Board VS.

DELA ROSA (1991)

BIDIN, J.
FACTS:
On July 12, 1960, Santiago Gatchalian, grandfather of illia! Gatchalian, "a# recogni$ed %y the
Bureau of I!!igration a# a nati&e %orn 'ili(ino citi$en follo"ing the citi$en#hi( of natural !other )ariana
Gatchalian* On June 2+, 1961, illia!, then t"el&e year# old, arri&e# in )anila fro! ,ong-ong together
"ith a daughter and a #on of Santiago* .hey had "ith the! certificate of regi#tration and identity i##ued
%y the /hili((ine con#ulate in ,ong-ong %a#ed on a ca%legra! %earing the #ignature of the #ecretary of
foreign affair#, 'eli0%erto Serrano, and #ought ad!i##ion a# 'ili(ino citi$en#*
On July 6, 1961, the %oard of #(ecial in1uiry ad!itted the Gatchalian# a# 'ili(ino citi$en# and
i##ued an identification certificate to illia!* .he %oard of co!!i##ioner# "a# directed %y the Secretary
of Ju#tice to 2e&ie" all ca#e# "here entry "a# allo"ed on the ground that the entrant "a# a 'ili(ino
citi$en #uch included the ca#e of illia!* 3# a re#ult of the deci#ion of the %oard of #(ecial in1uiry "hich
reco!!ended for the re&er#al of the deci#ion of the Board of 4o!!i##ioner#* 3cting co!!i##ioner
i##ued an order affir!ing the deci#ion of the Board of S(ecial In1uiry*
On 3ugu#t 15, 1990, (etitioner 4o!!i##ioner Do!ingo of the 4o!!i##ion of I!!igration and
De(ortation
678
i##ued a !i##ion order co!!anding the arre#t of re#(ondent illia! Gatchalian* .he latter
a((eared %efore 4o!!i##ioner Do!ingo on 3ugu#t 20, 1990 and "a# relea#ed on the #a!e day u(on
(o#ting /200,000*00 ca#h %ond*
On 3ugu#t 29, 1990, illia! Gatchalian filed a (etition for certiorari and (rohi%ition "ith in9unction %efore
the 2egional .rial 4ourt of )anila, Br* 29, (re#ided %y re#(ondent Judge dela 2o#a* On Se(te!%er :,
1990, (etitioner# filed a !otion to di#!i## alleging that re#(ondent 9udge ha# no 9uri#diction o&er the
Board of 4o!!i##ioner# and;or the Board of S(ecial In1uiry* Nonethele##, re#(ondent 9udge dela 2o#a
i##ued the a##ailed order dated Se(te!%er +, 1990, denying the !otion to di#!i##*
.he (etition i# anchored on the follo"ing (ro(o#ition#: 1< re#(ondent 9udge# ha&e no 9uri#diction
o&er (etitioner# =Board of 4o!!i##ioner#, et al*,< and the #u%9ect !atter of the ca#e, a((ellate 9uri#diction
%eing &e#ted %y B/ 129 "ith the 4ourt of 3((eal#> 2< a##u!ing re#(ondent 9udge# ha&e 9uri#diction, they
acted "ith gra&e a%u#e of di#cretion in (ree!(ting (etitioner# in the e0erci#e of the authority and
9uri#diction to hear and deter!ine the de(ortation ca#e again#t re#(ondent Gatchalian, and in the (roce##
deter!ine al#o hi# citi$en#hi(> ?< re#(ondent 9udge dela 2o#a gra&ely a%u#ed hi# di#cretion in ruling that
the i##ue# rai#ed in the de(ortation (roceeding# are %eyond the co!(etence and 9uri#diction of
(etitioner#, there%y di#regarding the ca#e# of 3rocha &* @i&o and @i&o v. 3rca =supra<, "hich (ut finality to
the July 6, 1962 deci#ion of the Board of 4o!!i##ioner# that re#(ondent Gatchalian i# a 4hine#e citi$en*

