detained instruments, objects or products of illegal mining/quarrying operations to the nearest police station or area designated by the Task Force, which shall be properly receipted and shall not be released unless an instruction in writing to that effect is issued by the Office of the Governor; and
- Insofar as may be allowed by law, to assign and deputize a special contingent from the Philippine National Police specifically to assist the Task Force in the fulfillment of its functions.
SEC. 4. Collection of Taxes, Fees, and Charges. The Task Force shall be responsible for the collection of all applicable local taxes, fees and charges and shall, among others:
- Issue the required DR only to legitimate sand and gravel operators/permit holders and upon the issuance of Order of Payment by the PMRB;
- Ensure that the necessary taxes and fees due the local government are duly paid for prior to the issuance of any DRs;
- Assist in ensuring that the excise tax for mineral products is duly paid for prior to the issuance of such DRs; and
- Ensure that the appropriate share of the concerned Provinces, Municipalities and Barangays, as per Section 138 of the Local Government Code of 1991, are duly remitted fully and on time.
- Render an accounting to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resourccs[.]
Excise tax payments shall likewise be immediately remitted and shared in accordance with law.
SEC. 5. Supplemental Orders, Rules and Regulations. The DENR, if deemed necessary, shall issue supplemental orders, rules and regulations to effectively implement this Order.
SEC. 6. Repealing Clause. All orders, issuances, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SEC. 7. Effectivity. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.66 (Emphasis in the original)
(1) Its promulgation must be authorized by the legislature;
(2) It must be promulgated in accordance with the prescribed procedure;
(3) It must be within the scope of the authority given by the legislature; and
(4) It must be reasonable.69
SECTION 4. Ownership of Mineral Resources. Mineral resources are owned by the State and the exploration, development, utilization, and processing thereof shall be under its full control and supervision. The State may directly undertake such activities or it may enter into mineral agreements with contractors.
The State shall recognize and protect the rights of the indigenous cultural communities to their ancestral lands as provided for by the Constitution.
Indeed, without a statutory declaration of policy, the delegate would, in effect, make or formulate such policy, which is the essence of every law; and, without the aforementioned standard, there would be no means to determine, with reasonable certainty, whether the delegate has acted within or beyond the scope of his authority. Hence, he could thereby arrogate upon himself the power, not only to make the law, but, also — and this is worse — to unmake it, by adopting measures inconsistent with the end sought to be attained by the Act of Congress, thus nullifying the principle of separation of powers and the system of checks and balances, and, consequently undermining the very foundation of our Republican system.79 (Emphasis supplied, citation omitted)
Apart from whatever rule-making power that Congress may delegate to the President, the latter has inherent ordinance powers covering the executive branch as part of the power of executive control ("The President shall have control of all the executive departments, bureaus and offices. . ." Section 17, Article VII, Constitution.). By its nature, this ordinance power does not require or entail delegation from Congress. Such faculty must be distinguished from the authority to issue implementing rules to legislation which does not inhere in the presidency but instead, as explained earlier, is delegated by Congress.84
WHEREAS, Section 17(3)(iii) (sic) of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, provides that a province shall, subject to the supervision, control and review of the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), enforce small-scale mining law and other laws on the protection of the environment[.] (Emphasis in the original)
SECTION 17. Basic Services and Facilities. – (a) Local government units shall endeavor to be self-reliant and shall continue exercising the powers and discharging the duties and functions currently vested upon them. They shall also discharge the functions and responsibilities of national agencies and offices devolved to them pursuant to this Code. Local government units shall likewise exercise such other powers and discharge such other functions and responsibilities as are necessary, appropriate, or incidental to efficient and effective provision of the basic services and facilities enumerated herein.
(b) Such basic services and facilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
....
(3) For a Province:....
(iii) Pursuant to national policies and subject to supervision, control and review of the DENR, enforcement of forestry laws limited to community-based forestry projects, pollution control law, small-scale mining law, and other laws on the protection of the environment; and mini-hydroelectric projects for local purposes[.]
SECTION 138. Tax on Sand, Gravel and Other Quarry Resources. — The province may levy and collect not more than ten percent (10%) of fair market value in the locality per cubic meter of ordinary stones, sand, gravel earth, and other quarry resources, as defined under the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, extracted from public lands or from the beds of seas, lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, and other public waters within its territorial jurisdiction.
The permit to extract sand, gravel and other quarry resources shall be issued exclusively by the provincial governor, pursuant to the ordinance of the sangguniang panlalawigan.
The proceeds of the tax on sand, gravel and other quarry resources shall be distributed as follows:
(1) Province - Thirty percent (30%); (2) Component City or Municipality where the sand, gravel, and other quarry resources are extracted - Thirty percent (30%); and (3) Barangay where the sand, gravel, and other quarry resources are extracted - Forty percent (40%). (Emphasis supplied)
SECTION 43. Quarry Permit. — Any qualified person may apply to the provincial/city mining regulatory board for a quarry permit on privately-owned lands and/or public lands for building and construction materials such as marble, basalt, andesite, conglomerate, tuff, adobe, granite, gabbro, serpentine, inset filling materials, clay for ceramic tiles and building bricks, pumice, perlite and other similar materials that are extracted by quarrying from the ground. The provincial governor shall grant the permit after the applicant has complied with all the requirements as prescribed by the rules and regulations.
The maximum area which a qualified person may hold at any one time shall be five hectares (5 has.): Provided, That in large-scale quarry operations involving cement raw materials, marble, granite, sand and gravel and construction aggregates, a qualified person and the government may enter into a mineral agreement as defined herein.
