G.R. No.

180050               April 12, 2011

RODOLFO G. NAVARRO, VICTOR F. BERNAL, and RENE O. MEDINA, Petitioners,

vs.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY EDUARDO ERMITA, representing the President of the Philippines;
Senate of the Philippines, represented by the SENATE PRESIDENT; House of
Representatives, represented by the HOUSE SPEAKER; GOVERNOR ROBERT ACE S.
BARBERS, representing the mother province of Surigao del Norte; GOVERNOR GERALDINE
ECLEO VILLAROMAN, representing the new Province of Dinagat Islands, Respondents,
CONGRESSMAN FRANCISCO T. MATUGAS, HON. SOL T. MATUGAS, HON. ARTURO
CARLOS A. EGAY, JR., HON. SIMEON VICENTE G. CASTRENCE, HON. MAMERTO D.
GALANIDA, HON. MARGARITO M. LONGOS, and HON. CESAR M. BAGUNDOL, Intervenors.

RESOLUTION

NACHURA, J.:

For consideration of the Court is the Urgent Motion to Recall Entry of Judgment dated October 20,
2010 filed by Movant-Intervenors1 dated and filed on October 29, 2010, praying that the Court (a)
recall the entry of judgment, and (b) resolve their motion for reconsideration of the July 20, 2010
Resolution.

To provide a clear perspective of the instant motion, we present hereunder a brief background of the
relevant antecedents—

On October 2, 2006, the President of the Republic approved into law Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9355
(An Act Creating the Province of Dinagat Islands). 2 On December 3, 2006, the Commission on
Elections (COMELEC) conducted the mandatory plebiscite for the ratification of the creation of the
province under the Local Government Code (LGC).3 The plebiscite yielded 69,943 affirmative votes
and 63,502 negative votes.4 With the approval of the people from both the mother province of
Surigao del

Norte and the Province of Dinagat Islands (Dinagat), the President appointed the interim set of
provincial officials who took their oath of office on January 26, 2007. Later, during the May 14, 2007
synchronized elections, the Dinagatnons elected their new set of provincial officials who assumed
office on July 1, 2007.5

On November 10, 2006, petitioners Rodolfo G. Navarro, Victor F. Bernal and Rene O. Medina,
former political leaders of Surigao del Norte, filed before this Court a petition for certiorari and
prohibition (G.R. No. 175158) challenging the constitutionality of R.A. No. 9355. 6 The Court
dismissed the petition on technical grounds. Their motion for reconsideration was also denied.7

Undaunted, petitioners, as taxpayers and residents of the Province of Surigao del Norte, filed
another petition for certiorari8 seeking to nullify R.A. No. 9355 for being unconstitutional. They
alleged that the creation of Dinagat as a new province, if uncorrected, would perpetuate an illegal act
of Congress, and would unjustly deprive the people of Surigao del Norte of a large chunk of the
provincial territory, Internal Revenue Allocation (IRA), and rich resources from the area. They
pointed out that when the law was passed, Dinagat had a land area of 802.12 square kilometers only
and a population of only 106,951, failing to comply with Section 10, Article X of the Constitution and
of Section 461 of the LGC, on both counts, viz.—
Constitution, Article X – Local Government

Section 10. No province, city, municipality, or barangay may be created, divided, merged, abolished,
or its boundary substantially altered, except in accordance with the criteria established in the local
government code and subject to the approval by a majority of the votes cast in a plebiscite in the
political units directly affected.

LGC, Title IV, Chapter I

Section 461. Requisites for Creation. – (a) A province may be created if it has an average annual
income, as certified by the Department of Finance, of not less than Twenty million pesos
(₱20,000,000.00) based on 1991 constant prices and either of the following requisites:

(i) a continuous territory of at least two thousand (2,000) square kilometers, as certified by
the Lands Management Bureau; or

(ii) a population of not less than two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) inhabitants as certified
by the National Statistics Office:

Provided, That, the creation thereof shall not reduce the land area, population, and income
of the original unit or units at the time of said creation to less than the minimum requirements
prescribed herein.

(b) The territory need not be contiguous if it comprises two (2) or more islands or is
separated by a chartered city or cities which do not contribute to the income of the province.

(c) The average annual income shall include the income accruing to the general fund,
exclusive of special funds, trust funds, transfers, and non-recurring income. (Emphasis
supplied.)

On February 10, 2010, the Court rendered its Decision 9 granting the petition.10 The Decision declared
R.A. No. 9355 unconstitutional for failure to comply with the requirements on population and land
area in the creation of a province under the LGC. Consequently, it declared the proclamation of
Dinagat and the election of its officials as null and void. The Decision likewise declared as null and
void the provision on Article 9(2) of the Rules and Regulations Implementing the LGC (LGC-IRR),
stating that, "[t]he land area requirement shall not apply where the proposed province is composed
of one (1) or more islands" for being beyond the ambit of Article 461 of the LGC, inasmuch as such
exemption is not expressly provided in the law.11

The Republic, represented by the Office of the Solicitor General, and Dinagat filed their respective
motions for reconsideration of the Decision. In its Resolution12 dated May 12, 2010,13 the Court
denied the said motions.14

Unperturbed, the Republic and Dinagat both filed their respective motions for leave of court to admit
their second motions for reconsideration, accompanied by their second motions for reconsideration.
These motions were eventually "noted without action" by this Court in its June 29, 2010 Resolution.15

Meanwhile, the movants-intervenors filed on June 18, 2010 a Motion for Leave to Intervene and to
File and to Admit Intervenors’ Motion for Reconsideration of the Resolution dated May 12, 2010.
They alleged that the COMELEC issued Resolution No. 8790, relevant to this case, which provides
—
RESOLUTION NO. 8790

WHEREAS, Dinagat Islands, consisting of seven (7) municipalities, were previously components of
the First Legislative District of the Province of Surigao del Norte. In December 2006 pursuant to
Republic Act No. 9355, the Province of Dinagat Island[s] was created and its creation was ratified on
02 December 2006 in the Plebiscite for this purpose;

WHEREAS, as a province, Dinagat Islands was, for purposes of the May 10, 2010 National and
Local Elections, allocated one (1) seat for Governor, one (1) seat for Vice Governor, one (1) for
congressional seat, and ten (10) Sangguniang Panlalawigan seats pursuant to Resolution No. 8670
dated 16 September 2009;

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court in G.R. No. 180050 entitled "Rodolfo Navarro, et al., vs. Executive
Secretary Eduardo Ermita, as representative of the President of the Philippines, et al." rendered a
Decision, dated 10 February 2010, declaring Republic Act No. 9355 unconstitutional for failure to
comply with the criteria for the creation of a province prescribed in Sec. 461 of the Local
Government Code in relation to Sec. 10, Art. X, of the 1987 Constitution;

WHEREAS, respondents intend to file Motion[s] for Reconsideration on the above decision of the
Supreme Court;

WHEREAS, the electoral data relative to the: (1) position for Member, House of Representatives
representing the lone congressional district of Dinagat Islands, (2) names of the candidates for the
aforementioned position, (3) position for Governor, Dinagat Islands, (4) names of the candidates for
the said position, (5) position of the Vice Governor, (6) the names of the candidates for the said
position, (7) positions for the ten (10) Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members and, [8] all the names of
the candidates for Sangguniang Panlalawigan Members, have already been configured into the
system and can no longer be revised within the remaining period before the elections on May 10,
2010.

