Rubi and various other Manguianes in the province of Mindoro were ordered by the

provincial governor of Mindoro to remove their residence from their native habitat and to
established themselves on a reservation at Tigbao in the province of Mindoro and to remain
there, or be punished by imprisonment if they escaped. Manguianes had been ordered to live in a
reservation made to that end and for purposes of cultivation under certain plans. The
Manguianes are a Non-Christian tribe with a very low culture. These reservations, as appears
from the resolution of the Provincial oard, e!tends over an area of "## hectares of land, which is
appro!imately $### acres, on which about %## Manguianes are con&ned. 'ne of the
Manguianes, (abalos, escaped from the reservation and was ta)en in hand by the provincial
sheri* and placed in prison at Calapan, solely because he escaped from the reservation. +n
application for habeas corpus was made on behalf of Rubi and other Manguianes of the province,
alleging that by virtue of the resolution of the provincial board of Mindoro creating the
reservation, they had been illegally deprived of their liberty. ,n this case the validity of section
$-./ of the +dministrative Code, reading0 12ith the prior approval of the (epartment 3ead, the
provincial governor of any province in which non-Christian inhabitants are found is authori4ed,
when such a course is deemed necessary in the interest of law and order, to direct such
inhabitants to ta)e up their habitation on sites on unoccupied public lands to be selected by him
and approved by the provincial board,5 was challenged.
,66780 2hether or not the said law is constitutional.
389(0 y a vote of &ve to four, the 6upreme Court sustained the constitutionality of this
section of the +dministrative Code. +mong other things, it was held that the term 1non-Christian5
should not be given a literal meaning or a religious signi&cation, but that it was intended to
relate to degrees of civili4ation. The term 1non-Christian5 it was said, refers not to religious belief,
but in a way to geographical area, and more directly to natives of the Philippine ,slands of a low
grade of civili4ation. 'n the other hand, none of the provisions of the Philippine 'rganic 9aw
could have had the e*ect of denying to the :overnment of the Philippine ,slands, acting through
its 9egislature, the right to e!ercise that most essential, insistent, and illimitable of powers, the
sovereign police power, in the promotion of the general welfare and the public interest. when to
advance the public welfare, the law was found to be a legitimate e!ertion of the police power,
+nd it is unnecessary to add that the prompt registration of titles to land in the Philippines
constitutes an advancement of the public interests, for, besides promoting peace and good order
among landowners in particular and the people in general, it helps increase the industries of the
country, and ma)es for the development of the natural resources, with the conse;uent progress
of the general prosperity. +nd these ends are pursued in a special manner by the 6tate through
the e!ercise of its police power. The 6upreme Court held that the resolution of the provincial
board of Mindoro was neither discriminatory nor class legislation, and stated among other things0
1. . . one cannot hold that the liberty of the citi4en is unduly interfered with when the degree of
civili4ation of the Manguianes is considered. They are restrained for their own good and the
general good of the Philippines. Nor can one say that due process of law has not been followed.
To go bac) to our de&nition of due process of law and e;ual protection of the laws, there e!ists a
law< the law seems to be reasonable< it is enforced according to the regular methods of
procedure prescribed< and it applies ali)e to all of a class.5
,ssue02hether or Not 6ection $-./ of the +dministrative Code deprive a person of his
liberty pf abode.Thus, 2'N 6ection $-./ of the +dministrative Code of -=-> is constitutional.
3eld0The Court held that section $-./ of the +dministrative Code does not deprive a
person of his libertyof abode and does not deny to him the e;ual protection of the laws, and that
con&nement inreservations in accordance with said section does not constitute slavery and
involuntary servitude.The Court is further of the opinion that section $-./ of the +dministrative
Code is a legitimatee!ertion of the police power. 6ection $-./ of the +dministrative Code of -=->
is constitutional.
,ssue0 2hether or not 6ec. $-./ of the R+C is valid
The provision is valid, as an e!ception to the general rule. The legislature is permitted to
delegate legislative powers to the local authorities on matters that are of purely local concerns.