A quarry permit shall have a term of five (5) years, renewable for like periods but not to exceed a total term of twenty-five (25) years. No quarry permit shall be issued or granted on any area covered by a mineral agreement or financial or technical assistance agreement.
....
SECTION 46. Commercial Sand and Gravel Permit. — Any qualified person may be granted a permit by the provincial governor to extract and remove sand and gravel or other loose or unconsolidated materials which are used in their natural state, without undergoing processing from an area of not more than five hectares (5 has.) and in such quantities as may be specified in the permit.
SECTION 47. Industrial Sand and Gravel Permit. — Any qualified person may be granted an industrial sand and gravel permit by the Bureau for the extraction of sand and gravel and other loose or unconsolidated materials that necessitate the use of mechanical processing covering an area of more than five hectares (5 has.) at any one time. The permit shall have a term of five (5) years, renewable for a like period but not to exceed a total term of twenty-five (25) years. (Emphasis supplied)
SECTION 1. Processing and Issuance of Mining Permits. The issuance of permit to extract and dispose of industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits by the MGB shall be governed by Chapter 8 of R.A. No. 79[42].
The acceptance, processing and evaluation of applications for permits to extract industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits in Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales shall be undertaken through a Task Force composed of the MGB and the Provincial Governor. (Emphasis supplied)
In the case at bar, We find that the provisions of E.O. No. 224 carrying out the mandate of R.A. No. 7942 are not in conflict with the specific provision of Section 138 of R.A. No. 7160 conferring upon the provincial governor the exclusive authority to issue permit for the extraction and removal of sand and gravel. In fact, Section 46 of R.A. No. 7942 specifically affirms this authority of the provincial governor to issue permit for the extraction and removal of sand and gravel or other loose or unconsolidated materials provided that the area covers not more than five (5) hectares. Section 47 of the said statute, on the other hand, simply supplements that in the extraction of sand and gravel covering more than five hectares, it is the Mines and Geosciences Bureau which has the authority to grant permit thereof.88
SECTION 5. Each local government unit shall have the power to create its own sources of revenues and to levy taxes, fees, and charges subject to such guidelines and limitations as the Congress may provide, consistent with the basic policy of local autonomy. Such taxes, fees, and charges shall accrue exclusively to the local governments.
SECTION 138. Tax on Sand, Gravel and Other Quarry Resources. — The province may levy and collect not more than ten percent (10%) of fair market value in the locality per cubic meter of ordinary stones, sand, gravel, earth, and other quarry resources, as defined under the National Internal Revenue Code, as amended, extracted from public lands or from the beds of seas, lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, and other public waters within its territorial jurisdiction.
SECTION 44. Quarry Fee and Taxes. — A permittee shall, during the term of his permit, pay a quarry fee as provided for under the implementing rules and regulations. The permittee shall also pay the excise tax as provided by pertinent laws.92
SECTION 105. Quarry Fee and Taxes to be Paid. — All permit holders except for gratuitous permits under this Chapter shall pay the required quarry fees (Annex 4-A) to the city/municipal treasurer concerned. Likewise, an excise tax in mineral products as provided for in Republic Act No. 7729 amending Section 151 (a) of the National Internal Revenue Code shall be paid upon removal thereof to the Government thru the concerned agent or representative of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.93 (Emphasis supplied)
SEC. 4. Collection of Taxes, Fees, and Charges. The Task Force shall be responsible for the collection of all applicable local taxes, fees and charges and shall, among others:
- Issue the required DR only to legitimate sand and gravel operators/permit holders and upon the issuance of Order of Payment by the PMRB;
- Ensure that the necessary taxes and fees due the local government are duly paid for prior to the issuance of any DRs;
- Assist in ensuring that the excise tax for mineral products is duly paid for prior to the issuance of such DRs; and
- Ensure that the appropriate share of the concerned Provinces, Municipalities and Barangays, as per Section 138 of the Local Government Code of 1991, are duly remitted fully and on time.
- Render an accounting to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources[.]
Excise tax payments shall likewise be immediately remitted and shared in accordance with law. (Emphasis in the original)
As explained by herein appellant, the creation of task force under E.O. No. 224 would merely oversee the collection of all necessary taxes and fees that may be derived from the extraction of industrial sand and gravel in the territorial jurisdiction of the concerned local government unit. Needless to say, such supervision and overseeing in the collection of taxes and fees would even work to appellee's advantage. 94
The President's power of general supervision means the power of a superior officer to see to it that subordinates perform their functions according to law. This is distinguished from the President's power of control which is the power to alter or modify or set aside what a subordinate officer had done in the performance of his duties and to substitute the judgment of the President over that of the subordinate officer. The power of control gives the President the power to revise or reverse the acts or decisions of a subordinate officer involving the exercise of discretion.98 (Citations omitted)
Endnotes:
1Rollo, pp. 9-38.
2 Id. at 39-57. The August 24, 2010 Decision in CA-G.R. CV No. 83341 was penned by Associate Justice Franchito N. Diamante and concurred in by Associate Justices Josefina Guevara-Salonga and Mariflor Punzalan Castillo of the Fourth Division, Court of Appeals, Manila.
3 Id. at 78-81. The February 22, 2011 Resolution in CA-G.R. CV No. 83341 was penned by Associate Justice Franchito N. Diamante and concurred in by Associate Justices Josefina Guevara-Salonga and Mariflor Punzalan Castillo of the Fourth Division, Court of Appeals, Manila.
4 Id. at 161-174. The May 21, 2004 Decision in Special Civil Case No. 12740 was penned by Judge Serafin B. David of the Regional Trial Court of San Fernando City, Pampanga, Branch 48.