NOW, THEREFORE, with the current system configuration, and depending on whether the Decision
of the Supreme Court in Navarro vs. Ermita is reconsidered or not, the Commission RESOLVED, as
it hereby RESOLVES, to declare that:

a. If the Decision is reversed, there will be no problem since the current system configuration
is in line with the reconsidered Decision, meaning that the Province of Dinagat Islands and
the Province of Surigao del Norte remain as two (2) separate provinces;

b. If the Decision becomes final and executory before the election, the Province of Dinagat
Islands will revert to its previous status as part of the First Legislative District, Surigao del
Norte.

But because of the current system configuration, the ballots for the Province of Dinagat
Islands will, for the positions of Member, House of Representatives, Governor, Vice
Governor and Members, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, bear only the names of the candidates
for the said positions.

Conversely, the ballots for the First Legislative District of Surigao del Norte, will, for the
position of Governor, Vice Governor, Member, House of Representatives, First District of
Surigao del Norte and Members, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, show only candidates for the
 said position. Likewise, the whole Province of Surigao del Norte, will, for the position of
Governor and Vice Governor, bear only the names of the candidates for the said position[s].

Consequently, the voters of the Province of Dinagat Islands will not be able to vote for the
candidates of Members, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, and Member, House [of]
Representatives, First Legislative District, Surigao del Norte, and candidates for Governor
and Vice Governor for Surigao del Norte. Meanwhile, voters of the First Legislative District of
Surigao del Norte, will not be able to vote for Members, Sangguniang Panlalawigan and
Member, House of Representatives, Dinagat Islands. Also, the voters of the whole Province
of Surigao del Norte, will not be able to vote for the Governor and Vice Governor, Dinagat
Islands. Given this situation, the Commission will postpone the elections for Governor, Vice
Governor, Member, House of Representatives, First Legislative District, Surigao del Norte,
and Members, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, First Legislative District, Surigao del Norte,
because the election will result in [a] failure to elect, since, in actuality, there are no
candidates for Governor, Vice Governor, Members, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, First
Legislative District, and Member, House of Representatives, First Legislative District (with
Dinagat Islands) of Surigao del Norte.

c. If the Decision becomes final and executory after the election, the Province of Dinagat
Islands will revert to its previous status as part of the First Legislative District of Surigao del
Norte. The result of the election will have to be nullified for the same reasons given in Item
"b" above. A special election for Governor, Vice Governor, Member, House of
Representatives, First Legislative District of Surigao del Norte, and Members, Sangguniang
Panlalawigan, First District, Surigao del Norte (with Dinagat Islands) will have to be
conducted.

xxxx

SO ORDERED.

They further alleged that, because they are the duly elected officials of Surigao del Norte whose
positions will be affected by the nullification of the election results in the event that the May 12, 2010
Resolution is not reversed, they have a legal interest in the instant case and would be directly
affected by the declaration of nullity of R.A. No. 9355. Simply put, movants-intervenors’ election to
their respective offices would necessarily be annulled since Dinagat Islands will revert to its previous
status as part of the First Legislative District of Surigao del Norte and a special election will have to
be conducted for governor, vice governor, and House of Representatives member and Sangguniang
Panlalawigan member for the First Legislative District of Surigao del Norte. Moreover, as residents
of Surigao del Norte and as public servants representing the interests of their constituents, they have
a clear and strong interest in the outcome of this case inasmuch as the reversion of Dinagat as part
of the First Legislative District of Surigao del Norte will affect the latter province such that: (1) the
whole administrative set-up of the province will have to be restructured; (2) the services of many
employees will have to be terminated; (3) contracts will have to be invalidated; and (4) projects and
other developments will have to be discontinued. In addition, they claim that their rights cannot be
adequately pursued and protected in any other proceeding since their rights would be foreclosed if
the May 12, 2010 Resolution would attain finality.

In their motion for reconsideration of the May 12, 2010 Resolution, movants-intervenors raised three
(3) main arguments to challenge the above Resolution, namely: (1) that the passage of R.A. No.
9355 operates as an act of Congress amending Section 461 of the LGC; (2) that the exemption from
territorial contiguity, when the intended province consists of two or more islands, includes the
exemption from the application of the minimum land area requirement; and (3) that the Operative
Fact Doctrine is applicable in the instant case.

In the Resolution dated July 20, 2010,16 the Court denied the Motion for Leave to Intervene and to
File and to Admit Intervenors’ Motion for Reconsideration of the Resolution dated May 12, 2010 on
the ground that the allowance or disallowance of a motion to intervene is addressed to the sound
discretion of the Court, and that the appropriate time to file the said motion was before and not after
the resolution of this case.

On September 7, 2010, movants-intervenors filed a Motion for Reconsideration of the July 20, 2010
Resolution, citing several rulings17 of the Court, allowing intervention as an exception to Section 2,
Rule 19 of the Rules of Court that it should be filed at any time before the rendition of judgment.
They alleged that, prior to the May 10, 2010 elections, their legal interest in this case was not yet
existent. They averred that prior to the May 10, 2010 elections, they were unaware of the
proceedings in this case. Even for the sake of argument that they had notice of the pendency of the
case, they pointed out that prior to the said elections, Sol T. Matugas was a simple resident of
Surigao del Norte, Arturo Carlos A. Egay, Jr. was a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the
Second District of Surigao del Norte, and Mamerto D. Galanida was the Municipal Mayor of Socorro,
Surigao del Norte, and that, pursuant to COMELEC Resolution No. 8790, it was only after they were
elected as Governor of Surigao del Norte, Vice Governor of Surigao del Norte and Sangguniang
Panlalawigan Member of the First District of Surigao del Norte, respectively, that they became
possessed with legal interest in this controversy.

On October 5, 2010, the Court issued an order for Entry of Judgment, stating that the decision in this
case had become final and executory on May 18, 2010. Hence, the above motion.

