BALINA NAMIEL MAVERICK D.

CONSTITUNAL LAW II – MIDTERM EXAM

University of the Asia and the Pacific, Institute of Law
Atty. Roberto Rafael V. Lucila, March 26, 2019 (6pm-8:45pm)

This is an examination thru the internet in view of the suspension of face to face classes
during the mid-term examination. The test questions will be emailed to your given
addresses, and you shall acknowledge and reply immediately upon receipt of such email.
The examination shall be completed on or before 8:45 pm, and the answers shall be sent
via email to me within fifteen (15) minutes from the said time or on or before 9:00 pm.,
all occurring today or March 26, 2020. Those who do not submit their answers or whose
emails have not been received by the undersigned by 9:00 pm, today, including late
submission shall be deemed to have not taken the examination. Upon receipt, I will
acknowledge your email containing your answers. You may open your books and notes;
however I assume that you have reviewed them before the examination as you may not
have enough time to complete your answers. While this examination will not determine
your mid-term performance, it shall provide the Institute of Law an assessment of the
performance of the class to this date. Good luck

1. On the basis of Republic Act No. 11332 (Annex “A”), the Inter-Agency Task
Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (Task Force) declared
COVID-19 Code Red Sublevel 2, and proposed measures for the consideration of
the President. Most of these measures have been adopted by the President thru
the Memorandum of the Executive Secretary dated March 16, 2020 (see Annex
“B”).

1.1 As a student of Constitutional Law, please identify at least three (3) measures
in Annex “B” which may be constitutionally suspect and therefore may be
subject of a challenge before the Supreme Court. Please explain your grounds.
(10 pts)

Answer:   The   measures   that   can   be   constitutionally   suspect   and   therefore  

subject  to  challenge  before  the  Supreme  Court  are:    

No.   3   which   states   that   “A   strict   home   quarantine   shall   be   observed   in   all  
households;   movement   shall   be   limited   to   accessing   basic   necessities;   provision  
for   food   and  I   health   services   shall   be   regulated;   and   there   will   be   heightened  
presence   of   uniformed   personnel   to   enforce   quarantine   procedures”.   This  
provision   of   the   memorandum   clearly   violates   Section   1,   Article   III   of   the  
Constitution   provides   that   no   person   shall   be   deprived   of   life,   liberty   and  
property  without  due  process  of  law.    

1.2 Congress in a special session passed a law (Republic Act No. 11469;Annex
“C”) repealing some of these measures. Please discuss the constitutionality of
the law and its concomitant effects on the measures adopted by the Executive
Department.(10 pts).
 Answer: Section 4 of Republic Act No. 11469 provides the Authorized
Powers of the President that are necessary and proper to carry out the
declared national policy. The President shall have the power to adopt
temporary emergency measures to respond to crisis brought by the pandemic.
It is necessary and constitutional since the safety of general public is in
danger. Desperate times should be solve by desperate measures. The
executive branch cannot take advantage of this power since its effectivity of
the powers granted to this Act can be withdrawn sooner by means of a
concurrent resolution of the Congress or it can be ended by a Presidential
Proclamation.

1.3 The City of Manila passed an ordinance identifying certain areas (BASECO
Compound and the former Sta. Ana race track) in the City as the areas where
the COVD-19 Persons Under Investigation (PUI) shall be contained and stay
for the duration of the public health emergency. Please discuss the
constitutionality of the Ordinance. (10 pts)

Answer: An Ordinance passed by the City of Manila identifying certain areas

in the City as the areas where the COVID19 Persons Under Investigation
shall be contained and stay for a duration of the public health emergency is
constitutional since it in accordance with a certain Republic Act passed by the
Congress in suppressing the pandemic in our country. A person who is a PUI
shall be isolated or should undergo home quarantine to avoid the chance of
the virus to spread. It is a necessary measure of the government to contain the
said pandemic.

1.4 Should  there  be  a  conflict  among  a  City  of  Makati  Ordinance,  the  Memorandum  
of   the   Executive   Secretary,   R.A.   Mo.   11332   and   R.A.   No.   11469,   which   will  
prevail?  Please  cite  at  least  one  item  of  conflict  between  any  of  these  laws?  (10  
pts.)    
 
Answer:  Should  there  be  a  conflict  among  a  City  Ordinance,  Memoradum  of  the  
Executive  Secretary,  R.A  No.  1132  and  R.A  11469,  the  Republic  Act  11469  will  
prevail.  
 
1.5 During  the  period  of  the  public  health  emergency,  the  President  mandated  the    
two   major   telecommunications   companies   Smart   and   Globe   to   reduce   their  
charges   by   25%   so   that   the   students   and   the   workers   may   avail   themselves   of  
the  internet  or  data  services  for  their  on-­‐line  learning  process  and  for  the  work  
at  home  process.  Please  discuss  the  constitutionality  of  this  directive.  (10  pts.)    
 