5 Id. at 93-101.
6 Id. at 94-95.
7 Id. at 102.
8 Id. at 103-104.
9 Id. at 105-106.
10 Id. at 106. Proclamation No. 66 (1999), sec. 3.
11 Id. at 85.
12 Id. at 89-92.
13 Id. at 82-88.
14 Id. at 83 and 87.
15 Id. at 107-111.
16 Id. at 135-137. The Temporary Restraining Order was issued by Judge Serafin B. David of the Regional Trial Court of San Fernando, Pampanga, Branch 48.
17 Id. at 137.
18 Id. at 145-146. The Writ of Preliminary Injunction was issued by Judge Serafin B. David of the Regional Trial Court of San Fernando, Pampanga, Branch 48.
19 Id. at 146.
20 Id. at 161-174. The Decision in Special Civil Case No. 12740 was penned by Judge Serafin B. David.
21 Id. at 167.
22 Id. at 167-169.
23 Id. at 169.
24 Id. at 171-172.
25 Id. at 171.
26 Id. at 172.
27 Id. at 173-174.
28 Id. at 174.
29 Id. at 436-463.
30 Id. at 39-57.
31 Id. at 51-52.
32 Id. at 51-53.
33 Id. at 54.
34 Id. at 54-55.
35 Id. at 55.
36 Id.
37 Id. at 56.
38 Id. at 58-76.
39 Id. at 78-81.
40 Id. at 79.
41 Id. at 80.
42 Id. at 79-80.
43 Id. at 9-38.
44 Id. at 23-25.
45 Id. at 25-29.
46 Id. at 29-31.
47 Id. at 33-34.
48 Id. at 350-382
49 Id. at 361.
50 Id. at 360-362.
51 Id. at 365-369.
52 Id. at 368-369.
53 Id. at 369-370.
54 Id. at 378.
55 Id. at 370-371.
56 Id. at 373-375.
57 Id. at 375.
58 Id. at 379-380.
59 Id. at 712-721.
60 Id. at 712-713.
61 Id. at 713-714.
62 Id. at 715-716.
63 Id. at 716.
64 Id. at 717-719.
65 Id. at 719-720.
66 Executive Order No. 224 (2003), < https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2003/07/04/executive-order-no-224-s-2003/ > (last accessed on January 11, 2021).
67 ADM. CODE, Book III, Title I, Ch. 2, sec. 2 provides:
SECTION 2. Executive Orders. — Acts of the President providing for rules of a general or permanent character in implementation or execution of constitutional or statutory power shall be promulgated in executive orders.
68 518 Phil. 103 (2006) [Per J. Ynares-Santiago, En Banc]
69 Id. at 117 citing CARLO L. CRUZ, PHILIPPINE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW 41 (2003 ed.).
70Rollo, pp. 373-375.
71 CONST., art. XII, sec. 2 states:
SECTION 2. All lands of the public domain, waters, minerals, coal, petroleum, and other mineral oils, all forces of potential energy, fisheries, forests or timber, wildlife, flora and fauna, and other natural resources are owned by the State. With the exception of agricultural lands, all other natural resources shall not be alienated. The exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State. The State may directly undertake such activities, or it may enter into co-production, joint venture, or production-sharing agreements with Filipino citizens, or corporations or associations at least sixty per centum of whose capital is owned by such citizens. Such agreements may be for a period not exceeding twenty-five years, renewable for not more than twenty-five years, and under such terms and conditions as may be provided by law. In cases of water rights for irrigation, water supply fisheries, or industrial uses other than the development of water power, beneficial use may be the measure and limit of the grant.
The State shall protect the nation's marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.
The Congress may, by law, allow small-scale utilization of natural resources by Filipino citizens, as well as cooperative fish farming, with priority to subsistence fishermen and fish-workers in rivers, lakes, bays, and lagoons.
The President may enter into agreements with foreign-owned corporations involving either technical or financial assistance for large-scale exploration, development, and utilization of minerals, petroleum, and other mineral oils according to the general terms and conditions provided by law, based on real contributions to the economic growth and general welfare of the country. In such agreements, the State shall promote the development and use of local scientific and technical resources.
The President shall notify the Congress of every contract entered into in accordance with this provision, within thirty days from its execution.
72Mangune v. Ermita, 796 Phil. 52, 67 (2016) [Per J. Jardeleza, En Banc] citing Executive Secretary v. Southwing Heavy Industries, Inc., 518 Phil. 103 (2006) [Per J. Ynares-Santiago, En Banc].
73Rollo, pp. 24-25.
74Republic v. Bayao, 710 Phil. 279, 297 (2013) [Per J. Leonen, Third Division] citing Santiago v. Guingona, 359 Phil. 276, 284 (1998) [Per J. Panganiban, En Banc].
75 Camarines Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. v. Torres, 350 Phil. 315, 331 (1998) [Per J. Davide. Jr., En Banc].
76Pelaez v. Auditor General, 122 Phil. 965, 974 (1965) [Per J. Concepcion, En Banc].
77 Id. at 68.
78 122 Phil. 965 (1965) [Per J. Concepcion, En Banc].
79 Id. at 974-975.
80Executive Secretary v. Southwing Heavy Industries, Inc., 518 Phil. 103, 117 (2006) [Per J. Ynares-Santiago, En Banc] citing CARLO L. CRUZ, PHILIPPINE ADMINISTRATIVE LAW 24 (2003 ed.).
81 CIVIL CODE, art. 7 provides:
ARTICLE 7. Laws are repealed only by subsequent ones, and their violation or non-observance shall not be excused by disuse, or custom or practice to the contrary.
When the courts declared a law to be inconsistent with the Constitution, the former shall be void and the latter shall govern.