At the outset, it must be clarified that this Resolution delves solely on the instant Urgent Motion to
Recall Entry of Judgment of movants-intervenors, not on the second motions for reconsideration of
the original parties, and neither on Dinagat’s Urgent Omnibus Motion, which our

esteemed colleague, Mr. Justice Arturo D. Brion considers as Dinagat’s third motion for
reconsideration. Inasmuch as the motions for leave to admit their respective motions for
reconsideration of the May 12, 2010 Resolution and the aforesaid motions for reconsideration were
already noted without action by the Court, there is no reason to treat Dinagat’s Urgent Omnibus
Motion differently. In relation to this, the Urgent Motion to Recall Entry of Judgment of movants-
intervenors could not be considered as a second motion for reconsideration to warrant the
application of Section 3, Rule 15 of the Internal Rules of the Supreme Court. 18 It should be noted that
this motion prays for the recall of the entry of judgment and for the resolution of their motion for
reconsideration of the July 20, 2010 Resolution which remained unresolved. The denial of their
motion for leave to intervene and to admit motion for reconsideration of the May 12, 2010 Resolution
did not rule on the merits of the motion for reconsideration of the May 12, 2010 Resolution, but only
on the timeliness of the intended intervention. Their motion for reconsideration of this denial
elaborated on movants-intervenors’ interest in this case which existed only after judgment had been
rendered. As such, their motion for intervention and their motion for reconsideration of the May 12,
2010 Resolution merely stand as an initial reconsideration of the said resolution.

With due deference to Mr. Justice Brion, there appears nothing in the records to support the claim
that this was a ploy of respondents’ legal tactician to reopen the case despite an entry of judgment.
To be sure, it is actually COMELEC Resolution No. 8790 that set this controversy into motion anew.
To reiterate, the pertinent portion of the Resolution reads:
c. If the Decision becomes final and executory after the election, the Province of Dinagat Islands will
revert to its previous status as part of the First Legislative District of Surigao del Norte. The result of
the election will have to be nullified for the same reasons given in Item "b" above. A special election
for Governor, Vice Governor, Member, House of Representatives, First Legislative District of Surigao
del Norte, and Members, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, First District, Surigao del Norte (with Dinagat
Islands) will have to be conducted. (Emphasis supplied.)

Indeed, COMELEC Resolution No. 8790 spawned the peculiar circumstance of proper party interest
for movants-intervenors only with the specter of the decision in the main case becoming final and
executory. More importantly, if the intervention be not entertained, the movants-intervenors would be
left with no other remedy as regards to the impending nullification of their election to their respective
positions. Thus, to the Court’s mind, there is an imperative to grant the Urgent Motion to Recall Entry
of Judgment by movants-intervenors.

It should be remembered that this case was initiated upon the filing of the petition for certiorari way
back on October 30, 2007. At that time, movants-intervenors had nothing at stake in the outcome of
this case. While it may be argued that their interest in this case should have commenced upon the
issuance of COMELEC Resolution No. 8790, it is obvious that their interest in this case then was
more imaginary than real. This is because COMELEC Resolution No. 8790 provides that should the
decision in this case attain finality prior to the May 10, 2010 elections, the election of the local
government officials stated therein would only have to be postponed. Given such a scenario,
movants-intervenors would not have suffered any injury or adverse effect with respect to the
reversion of Dinagat as part of Surigao del Norte since they would simply have remained candidates
for the respective positions they have vied for and to which they have been elected.

For a party to have locus standi, one must allege "such a personal stake in the outcome of the
controversy as to assure that concrete adverseness which sharpens the presentation of issues upon
which the court so largely depends for illumination of difficult constitutional questions." Because
constitutional cases are often public actions in which the relief sought is likely to affect other
persons, a preliminary question frequently arises as to this interest in the constitutional question
raised.19

It cannot be denied that movants-intervenors will suffer direct injury in the event their Urgent Motion
to Recall Entry of Judgment dated October 29, 2010 is denied and their Motion for Leave to
Intervene and to File and to Admit Intervenors’ Motion for Reconsideration of the Resolution dated
May 12, 2010 is denied with finality. Indeed, they have sufficiently shown that they have a personal
and substantial interest in the case, such that if the May 12, 2010 Resolution be not reconsidered,
their election to their respective positions during the May 10, 2010 polls and its concomitant effects
would all be nullified and be put to naught. Given their unique circumstances, movants-intervenors
should not be left without any remedy before this Court simply because their interest in this case
became manifest only after the case had already been decided. The consequences of such a
decision would definitely work to their disadvantage, nay, to their utmost prejudice, without even
them being parties to the dispute. Such decision would also violate their right to due process, a right
that cries out for protection. Thus, it is imperative that the movants-intervenors be heard on the
merits of their cause. We are not only a court of law, but also of justice and equity, such that our
position and the dire repercussions of this controversy should be weighed on the scales of justice,
rather than dismissed on account of mootness.

The "moot and academic" principle is not a magical formula that can automatically dissuade the
courts from resolving a case. Courts will decide cases, otherwise moot and academic, if: (1) there is
a grave violation of the Constitution; (2) there is an exceptional character of the situation and the
paramount public interest is involved; (3) the constitutional issue raised requires formation of
controlling principles to guide the bench, the bar, and the public; and (4) the case is capable of
repetition yet evading review.20 The second exception attends this case.

This Court had taken a liberal attitude in the case of David v. Macapagal-Arroyo, 21 where
technicalities of procedure on locus standi were brushed aside, because the constitutional issues
raised were of paramount public interest or of transcendental importance deserving the attention of
the Court. Along parallel lines, the motion for intervention should be given due course since
movants-intervenors have shown their substantial legal interest in the outcome of this case, even
much more than petitioners themselves, and because of the novelty, gravity, and weight of the
issues involved.

Undeniably, the motion for intervention and the motion for reconsideration of the May 12, 2010
Resolution of movants-intervenors is akin to the right to appeal the judgment of a case, which,
though merely a statutory right that must comply with the requirements of the rules, is an essential
part of our judicial system, such that courts should proceed with caution not to deprive a party of the
right to question the judgment and its effects, and ensure that every party-litigant, including those
who would be directly affected, would have the amplest opportunity for the proper and just
disposition of their cause, freed from the constraints of technicalities.22

Verily, the Court had, on several occasions, sanctioned the recall entries of judgment in light of
attendant extraordinary circumstances.23 The power to suspend or even disregard rules of procedure
can be so pervasive and compelling as to alter even that which this Court itself had already declared
final.24 In this case, the compelling concern is not only to afford the movants-intervenors the right to
be heard since they would be adversely affected by the judgment in this case despite not being
original parties thereto, but also to arrive at the correct interpretation of the provisions of the LGC
with respect to the creation of local government units. In this manner, the thrust of the Constitution
with respect to local autonomy and of the LGC with respect to decentralization and the attainment of
national goals, as hereafter elucidated, will effectively be realized.

On the merits of the motion for intervention, after taking a long and intent look, the Court finds that
the first and second arguments raised by movants-intervenors deserve affirmative consideration.

It must be borne in mind that the central policy considerations in the creation of local government
units are economic viability, efficient administration, and capability to deliver basic services to their
constituents. The criteria prescribed by the LGC, i.e., income, population and land area, are all
designed to accomplish these results. In this light, Congress, in its collective wisdom, has debated
on the relative weight of each of these three criteria, placing emphasis on which of them should
enjoy preferential consideration.

