Calalang vs.

Williams
[GR 47800, 2 December 1940]
First Division, Laurel (!" 4 concur
Facts:
#$e %ational #ra&c 'ommission, in its resolution o( 17 ul) 1940, resolve* to recommen* to
t$e Director o( +ublic ,or-s an* to t$e .ecretar) o( +ublic ,or-s an* 'ommunications t$at
animal/*ra0n ve$icles be 1ro$ibite* (rom 1assin2 alon2 Rosario .treet e3ten*in2 (rom +la4a
'al*eron *e la 5arca to Dasmari6as .treet, (rom 7"70 a8m8 to 12"70 18m8 an* (rom 1"70 18m8 to
9"70 18m8: an* alon2 Ri4al ;venue e3ten*in2 (rom t$e railroa* crossin2 at ;nti1olo .treet to
<c$a2ue .treet, (rom 7 a8m8 to 11 18m8, (rom a 1erio* o( one )ear (rom t$e *ate o( t$e o1enin2
o( t$e 'ol2ante 5ri*2e to tra&c8 #$e '$airman o( t$e %ational #ra&c 'ommission, on 18 ul)
1940, recommen*e* to t$e Director o( +ublic ,or-s t$e a*o1tion o( t$e measure 1ro1ose* in
t$e resolution, in 1ursuance o( t$e 1rovisions o( 'ommon0ealt$ ;ct 948, 0$ic$ aut$ori4es sai*
Director o( +ublic ,or-s, 0it$ t$e a11roval o( t$e .ecretar) o( +ublic ,or-s an*
'ommunications, to 1romul2ate rules an* re2ulations to re2ulate an* control t$e use o( an*
tra&c on national roa*s8 =n 2 ;u2ust 1940, t$e Director o( +ublic ,or-s, in $is >rst
in*orsement to t$e .ecretar) o( +ublic ,or-s an* 'ommunications, recommen*e* to t$e latter
t$e a11roval o( t$e recommen*ation ma*e b) t$e '$airman o( t$e %ational #ra&c
'ommission, 0it$ t$e mo*i>cation t$at t$e closin2 o( Ri4al ;venue to tra&c to animal/*ra0n
ve$icles be limite* to t$e 1ortion t$ereo( e3ten*in2 (rom t$e railroa* crossin2 at ;nti1olo
.treet to ;4carra2a .treet8 =n 10 ;u2ust 1940, t$e .ecretar) o( +ublic ,or-s an*
'ommunications, in $is secon* in*orsement a**resse* to t$e Director o( +ublic ,or-s,
a11rove* t$e recommen*ation o( t$e latter t$at Rosario .treet an* Ri4al ;venue be close* to
tra&c o( animal/*ra0n ve$icles, bet0een t$e 1oints an* *urin2 t$e $ours as in*icate*, (or a
1erio* o( 1 )ear (rom t$e *ate o( t$e o1enin2 o( t$e 'ol2ante 5ri*2e to tra&c8 #$e ?a)or o(
?anila an* t$e ;ctin2 '$ie( o( +olice o( ?anila $ave en(orce* an* cause* to be en(orce* t$e
rules an* re2ulations t$us a*o1te*8 ?a3imo 'alalan2, in $is ca1acit) as a 1rivate citi4en an*
as a ta31a)er o( ?anila, brou2$t be(ore t$e .u1reme court t$e 1etition (or a 0rit o( 1ro$ibition
a2ainst ;8 D8 ,illiams, as '$airman o( t$e %ational #ra&c 'ommission: @icente Fra2ante, as
Director o( +ublic ,or-s: .er2io 5a)an, as ;ctin2 .ecretar) o( +ublic ,or-s an*
'ommunications: <ulo2io Ro*ri2ue4, as ?a)or o( t$e 'it) o( ?anila: an* uan Domin2ue4, as
;ctin2 '$ie( o( +olice o( ?anila
Assues"
,$et$er or not t$ere is a un*ue *ele2ation o( le2islative 1o0erB
Rulin2"
#$ere is no un*ue *elea2ation o( le2islative 1o0er8 'ommon0ealt$ ;ct 948 *oes not con(er
le2islative 1o0ers to t$e Director o( +ublic ,or-s8 #$e aut$orit) con(erre* u1on t$em an*
un*er 0$ic$ t$e) 1romul2ate* t$e rules an* re2ulations no0 com1laine* o( is not to *etermine
0$at 1ublic 1olic) *eman*s but merel) to carr) out t$e le2islative 1olic) lai* *o0n b) t$e
%ational ;ssembl) in sai* ;ct, to 0it, Cto 1romote sa(e transit u1on an* avoi* obstructions on,
roa*s an* streets *esi2nate* as national roa*s b) acts o( t$e %ational ;ssembl) or b)
e3ecutive or*ers o( t$e +resi*ent o( t$e +$ili11inesD an* to close t$em tem1oraril) to an) or all
classes o( tra&c C0$enever t$e con*ition o( t$e roa* or t$e tra&c ma-es suc$ action
necessar) or a*visable in t$e 1ublic convenience an* interest8D
#$e *ele2ate* 1o0er, i( at all, t$ere(ore, is not t$e *etermination o( 0$at t$e la0 s$all be, but
merel) t$e ascertainment o( t$e (acts an* circumstances u1on 0$ic$ t$e a11lication o( sai*
la0 is to be 1re*icate*8
#o 1romul2ate rules an* re2ulations on t$e use o( national roa*s an* to *etermine 0$en an*
$o0 lon2 a national roa* s$oul* be close* to tra&c, in vie0 o( t$e con*ition o( t$e roa* or t$e
tra&c t$ereon an* t$e reEuirements o( 1ublic convenience an* interest, is an a*ministrative
(unction 0$ic$ cannot be *irectl) *isc$ar2e* b) t$e %ational ;ssembl)8
At must *e1en* on t$e *iscretion o( some ot$er 2overnment o&cial to 0$om is con>*e* t$e
*ut) o( *eterminin2 0$et$er t$e 1ro1er occasion e3ists (or e3ecutin2 t$e la08 5ut it cannot be
sai* t$at t$e e3ercise o( suc$ *iscretion is t$e ma-in2 o( t$e la08