Administrative or executive acts, orders and regulations shall be valid only when they are not contrary to the laws or the Constitution.
82 ADM. CODE, Book III, Title 1, Ch. 2, secs. 6-7 states:
SECTION 2. Executive Orders. — Acts of the President providing for rules of a general or permanent character in implementation or execution of constitutional or statutory powers shall be promulgated in executive orders.
SECTION 3. Administrative Orders. — Acts of the President which relate to particular aspect of governmental operations in pursuance of his duties as administrative head shall be promulgated in administrative orders.
SECTION 4. Proclamations. — Acts of the President fixing a date or declaring a status or condition of public moment or interest, upon the existence of which the operation of a specific law or regulation is made to depend, shall be promulgated in proclamations which shall have the force of an executive order.
SECTION 5. Memorandum Orders. — Acts of the President on matters of administrative detail or of subordinate or temporary interest which only concern a particular officer or office of the Government shall be embodied in memorandum orders.
SECTION 6. Memorandum Circulars. — Acts of the President on matters relating to internal administration, which the President desires to bring to the attention of all or some of the departments, agencies, bureaus or offices of the Government, for information or compliance, shall be embodied in memorandum circulars.
SECTION 7. General or Special Orders. — Acts and commands of the President in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be issued as general or special orders.
83 584 Phil. 246 (2008) [Per J. Corona, En Banc].
84 Id. at 289. See fn. no. 63.
85 Id.
86 Id.
87 Republic Act No. 7942 (1995), sec. 115 states:
SECTION 115. Repealing and Amending Clause. — All laws, executive orders, presidential decrees, rules and regulations or parts thereof which are inconsistent with any of the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.
88Rollo, pp. 51-52.
89Pimentel, Jr. v. Hon. Aguirre, 391 Phil. 84, 102-103 (2000) [Per J. Panganiban, En Banc].
90 CONST., art. X, sec. 5.
91Mandanas v. Ochoa, 835 Phil. 97 (2018) [Per Bersamin, En Banc].
92 Republic Act No. 7942 (1995), sec. 44.
93 Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Philippine Mining Act (1995), sec. 105.
94Rollo, p. 54.
95 CONST., art. X, sec. 4 provides:
SECTION 4. The President of the Philippines shall exercise general supervision over local governments. Provinces with respect to component cities and municipalities, and cities and municipalities with respect to component barangays shall ensure that the acts of their component units are within the scope of their prescribed powers and functions.
96Mandanas v. Ochoa, 835 Phil. 97 (2018) [Per Bersamin. En Banc].
97 646 Phil. 50 (2010) [Per J. Carpio, En Banc].
98 Id. at 61.
99 ADM. CODE, Book III, Title 1, Ch. 2, sec. 2 provides:
SECTION 2. Executive Orders. – Acts of the President providing rules of a general or permanent character in implementation or execution of constitutional or statutory powers shall be promulgated in executive orders.
100Resident Marine Mammals of the Protected Seascape Tañon Strait v. Reyes, 758 Phil. 724 (2015) [Per J. Leonardo-De Castro, En Banc].
101Garcia v. Executive Secretary, 286 Phil. 322, 333 (1992) [Per J. Feliciano, En Banc].
102Garcia v. Executive Secretary, 281 Phil. 572, 579-580 (1991) [Per J. Cruz, En Banc].
PERLAS-BERNABE, J.:
SECTION 1. Processing and Issuance of Mining Permits. The issuance of permit to extract and dispose of industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits by the MGB shall be governed by Chapter 8 of R.A. No. 7924.
The acceptance, processing and evaluation of applications for permits to extract industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits in Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales shall be undertaken through a Task Force composed of the MGB and the Provincial Governor.
SEC. 2. Creation of a Task Force. To ensure compliance by all permit holders with the terms and conditions of their permits, properly monitor the volume of extracted materials, and collect the proper taxes and fees from sand and gravel/lahar operations, a Task Force is hereby created for the purpose to be composed of the following:
- The MGB Regional Director, by himself or through his duly authorized representative – Team Leader
- The Provincial Governor, by himself or his duly authorized representative – Deputy Team Leader
SEC. 3. Functions and Authorities of the Task Force. The Task Force shall have the following functions:
- To accept, process and evaluate applications for permits to extract industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits;
- To immediately monitor all reported illegal mining and quarrying operations and, for this purpose, set up as may be necessary checkpoints and other monitoring stations within the territorial jurisdiction of the province of Pampanga;
- To arrest mining/quarrying operators, and their agents and employees who willfully cooperate in the violation of provincial and national mining and environmental laws, and to confiscate and detain as evidence all instruments, objects and products of illegal mining/quarrying operations committed within the territorial jurisdiction of the Province;
- To immediately deliver confiscated and detained instruments, objects or products of illegal mining/quarrying operations to the nearest police station or area designated by the Task Force, which shall be properly receipted and shall not be released unless an instruction in writing to that effect is issued by the Office of the Governor; and
- Insofar as may be allowed by law, to assign and deputize a special contingent from the Philippine National Police specifically to assist the Task Force in the fulfillment of its functions.
SEC. 4. Collection of Taxes, Fees and Charges. The Task Force shall be responsible for the collection of all applicable local taxes, fees and charges and shall, among others:
- Issue the required DR only to legitimate sand and gravel operators/permit holders and upon the issuance of Order of Payment by the PMRB;
- Ensure that the necessary taxes and fees due the local government are duly paid for prior to the issuance of any DRs;
- Assist in ensuring that the excise tax for mineral products is duly paid for prior to the issuance of such DRs; and
- Ensure that the appropriate share of the concerned Provinces, Municipalities and Barangays, as per Section 138 of the Local Government Code of 1991, are duly remitted fully and on time.
