ABAKADA vs.

The Honorable Executive Secretary Ermita

GR 14!"# Se$tember 1# %&&'
(A)TS*
Re$ublic Act +!! is a consoli,ation o- three le.islative bills# House Bills /os.
!''' an, !&'# an, Senate bill /o. 1+'&. The $ur$ose o- the act 0as to solve
several $roblems re.ar,in. bu,.et ,e1cit# revenue .eneration# etc.
Both house bills involve, the increasin. o- the 2alue3A,,e, Tax# -or the
$ur$ose o- revenue .eneration. House Bill !''' 0as intro,uce, by the House o-
Re$resentatives# an, a-ter the 1rst rea,in. on 4anuary # %&&'# the 5resi,ent
certi1e, the bill -or imme,iate enactment. The bill 0as later a$$rove, by the House
o- Re$resentatives on the secon, an, thir, rea,in.. House Bill /o. !&' 0as
similarly certi1e, by the $resi,ent -or imme,iate enactment on (ebruary "# %&&'.
6n the other han,# Senate Bill /o. 1+'& 0as a$$rove, on the secon, an, thir,
rea,in. an, $asse, to the other house. The Senate a.ree, to the re7uest o- the
House o- Re$resentatives to or a con-erence committee on the ,isa.reein.
$rovisions o- the $ro$ose, bills. The )on-erence )ommittee ma,e a re$ort to
consoli,ate the three bills $ro$ose, bills 0hich 0as later a$$rove, by both houses#
transmitte, to the 5resi,ent an, si.ne, into la0 as Re$ublic Act +!! on 8arch %4#
%&&'. The la0 too9 e:ect 4uly 1# %&&'# in 0hich the )ourt issue, a tem$orary
restrainin. or,er u$on.
Several cases 0ere 1le, 7uestionin. the constitutionality o- RA +!!. The
claims inclu,e, that it 0as an un,ue ,ele.ation o- le.islative $o0ers# The Bicameral
)on-erence )ommittee actin. 0ithout ;uris,iction# an, that all a$$ro$riation#
revenue or tari: bills shall ori.inate exclusively in the House o- Re$resentatives.
<ssues*
1= >hether or not the )on-erence )ommittee acte, 0ithout ;uris,iction in
consoli,atin. the three bills?
%= >hether or not the )ourt may .o behin, the enrolle, co$y o- the bill to
certi-y its enactment?
!= >hether or not amen,ments may be intro,uce, in the )on-erence
)ommittee 0hen a bill has $asse, three rea,in.s?
4= >hether or not the )onstitutional re7uirement o- the ori.ination o-
a$$ro$riations bills 0as com$lie, 0ith?
Hel,*
1= /o. The callin. o- a Bicameral )on-erence )ommittee has the $ur$ose o-
resolvin. con@ictin. amen,ments $ro$ose, by the t0o houses. There-ore#
they may i- the 0ish# consoli,ate three bills in accor,ance 0ith the rules o-
its $rocee,in.s. The basic $o0ers o- the le.islative branch are to
-ormulate, an, im$lement its o0n rules o- $rocee,in.s# an, ,etails o-
ho0 )on.ress com$lies 0ith its internal rules. The consoli,ation o- the
bills 0as necessary -or the le.islature to concur 0ith the amen,ments#
there-ore ma9in. the la0 more re$resentative o- the 0ill o- the $eo$le.
%= /o. As relaye, in (arinas vs Executive Secretary# the court may not .o
behin, the enrolle, bill to evaluate its ,ue enactment# only 0hen there is
a serious ,iscre$ancy bet0een 0hat 0as ,eliberate, as sho0n in the
;ournals an, the 1nal bill a$$rove, by the hea,s o- both houses# may the
court .o behin, the enrolle, co$y o- the bill. To ,o other0ise 0oul,
encroach u$on the se$aration o- ;u,icial an, le.islative $o0ers. The court
is not the $ro$er $arty to en-orce the internal rules o- )on.ress.
!= Aes. Althou.h the bill 0as a$$rove, on the thir, rea,in.# an, the
)onstitutional $rovision $rohibits amen,ments to be intro,uce,
therea-ter# it ,oes not $rohibit the other house or the )on-erence
)ommittee to $ro$ose or concur 0ith amen,ments. The $rohibition o-
intro,ucin. amen,ments re-ers only to bills intro,uce, -or the 1rst time in
either houses o- )on.ress# not to the )on-erence )ommittee re$ort.
(urthermore# to construe other0ise 0oul, ,e$rive the other house o-
)on.ress its constitutional $o0er to amen, or intro,uce chan.es to the
bill.
4= Aes. The a$$ro$riations bills ori.inate, -rom the House o- Re$resentatives#
House Bill /os. !''' an, !&'. Althou.h amen,ments to the $rovisions
o- the ori.inal bills ,i, not all ori.inate -rom the House o- Re$resentatives#
it ,oes not violate the )onstitutional $rovision o- exclusive ori.ination o-
revenue bills. >hat the Senate ,i, 0as $ro$ose amen,ments to the
revenue bill throu.h the consoli,ationB they ,i, not $ro$ose the revenue
bill itsel-. (urthermore# the )onstitution $rovi,es that Cthe Senate may
$ro$ose or concur 0ith amen,ments.D ESec. %4# Art 2<= To construe
other0ise 0oul, ,e$rive the SenateFs le.islative $o0er.