ISSABS:
1*hether or not the 4ourt of 3((eal# not 2.4 "hich ha# e0clu#i&e a((ellate 9uri#diction o&er all final
9udg!ent# or order# of 1ua#iC9udicial agencie#, %oard# or co!!i##ion#, #uch a# the Board of
4o!!i##ioner# and the Board of S(ecial In1uiry*
2*hether or not illia! i# to %e declared a 'ili(ino 4iti$en, and if not, "hether the order of hi#
de(ortation %e %arred for #uch i##uance 2D year# thereafter*
2AEING:
1* Ander Sec* 21 =1< of Bata# /a!%an#a Blg* 129, the 2egional .rial 4ourt# ha&e concurrent 9uri#diction
"ith thi# 4ourt and the 4ourt of 3((eal# to i##ue F"rit# of certiorari, (rohi%ition, mandamus, quo warranto,
habeas corpus and in9unction "hich !ay %e enforced in any (art of their re#(ecti&e region#*F .hu#, the
2.4# are &e#ted "ith the (o"er to deter!ine "hether or not there ha# %een a gra&e a%u#e of di#cretion
on the (art of any %ranch or in#tru!entality of the go&ern!ent*
It i# true that under Sec* 9 =?< of Bata# /a!%an#a Blg* 129, the 4ourt of 3((eal# i# &e#ted "ith G
F=?< B0clu#i&e a((ellate 9uri#diction o&er all final 9udg!ent#, deci#ion#, re#olution#, order, or a"ard# of
2egional .rial 4ourt# and 1ua#iC9udicial agencie#, in#tru!entalitie#, %oard or co!!i##ion, e0ce(t tho#e
falling "ithin the a((ellate 9uri#diction of the Su(re!e 4ourt in accordance "ith the 4on#titution, the
(ro&i#ion# of thi# 3ct, and of #u%C(aragra(h =1< of the third (aragra(h of and #u%C(aragra(h =:< of the
fourth (aragra(h of Section 1+ of the Judiciary 3ct of 19:D*F
It doe# not (ro&ide, ho"e&er, that #aid e0clu#i&e a((ellate 9uri#diction of the 4ourt of 3((eal# e0tend#
to all 1ua#iC9udicial agencie#* .he 1ua#iC9udicial %odie# "ho#e deci#ion# are e0clu#i&ely a((eala%le to the
4ourt of 3((eal# are tho#e "hich under the la", 2e(u%lic 3ct No* 5:?:, or their ena%ling act#, are
#(ecifically a((eala%le to the 4ourt of 3((eal#
In the ca#e at %ar, the co!(etent court "hich could (ro(erly ta-e cogni$ance of the (roceeding# in#tituted
%y re#(ondent Gatchalian "ould nonethele## %e the 2egional .rial 4ourt and not the 4ourt of 3((eal# in
&ie" of Sec* 21 =1<, B/ 129, "hich confer# u(on the for!er 9uri#diction o&er action# for (rohi%ition
concurrently "ith the 4ourt of 3((eal# and the Su(re!e 4ourt and in line "ith the (ronounce!ent# of thi#
4ourt in 4hua ,iong and 4o ca#e#*

2* Ander Sec* ?9 of the I!!igration 3ct, it i# reiterated that #uch de(ortation (roceeding# #hould %e
in#tituted "ithin fi&e =5< year#* In the ca#e at %ar, it too- (etitioner# 2D year# #ince the BO4 deci#ion "a#
rendered on July 6, 1962 %efore they co!!enced de(ortation or e0clu#ion (roceeding# again#t
re#(ondent illia! Gatchalian in 1990* Andou%tedly, (etitioner#H cau#e of action ha# already
(re#cri%ed* .he (o"er to de(ort an alien i# an act of the State* It i# an act %y or under the authority of the
#o&ereign (o"er* It i# a (olice !ea#ure again#t unde#ira%le alien# "ho#e (re#ence in the country i#
found to %e in9uriou# to the (u%lic good and do!e#tic tran1uility of the (eo(leF =Eao Gi v. 4ourt of
3((eal#, supra<* ,o" could one "ho ha# hel(ed the econo!y of the country %y (ro&iding e!(loy!ent to
#o!e :,000 (eo(le %e con#idered unde#ira%le and %e #u!!arily de(orted "hen the go&ern!ent, in it#
concerted dri&e to attract foreign in&e#tor#, grant# S(ecial 2e#ident @i#a to any alien "ho in&e#t at lea#t
AS I50,000*00 in the countryJ B&en a##u!ing arguendo that re#(ondent i# an alien, hi# de(ortation
under the circu!#tance# i# un9u#t and unfair, if not do"nright illegal* .he action ta-en %y (etitioner# in
the ca#e at %ar i# dia!etrically o((o#ed to #ettled go&ern!ent (olicy*
'inally, re#(ondent illia! Gatchalian %elong# to the cla## of 'ili(ino citi$en# conte!(lated under Sec*
1, 3rticle I@ of the 4on#titution, "hich (ro&ide#:
FSection 1*
.he follo"ing are citi$en# of the /hili((ine#:
F=1< .ho#e "ho are citi$en# of the /hili((ine# at the ti!e of the ado(tion of thi# 4on#titution*
.hi# foreclo#e# any further 1ue#tion a%out the /hili((ine citi$en#hi( of re#(ondent illia! Gatchalian*
WHEREFORE, G.R. Nos. 95122-2 !s D"S#"SSED $or %a&' o$ ()r!*+ G.R. Nos. 95,12-1 !s -)r)./
GRANTED a0d r)s1o0d)0* W!%%!a( Ga*&-a%!a0 !s d)&%ar)d a F!%!1!0o &!*!2)0. 3)*!*!o0)rs ar) -)r)./
1)r(a0)0*%/ )04o!0)d $ro( &o0*!05!06 7!*- *-) d)1or*a*!o0 1ro&))d!06s $or %a&' o$ 45r!sd!&*!o0
o8)r r)s1o0d)0* Ga*&-a%!a0, -) .)!06 a F!%!1!0o &!*!2)0.
Republic vs. Orbecido III