8/19/2019 Resident Marine Mammals v. Angelo Reyes, Et.al.

- Case Digest

CASE: Resident Marine Mammals of the Protected Seascape Tañon Strait v. Secretary
Angelo Reyes in his capacity as Secretary of the Department of Energy et.al. !".R. #o.
$%&''$ and $%$()'*
DATE: )$ April )&$(
P+#E#TE: ,. -eonardoDe Castro

/ACTS

• On 13 June 2002, the Government of the Philippines, acting through the Department of 
Energy (DOE entere! into a Geophysical "urvey an! E#ploration $ontract%102 (G"E$%
102 &ith Japan Petroleum E#ploration $o', t!' (J)PE*'
• +he stu!ies inclu!e! surface geology, sample analysis, an! reprocessing of seismic an!
magnetic !ata' Geophysical an! satellite surveys as &ell as oil an! gas sampling in +aon
"trait &as con!ucte!'
• On 12 Decem-er 200., DOE an! J)PE* converte! G"E$%102 to "ervice $ontract /o'
. ("$%. for the e#ploration, !evelopment, an! pro!uction of petroleum resources in a
 -loc covering appro#imately 2,0 s4m' offshore the +aon "trait'
• 5rom 6%1 7ay 200, J)PE* con!ucte! seismic surveys in an! aroun! +aon "trait,
inclu!ing a multi%channel su-%-ottom profiling covering appro#imately 81 ms' to
!etermine the area9s un!er&ater composition'
• During the 2n! su-%phase of the pro:ect, J)PE* committe! to !rill one e#ploration &ell'
"ince the same &as to -e !rille! in the marine &aters of )loguisan an! Pinamunga:an
&here the +aon "trait &as !eclare! a protecte! seascape in 16, J)PE* agree! to
comply &ith the Environmental ;mpact )ssessment re4uirements un!er Presi!ential
Decree /o' 1 (PD 1, entitle! <Esta-lishing an Environmental ;mpact "tatement
"ystem, ;nclu!ing Other Environmental 7anagement =elate! 7easures an! 5or Other 
Purposes'>
• On 31 January 2008, the Protecte! )rea 7anagement ?oar! (P)7? of the +aon "trait
issue! =esolution /o' 2008%01 &here it a!opte! the ;nitial Environmental E#amination
commissione! -y J)PE*, an! favoura-ly recommen!e! the approval of the latter9s
application for an Environmental $ompliance $ertificate (E$$'
• On  7arch 2008, DE/=%E7? =egion @;; grante! an E$$ to DOE an! J)PE* for the
offshore oil an! gas e#ploration pro:ect in +aon "trait'
• 5rom 1 /ovem-er 2008 to  5e-ruary 200, J)PE* !rille! an e#ploratory &ell &ith a
!epth of 3,10 meters near Pinamunga:an to&n'
• On 18 Decem-er 2008, t&o separate original petitions &ere file! commonly seeing that
the implementation of "$%. -e en:oine! for violation of the 168 $onstitution'
•
+he petitioners in G'=' /o' 10881 are the <=esi!ent 7arine 7ammals> &hich inhi-it
the &aters in an! aroun! the +aon "trait, :oine! -y <"te&ar!s> Gloria EstenAo =amos
an! =ose%iAa Eisma%Osorio as their legal guar!ians an! frien!s seeing their protection'
)lso implea!e! as un&illing co%petitioner is former Presi!ent Gloria 7acapagal%)rroyo'
;n G'=' /o' 1128, the petitioners are the $entral @isayas 5isherfol Development
$enter (5;DE$, a non%stoc, non%profit, non%governmental organiAation esta-lishe! for 
the &elfare of the marginal fisherfol in =egion @;; an! representatives of the

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8/19/2019 Resident Marine Mammals v. Angelo Reyes, Et.al. - Case Digest

su-sistence fisherfol of the municipalities of )loguinsan an! Pinamunga:an, $e-u' +heir 

contentions areB
% ) stu!y ma!e after the seismic survey sho&e! that there is a !rastic re!uce in fish
catch -y 0%80C attri-uta-le to the !estruction of the <payao> or the artificial
reef'

