ESTRADA VS DESIERTO; ARROYO

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Estrada vs Desierto G.R. No. 14671!1"# Estrada vs Arroyo G.R. No. 1467$8%
Mar&' 2 21
()**+nity ,ro* -+it# Resi.nation o, t'e President# /+sti&iable &ontroversy0
FACTS:
)t be.an in 1&tober 2 2'en alle.ations o, 2ron. doin.s involvin. bribe!
takin.% ille.al .a*blin.% and ot'er ,or*s o, &orr+3tion 2ere *ade a.ainst
Estrada be,ore t'e -enate 4l+e Ribbon 5o**ittee. 1n Nove*ber 1$% 2%
Estrada 2as i*3ea&'ed by t'e 6or and% on De&e*ber 7% i*3ea&'*ent
3ro&eedin.s 2ere be.+n in t'e -enate d+rin. 2'i&' *ore serio+s alle.ations
o, .ra,t and &orr+3tion a.ainst Estrada 2ere *ade and 2ere only sto33ed
on /an+ary 16% 21 2'en 11 senators% sy*3at'eti& to t'e President%
s+&&eeded in s+33ressin. da*a.in. eviden&e a.ainst Estrada. As a res+lt%
t'e i*3ea&'*ent trial 2as t'ro2n into an +3roar as t'e entire 3rose&+tion
3anel 2alked o+t and -enate President Pi*entel resi.ned a,ter &astin. 'is
vote a.ainst Estrada.
1n /an+ary 17% PNP and t'e A8P also 2it'dre2 t'eir s+33ort ,or Estrada and
9oined t'e &ro2d at ED-A -'rine. Estrada &alled ,or a sna3 3residential
ele&tion to be 'eld &on&+rrently 2it' &on.ressional and lo&al ele&tions on
May 14% 21. 6e added t'at 'e 2ill not r+n in t'is ele&tion. 1n /an+ary 2%
-5 de&lared t'at t'e seat o, 3residen&y 2as va&ant% sayin. t'at Estrada
:&onstr+&tively resi.ned 'is 3ost;. At noon% Arroyo took 'er oat' o, o<&e in
t'e 3resen&e o, t'e &ro2d at ED-A as t'e 14t' President. Estrada and 'is
,a*ily later le,t Mala&a=an. Pala&e. Era3% a,ter 'is ,all% >led 3etition ,or
3ro'ibition 2it' 3rayer ,or ?P). )t so+.'t to en9oin t'e res3ondent
1*b+ds*an ,ro* :&ond+&tin. any ,+rt'er 3ro&eedin.s in &ases >led a.ainst
'i* not +ntil 'is ter* as 3resident ends. 6e also 3rayed ,or 9+d.*ent
:&on>r*in. Estrada to be t'e la2,+l and in&+*bent President o, t'e Re3+bli&
o, t'e P'ili33ines te*3orarily +nable to dis&'ar.e t'e d+ties o, 'is o<&e.
ISSUE(S):
1. ?oN t'e 3etition 3resents a 9+sti&iable &ontroversy.
2. ?oN Estrada resi.ned as President.
$. ?oN Arroyo is only an a&tin. President.
4. ?oN t'e President en9oys i**+nity ,ro* s+it.
". ?oN t'e 3rose&+tion o, Estrada s'o+ld be en9oined d+e to 3re9+di&ial
3+bli&ity.
RULING:
1. Politi&al @+estions! Ato t'ose @+estions 2'i&'% +nder t'e 5onstit+tion% are
to be de&ided by t'e 3eo3le in t'eir soverei.n &a3a&ity% or in re.ard to 2'i&'
,+ll dis&retionary a+t'ority 'as been dele.ated to t'e le.islative or eBe&+tive
bran&' o, t'e .overn*ent. )t is &on&erned 2it' iss+es de3endent +3on t'e
2isdo*% not le.ality o, a 3arti&+lar *eas+re.A
Ce.al distin&tion bet2een ED-A Peo3le Po2er ) ED-A Peo3le Po2er )):
ED-A ) ED-A ))
eBer&ise o, the people power of
revolt!o" 2'i&' overt're2 t'e
2'ole .overn*ent.
eBer&ise o, people power of
free#o$ of %pee&h '"# free#o$ of
'%%e$(l)to 3etition t'e .overn*ent
,or redress o, .rievan&es 2'i&' only
aDe&ted t'e o<&e o, t'e President.
e*tr' &o"%t!tt!o"'l and t'e
le.iti*a&y o, t'e ne2 .overn*ent
t'at res+lted ,ro* it &annot be t'e
s+b9e&t o, 9+di&ial revie2
!"tr' &o"%t!tt!o"'l and t'e
resi.nation o, t'e sittin. President
t'at it &a+sed and t'e s+&&ession o,
t'e Ei&e President as President are
s+b9e&t to 9+di&ial revie2.