Without doubt, the primordial criterion in the creation of local government units, particularly of a
province, is economic viability. This is the clear intent of the framers of the LGC. In this connection,
the following excerpts from congressional debates are quoted hereunder—

HON. ALFELOR. Income is mandatory. We can even have this doubled because we thought…

CHAIRMAN CUENCO. In other words, the primordial consideration here is the economic viability of
the new local government unit, the new province?

xxxx
HON. LAGUDA. The reason why we are willing to increase the income, double than the House
version, because we also believe that economic viability is really a minimum. Land area and
population are functions really of the viability of the area, because you have an income level which
would be the trigger point for economic development, population will naturally increase because
there will be an immigration. However, if you disallow the particular area from being converted into a
province because of the population problems in the beginning, it will never be able to reach the point
where it could become a province simply because it will never have the economic take off for it to
trigger off that economic development.

Now, we’re saying that maybe Fourteen Million Pesos is a floor area where it could pay for overhead
and provide a minimum of basic services to the population. Over and above that, the provincial
officials should be able to trigger off economic development which will attract immigration, which will
attract new investments from the private sector. This is now the concern of the local officials. But if
we are going to tie the hands of the proponents, simply by telling them, "Sorry, you are now at 150
thousand or 200 thousand," you will never be able to become a province because nobody wants to
go to your place. Why? Because you never have any reason for economic viability.

xxxx

CHAIRMAN PIMENTEL. Okay, what about land area?

HON. LUMAUIG. 1,500 square kilometers

HON. ANGARA. Walang problema ‘yon, in fact that’s not very critical, ‘yong land area because…

CHAIRMAN PIMENTEL. Okay, ya, our, the Senate version is 3.5, 3,500 square meters, ah, square
kilometers.

HON. LAGUDA. Ne, Ne. A province is constituted for the purpose of administrative efficiency and
delivery of basic services.

CHAIRMAN PIMENTEL. Right.

HON. LAGUDA. Actually, when you come down to it, when government was instituted, there is only
one central government and then everybody falls under that. But it was later on subdivided into
provinces for purposes of administrative efficiency.

CHAIRMAN PIMENTEL. Okay.

HON. LAGUDA. Now, what we’re seeing now is that the administrative efficiency is no longer there
precisely because the land areas that we are giving to our governors is so wide that no one man can
possibly administer all of the complex machineries that are needed.

Secondly, when you say "delivery of basic services," as pointed out by Cong. Alfelor, there are
sections of the province which have never been visited by public officials, precisely because they
don’t have the time nor the energy anymore to do that because it’s so wide. Now, by compressing
the land area and by reducing the population requirement, we are, in effect, trying to follow the basic
policy of why we are creating provinces, which is to deliver basic services and to make it more
efficient in administration.
CHAIRMAN PIMENTEL. Yeah, that’s correct, but on the assumption that the province is able to do it
without being a burden to the national government. That’s the assumption.

HON. LAGUDA. That’s why we’re going into the minimum income level. As we said, if we go on a
minimum income level, then we say, "this is the trigger point at which this administration can take
place."25

Also worthy of note are the requisites in the creation of a barangay, a municipality, a city, and a
province as provided both in the LGC and the LGC-IRR, viz.—

For a Barangay:

LGC: SEC. 386. Requisites for Creation. – (a) A barangay may be created out of a contiguous
territory which has a population of at least two thousand (2,000) inhabitants as certified by the
National Statistics Office except in cities and municipalities within Metro Manila and other
metropolitan political subdivisions or in highly urbanized cities where such territory shall have a
certified population of at least five thousand (5,000) inhabitants: Provided, That the creation thereof
shall not reduce the population of the original barangay or barangays to less than the minimum
requirement prescribed herein.

To enhance the delivery of basic services in the indigenous cultural communities, barangays
may be created in such communities by an Act of Congress, notwithstanding the above
requirement.

(b) The territorial jurisdiction of the new barangay shall be properly identified by metes and
bounds or by more or less permanent natural boundaries. The territory need not be
contiguous if it comprises two (2) or more islands.

(c) The governor or city mayor may prepare a consolidation plan for barangays, based on
the criteria prescribed in this Section, within his territorial jurisdiction. The plan shall be
submitted to the sangguniang panlalawigan or sangguniang panlungsod concerned for
appropriate action. In the case of municipalities within the Metropolitan Manila area and
other metropolitan political subdivisions, the barangay consolidation plan can be prepared
and approved by the sangguniang bayan concerned.

LGC-IRR: ARTICLE 14. Barangays. – (a) Creation of barangays by the sangguniang panlalawigan

shall require prior recommendation of the sangguniang bayan.

(b) New barangays in the municipalities within MMA shall be created only by Act of
Congress, subject to the limitations and requirements prescribed in this Article.

(c) Notwithstanding the population requirement, a barangay may be created in the

indigenous cultural communities by Act of Congress upon recommendation of the LGU or
LGUs where the cultural community is located.

(d) A barangay shall not be created unless the following requisites are present:

(1) Population – which shall not be less than two thousand (2,000) inhabitants,
except in municipalities and cities within MMA and other metropolitan political
subdivisions as may be created by law, or in highly-urbanized cities where such
territory shall have a population of at least five thousand (5,000) inhabitants, as
 certified by the NSO. The creation of a barangay shall not reduce the population of
the original barangay or barangays to less than the prescribed minimum/

(2) Land Area – which must be contiguous, unless comprised by two (2) or more
islands. The territorial jurisdiction of a barangay sought to be created shall be
properly identified by metes and bounds or by more or less permanent natural
boundaries.

Municipality:

LGC: SEC. 442. Requisites for Creation. – (a) A municipality may be created if it has an average
annual income, as certified by the provincial treasurer, or at least Two million five hundred thousand
pesos (P2,500,000.00) for the last two (2) consecutive years based on the 1991 constant prices; a
population of at least twenty-five thousand (25,000) inhabitants as certified by the National Statistics
Office; and a contiguous territory of at least fifty (50) square kilometers as certified by the Lands

Management Bureau: Provided, That the creation thereof shall not reduce the land area,
population or income of the original municipality or municipalities at the time of said creation
to less than the minimum requirements prescribed herein.

(b) The territorial jurisdiction of a newly-created municipality shall be properly identified by

metes and bounds. The requirement on land area shall not apply where the municipality
proposed to be created is composed of one (1) or more islands. The territory need not be
contiguous if it comprises two (2) or more islands.

(c) The average annual income shall include the income accruing to the general fund of the
municipality concerned, exclusive of special funds, transfers and non-recurring income.

(d) Municipalities existing as of the date of effectivity of this Code shall continue to exist and
operate as such. Existing municipal districts organized pursuant to presidential issuances or
executive orders and which have their respective set of elective municipal officials holding
office at the time of the effectivity of this Code shall henceforth be considered regular
municipalities.