% +he E$$ o-taine!

consultations -y the respon!ents
an! !iscussions is invali! -ecause there is no pu-lic
prior to its issuance'
% "$%. is null an! voi! for having violate! "ection 2, )rticle *;; of the 168
$onstitution, consi!ering that there is no general la& prescri-ing the stan!ar! or 
uniform terms, con!itions, an! re4uirements for service contracts involving oil
e#ploration an! e#traction
% 5;DE$ alleges that it &as -arre! from entering an! fishing &ithin a 8%ilometer 
ra!ius from the point &here the oilrig &as locate!, an area grate! than the 1'%
ilometer ra!ius e#clusion Aone state! in the ;nitial Environmental E#amination
• +he respon!ents in -oth petitions areB the late )ngelo +' =eyes, DOE "ecretary Jose '
)tienAa, DE/= "ecretary eonar!o "i--aluca, DE/=%=egion @;; Director an!
$hairman of +aon "trait P)7? J)PE*, a Japanese company an! "upply Oilfiel!
"ervices, ;nc' ("O" as the allege! Philippine agent of J)PE*' +heir counter%allegations
areB
% +he <=esi!ent 7arine 7ammals> an! <"te&ar!s> have no legal stan!ing to file
the petition'
% "$%. is constitutional'
% +he E$$ &as legally issue!'
% +he case is moot an! aca!emic since "$%. is mutually terminate! on 21 June
200'

0SS1ES

1' O/ the case is moot an! aca!emic

2' O/ Petitioners have a legal stan!ing
3' O/ "$%. is unconstitutional

R1-0#"

1' /o' +he $ourt maes clear that the <moot an! aca!emic> principle is not a magic formula
that can automatically !issua!e the courts in resolving a case' Despite the termination of 
"$%., the $ourt !eems it necessary to resolve the consoli!ate! petitions as it falls &ithin
the e#ceptions' ?oth petitioners allege that "$%. is violative of the $onstitution, the

environmental
the respon!ents9an! livelihoo!
conteste! issues
actions are raise! un!ou-te!ly
capa-le affect the pu-lic9s interest, an!
of repetition'

2' Fes' ;n our :uris!iction, locus standi  in environmental cases has -een given a more
li-eraliAe! approach' +he =ules of Proce!ure for Environmental $ases allo& for a
<citiAen suit,> an! permit any 5ilipino citiAen to file an action -efore our courts for 
violation of our environmental la&s on the principle that humans are ste&ar!s of natureB

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<"ection ' $itiAen suit'  Any /ilipino citi2en in representation of 

others incl3ding minors or generations yet 3n4orn may file an action
to enforce rights or o4ligations 3nder environmental la5s.   Hpon the
filing of a citiAen suit, the court shall issue an or!er &hich shall contain a
 -rief !escription of the cause of action an! the reliefs praye! for, re4uiring

all intereste!
&ithin parties
fifteen (1 tofrom
!ays manifest
noticetheir interest
thereof' +he to intervene
plaintiff may in the case
pu-lish the
or!er once in a ne&spaper of general circulation in the Philippines or 
furnish all affecte! -aragngays copies of sai! or!er'

$itiAen suits file! un!er =')' /o' 8.6 an! =')' /o' 6003 shall -e
governe! -y their respective provisions' (Emphasis supplie!>

)lthough the petition &as file! in 2008, years -efore the effectivity of the =ules
of Proce!ure for Environmental $ases, it has -een consistently hel! that rules of 
 proce!ure may -e retroactively applie! to actions pen!ing an! un!etermine! at the time

of their passage
a!versely affecte!,an! &ill not
inasmuch as violate
there is any right rights
no veste! of a person
in rules&ho may feel that he is
of proce!ure'