3resented a pol!t!&'l +e%t!o"# involves le,'l +e%t!o"%.
F'e &ases at bar 3ose le.al and not 3oliti&al @+estions. F'e 3rin&i3al iss+es
,or resol+tion re@+ire t'e 3ro3er inter3retation o, &ertain 3rovisions in t'e
1787 5onstit+tion: -e& 1 o, Art ))% and -e& 8 o, Art E))% and t'e allo&ation o,
.overn*ental 3o2ers +nder -e& 11 o, Art E)). F'e iss+es like2ise &all ,or a
r+lin. on t'e s&o3e o, 3residential i**+nity ,ro* s+it. F'ey also involve t'e
&orre&t &alibration o, t'e ri.'t o, 3etitioner a.ainst 3re9+di&ial 3+bli&ity.
2. Ele*ents o, valid resi.nation: GaHan intent to resi.n and GbH a&ts o,
relin@+is'*ent. 4ot' 2ere 3resent 2'en President Estrada le,t t'e Pala&e.
Fotality o, 3rior &onte*3oraneo+s 3osterior ,a&ts and &ir&+*stantial eviden&e
I bearin. *aterial relevant iss+esIPresident Estrada is dee*ed to 'ave
resi.nedI &onstr+&tive resi.nation.
-5 de&lared t'at t'e resi.nation o, President Estrada &o+ld not be do+bted
as &on>r*ed by 'is leavin. Mala&a=an Pala&e. )n t'e 3ress release
&ontainin. 'is >nal state*ent:
1. 6e a&kno2led.ed t'e oat'!takin. o, t'e res3ondent as President#
2. 6e e*3'asiJed 'e 2as leavin. t'e Pala&e ,or t'e sake o, 3ea&e and in
order to be.in t'e 'ealin. 3ro&ess G'e did not say t'at 'e 2as leavin. d+e to
any kind o, disability and t'at 'e 2as .oin. to reass+*e t'e Presiden&y as
soon as t'e disability disa33earsH#
$. 6e eB3ressed 'is .ratit+de to t'e 3eo3le ,or t'e o33ort+nity to serve t'e*
as President G2it'o+t do+bt re,errin. to t'e 3ast o33ort+nityH#
4. 6e ass+red t'at 'e 2ill not s'irk ,ro* any ,+t+re &'allen.e t'at *ay &o*e
in t'e sa*e servi&e o, t'e &o+ntry#
". 6e &alled on 'is s+33orters to 9oin 'i* in 3ro*otion o, a &onstr+&tive
national s3irit o, re&on&iliation and solidarity.
)ntent to resi.nI*+st be a&&o*3anied by a&t o, relin@+is'*entIa&t or
o*ission be,ore% d+rin. and a,ter /an+ary 2% 21.
$. F'e 5on.ress 3assed 6o+se Resol+tion No. 176 eB3ressly statin. its
s+33ort to Gloria Ma&a3a.al!Arroyo as President o, t'e Re3+bli& o, t'e
P'ili33ines and s+bse@+ently 3assed 6.R. 178 &on>r*s t'e no*ination o,
Feo>sto F. G+in.ona /r. As Ei&e President. -enate 3assed 6R No. 8$ de&larin.
t'e )*3ea&'*ent 5o+rts as 8+n&ti+s 1<&io and 'as been ter*inated. )t is
&lear is t'at bot' 'o+ses o, 5on.ress re&o.niJed Arroyo as t'e President.
)*3li&itly &lear in t'at re&o.nition is t'e 3re*ise t'at t'e inability o, Estrada
is no lon.er te*3orary as t'e 5on.ress 'as &learly re9e&ted 'is &lai* o,
inability.
F'e 5o+rt t'ere,ore &annot eBer&ise its 9+di&ial 3o2er ,or t'is is 3oliti&al in
nat+re and addressed solely to 5on.ress by &onstit+tional >at. )n >ne% even
i, Estrada &an 3rove t'at 'e did not resi.n% still% 'e &annot s+&&ess,+lly &lai*
t'at 'e is a President on leave on t'e .ro+nd t'at 'e is *erely +nable to
.overn te*3orarily. F'at &lai* 'as been laid to rest by 5on.ress and t'e
de&ision t'at Arroyo is t'e de 9+re% 3resident *ade by a &o!e@+al bran&' o,
.overn*ent &annot be revie2ed by t'is 5o+rt.