LGC-IRR: ARTICLE 13. Municipalities. – (a) Requisites for Creation – A municipality shall not be
created unless the following requisites are present:

(i) Income – An average annual income of not less than Two Million Five Hundred Thousand
Pesos (₱2,500,000.00), for the immediately preceding two (2) consecutive years based on
1991 constant prices, as certified by the provincial treasurer. The average annual income
shall include the income accruing to the general fund, exclusive of special funds, special
accounts, transfers, and nonrecurring income;

(ii) Population – which shall not be less than twenty five thousand (25,000) inhabitants, as
certified by NSO; and

(iii) Land area – which must be contiguous with an area of at least fifty (50) square
kilometers, as certified by LMB. The territory need not be contiguous if it comprises two (2) or
more islands. The requirement on land area shall not apply where the proposed municipality
is composed of one (1) or more islands. The territorial jurisdiction of a municipality sought to
be created shall be properly identified by metes and bounds.
 The creation of a new municipality shall not reduce the land area, population, and income of
the original LGU or LGUs at the time of said creation to less than the prescribed minimum
requirements. All expenses incidental to the creation shall be borne by the petitioners.

City:

LGC: SEC. 450. Requisites for Creation. – (a) A municipality or a cluster of barangays may be
converted into a component city if it has an average annual income, as certified by the Department
of Finance, of at least Twenty million pesos (₱20,000,000.00) for the last two (2) consecutive years
based on 1991 constant prices, and if it has either of the following requisities:

(i) a contiguous territory of at least one hundred (100) square kilometers, as certified
by the Lands Management Bureau; or,

(ii) a population of not less than one hundred fifty thousand (150,000) inhabitants, as
certified by the National Statistics Office: Provided, That, the creation thereof shall
not reduce the land area, population, and income of the original unit or units at the
time of said creation to less than the minimum requirements prescribed herein.

(b) The territorial jurisdiction of a newly-created city shall be properly identified by metes and
bounds. The requirement on land area shall not apply where the city proposed to be created
is composed of one (1) or more islands. The territory need not be contiguous if it comprises
two (2) or more islands.

(c) The average annual income shall include the income accruing to the general fund,
exclusive of special funds, transfers, and non-recurring income.

LGC-IRR: ARTICLE 11. Cities. – (a) Requisites for creation – A city shall not be created unless the
following requisites on income and either population or land area are present:

(1) Income – An average annual income of not less than Twenty Million Pesos
(₱20,000,000.00), for the immediately preceding two (2) consecutive years based on 1991
constant prices, as certified by DOF. The average annual income shall include the income
accruing to the general fund, exclusive of special funds, special accounts, transfers, and
nonrecurring income; and

(2) Population or land area – Population which shall not be less than one hundred fifty
thousand (150,000) inhabitants, as certified by the NSO; or land area which must be
contiguous with an area of at least one hundred (100) square kilometers, as certified by
LMB. The territory need not be contiguous if it comprises two (2) or more islands or is
separated by a chartered city or cities which do not contribute to the income of the province.
The land area requirement shall not apply where the proposed city is composed of one (1) or
more islands. The territorial jurisdiction of a city sought to be created shall be properly
identified by metes and bounds.

The creation of a new city shall not reduce the land area, population, and income of the original LGU
or LGUs at the time of said creation to less than the prescribed minimum requirements. All expenses
incidental to the creation shall be borne by the petitioners.

Provinces:
LGC: SEC. 461. Requisites for Creation. – (a) A province may be created if it has an average annual
income, as certified by the Department of Finance, of not less than Twenty million pesos
(₱20,000,000.00) based on 1991 prices and either of the following requisites:

(i) a contiguous territory of at least two thousand (2,000) square kilometers, as

certified by the Lands Management Bureau; or,

(ii) a population of not less than two hundred fifty thousand (250,000) inhabitants as
certified by the National Statistics Office:

Provided, That the creation thereof shall not reduce the land area, population, and income of
the original unit or units at the time of said creation to less than the minimum requirements
prescribed herein.

(b) The territory need not be contiguous if it comprises two (2) or more islands or is
separated by a chartered city or cities which do not contribute to the income of the province.

(c) The average annual income shall include the income accruing to the general fund,
exclusive of special funds, trust funds, transfers, and non-recurring income.

LGC-IRR: ARTICLE 9. Provinces. – (a) Requisites for creation – A province shall not be created
unless the following requisites on income and either population or land area are present:

(1) Income – An average annual income of not less than Twenty Million pesos
(₱20,000,000.00) for the immediately preceding two (2) consecutive years based on 1991
constant prices, as certified by DOF. The average annual income shall include the income
accruing to the general fund, exclusive of special funds, special accounts, transfers, and
non-recurring income; and

(2) Population or land area – Population which shall not be less than two hundred fifty
thousand (250,000) inhabitants, as certified by NSO; or land area which must be contiguous
with an area of at least two thousand (2,000) square kilometers, as certified by LMB. The
territory need not be contiguous if it comprises two (2) or more islands or is separated by a
chartered city or cities which do not contribute to the income of the province. The land area
requirement shall not apply where the proposed province is composed of one (1) or more
islands. The territorial jurisdiction of a province sought to be created shall be properly
identified by metes and bounds.

The creation of a new province shall not reduce the land area, population, and income of the original
LGU or LGUs at the time of said creation to less than the prescribed minimum requirements. All
expenses incidental to the creation shall be borne by the petitioners. (Emphasis supplied.)

It bears scrupulous notice that from the above cited provisions, with respect to the creation of
barangays, land area is not a requisite indicator of viability. However, with respect to the creation of
municipalities, component cities, and provinces, the three (3) indicators of viability and projected
capacity to provide services, i.e., income, population, and land area, are provided for.

But it must be pointed out that when the local government unit to be created consists of one (1) or
more islands, it is exempt from the land area requirement as expressly provided in Section 442 and
Section 450 of the LGC if the local government unit to be created is a municipality or a component
city, respectively. This exemption is absent in the enumeration of the requisites for the creation of a
province under Section 461 of the LGC, although it is expressly stated under Article 9(2) of the LGC-
IRR.

There appears neither rhyme nor reason why this exemption should apply to cities and
municipalities, but not to provinces. In fact, considering the physical configuration of the Philippine
archipelago, there is a greater likelihood that islands or group of islands would form part of the land
area of a newly-created province than in most cities or municipalities. It is, therefore, logical to infer
that the genuine legislative policy decision was expressed in Section 442 (for municipalities) and
Section 450 (for component cities) of the LGC, but was inadvertently omitted in Section 461 (for
provinces). Thus, when the exemption was expressly provided in Article 9(2) of the LGC-IRR, the
inclusion was intended to correct the congressional oversight in Section 461 of the LGC – and to
reflect the true legislative intent. It would, then, be in order for the Court to uphold the validity of
Article 9(2) of the LGC-IRR.

This interpretation finds merit when we consider the basic policy considerations underpinning the
principle of local autonomy.

Section 2 of the LGC, of which paragraph (a) is pertinent to this case, provides—

Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. – (a) It is hereby declared the policy of the State that the territorial and
political subdivisions of the State shall enjoy genuine and meaningful local autonomy to enable them
to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities and make them more effective partners
in the attainment of national goals. Toward this end, the State shall provide for a more responsive
and accountable local government structure instituted through a system of decentralization whereby
local government units shall be given more powers, authority, responsibilities, and resources. The
process of decentralization shall proceed from the national government to the local government
units.

This declaration of policy is echoed in Article 3(a) of the LGC-IRR26 and in the Whereas clauses of
Administrative Order No. 270,27 which read—

WHEREAS, Section 25, Article II of the Constitution mandates that the State shall ensure the
autonomy of local governments;

WHEREAS, pursuant to this declared policy, Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local
Government Code of 1991, affirms, among others, that the territorial and political subdivisions of the
State shall enjoy genuine and meaningful local autonomy to enable them to attain their fullest
development as self-reliant communities and make them more effective partners in the attainment of
national goals;

WHEREAS, Section 533 of the Local Government Code of 1991 requires the President to convene
an Oversight Committee for the purpose of formulating and issuing the appropriate rules and
regulations necessary for the efficient and effective implementation of all the provisions of the said
Code; and

WHEREAS, the Oversight Committee, after due deliberations and consultations with all the
concerned sectors of society and consideration of the operative principles of local autonomy as
provided in the Local Government Code of 1991, has completed the formulation of the implementing
rules and regulations; x x x
Consistent with the declared policy to provide local government units genuine and meaningful local
autonomy, contiguity and minimum land area requirements for prospective local government units
should be liberally construed in order to achieve the desired results. The strict interpretation adopted
by the February 10, 2010 Decision could prove to be counter-productive, if not outright absurd,
awkward, and impractical. Picture an intended province that consists of several municipalities and
component cities which, in themselves, also consist of islands. The component cities and
municipalities which consist of islands are exempt from the minimum land area requirement,
pursuant to Sections 450 and 442, respectively, of the LGC. Yet, the province would be made to
comply with the minimum land area criterion of 2,000 square kilometers, even if it consists of several
islands. This would mean that Congress has opted to assign a distinctive preference to create a
province with contiguous land area over one composed of islands — and negate the greater
imperative of development of self-reliant communities, rural progress, and the delivery of basic
services to the constituency. This preferential option would prove more difficult and burdensome if
the 2,000-square-kilometer territory of a province is scattered because the islands are separated by
bodies of water, as compared to one with a contiguous land mass.

Moreover, such a very restrictive construction could trench on the equal protection clause, as it
actually defeats the purpose of local autonomy and decentralization as enshrined in the Constitution.
Hence, the land area requirement should be read together with territorial contiguity.

Another look at the transcript of the deliberations of Congress should prove enlightening:

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. Can we give time to Congressman Chiongbian,28 with respect to his…

CHAIRMAN LINA. Okay.

HON. CHIONGBIAN. At the outset, Chairman Lina, we would like to apprise the distinguished
Senator about the action taken by the House, on House Bill No. 7166. This was passed about two
years ago and has been pending in the Senate for consideration. This is a bill that I am not the only
one involved, including our distinguished Chairman here. But then we did want to sponsor the bill,
being the Chairman then of the Local Government.

So, I took the cudgels for the rest of the Congressmen, who were more or less interested in the
creation of the new provinces, because of the vastness of the areas that were involved.

At any rate, this bill was passed by the House unanimously without any objection. And as I have said
a while ago, that this has been pending in the Senate for the last two years. And Sen. Pimentel
himself was just in South Cotabato and he delivered a speech that he will support this bill, and he
says, that he will incorporate this in the Local Government Code, which I have in writing from him. I
showed you the letter that he wrote, and naturally, we in the House got hold of the Senate version. It
becomes an impossibility for the whole Philippines to create a new province, and that is quite the
concern of the respective Congressmen.

Now, insofar as the constitutional provision is concerned, there is nothing to stop the mother
province from voting against the bill, if a province is going to be created.

So, we are talking about devolution of powers here. Why is the province not willing to create another
province, when it can be justified. Even Speaker Mitra says, what will happen to Palawan? We won’t
have one million people there, and if you look at Palawan, there will be about three or four provinces
that will comprise that island. So, the development will be hampered.
Now, I would like to read into the record the letter of Sen. Pimentel, dated November 2, 1989. This
was practically about a year after 7166 was approved by the House, House Bill 7166.

On November 2, 1989, the Senator wrote me:

"Dear Congressman Chiongbian:

We are in receipt of your letter of 17 October. Please be informed that your House No. 7166 was
incorporated in the proposed Local Government Code, Senate Bill No. 155, which is pending for
second reading.

Thank you and warm regards.

Very truly yours,"

That is the very context of the letter of the Senator, and we are quite surprised that the Senate has
adopted another position.

So, we would like – because this is a unanimously approved bill in the House, that’s the only bill that
is involving the present Local Government Code that we are practically considering; and this will be
a slap on the House, if we do not approve it, as approved by the lower House. This can be [an]
irritant in the approval of the Conference Committee Report. And I just want to manifest that insofar
as the creation of the province, not only in my province, but the other provinces. That the mother
province will participate in the plebiscite, they can defeat the province, let’s say, on the basis of the
result, the province cannot be created if they lose in the plebiscite, and I don’t see why, we should
put this stringent conditions to the private people of the devolution that they are seeking.

So, Mr. Senator, I think we should consider the situation seriously, because, this is an approved
version of the House, and I will not be the one to raise up and question the Conference Committee
Report, but the rest of the House that are interested in this bill. And they have been approaching the
Speaker about this. So, the Speaker reminded me to make sure that it takes the cudgel of the House
approved version.

So, that’s all what I can say, Mr. Senator, and I don’t believe that it is not, because it’s the wish of the
House, but because the mother province will participate anyhow, you vote them down; and that is
provided for in the Constitution. As a matter of fact, I have seen the amendment with regards to the
creation of the city to be urbanized, subject to the plebiscite. And why should we not allow that to
happen in the provinces! In other words, we don’t want the people who wants to create a new
province, as if they are left in the devolution of powers, when they feel that they are far away from
civilization.

