Francisco Chavez vs. Public Estates Authority and Amari Coastal Bay Development Corporation Right to Access Inormation !ec. " Art. III FAC#! 1. On November 20, 1973, the government, through the Commissioner of Public Highw!s, signe" signe" contr contrct ct wit with h the Constr Construct uction ion n" #evelo #evelo$me $ment nt Cor$or Cor$orti tion on of the Phili$ Phili$$in $ines es %&C#CP& for brevit!' to reclim certin foreshore n" o(shore res of )nil *!. *!. +he contrct lso inclu"e" the construction of Phses n" of the )nil-Cvite Costl o". C#CP obligte" itself to crr! out ll the wor/s in consi"ertion of ft! $ercent of the totl reclime" ln". 2. On ebrur! , 1977, then Presi"ent er"inn" . )rcos issue" Presi"entil #ecree No. 104 104 cre creti ting ng P5. P5. P# No. No. 104 104 ts/ ts/e" e" P5 P5 &to &to recl recli im m ln" ln",, incl inclu" u"in ing g fore foresh shor ore e n" n" submerge" submerge" res,& res,& n" &to "evelo$, im$rove, im$rove, c6uire, c6uire, lese n" sell n! n" ll /in"s of ln"s. ln"s.&1 &1 On the sme sme "te, "te, then then Presi" Presi"ent ent )rcos )rcos issue" issue" Presi" Presi"ent entil il #ecree #ecree No. No. 1048 1048 trnsferring to P5 the &ln"s reclime" in the foreshore n" o(shore of the )nil *!&2 un"er the )nil-Cvite Costl o" n" eclmtion Proect %)CCP'. 3. On #ecember 29, 1941 Presi"ent )rcos issue" memo "irecting P5 to men" its contrct stting tht ll future wor/s in )CCP shll be fun"e" n" owne" b! P5. 5ccor"ingl!, P5 n" C#CP eecute" )O5 tht ll reclmtion construction n" wor/s in )CCP shll be un"ert/en b! C#CP to be nnce" b! P5, tht C#CP shll further give u$ ll its rights n" thereb! grees to ce"e n" trnsfer it in fvor of P5. . On :nur! 19, 1944 then $resi"ent Cor;on 56uino grnte" the trnsfer to P5 the $rcels of ln" reclime" un"er the )nil-Cvite Costl o" n" eclmtion Proect with totl re of 1,918,49 s6ure meters, covering the re of free"om isln" with totl ln" re of 1,874,1 s6ure meters 8. On 1998, P5 entere" into :oint ente Presi"ent )ce" in his $rivilege" s$eech $resente" the conclusion of the sente re$ort in their investigtion tht the reclime" ln"s P5 see/s to trnsfer to 5)5 un"er the :<5 re ln"s of the $ublic "omin no clssie" s lienble? the certicte of title covering free"om isln"s re thus voi" n" the : <5 itself is illegl. PE#I#I$%ER rn/ Chve; in his c$cit! s t$!er le" the Petition for )n"mus with Pr!er for the issunce of writ of Preliminr! nunction n" +em$orr! estrining Or"er . . He assails the sle to 5)5 of ln"s of the $ublic "omin s bltnt violtion of section 3 of 5rticle @ of the 1947 Constitution $rohibiting the sle of lienble ln"s of $ublic "omin to $rivte cor$ortions?
DEFE%DA%# . Public Public sttes sttes 5uthorit! 5uthorit! sought sought the trnsfer trnsfer to the 5mri Costl Costl *! n" #evelo$men #evelo$mentt Cor$ortion, of the ownershi$ of $ortion of the ree"om sln" n" furthermore sought to hve 290.18= hectres of submerge" res of )nil *! to 5mri. