Title
Supreme Court
Guinto vs. Department of Justice
Case
G.R. No. 249027
Decision Date
Apr 3, 2024
Inmates of New Bilibid Prison challenged rules excluding heinous crime convicts from earning good conduct time allowances. The Supreme Court granted their petitions, ruling such exclusions invalid, and mandated re-computation of their allowances.

Case Digest (G.R. No. 249027)
Expanded Legal Reasoning Model

Facts:

  • Petitioners and their legal challenge
    • Petitioners include Narciso B. Guinto and several inmates of the New Bilibid Prison, all convicted of heinous crimes.
    • They filed Petitions for Certiorari and Prohibition to challenge the 2019 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (2019 IRR) of Republic Act No. 10592 (RA 10592) which excluded persons convicted of heinous crimes from earning Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA).
    • Petitioners assert that the exclusion violates the express provisions of RA 10592 because the law does not distinguish between persons "charged with" heinous crimes and those "convicted of" heinous crimes.
    • They were ordered to surrender after being issued certificates of discharge and alleged illegal re-incarceration.
  • Respondents and their defense
    • Respondents include the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and Philippine National Police (PNP).
    • They contended that the 2019 IRR falls within their administrative authority and that certiorari and prohibition are not the proper remedies.
    • They argued that petitioners should avail of habeas corpus for unlawful detention claims.
    • Respondents also maintained that the exclusion of recidivists, habitual delinquents, escapees, and persons charged with heinous crimes from GCTA benefits is consistent with the law.
  • Procedural history
    • The cases G.R. Nos. 249027 and 249155 were consolidated.
    • The Court en banc heard arguments on the validity and scope of RA 10592 and its 2019 IRR implementation.

Issues:

  • Whether persons convicted of heinous crimes are excluded from the benefits of RA 10592, specifically from earning Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA).
  • Whether the 2019 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations exceed the rule-making authority granted by RA 10592 by disqualifying convicted persons of heinous crimes from GCTA.
  • Whether the Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition is the proper remedy to challenge the exclusion of convicted persons of heinous crimes from GCTA.

Ruling:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Ratio:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Doctrine:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

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