8/13/2019 13. Ople vs. Torres

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[G.R. No. 127685. July 23, 1998]BLAS F. OPLE, petitioner, vs.RUBEN D. ORRES, ALE!ANDER AGU"RRE, #E$OR %"LLANUE%A,$"EL"O #AB"O, ROBER BARBERS, $AR&EN$"A REOD"$A, $ESAR SAR"NO, RENAO%ALEN$"A, O&AS P. AFR"$A, #EAD OF #E NA"ONAL $O&PUER $ENER and$#A"R&ANOF #E $O&&"SS"ON ON AUD", respondents.

FACTS OF THE CASE:

- President Fidel V. Ramos issued Administrative Order (A.O.) 3! on "e#em$er %&' % entiltled Ado*tion o+ ,ational

Com*uteried denti+i#ation Re+eren#e S/stem or #ommonl/ 0no1n as ,atioanal " S/stem.

-Petitioner Senator O*le see0s to annul t2e de#laration o+ AO no. 3! 12i#2 a#tuall/ aids t2e Fili*inos and +orein residents in

transa#tin $usiness 1it2 $asi# servi#e and se#urit/ *roviders and overnment instrumentalities t2rou2 a #om*uteried

s/stem so as to *revent an/ +raudulent transa#tions' on t1o rounds t2at it involves usur*ation o+ t2e *o1er o+ Conress to

leislate ( #ontendin t2at A 3! is not a mere administrative order $ut a la1 ) and it invades t2e #itienr/4s ri2t o+ *riva#/.

SS5E: s t2e *romulation o+ t2e AO 3!' under t2e Constitution' a violation o+ t2e #itienr/4s ri2t o+ *riva#/6

SS5E: s t2e issuan#e o+ AO 3!' 1it2in t2e s#o*e o+ t2e *resident4s *o1er6

Held: 7es. Assumin' aruendo' t2at A.O. ,o. 3! need not $e t2e su$8e#t o+ a la1' still it #annot *ass #onstitutional

muster as an administrative leislation $e#ause +a#iall/ it violates t2e ri2t to *riva#/. T2e essen#e o+ *riva#/ is t2e

9ri2t to $e let alone.

;ut 12at is not arua$le is t2e $roadness' t2e vaueness' t2e over$readt2 o+ A.O. ,o. 3! 12i#2 i+ im*lemented 1ill *ut our

*eo*le&@T2e/ t2reaten t2e ver/ a$uses t2at t2e ;ill o+ Ri2ts see0s to *revent.

2' NO.Administrative *o1er is #on#erned 1it2 t2e 1or0 o+ a**l/in *oli#ies and en+or#in orders as determined $/ *ro*erovernmental orans.>&%@t ena$les t2e President to +iB a uni+orm standard o+ administrative e++i#ien#/ and #2e#0 t2e o++i#ial#ondu#t o+ 2is aents.>&&@To t2is end' 2e #an issue administrative orders' rules and reulations.

Pres#indin +rom t2ese *re#e*ts' 1e 2old t2at A.O. ,o. 3! involves a su$8e#t t2at is not a**ro*riate to $e #overed $/ anadministrative order. An administrative order is:

9Se#. 3.Administrative Orders.-- A#ts o+ t2e President 12i#2 relate to *arti#ular as*e#ts o+ overnmental o*eration in*ursuan#e o+ 2is duties as administrative 2ead s2all $e *romulated in administrative orders.9>&3@

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An administrative order is an ordinan#e issued $/ t2e President 12i#2 relates to s*e#i+i# as*e#ts in t2e

administrative o*eration o+ overnment. t must $e in 2armon/ 1it2 t2e la1 and s2ould $e +or t2e sole *ur*ose

o+ im*lementin t2e la1 and #arr/in out t2e leislative *oli#/. >&@De re8e#t t2e arument t2at A.O. ,o. 3!