7oreover, even -efore the =ules of Proce!ure for Environmental $ases -ecame
effective, the "$ ha! alrea!y taen a permissive position on the issue of locus standi in
environmental cases' ;n Oposa, the "$ allo&e! the suit to -e -rought in the name of 
generations yet un-orn <-ase! on the concept of intergenerational responsi-ility insofar 
as the right to a -alance! an! healthful ecology is concerne!'>

;t is also &orth noting that the "te&ar!s in the present case are :oine! as real
 parties in the Petition an! not :ust in representation of the name! cetacean species'

3' Fes' "ection 2, )rticle *;; of the 168 $onstitution provi!es in partB

<The President may enter into agreement 5ith foreigno5ned

corporations involving either technical or financial assistance for
largescale e6ploration development and 3tili2ation of minerals
petrole3m and other mineral oils according to the general terms and
conditions provided 4y la5 4ased on real contri43tions to the
economic gro5th and general 5elfare of the co3ntry.  ;n such
agreements, the "tate shall promote the !evelopment an! use of local
scientific an! technical resources'

The President shall notify the Congress of every contract entered into
in accordance 5ith this provision 5ithin thirty days from its
e6ec3tion. > (Emphases supplie!

+he !isposition, e#ploration, !evelopment, e#ploitation, an! utiliAation of 

in!igenous petroleum in the Philippines are governe! -y Presi!ential Decree /o' 8 (PD
8 or the Oil E#ploration an! Development )ct of 1682' )lthough the $ourt fin!s that

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PD 8 is sufficient to satisfy the re4uirement of a general la&, the a-sence of the t&o
other con!itions, that the Presi!ent -e a signatory to "$%., an! that the $ongress -e
notifie! of such contract, ren!ers it null an! voi!'

"$%. appears to have -een entere! into an! signe! -y the DOE through its then

"ecretary
allege! that@icente "' &as
$ongress PereA, Jr' 7oreover,
su-se4uently pu-lic
notifie! respon!ents
of the e#ecution have neither
of such sho&n nor 
contract'

"ervice contracts involving the e#ploitation, !evelopment, an! utiliAation of our 

natural resources are of paramount interest to the present an! future generations' Ience,
safeguar!s &ere out in place to insure that the gui!elines set -y la& are meticulously
o-serve! an! lie&ise era!icate the corruption that may easily penetrate !epartments an!
agencies -y ensuring that the Presi!ent has authoriAe! or approve! of the service
contracts herself'

Even un!er the provisions of PD 8, it is re4uire! that the Petroleum ?oar!, no&

the DOE, o-tain the Presi!ent9s approval for the e#ecution of any contract un!er sai!
statute'

+he "$ lie&ise rule! on the legality of "$%. vis%%vis other pertinent la&s to
serve as a gui!e for the Government &hen e#ecuting service contracts'

Hn!er Proclamation /o' 21., the +aon "trait is an environmentally critical

area, having -een !eclare! as a protecte! area in 166 therefore, any activity outsi!e the
scope of its management plan may only -e implemente! pursuant to an E$$ secure!
after un!ergoing an Environment ;mpact )ssessment (E;) to !etermine the effects of 
such activity on its ecological system'

Pu-lic respon!ents a!mitte! that J)PE* only starte! to secure an E$$ prior to
n!
the 2   su-%phase of "$%., &hich re4uire! the !rilling of the e#ploration &ell' +his
means that no environmental impact evaluation &as !one &hen the seismic surveys &ere
con!ucte!' Hnless the seismic surveys are part of the management plan of the +aon
"trait, such surveys &ere !one in violation of "ection 12 of /;P)" )ct an! "ection . of 
Presi!ential Decree /o' 1'

hile PD 8 may serve as the general la& upon &hich a service contract for 
 petroleum e#ploration an! e#traction may -e authoriAe!, the e#ploitation an! utiliAation
of this energy resource in the present case may -e allo&e! only through a la& passe! -y
$ongress, since the +aon "trait is a /;P)" area' "ince there is no such la& specifically
allo&ing oil e#ploration an!Kor e#traction in the +aon "trait, no energy resource
e#ploitation an! utiliAation may -e !one in sai! protecte! seascape'

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