- Render an accounting to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources
Excise tax payments shall likewise be immediately remitted and shared in accordance with law. (Emphases and underscoring supplied)
WHEREAS, it is necessary to protect and properly manage the utilization of the sand and gravel/lahar deposits of the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales to improve the water flows of its river systems, ensure the integrity of the various protective dikes and infrastructures, and thereby reduce risks to lives and properties;
WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the State that said sand and gravel/lahar deposits be properly utilized for the benefit of both local and the national governments and all concerned, with due regard to the environment.
Endnotes:
1 Entitled "RATIONALIZING THE EXTRACTION AND DISPOSITION OF SAND AND GRAVEL/LAHAR DEPOSITS IN THE PROVINCES OF PAMPANGA, TARLAC AND ZAMBALES" (July 4, 2003).
2 See Section 2 of EO 224.
3 Entitled "AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OR 1991." approved on October 10, 1991.
4 Section 138 of the Local Government Code of 1991.
5 Administrative Order No. 270 entitled "PRESCRIBING THE IMPLEMENTING RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE OF 1991" (February 21, 1992).
6 See Article 85 (3)(iii), Rule XV of the LGC IRR.
7Tatad v. Secretary of the Department of Energy, 347 Phil. 1, 23 (1997)
8 Id., citing Dorchy v. Kansas, 68 L. ed. 686 (1924). See also Ruben Agpalo, Statutory Construction, 1990, p. 15.
9 See ponencia, p. 19.
CAGUIOA, J.:
WHEREAS, it is necessary to protect and properly manage the utilization of the sand and gravel/lahar deposits of the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales to improve the water Hows of its river systems, ensure the integrity of the various protective dikes and infrastructures, and thereby reduce risks to lives and properties;
WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the State that said sand and gravel/lahar deposits be properly utilized for the benefit of both local and the national governments and all concerned, with due regard to the environment.
SEC. 4. Collection of Taxes, Fees and Charges. The Task Force shall be responsible for the collection of all applicable local taxes, fees and charges and shall, among others:
- Issue the required DR only to legitimate sand and gravel operators/permit holders and upon the issuance of Order of Payment by the PMRB;
- Ensure that the necessary taxes and fees due the local government are duly paid for prior to the issuance of any DRs;
- Assist in ensuring that the excise tax for mineral products is duly paid for prior to the issuance of such DRs; and
- Ensure that the appropriate share of the concerned Provinces, Municipalities and Barangays, as per Section 138 of the Local Government Code of 1991, are duly remitted fully and on time.
- Render an accounting to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources
Excise tax payments shall likewise be immediately remitted and shared in accordance with law. (Emphasis and underscoring supplied)
Endnotes:
1 RATIONALIZATING THE EXTRACTION AND DISPOSITION OF SAND AND GRAVEL/LAHAR DEPOSITS IN THE PROVINCES OF PAMPANGA, TARLAC AND ZAMBALES, approved on July 4, 2003.
2 Philippine Mining Act of 1995, approved on March 3, 1995.
3 The whereas clauses of Proclamation No. 66 states:
WHEREAS, the various rivers and river systems in the Provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales have been greatly affected by the volcanic eruption and lahar deposits from the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo;
WHEREAS, the lahar deposits continue to pose grave danger to lives and properties, public infrastructures like the mega-dike and critical bridges, as well as private infrastructures, particularly during extended rainy periods like the La Niña;
WHEREAS, these sand and lahar deposits have now become a very important source of sand materials for various government and private sector infrastructure and construction projects;
WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the State that the said sand and lahar materials be properly utilized for the benefit of the government and all concerned with due regard to any possible adverse environmental impacts;
WHEREAS, it is necessary to protect and properly manage these river systems and the exploitation and utilization of their sand and lahar deposits in order to maintain or improve their water flows, reduce risks to lives and properties, and to restrain inappropriate mineral exploitation and land-use[.]
4 Section 2 of Proclamation No. 66 states:
Section 2. Pursuant to Section 5 of R.A. 7942, the above-mentioned areas are also hereby established and set apart, subject to valid and existing private rights, as mineral reservation under the administration of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, for the purpose of exploring, developing, exploiting, and utilizing of all the lahar deposits in these areas.
5 REVOKING PROCLAMATION NO. 66, SERIES OF 1999. DECLARING THE LAHAR-AFFECTED RIVERS AND EMBANKMENT AREAS IN THE PROVINCES OF PAMPANGA, TARLAC AND ZAMBALES AS ENVIRONMENTALLY CRITICAL AREAS AND AS MINERAL RESERVATION UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION AND CONTROL OF THE DEPARTMENT OR ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, April 23, 2002.
6 The whereas clauses of Proclamation No. 183 states:
WHEREAS, Proclamation No. 66 dated January 1, 1999, declared the lahar-affected rivers and embankment areas in the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales as environmentally critical areas and as mineral reservation under the direct supervision and control of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources;
WHEREAS, the Local Government Code of 1991 mandates that local government units shall have an equitable share derived from the utilization and development of the national wealth within their respective areas, including sharing the same with the inhabitants by way of direct benefits;
WHEREAS, Proclamation No. 66, series of 1999, has virtually deprived the three (3) provinces aforementioned and/or their component cities and municipalities supervision and control over the river systems and embankment areas found within their respective territorial jurisdictions;
WHEREAS, sound governance demands that control and supervision over these river systems and the exploitation and utilization of the sand and lahar deposits in the area be returned to the local government units concerned.