im*lements t2e leislative *oli#/ o+ t2e Administrative Code o+ %!. T2e Code is a eneral la1 and 9in#or*orates

in a uni+ied do#ument t2e ma8or stru#tural' +un#tional and *ro#edural *rin#i*les o+ overnan#e9>&?@and 9em$odies

#2anes in administrative stru#tures and *ro#edures desined to serve t2e *eo*le.9 >&@T2e Code is divided into

seven () ;oo0s: ;oo0 deals 1it2 Sovereint/ and eneral Administration' ;oo0 1it2 t2e "istri$ution o+ Po1ers

o+ t2e t2ree $ran#2es o+ overnment' ;oo0 on t2e O++i#e o+ t2e President' ;oo0 V on t2e EBe#utive ;ran#2'

;oo0 V on t2e Constitutional Commissions' ;oo0 V on ,ational overnment ;udetin' and ;oo0 V on

Administrative Pro#edure. T2ese ;oo0s #ontain *rovisions on t2e oraniation' *o1ers and eneral administration

o+ t2e eBe#utive' leislative and 8udi#ial $ran#2es o+ overnment' t2e oraniation and administration o+

de*artments' $ureaus and o++i#es under t2e eBe#utive $ran#2' t2e oraniation and +un#tions o+ t2e Constitutional

Commissions and ot2er #onstitutional $odies' t2e rules on t2e national overnment $udet' as 1ell as uidelines +or

t2e eBer#ise $/ administrative aen#ies o+ =uasi-leislative and =uasi-8udi#ial *o1ers. T2e Code #overs $ot2 t2e

internal administration o+ overnment' i.e' internal oraniation' *ersonnel and re#ruitment' su*ervision anddis#i*line' and t2e e++e#ts o+ t2e +un#tions *er+ormed $/ administrative o++i#ials on *rivate individuals or *arties

outside overnment.

t #annot $e sim*listi#all/ arued t2at A.O. ,o. 3! merel/ im*lements t2e Administrative Code o+ %!. t

esta$lis2es +or t2e +irst time a ,ational Com*uteried denti+i#ation Re+eren#e S/stem. Su#2 a S/stem re=uires a

deli#ate ad8ustment o+ various #ontendin state *oli#ies-- t2e *rima#/ o+ national se#urit/' t2e eBtent o+ *riva#/

interest aainst dossier-at2erin $/ overnment' t2e #2oi#e o+ *oli#ies' et#. ndeed' t2e dissent o+ Gr. usti#e

Gendoa states t2at t2e A.O. ,o. 3! involves t2e all-im*ortant +reedom o+ t2ou2t. As said administrative order

rede+ines t2e *arameters o+ some $asi# ri2ts o+ our #itienr/ vis-a-vis t2e State as 1ell as t2e line t2at se*arates

t2e administrative *o1er o+ t2e President to ma0e rules and t2e leislative *o1er o+ Conress' it ou2t to $e evidentt2at it deals 1it2 a su$8e#t t2at s2ould $e #overed $/ la1.

Gan/ reulations 2o1ever' $ear dire#tl/ on t2e *u$li#. t is 2ere t2at administrative leislation must $e restri#ted in

its s#o*e and a**li#ation. Reulations are not su**osed to $e a su$stitute +or t2e eneral *oli#/-ma0in t2at

Conress ena#ts in t2e +orm o+ a *u$li# la1. Alt2ou2 administrative reulations are entitled to res*e#t' t2e

aut2orit/ to *res#ri$e rules and reulations is not an inde*endent sour#e o+ *o1er to ma0e la1s.9 >&!@

, VED DHEREOF' t2e *etition is ranted and Administrative Order ,o. 3! entitled 9Ado*tion o+ a ,ational Com*uteried

denti+i#ation Re+eren#e S/stem9 de#lared null and void +or $ein un#onstitutional.

PR,: POP5IATO, REFERE,CE ,5G;ER

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