Case Digest (G.R. No. 166620) Core Legal Reasoning Model
Core Legal Reasoning Model
Facts:
In Atty. Banda et al. v. Ermita, En Banc, G.R. No. 166620, decided on April 20, 2010 under the 1987 Constitution, petitioners Sylvia Banda, Consoricia Penson and 65 other employees of the National Printing Office (NPO) challenged the constitutionality of Executive Order No. 378 (EO 378) issued by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on October 25, 2004. The NPO was created on July 25, 1987 by Executive Order No. 285 issued during President Corazon Aquino’s term, granting it exclusive printing jurisdiction over all standard and accountable government forms, ballots and certain publications. EO 378 amended Section 6 of EO 285 by removing the NPO’s exclusivity for standard forms—allowing competitive sourcing from the private sector subject to quality and cost criteria—and by limiting the NPO’s annual appropriations to its own income. Perceiving these changes as threats to their security of tenure and as an overreach of executive power that purportedly repealed a legislative act, the 6... Case Digest (G.R. No. 166620) Expanded Legal Reasoning Model
Expanded Legal Reasoning Model
Facts:
- Parties and Petition
- Petitioners are 67 (later reduced to 34) employees of the National Printing Office (NPO), represented by several NPO workers.
- Respondents are Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita, the Director General of the Philippine Information Agency, and the National Treasurer.
- Background and Executive Orders
- Executive Order No. 285 (July 25, 1987) merged the Government Printing Office and PIA printing units to form the NPO with exclusive jurisdiction over all government printing of standard and accountable forms, ballot papers, and certain public documents.
- Executive Order No. 378 (October 25, 2004) amended EO 285 by:
- Removing the NPO’s exclusive right to print standard and accountable forms, allowing competition with the private sector (except election paraphernalia).
- Limiting the NPO’s annual General Appropriations Act allocation to its own income.
Issues:
- Procedural
- Whether the petition qualifies as a class suit under Section 12, Rule 3 of the Rules of Court.
- Substantive
- Whether President Arroyo had the power to amend or repeal EO 285 by issuing EO 378.
- Whether EO 378 violates NPO employees’ security of tenure by paving the way for gradual abolition of their positions.
Ruling:
- (Subscriber-Only)
Ratio:
- (Subscriber-Only)
Doctrine:
- (Subscriber-Only)