7 The whereas clauses of EO 224 further states:
WHEREAS, Section 17(3)(iii) of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, provides that a province shall, subject to the supervision, control and review of the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), enforce small-scale mining law and other laws on the protection of the environment;
WHEREAS, Sections 4 and 8 of R.A. No. 7942, otherwise known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, provides that the exploration, development, utilization and processing of mineral resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State, that it may directly undertake such activities or it may enter into mineral agreements with contractors and that the DENR shall be the primary agency responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the State's mineral resources;
WHEREAS, Executive Order (E.O.) No. 192 mandates that the DENR shall be the primary government agency responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the country's environment and natural resources as may be provided for by law in order to ensure equitable sharing of the benefits derived therefrom for the welfare of the present and future generations of Filipinos;
WHEREAS, Chapter 8 of R.A. 7942 further provides that industrial sand and gravel permit covering an area of more than five (5) hectares shall be issued by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB)[.]
8 EO 224, Sec. 1.
9 Id. at Sec. 4(d).
10 Executive Order No. 292, Administrative Code of 1987, Book III, Title I, Chapter 2, Sec. 2, July 25, 1987.
11 1987 CONSTITUTION, Article VII, Sec. 17.
12 The Mining Act provides:
SEC. 46. Commercial Sand and Gravel Permit. — Any qualified person may be granted a permit by the provincial governor to extract and remove sand and gravel or other loose or unconsolidated materials which are used in their natural state, without undergoing processing from an area of not more than five hectares (5 has.) and in such quantities as may be specified in the permit.
SEC. 47. Industrial Sand and Gravel Permit. — Any qualified person may be granted an industrial sand and gravel permit by the Bureau for the extraction of sand and gravel and other loose or unconsolidated materials that necessitate the use of mechanical processing covering an area of more than five hectares (5 has.) at any one time. The permit shall have a term of five (5) years, renewable for a like period but not to exceed a total term of twenty-five (25) years.
13 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 7942, Otherwise Known as the "Philippine Mining Act of 1995," DENR Administrative Order No. 96-40, December 19, 1996.
14 Id. at Chapter VIII, Sec. 97.
15Rollo, p. 54.
16Ganzon v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No. 93252, 93746 & 95245, August 5, 1991, 200 SCRA 271, 283.
17 Id. at 283-284.
18Pimentel, Jr. v. Aguirre, G.R. No. 132988, July 19, 2000, 336 SCRA 201, 215.
19 Id.
20 1987 CONSTITUTION, Article X, Sec. 5. See also Pimentel, Jr. v. Aguirre, supra note 18, at 218, cited in Province of Batangas v. Romulo, G.R. No. 152774, May 27, 2004, 429 SCRA 736, 766-767; Villafuerte, Jr. v. Robredo, G.R. No. 195390, December 10, 2014, 744 SCRA 534, 560-561; and Mandanas v. Ochoa, Jr., G.R. Nos. 199802 & 208488, July 3, 2018, 869 SCRA 440.
21Mandanas v. Ochoa, Jr., id.
22 G.R. No. 203754 & 204418, June 16, 2015, 758 SCRA 536 [En Banc, Per Justice Velasco Jr.].
23 Id.
24 Id. at 569.
25 EO 224, Sec. 4(b).
26 Id. at Sec. 4(d).
27 See Resident Marine Mammals of the Protected Seascape Tañon Strait v. Reyes, G.R. Nos. 180771 & 181527, April 21, 2015. 756 SCRA 513, 558
28 Id.; see also San Miguel Corporation v. Avelino, G R No. L-39699, March 14, 1979, 89 SCRA 69, 75.
29Garcia v. Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 101273, July 3, 1992, 211 SCRA 219, 229.
30 See Garcia v. Executive Secretary, G.R. No. 100883, December 2, 1991, 204 SCRA 516, 523.
31Coconut Oil Refiners Association, Inc. v. Torres, G.R. No. 132527, July 29, 2005, 465 SCRA 47, 63.
LAZARO-JAVIER, J.:
WHEREAS, Section 17(3)(iii) of Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, provides that a province shall, subject to the supervision, control and review of the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), enforce small-scale mining law and other laws on the protection of the environment;
WHEREAS, Sections 4 and 8 of R.A. No. 7942, otherwise known as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, provides that the exploration, development, utilization and processing of mineral resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State, that it may directly undertake such activities or it may enter into mineral agreements with contractors and that the DENR shall be the primary agency responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the State's mineral resources;
WHEREAS, Executive Order (E.O.) No. 292 mandates that the DENR shall be the primary government agency responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the country's environment and natural resources as may be provided for by law in order to ensure equitable sharing of the benefits derived therefrom for the welfare of the present and future generations of Filipinos;
WHEREAS, Chapter 8 of R.A. 7942 further provides that industrial sand and gravel permit covering an area of more than five (5) hectares shall be issued by the Mines and Geoscienccs Bureau (MGB);
WHEREAS, it is necessary to protect and properly manage the utilization of the sand and gravel/lahar deposits of the provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales to improve the water flows of its river systems, ensure the integrity of the various protective dikes and infrastructures, and thereby reduce risks to lives and properties;
WHEREAS, it is in the interest of the State that said sand and gravel/lahar deposits be properly utilized for the benefit of both local and the national governments and all concerned, with due regard to the environment.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO. President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:
SECTION 1. Processing and Issuance of Mining Permits. — The issuance of permit to extract and dispose of industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits by the MGB shall be governed by Chapter 8 of R.A. No. 7924.
The acceptance, processing and evaluation of applications for permits to extract industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits in Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales shall be undertaken through a Task Force composed of the MGB and the Provincial Governor.