4. F'e &ases >led a.ainst Estrada are &ri*inal in &'ara&ter. F'ey involve
3l+nder% bribery and .ra,t and &orr+3tion. 4y no stret&' o, t'e i*a.ination
&an t'ese &ri*es% es3e&ially 3l+nder 2'i&' &arries t'e deat' 3enalty% be
&overed by t'e alle.ed *antle o, i**+nity o, a non!sittin. 3resident. 6e
&annot &ite any de&ision o, t'is 5o+rt li&ensin. t'e President to &o**it
&ri*inal a&ts and 2ra33in. 'i* 2it' 3ost!ten+re i**+nity ,ro* liability. F'e
r+le is t'at +nla2,+l a&ts o, 3+bli& o<&ials are not a&ts o, t'e -tate and t'e
o<&er 2'o a&ts ille.ally is not a&tin. as s+&' b+t stands in t'e sa*e ,ootin.
as any tres3asser.
". No. 5ase la2 2ill tell +s t'at a ri.'t to a ,air trial and t'e ,ree 3ress are
in&o*3atible. Also% sin&e o+r 9+sti&e syste* does not +se t'e 9+ry syste*%
t'e 9+d.e% 2'o is a learned and le.ally enli.'tened individ+al% &annot be
easily *ani3+lated by *ere 3+bli&ity. F'e 5o+rt also said t'at Estrada did not
3resent eno+.' eviden&e to s'o2 t'at t'e 3+bli&ity .iven t'e trial 'as
inK+en&ed t'e 9+d.e so as to render t'e 9+d.e +nable to 3er,or*. 8inally% t'e
5o+rt said t'at t'e &ases a.ainst Estrada 2ere still +nder.oin. 3reli*inary
investi.ation% so t'e 3+bli&ity o, t'e &ase 2o+ld really 'ave no 3er*anent
eDe&t on t'e 9+d.e and t'at t'e 3rose&+tor s'o+ld be *ore &on&erned 2it'
9+sti&e and less 2it' 3rose&+tion.
1. IV. Whether or not the petitioner enjoys immunity from suit. If yes, what is the
extent of the immunity
Petitioner Estrada makes two submissions: frst, the cases fled against him before the
respondent Ombudsman should be prohibited because he has not been convicted in the
impeachment proceedings against him; and second, he enjoysimmunity from all kinds
of suit, whether criminal or civil. The immunity the petitioner points to is the principle of
non-liability.
The principle of non-liability simply states that a chief executive may not be personally
mulcted in civil damages for the consequences of an act executed in the performance of
his ofcial duties. He is liable when he acts in a case so plainly outside of his power and
authority that he cannot be said to have exercise discretion in determining whether or
not he had the right to act. What is held here is that he will be protected from personal
liability for damages not only when he acts within his authority, but also when he is
without authority, provided he actually used discretion and judgment, that is, the judicial
faculty, in determining whether he had authority to act or not. In other words, he is
entitled to protection in determining the question of his authority. If he decide wrongly,
he is still protected provided the question of his authority was one over which two men,
reasonably qualifed for that position, might honestly difer; but he is not protected if the
lack of authority to act is so plain that two such men could not honestly difer over its
determination.
The Court rejects the petitioners argument that before he could be prosecuted, he
should be frst convicted of impeachment proceedings. The impeachment proceeding
was already aborted because of the walking out of the prosecutors. This was then
formalized by a Senate resolution (Resolution #83) which declared the
proceeding functus ofcio. According to the debates in the Constitutional Convention,
when an impeachment proceeding have become moot due to the resignation of the
President, proper civil and criminal cases may be fled against him.
We now come to the scope of immunity that can be claimed by petitioner as a non-
sitting President. The cases fled against petitioner Estrada are criminal in character.
They involve plunder, bribery and graft and corruption. By no stretch of the
imagination can these crimes, especially plunder which carries the death penalty, be
covered by the allege mantle of immunity of a non-sitting president. Petitioner cannot
cite any decision of this Court licensing the President to commit criminal acts and
wrapping him with post-tenure immunity from liability. It will be anomalous to hold
that immunity is an inoculation from liability for unlawful acts and omissions. As
for civil immunity, it means immunity from civil damages only covers ofcial acts.