Answer:   During   the   period   of   the   public   health   emergency,   the   President  
mandated   the   two   major   telecommunications   companies   Smart   and   Globe   to  
reduce   their   charges   by   25%   so   that   the   students   and   the   workers   may   avail  
themselves  of  the  internet  or  data  services  for  their  on-­‐line  learning  process  and  
for   the   work   at   home   process   is   constitutional   because   it   is   pursuant   to   the  
 Republic   Act   passed   by   the   Congress   during   this   unfortunate   event.   Private  
companies   who   owns   a   public   utility   should   support   the   government   in   times   of  
need.    
 
2. What  is  the  concept  of  double  taxation?  Is  it  constitutionally  impermissible?  If  not,  
in  what  ways  will  its  impact  be  mitigated  (10  pts.)  
 
Answer:   In   the   case   of   a   certain   jurisprudence,   it   states   that   there   is   double   taxation  
when  the  same  tax  payer  is  taxed  twice  when  he  should  be  taxed  only  once  for  the  
same  purpose  by  the  same  taxing  authority  within  the  same  jurisdiction  during  the  
same   taxing   period   and   the   taxes   are   of   the   same   kind   or   character.   There   is   no  
constitutional   prohibition   against   double   taxation   and   it   is   not   favored   in   the  
Philippines  but  nevertheless  permissible.  Despite  the  lack  of  specific  constitutional  
prohibition,  double  taxation  will  not  be  allowed  if  the  same  will  result  in  violation  of  
the   equal   protection   clause.   Double   taxation   can   be   mitigated   through   a   law   that  
grants   tax   exemption   such   as   exempting   minimum   wage   earners   from   income   tax,  
allowing   additional   exemptions   for   individuals   with   dependents/children   and  
others.  

 
3. The  City  of  Pasig  passed  an  ordinance  mandating  the  expropriation  of  the  University  
of   Life   Complex,   so   that   it   can   be   used   for   the   extension   of   the   Capitol   Commons  
development  of  the  Ortigas  &  Cia  into  a  mixed  commercial  and  residential  complex.  
Please  discuss  the  constitutionality  of  the  ordinance.  (10  pts.)  
 
Answer:   The   Power   of   eminent   domain   is   the   power   of   the   state   to   take   or  
appropriate   private   property   for   public   use.   The   Constitution   requires   that   private  
property   shall   not   be   taken   without   due   process   of   law   and   payment   of   just  
compensation.   The   Local   Government   Code   expressly   and   clearly   requires   an  
ordinance   or   a   local   law   for   the   purpose   to   expropriate   a   private   property.   First,   the  
necessity   of   expropriation   must   of   public   character.   The   property   should   be  
available   to   use   by   the   general   public   as   a   matter   of   right   and   not   merely   of  
forbearance  or  accommodation.  The  owner  of  private  property  should  be  paid  with  
just  compensation  and  in  accordance  with  the  due  process  of  law.  If  the  ordinance  
passed  by  the  City  of  Pasig  is  meet  all  these  requisites,  then  the  ordinance  is  valid.

     
4.  May   Congress   pass   a   law   providing   for   a   summary   proceeding   in   all   cases   involving  
the   exercise   of   the   quasi-­‐judicial   proceedings   of   the   Housing   and   Land   Use  
Regulatory   Board   (HLURB),   where   the   parties   are   only   required   to   submit   affidavits  
and   position   papers   prior   to   the   resolution   of   the   cases.   Please   discuss   the  
constitutionality  of  the  said  law.  (10  pts.)  
 
Answer:  No.  
 
 5. Please   discuss   the   elements   of   a   valid   classification   under   the   equal   protection   of  
law   concept?   Please   discuss   at   least   three   classifications   which   may   be  
constitutionally  permissible  based  on  jurisprudence?  (10  pts.)        
 
Answer:          Valid  Classification  means  that  the  grouping  of  persons  or  things  similar  
to   each   other   in   certain   particulars   and   different   from   all   others   in   the   same  
particulars.   Valid   classification   rests   upon   substantial   distinctions,   it   should   apply  
equally   to   all   members   of   the   same   class,   germane   to   purpose   of   law   and   it   is   not  
confined  to  existing  conditions  only.  

6. Please discuss substantive due process, and discuss one jurisprudence

that deals with this concept.

Answer: Substantive due process serves as a restriction on the government’s law

and rule making powers. It should be based on a valid law, the law must have
been passed or approved to accomplish a valid government objective and this
objective must be in lawful manner and the means to accomplish the objective
must be valid and not oppressive. In the case of Tanada v. Tuvera, publication of
laws is part of a substantive due process wherein, laws should be publish to
properly inform the public to be covered of the said law.

The End