Now, I am not talking about other provinces, because I am unaware, not aware of their situation. But
the province of South Cotabato has a very unique geographical territorial conglomerations. One side
is in the other side of the Bay, of Sarangani Bay. The capital town is in the North; while these other
municipalities are in the East and in the West. And if they have to travel from the last town in the
eastern part of the province, it is about one hundred forty kilometers to the capital town. And from
the West side, it is the same distance. And from the North side, it is about one hundred kilometers.
So that is the problem there. And besides, they have enough resources and I feel that, not because I
am interested in the province, I am after their welfare in the future. Who am I to dictate on those
people? I have no interest but then I am looking at the future development of these areas.
As a matter of fact, if I am in politics, it’s incidental; I do not need to be there, but I can foresee what
the creation of a new province will bring to these people. It will bring them prosperity; it will bring
them more income, and it will encourage even foreign investors. Like the PAP now, they are
concentrating in South Cotabato, especially in the City of

General Santos and the neighboring municipalities, and they are quite interested and even the AID
people are asking me, "What is holding the creation of a new province when practically you need it?"
It’s not 20 or 30 kilometers from the capital town; it’s about 140 kilometers. And imagine those
people have to travel that far and our road is not like Metropolitan Manila. That is as far as from here
to Tarlac. And there are municipalities there that are just one municipality is bigger than the province
of La Union. They have the income. Of course, they don’t have the population because that’s a part
of the land of promise and people from Luzon are migrating everyday because they feel that there
are more opportunities here.

So, by creating the new provinces, not only in my case, in the other cases, it will enhance the
development of the Philippines, not because I am interested in my province. Well, as far as I am
concerned, you know, I am in the twilight years of my life to serve and I would like to serve my
people well. No personal or political interest here. I hope the distinguished Chairman of the
Committee will appreciate the House Bill 7166, which the House has already approved because we
don’t want them to throw the Conference Committee Report after we have worked that the house Bill
has been, you know, drawn over board and not even considered by the Senate. And on top of that,
we are considering a bill that has not yet been passed. So I hope the Senator will take that into
account.

Thank you for giving me this time to explain.

CHAIRMAN LINA. Thank you very much, Congressman James. We will look into the legislative
history of the Senate version on this matter of creation of provinces. I am sure there was an
amendment. As I said, I’ll look into it. Maybe the House version was incorporated in toto, but maybe
during the discussion, their amendments were introduced and, therefore, Senator Pimentel could not
hold on to the original version and as a result new criteria were introduced.

But because of the manifestation that you just made, we will definitely, when we reach a book, Title
IV, on the matter of provinces, we will look at it sympathetically from your end so that the objective
that you want [to] achieve can be realized. So we will look at it with sympathy. We will review our
position on the matter, how we arrived at the Senate version and we will adopt an open mind
definitely when we come into it.

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. Kanino ‘yan?

CHAIRMAN LINA. Book III.

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. Title?

CHAIRMAN LINA. Title IV.

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. I have been pondering on the case of James, especially on economic
stimulation of a certain area. Like our case, because I put myself on our province, our province is
quite very big. It’s composed of four (4) congressional districts and I feel it should be five now. But
during the Batasan time, four of us talked and conversed proposing to divide the province into two.
There are areas then, when since time immemorial, very few governors ever tread on those areas.
That is, maybe you’re acquainted with the Bondoc Peninsula of Quezon, fronting that is Ragay Gulf.
From Ragay there is a long stretch of coastal area. From Albay going to Ragay, very few governors
ever tread [there] before, even today. That area now is infested with NPA. That is the area of
Congressman Andaya.

Now, we thought that in order to stimulate growth, maybe provincial aid can be extended to these
areas. With a big or a large area of a province, a certain administrator or provincial governor
definitely will have no sufficient time. For me, if we really would like to stimulate growth, I believe that
an area where there is physical or geographical impossibilities, where administrators can penetrate, I
think we have to create certain provisions in the law where maybe we can treat it with special
considerations.

Now, we went over the graduate scale of the Philipppine Local Government Data as far as provinces
are concerned. It is very surprising that there are provinces here which only composed of six
municipalities, eight municipalities, seven municipalities. Like in Cagayan, Tuguegarao, there are six
municipalities. Ah, excuse me, Batanes.

CHAIRMAN LINA. Will you look at the case of --- how many municipalities are there in Batanes
province?

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. Batanes is only six.

CHAIRMAN LINA. Six town. Siquijor?

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. Siquijor. It is region?

CHAIRMAN LINA. Seven.

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR.L Seven. Anim.

CHAIRMAN LINA. Six also.

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. Six also.

CHAIRMAN LINA. It seems with a minimum number of towns?

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. The population of Siquijor is only 70 thousand, not even one congressional
district. But tumaas in 1982. Camiguin, that is Region 9. Wala dito. Nagtataka nga ako ngayon.

CHAIRMAN LINA. Camiguin, Camiguin.

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. That is region? Camiguin has five municipalities, with a population of 63
thousand. But we do not hold it against the province because maybe that’s one stimulant where
growth can grow, can start. The land area for Camiguin is only 229 square kilometers. So if we hard
fast on requirements of, we set a minimum for every province, palagay ko we just leave it to
legislation, eh. Anyway, the Constitution is very clear that in case we would like to divide, we submit
it to a plebiscite. Pabayaan natin ang tao. Kung maglalagay tayo ng set ng minimum, tila yata
mahihirapan tayo, eh. Because what is really the thrust of the Local Government Code? Growth. To
devolve powers in order for the community to have its own idea how they will stimulate growth in
their respective areas.
So, in every geographical condition, mayroon sariling id[i]osyncracies eh, we cannot make a
generalization.

CHAIRMAN LINA. Will the creation of a province, carved out of the existing province because of
some geographical id[i]osyncracies, as you called it, stimulate the economic growth in the area or
will substantial aid coming from the national government to a particular area, say, to a municipality,
achieve the same purpose?

CHAIRMAN ALFELOR. Ano tayo dito sa budget. All right, here is a province. Usually, tinitingnan
lang yun, provision eh, hindi na yung composition eh. You are entitled to, say, 20% of the area.

There’s a province of Camarines Sur which have the same share with that of Camiguin and Siquijor,
but Camiguin is composed only of five municipalities; in Siquijor, it’s composed of six, but the share
of Siquijor is the same share with that of the province of Camarines Sur, having a bigger area, very
much bigger.

That is the budget in process.

CHAIRMAN LINA. Well, as I said, we are going to consider this very seriously and even with
sympathy because of the explanation given and we will study this very carefully.29

The matters raised during the said Bicameral Conference Committee meeting clearly show the
manifest intention of Congress to promote development in the previously underdeveloped and
uninhabited land areas by allowing them to directly share in the allocation of funds under the national
budget. It should be remembered that, under Sections 284 and 285

of the LGC, the IRA is given back to local governments, and the sharing is based on land area,
population, and local revenue.30

Elementary is the principle that, if the literal application of the law results in absurdity, impossibility,
or injustice, then courts may resort to extrinsic aids of statutory construction, such as the legislative
history of the law,31 or may consider the implementing rules and regulations and pertinent executive
issuances in the nature of executive and/or legislative construction. Pursuant to this principle, Article
9(2) of the LGC-IRR should be deemed incorporated in the basic law, the LGC.