SECTION 2. Creation of a Task Force. — To ensure compliance by all permit holders with the terms and conditions of their permits, properly monitor the volume of extracted materials, and collect the proper taxes and fees from sand and gravel/lahar operations, a Task Force is hereby created for the purpose to be composed of the following:
- The MGB Regional Director, by himself or through his duly authorized representative — Team Leader
- The Provincial Governor, by himself or his duly authorized representative — Deputy Team Leader
SECTION 3. Functions and Authorities of the Task Force. — The Task Force shall have the following functions:
- To accept, process and evaluate applications for permits to extract industrial sand and gravel/lahar deposits;
- To immediately monitor all reported illegal mining and quarrying operations and, for this purpose, set up as may be necessary checkpoints and other monitoring stations within the territorial jurisdiction of the province of Pampanga;
- To arrest mining/quarrying operators, and their agents and employees who willfully cooperate in the violation of provincial and national mining and environmental laws, and to confiscate and detain as evidence all instruments, objects and products of illegal mining/quarrying operations committed within the territorial jurisdiction of the Province;
- To immediately deliver confiscated and detained instruments, objects or products of illegal mining/quarrying operations to the nearest police station or area designated by the Task Force, which shall be properly receipted and shall not be released unless an instruction in writing to that effect is issued by the Office of the Governor; and
- Insofar as may be allowed by law, to assign and deputize a special contingent from the Philippine National Police specifically to assist the Task Force in the fulfillment of its functions.
SECTION 4. Collection of Taxes, Fees and Charges. — The Task Force shall be responsible for the collection of all applicable local taxes, fees and charges and shall, among others:
- Issue the required DR only to legitimate sand and gravel operators/permit holders and upon the issuance of Order of Payment by the PMRB;
- Ensure that the necessary taxes and fees due the local government are duly paid for prior to the issuance of any DRs;
- Assist in ensuring that the excise tax for mineral products is duly paid for prior to the issuance of such DRs; and
- Ensure that the appropriate share of the concerned Provinces, Municipalities and Barangays, as per Section 138 of the Local Government Code of 1991, are duly remitted fully and on time.
- Render an accounting to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources
Excise tax payments shall likewise be immediately remitted and shared in accordance with law.
SECTION 5. Supplemental Orders, Rules and Regulations. — The DENR, if deemed necessary, shall issue supplemental orders, rules and regulations to effectively implement this Order.
SECTION 6. Repealing Clause. — All orders, issuances, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SECTION 7. Effectivity. — This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.
DONE in the City of Manila, this 4th day of July, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Three.
The powers of the Philippine President is not limited only to the specific powers enumerated in the Constitution, i.e., executive power is more than the sum of specific powers so enumerated. Thus, he or she should not be prevented from accomplishing his or her constitutionally and statutorily assigned functions and discretionary responsibilities in a broad variety of areas. Presidential prerogative ought not be lettered or embarrassed as the powers, express or implied, may be impermissibly undermined...."5
CHAPTER 2
Ordinance Power
SECTION 2. Executive Orders. — Acts of the President providing for rules of a general or permanent character in implementation or execution of constitutional or statutory powers shall be promulgated in executive orders.
SECTION 3. Administrative Orders. — Acts of the President which relate to particular aspects of governmental operations in pursuance of his duties as administrative head shall be promulgated in administrative orders.
SECTION 4. Proclamations. — Acts of the President fixing a date or declaring a status or condition of public moment or interest, upon the existence of which the operation of a specific law or regulation is made to depend, shall be promulgated in proclamations which shall have the force of an executive order.
SECTION 5. Memorandum Orders. — Acts of the President on matters of administrative detail or of subordinate or temporary interest which only concern a particular officer or office of the Government shall be embodied in memorandum orders.
SECTION 6. Memorandum Circulars. — Acts of the President on matters relating to internal administration, which the President desires to bring to the attention of all or some of the departments, agencies, bureaus or offices of the Government, for information or compliance, shall be embodied in memorandum circulars.
SECTION 7. General or Special Orders. — Acts and commands of the President in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines shall be issued as general or special orders.
These provisions of the Revised Administrative Code do not grant, but, merely recognize the President's Ordinance Power and enjoin that such power shall be promulgated according to certain nomenclatures. The President's Ordinance Power is the Executive's rule-making authority in implementing or executing constitutional or statutory powers. Indisputably, there are constitutional powers vested in the Executive that are self-executory. The President may issue "rules of a general or permanent character in implementation or execution" of such self-executory constitutional powers. The power to issue such rules is inherent in Executive power. Otherwise, the President cannot execute self-executory constitutional provisions without a grant of delegated power from the Legislature, a legal and constitutional absurdity.
....
Apart from whatever rule-making power that Congress may delegate to the President, the latter has inherent ordinance powers covering the executive branch as part of the power of executive control ("The President shall have control of all the executive departments, bureaus and offices. . ." Section 17, Article VII, Constitution.). By its nature, this ordinance power does not require or entail delegation from Congress. Such faculty must be distinguished from the authority to issue implementing rules to legislation which does not inhere in the presidency but instead, as explained earlier, is delegated by Congress.
....
The prevalent practice in the Office of the President is to issue orders or instructions to officials of the executive branch regarding the enforcement or carrying out of the law. This practice is valid conformably with the President's power of executive control. The faculty to issue such orders or instructions is distinct from the power to promulgate implementing rules to legislation. The latter originates from a different legal foundation — the delegation of legislative power to the President.
In the exercise of executive power, the President has inherent power to adopt rules and regulations — a power which is different from a delegated legislative power that can be exercised only within the prescribed standards set by law ....
