STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION
EASTERN SAMAR STATE UNIVERSITY- COLLEGE OF LAW
MLS- JD 1B (RM 102) 9:00-11:00 AM Saturday
A.Y. 2024- 2025
ATTY. JANSSEN REY P. DELANTAR
I. Introduction to Statutory Construction
a. Definition of Statutory Construction
i. Caltex Inc. v. Palomar, G.R. No. L-19650, September 29,
1966
b. Characteristics of Statutory Construction
i. Statutory construction as an art or process
ii. Determination of legislative intent
1. Republic Flour Mills, Inc. v. Commissioner of Customs,
et.al., G.R. No. L-28463, May 31, 1971
2. Torres v. Limjap, G.R. No. 34385, September 21, 1931
3. Andres Borromeo v. Ferman Mariano, G.R. No. L-16808,
January 03, 1921
4. Alpha Investigation and Security Agency Inc. v. NLRC,
et.al, G.R. No. 111722, May 27, 1997
iii. Necessary only when the legislative intent cannot be readily
ascertained from the words used in the law as applied under a
set of facts.
a. Bolos v. Bolos, G.R. No. 186400, October 20,
2010.
b. Hermelina Rama and Baby Rama Lauron v. Sps.
Nogra and Sps. Ricardo Rama and Mariles Rama,
G.R. No. 219556, September 14, 2021
iv. Construction is a judicial function.
a. Angara v. The Electoral Commission, G.R. No.
45081, July 15, 1936
b. Endencia v. David, G.R. Nos. L-6355-56, August
31, 1953
c. Related Legal Principles
1. Separation of Powers:
a. Angara v. The Electoral Commission, G.R. No.
45081, July 15, 1936
b. Director of Prisons v. Ang Chio Kio, G.R. No. L-
30001, June 23, 1970
2. Hierarchy of Laws
a. Eastern Shipping Lines Inc. v. POEA, et.al., G.R.
No. 76633, October 18, 1988.
3. Stare Decisis and Res Judicata
a. Significance of stare decisis- Luzon Brokerage
Co., Inc. v. Maritime Building Co., Inc., et.al, G.R.
L-25885
b. Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. et al. v.
Pagdanganan et al, G.R. No. 167866, October 12,
2006
c. Res Judicata:
i. Republic of the Philippines (Civil
Aeronautics Administration) v. Ramon Yu,
Teofista Villamala, Lourdes Yu and Yu Se
Peng, G.R. No. 157557, March 10, 2006.
ii. Veloso, et.al. v. Court of Appeals, G.R. No.
116680, August 28, 1996.
II. Legislative Power
- Sec. (1) Article VI of the 1987 Constitution
- Ocena v. Commission on Elections, G.R. No. L-52265, January 28,
1980.
a. Bicameralism
b. Extent and limitations on legislative power.
III. Statutes
i. In general
ii. Permanent and Temporary Statutes
iii. Law v. Statutes, how they differ.
iv. Types of Law:
1. Constitution
2. Presidential Issuances
3. Implementing Rules and Regulations
4. Ordinances
b. Parts of a Statute:
1. Title
a. Article VI, Sec. 26(1) of the 1987 Constitution
b. City of Baguio v. Marcos, G.R. No. L-26100,
February 28, 1969
c. Giron v. COMELEC, G.R. No. 188179, January 22,
2013
2. Preamble- People of the Philippines v. Purisima, G.R.
Nos. L-42050-66, November 20, 1978
3. Enacting Clause
4. Body
5. Headnotes and Epigraphs
-People v. Yabut, G.R. No. 39085, September 27,
1933
6. Repealing Clause
7. Separability Clause
- What is the test to be applied: Tatad v. Department of
Energy, G.R. No. 124360, December 03, 1997
8. Effectivity Clause: Tanada v. Tuvera, G.R. No. L-63915,
April 24, 1985
IV. Enactment of Statutes
i. Procedural requirements in enacting a law
ii. Steps in the passage of a bill into a law
iii. Enactment of budget and appropriations law
iv. Rules and records of legislative proceedings
v. Unimpeachability of legislative journals
vi. Concept of Enrolled Bill. Enrolled Bill Doctrine
a. Joker Arroyo, et.al, v. Jose De Venecia, et.al. and
the CIR, G.R. No. 127255, August 14, 1997
V. Validity of Statutes
i. Presumption of constitutionality
a. Municipality of San Mateo, Isabela v. SMART
Communications Inc., G.R. No. 219506, June 23,
2021
b. Morfe v. Mutuc, G.R. No. 20387, January 31, 1968
ii. Requisites for exercise of judicial power
a. Actual case or controversy: David v. Macapagal-
Arroyo, G.R. No. 171396, May 03, 2006
(consolidated petitions)
b. Standing to Sue:
Bayan Muna Party-List Representatives Satur
C. Ocampo and Teodoro A. Casino, et.al, v.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, et.al, G.R.
No. 182734, January 10, 2023.
c. Question of constitutionality must be raised at
the earliest opportunity
1. Venus Commercial Co.,Inc., v.
Department of Health and the Food
and Drug Administration, G.R. No.
240764, November 18, 2021.
2. Jovit Buella y Abalani v. People of
the Philippines, G.R. No. 244027,
April 11, 2023.
d. Question of Constitutionality must be the very
lis mota of the case
1. Venus Commercial Co.,Inc., v.
Department of Health and the Food
and Drug Administration, G.R. No.
240764, November 18, 2021.
iii. Test of constitutionality. Effect of unconstitutionality
i. Film Development Council of the
Philippines v. Colon Heritage Realty
Corporation, Operator, G.R. No. 203754,
October 15, 2019
iv. Invalidity due to change of conditions
v. Partial invalidity
VI. Construction and Interpretation
i. Nature and Purpose
ii. Power to construe; Construction as a judicial function
iii. Condition sine qua non before courts can construe statutes
iv. General Principles of Construction
a. Law construed as a whole
b. Presumption of Justice (Article 10, Civil Code)
c. Construction consistent with the Constitution
d. Construction to render provision effective
v. Limitations on the power to construe
VII. Statute construed as whole
VIII. Strict or liberal construction
i. Statutes strictly and liberally construed.
IX. Construction of Words and Phrases in a Statute
i. Construction of contents of statute, words and phrases, and
punctuation.
ii. Association and relationship of words, phrases, and provisions:
a. Noscitur a Sociis
b. Ejusdem Generis
c. Express Mention and Implied Exclusion
d. Necessary Implication
e. Casus Omissus
f. Each to Each
g. Qualifying terms; last antecedent
h. Context and related clauses
X. Extrinsic Aids of Construction
i. Extrinsic aids of construction in general
ii. Extrinsic aids:
a. Legislative Deliberations
b. Legislative history
c. Contemporaneous circumstances
d. Legislative Practice; reference to other statutes
e. Statutes borrowed from foreign jurisdictions
iii. Contemporary Construction
XI. Adherence to, or departure from, language of statute
a. Literal Interpretation
i. Literal meaning or plain meaning rule
ii. Dura lex sed lex
b. Departure from literal interpretation
- Statute must be capable of interpretation, otherwise inoperative.
c. Implications:
i. Doctrine of necessary implication
XII. Construction of Conflicting Provisions
i. Statutes in Pari Materia
ii. Rules on Resolving Statutes in Pari Materia
a. Special law v. General law
b. Substantive law v. Procedural law
c. Earlier law v. Later law; amendment and repeal
XIII. Prospectivity and Retroactivity
i. Prospective and retroactive statutes, in general
ii. Prospectivity of statutes
iii. Retroactivity of Statutes
a. Procedural rules
b. Curative laws
c. Penal laws
iv. Prospectivity and retroactivity of judicial decisions
XIV. Amendment, Revision, Codification and repeal
XV. Constitutional Construction
XVI. Interpretation of contracts
i. Contracts in general
ii. Interpretation of contracts
iii. Legal provisions on the interpretation of contracts
References: Statutory Construction Concepts and Cases, Ricardo M. Pilares, 2 nd
Edition, 2023;
Statutory Construction by Ruben A. Agpalo, 2009
Grading System:
1. Attendance : 5%
2. Recitation: 15%
3. Midterm Examination: 40%
4. Final Examination: 40%