It is well to remember that the LGC-IRR was formulated by the Oversight Committee consisting of
members of both the Executive and Legislative departments, pursuant to Section 53332 of the LGC.
As Section 533 provides, the Oversight Committee shall formulate and issue the appropriate rules
and regulations necessary for the efficient and effective implementation of any and all provisions of
this Code, thereby ensuring compliance with the principles of local autonomy as defined under the
Constitution. It was also mandated by the Constitution that a local government code shall be enacted
by Congress, to wit—

Section 3. The Congress shall enact a local government code which shall provide for a more
responsive and accountable local government structure instituted through a system of
decentralization with effective mechanisms of recall, initiative, and referendum, allocate among the
different local government units their powers, responsibilities, and resources, and provide for the
qualifications, election, appointment and removal, term, salaries, powers and functions and duties of
local officials, and all other matters relating to the organization and operation of the local units.
(Emphasis supplied.)
These State policies are the very reason for the enactment of the LGC, with the view to attain
decentralization and countryside development. Congress saw that the old LGC, Batas Pambansa
Bilang 337, had to be replaced with a new law, now the LGC of 1991, which is more dynamic and
cognizant of the needs of the Philippines as an archipelagic country. This accounts for the
exemption from the land area requirement of local government units composed of one or more
islands, as expressly stated under Sections 442 and 450 of the LGC, with respect to the creation of
municipalities and cities, but inadvertently omitted from Section 461 with respect to the creation of
provinces. Hence, the void or missing detail was filled in by the Oversight Committee in the LGC-
IRR.

With three (3) members each from both the Senate and the House of Representatives, particularly
the chairpersons of their respective Committees on Local Government, it cannot be gainsaid that the
inclusion by the Oversight Committee of the exemption from the land area requirement with respect
to the creation of provinces consisting of one (1) or more islands was intended by Congress, but
unfortunately not expressly stated in Section 461 of the LGC, and this intent was echoed through an
express provision in the LGC-IRR. To be sure, the Oversight Committee did not just arbitrarily and
whimsically insert such an exemption in Article 9(2) of the LGC-IRR. The Oversight Committee
evidently conducted due deliberation and consultations with all the concerned sectors of society and
considered the operative principles of local autonomy as provided in the LGC when the IRR was
formulated.33 Undoubtedly, this amounts not only to an executive construction, entitled to great
weight and respect from this Court,34 but to legislative construction as well, especially with the
inclusion of representatives from the four leagues of local government units as members of the
Oversight Committee.

With the formulation of the LGC-IRR, which amounted to both executive and legislative construction
of the LGC, the many details to implement the LGC had already been put in place, which Congress
understood to be impractical and not too urgent to immediately translate into direct amendments to
the LGC. But Congress, recognizing the capacity and viability of Dinagat to become a full-fledged
province, enacted R.A. No. 9355, following the exemption from the land area requirement, which,
with respect to the creation of provinces, can only be found as an express provision in the LGC-IRR.
In effect, pursuant to its plenary legislative powers, Congress breathed flesh and blood into that
exemption in Article 9(2) of the LGC-IRR and transformed it into law when it enacted R.A. No. 9355
creating the Island Province of Dinagat.

Further, the bill that eventually became R.A. No. 9355 was filed and favorably voted upon in both
Chambers of Congress. Such acts of both Chambers of Congress definitively show the clear
legislative intent to incorporate into the LGC that exemption from the land area requirement, with
respect to the creation of a province when it consists of one or more islands, as expressly provided
only in the LGC-IRR. Thereby, and by necessity, the LGC was amended by way of the enactment of
R.A. No. 9355.

What is more, the land area, while considered as an indicator of viability of a local government unit,
is not conclusive in showing that Dinagat cannot become a province, taking into account its average
annual income of ₱82,696,433.23 at the time of its creation, as certified by the Bureau of Local
Government Finance, which is four times more than the minimum requirement of ₱20,000,000.00 for
the creation of a province. The delivery of basic services to its constituents has been proven
possible and sustainable. Rather than looking at the results of the plebiscite and the May 10, 2010
elections as mere fait accompli circumstances which cannot operate in favor of Dinagat’s existence
as a province, they must be seen from the perspective that Dinagat is ready and capable of
becoming a province. This Court should not be instrumental in stunting such capacity. As we have
held in League of Cities of the Philippines v. Commission on Elections35 —
Ratio legis est anima. The spirit rather than the letter of the law. A statute must be read according to
its spirit or intent, for what is within the spirit is within the statute although it is not within its letter, and
that which is within the letter but not within the spirit is not within the statute. Put a bit differently, that
which is within the intent of the lawmaker is as much within the statute as if within the letter, and that
which is within the letter of the statute is not within the statute unless within the intent of the
lawmakers. Withal, courts ought not to interpret and should not accept an interpretation that would
defeat the intent of the law and its legislators.

So as it is exhorted to pass on a challenge against the validity of an act of Congress, a co-equal

branch of government, it behooves the Court to have at once one principle in mind: the presumption
of constitutionality of statutes. This presumption finds its roots in the tri-partite system of government
and the corollary separation of powers, which enjoins the three great departments of the government
to accord a becoming courtesy for each other’s acts, and not to interfere inordinately with the
exercise by one of its official functions. Towards this end, courts ought to reject assaults against the
validity of statutes, barring of course their clear unconstitutionality. To doubt is to sustain, the theory
in context being that the law is the product of earnest studies by Congress to ensure that no
constitutional prescription or concept is infringed. Consequently, before a law duly challenged is
nullified, an unequivocal breach of, or a clear conflict with, the Constitution, not merely a doubtful or
argumentative one, must be demonstrated in such a manner as to leave no doubt in the mind of the
Court.

WHEREFORE, the Court resolved to:

1. GRANT the Urgent Motion to Recall Entry of Judgment by movants-intervenors, dated and
filed on October 29, 2010;

2. RECONSIDER and SET ASIDE the July 20, 2010 Resolution, and GRANT the Motion for
Leave to Intervene and to File and to Admit Intervenors’ Motion for Reconsideration of the
Resolution dated July 20, 2010;

3. GRANT the Intervenors’ Motion for Reconsideration of the Resolution dated May 12,
2010. The May 12, 2010 Resolution is RECONSIDERED and SET ASIDE. The provision in
Article 9(2) of the Rules and Regulations Implementing the Local Government Code of 1991
stating, "The land area requirement shall not apply where the proposed province is
composed of one (1) or more islands," is declared VALID. Accordingly, Republic Act No.
9355 (An Act Creating the Province of Dinagat Islands) is declared as VALID and
CONSTITUTIONAL, and the proclamation of the Province of Dinagat Islands and the
election of the officials thereof are declared VALID; and

4. The petition is DISMISSED.

No pronouncement as to costs.

SO ORDERED.