In the exercise of executive power, the President has inherent power to adopt rules and regulations... and to delegate this power to subordinate executive officials. On July 12, 1957, then President Carlos P. Garcia, in the exercise of his powers of control and to reserve public land, issued Proclamation No. 423. Pursuant thereto, the AFP Chief of Staff issued AFP Regulations G 161-371 on February 2, 1960, which was eventually succeeded by AFP Regulations G 161-375. By granting the AFP Chief of Staff the power to administer a military reservation site then known as Fort Wm Mckinley (now Fort Andres Bonifacio), part of which is now the LNMB, former President Garcia and the presidents subsequent to him effectively delegated their rule-making power. As expressed in said regulations, they were issued "By Order of the Secretary of National Defense/Defense Minister," who, in turn, is under the Office of the President.
Section 9 of Executive Order No. 459, or the Guidelines in the Negotiation of International Agreements and its Ratification, thus, correctly reflected the inherent powers of the President when it stated that the DFA "shall determine whether an agreement is an executive agreement or a treaty."
The interpretation of an administrative government agency like the ERB, which is tasked to implement a statute, is accorded great respect and ordinarily controls the construction of the courts. A long line of cases establish the basic rule that the courts will not interfere in matters which are addressed to the sound discretion of government agencies entrusted with the regulation of activities coming under the special technical knowledge and training of such agencies. More explicitly —
Generally, the interpretation of an administrative government agency, which is tasked to implement a statute, is accorded great respect and ordinarily controls the construction of the courts. The reason behind this rule was explained in Nestle Philippines, Inc. vs. Court of Appeals, in this wise:
"The rationale for this rule relates not only to the emergence of the multifarious needs of a modern or modernizing society and the establishment of diverse administrative agencies for addressing and satisfying those needs; it also relates to the accumulation of experience and growth of specialized capabilities by the administrative agency charged with implementing a particular statute. In Asturias Sugar Central, Inc. v. Commissioner of Customs, the Court stressed that executive officials are presumed to have familiarized themselves with all the considerations pertinent to the meaning and purpose of the law, and to have formed an independent, conscientious and competent expert opinion thereon. The courts give much weight to the government agency or officials charged with the implementation of the law, their competence, expertness, experience and informed judgment, and the fact that they frequently are drafters of the law they interpret."
As a general rule, contemporaneous construction is resorted to for certainty and predictability in the laws, especially those involving specific terms having technical meanings.8
Endnotes:
1San Miguel Corporation v. Avelino, 178 Phil. 47, 53 (1979).
2 AN ACT CREATING A PEOPLE'S SMALL-SCALE MINING PROGRAM AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
3League of Provinces of the Philippines v. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 709 Phil. 189, 229-230 (2013): "The question in this case is whether or not the provincial governor had the power to issue the subject permits. The fact that the application for small-scale mining permit was initially filed as applications for quarry permits is not contested. Quarry permits, however, may only be issued "on privately-owned land and/or public lands for building and construction materials such as marble, basalt, andesite, conglomerate, tuff, adobe, granite, gabbro, serpentine, inset filling materials, clay for ceramic tiles and building bricks, pumice, perlite and other similar materials ..." It may not be issued on "... resources that contain metals or metallic constituents and/or other valuable materials in economic quantities." Not only do iron ores fall outside the classification of any of the enumerated materials in Section 43 of the Mining Act, but iron is also a metal. It may not be classified as a quarry resource, hence, the provincial governor had no authority to issue the quarry permits in the first place. Probably realizing this error, the applications for quarry permit were converted to applications for small-scale mining permit. Even so, the issuance of the small-scale mining permit was still beyond the authority of the provincial governor. Small-scale mining areas must first be declared and set aside as such before they can be made subject of small-scale mining rights. The applications for small-scale mining permit, in this case, involved covered areas, which were never declared as people's small-scale mining areas. This is enough reason to deny an application for small-scale mining permit. Permits issued in disregard of this fact are void for having been issued beyond the authority of the issuing officer."
4Genuino v. De Lima, 829 Phil. 691, 769 (2018): "Jurisprudence dictates that the validity of an administrative issuance is hinged on compliance with the following requirements: 1) its promulgation is authorized by the legislature; 2) it is promulgated in accordance with the prescribed procedure; 3) it is within the scope of the authority given by the legislature; and 4) it is reasonable."
5Ocampo v. Enriquez, 815 Phil. 1175, 1244-1245 (2017).
6 Manila Bulletin, "Go urges crackdown on unsanctioned quarrying," https://mb.com.ph/2020/12/12/go-urges-crackdown-on-unsanctioned-quarrying/; "After bringing tragedy, lahar makes money." at https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/610891/after-bringing-tragedy-lahar-makes-money; "Pampanga Governor Lito Lapid Suspended for Lahar Overprice," at http://www.newsflash.org/1999/01/ht/ht000651.htm; Lapid v. Court of Appeals, 390 Phil. 236 (2000).
7 See e.g. Batac v. Office of the Ombudsman, G.R. No. 216949, July 3, 2019: "Anchored solely on this provision, petitioner claims that the lahar deposits belonged to him, having naturally been attached to his land as a result of a volcano eruption. Public respondent, however, points out that natural resources are owned by the State.... Furthermore, Executive Order No. 224, series of 2003, entitled, 'Rationalizing the Extraction and Disposition of Sand and Gravel/Lahar Deposits in the Provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales,' provides.... These provisions treat lahar deposits as minerals, which are owned by the State and are covered by various laws on mining. Thus, on this matter, public respondent ruled that there was no undue injury...."
8Energy Regulatory Board v. Court of Appeals, 409 Phil. 36, 46-48 (2001).
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