ROBERT V. TOBIAS, RAMON M. GUZMAN, TERRY T. LIM, GREGORIO D.

GABRIEL, and ROBERTO R. TOBIAS, JR. petitioners, s. !ON. "ITY

MAYOR BENJAMIN S. ABALOS, "ITY TREASURER #ILLIAM MAR"ELINO,
and T!E SANGGUNIANG $ANLUNGSOD, a%% o& t'e "it( o&
Manda%)(on*, Metro Mani%a, respondents.
1994-12-08 | G.R. No. L-114783
+a,ts-
Petitioners assail the constitutionality of Reu!lic "ct No. 7#7$% other&ise
'no&n as ("n "ct )on*ertin+ the ,uniciality of ,an-aluyon+ into a .i+hly
/r!ani0e- )ity to !e 'no&n as the )ity of ,an-aluyon+.(
Prior to the enact1ent of the assaile- statute% the 1unicialities of
,an-aluyon+ an- 2an 3uan !elon+e- to only one le+islati*e -istrict. .on.
Ronal-o 4a1ora sonsore- the !ill &hich e*entually !eca1e R.". No. 7#7$.
Presi-ent Ra1os si+ne- R.". No. 7#7$ into la& on 5e!ruary 9% 1994.
Petitioners ar+ue that the -i*ision of 2an 3uan an- ,an-aluyon+ into searate
con+ressional -istricts un-er 2ection 49 of the assaile- la& has resulte- in an
increase in the co1osition of the .ouse of Reresentati*es !eyon- that
ro*i-e- in "rticle 67% 2ec. $ 819 of the )onstitution. 5urther1ore% etitioners
conten- that sai- -i*ision &as not 1a-e ursuant to any census sho&in+ that
the su!:ect 1unicialities ha*e attaine- the 1ini1u1 oulation
re;uire1ents. "n- <nally% etitioners assert that 2ection 49 has the e=ect of
ree1tin+ the ri+ht of )on+ress to reaortion le+islati*e -istricts ursuant
to 2ec. $ 849 as aforecite-.
Iss)e-
1. >hether or not "rticle 6777% 2ection 49 of R.". No. 7#7$ contra*enes the
?one su!:ect-one !ill@ ruleA
2. >hether or not "rticle 67% 2ections $ 819 of the )onstitution is infracte-
for the a--itional le+islati*e -istrict in the creation of the assaile- la&A
3. >hether or not "rticle 67% 2ections $ 849 of the )onstitution is
ree1tin+ the ri+ht of the )on+ress of reaortion1ent of the
le+islati*e -istrictsA
!e%d-
)ontentions are deoid o& .erit. Bhe etition is DISMISED for lac' of
1erit.
RatioC
1. )ontrary to etitionersD assertion% the creation of searate
con+ressional -istrict for ,an-aluyon+ is not a su!:ect searate an-
-istinct fro1 the su!:ect of con*ersion into a .i+hly /r!ani0e- )ity
!ut is a natural an- lo+ical conse;uence of its con*ersion into a .i+hly
/r!ani0e- )ity. " li!eral construction of the ?one su!:ect-one !ill@ rule
has !een in*aria!ly a-ote- !y the court so as not to crile or
i1e-e le+islation. Bhus% it shoul- !e +i*en a ractical rather than a
technical construction. 7t shoul- !e suEcient co1liance &ith such
re;uire1ent is the title eFresses the +eneral su!:ect an- all the
ro*isions +er1ane to that +eneral su!:ect
"nent the <rst issue% the court a+ree- &ith the o!ser*ation of the
2olicitor General that the statutory con*ersion of ,an-aluyon+ into a
hi+hly ur!ani0e- city &ith a oulation of not less than t&o hun-re-
<fty thousan- in-u!ita!ly or-ains co1liance &ith the (one city-one
reresentati*e( ro*iso in the )onstitutionC
(. . . Gach city &ith a oulation of at least t&o hun-re- <fty thousan-%
or each ro*ince% shall ha*e at least one reresentati*e( 8"rticle 67%
2ection $ 839% )onstitution9.
.ence% it is in co1liance &ith the aforestate- constitutional 1an-ate
that the creation of a searate con+ressional -istrict for the )ity of
,an-aluyon+ is -ecree- un-er "rticle 6777% 2ection 49 of R.". No. 7#7$.
2. "s to the contention that the assaile- la& infracts the resent li1it on
the nu1!er of reresentati*es as set forth in the )onstitution% "rticle
67% 2ection $ 819% as afore ;uote-% states that the resent li1it 2$0
1e1!ers is not a!solute. Bhe )onstitution clearly ro*i-es that the
.ouse of Reresentati*es shall !e co1ose- of not 1ore than 2$0
1e1!ers% (unless other&ise ro*i-e- !y la&.( Bhe inescaa!le i1ort
of the latter clause is that the resent co1osition of )on+ress 1ay !e
increase-% if )on+ress itself so 1an-ates throu+h a le+islati*e
enact1ent. Bherefore% the increase in con+ressional reresentation
1an-ate- !y R.". No. 7#7$ is not unconstitutional.
3. "s to the contention that 2ection 49 of R.". No. 7#7$ in e=ect ree1ts
the ri+ht of )on+ress to reaortion le+islati*e -istricts% the sai-
ar+u1ent !or-ers on the a!sur- since etitioners o*erloo' the +larin+
fact that it &as )on+ress itself &hich -rafte-% -eli!erate- uon an-
enacte- the assaile- la&% inclu-in+ 2ection 49 thereof. )on+ress
cannot ossi!ly ree1t itself on a ri+ht &hich ertains to itself.