Facts:

• Antonio C. Ognir filed a petition for habeas corpus after being convicted by a General Court-Martial in 1943.
• The court-martial was convened by Colonel Wendel W. Fertig, Commanding Officer of the 10th Military District of Mindanao.
• Ognir was sentenced to life imprisonment for violating the 93rd Article of War of the Philippine Army.
• He argued that his imprisonment was null and void due to the alleged illegality of the court-martial's constitution.
• The case was escalated to the Supreme Court to determine the legality of the court-martial's appointment and jurisdiction.

Issue:

• (Unlock)

Ruling:

• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Antonio C. Ognir, declaring the judgment of the General Court-Martial null and void.
• The Court found that the court-martial was not properly convened according to legal standards, lacking jurisdiction ...(Unlock)

Ratio:

• The Court's decision was based on the principle that a judgment from a military court lacking legal constitution is void and can be challenged.
• It referenced Article 8 of Commonwealth Act No. 408, which specifies that only certain high-ranking officials, including the President of the Commonwealth and the Chief of Staff of the Philippine Army, have the aut...continue reading