CASE DIGEST

Philippine Judges Association vs. Prado

Statutory Construction

Court Supreme Court En Banc

Citation G.R. No. 105371
Date November 11, 1993
Petitioner The Philippine Judges Association, et. Al.
Respondent Hon. Pete Prado

FACTS:
The petitioners filed a petition questioning the validity of Sec. 35 of Republic Act No. 7354. The
petitioners believed that their official functions will be prejudiced by the said section due to the withdrawal
of the franking privileges of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the Regional Trial Courts, the
Metropolitan Trial Courts, the Municipal Trial Courts, and the Land Registration Commission and its
Registers of Deeds, along with certain other government offices.

ISSUE:
Whether or not the Sec. 35 of RA No. 7354 is constitutional.

HELD:
The petitioners objected the validity of such on the following grounds: first, its title embraces more
than one subject and does not express its purposes. Sec. 26(I), Article VI of the Constitution provides that
every bill passed by the Congress shall embrace only one subject which shall be expressed in the title.
Second: it did not pass the required readings in both Houses of Congress. The petitioners uphold that the
second paragraph of Sec. 35 was not included in the original version of Senate Bill No. 720 or House Bill
No. 4200. Third: the section prejudiced the work of the Judiciary which denies them the equal protection
of the laws.
Thus, the court held Sec. 35 of RA No. 7354 as unconstitutional.