Republic of the PhilippinesSUPREME COURTManilaSECOND
DIVISIONG.R. No. L-32166 October 18, 1977THE PEOPLE OF THE
PHLPPNES, plaintif-appellant, vs.HON. M!"MO !. M!CEREN CF, St#.
Cr$%, L#&$'#, (OSE )UEN!*ENTUR!, GO+OFRE+O RE,ES, )EN(!MN
RE,ES, N!-!RO !.UNO #'/ C!RLO +EL ROS!RO, accuse-appellees.Ofce of
the Solicitor General for appellant.Rustics F. de los Reyes, Jr.
for appellees. !.UNO, J.:t.hqw!his is a case involvin" the valiit#
of a $%&' (e"ulation, penali)in" elect(o *shin" inf(esh +ate(
*she(ies, p(o,ul"ate b# the Sec(eta(# of -"(icultu(e an Natu(al
Resou(ces an the Co,,issione( of .ishe(ies une( the ol .ishe(ies
/a+ an the la+ c(eatin" the .ishe(ies Co,,ission.On Ma(ch ',
$%&% 0ose 1uenaventu(a, 2oof(eo Re#es, 1en3a,in Re#es, Na)a(io
-4uino an Ca(lito el Rosa(io +e(e cha("e b# a Constabula(#
investi"ato( in the ,unicipal cou(t of Sta. C(u), /a"una +ith
havin" violate .ishe(ies -,inist(ative O(e( No. 56-$.It +as alle"e
in the co,plaint that the *ve accuse in the ,o(nin" of Ma(ch $,
$%&% (eso(te to elect(o *shin" in the +ate(s of 1a((io San
Pablo No(te, Sta. C(u) b#7usin" thei( o+n ,oto( banca, e4uippe +ith
,oto(8 +ith a "ene(ato( colo(e "(een +ith attache #na,o colo(e "(a#
o( so,e+hat +hite8 an elect(ocutin" evice locall# 9no+n as senso(e
+ith a so,e+hat +ebbe coppe( +i(e on the tip o( othe( en of a
ba,boo pole +ith elect(ic +i(e attach,ent +hich +as attache to the
#na,o i(ect an +ith the use of these evices o( e4uip,ents catches
*sh th(u elect(ic cu((ent, +hich est(o# an# a4uatic ani,als +ithin
its cufe (each, to the et(i,ent an p(e3uice of the populace7
:C(i,inal Case No. ;6pon ,otion of the accuse, the ,unicipal cou(t
4uashe the co,plaint. !he p(osecution appeale. !he Cou(t of .i(st
Instance of /a"una a?(,e the o(e( of is,issal :Civil Case No.
SC-@&=. !he case is no+ befo(e this Cou(t on appeal b# the
p(osecution une( Republic -ct No. ;66A.!he lo+e( cou(t hel that
elect(o *shin" cannot be penali)e because elect(ic cu((entis not an
obnoBious o( poisonous substance as conte,plate in section I I of
the .ishe(ies /a+ an that it is not a substance at all but a fo(,
of ene("# conucte o( t(ans,itte b# substances. !he lo+e( cou(t
fu(the( hel that, since the la+ oes notclea(l# p(ohibit elect(o
*shin", the eBecutive an 3uicial epa(t,ents cannot consie( it
unla+ful.-s le"al bac9"(oun, it shoul be state that section $$ of
the .ishe(ies /a+ p(ohibits 7the use of an# obnoBious o( poisonous
substance7 in *shin".Section '& of the sa,e la+ punishes an#
pe(son +ho uses an obnoBious o( poisonous substance in *shin" +ith
a *ne of not ,o(e than *ve hun(e pesos no( ,o(e than *ve thousan,
an b# i,p(ison,ent fo( not less than siB ,onths no( ,o(e than *ve
#ea(s.It is note+o(th# that the .ishe(ies /a+ oes not eBp(essl#
punish .elect(o *shin".7 Not+ithstanin" the silence of the la+, the
Sec(eta(# of -"(icultu(e an Natu(al Resou(ces, upon the
(eco,,enation of the Co,,issione( of .ishe(ies, p(o,ul"ate
.ishe(ies -,inist(ative O(e( No. 56 :&< O.2. $
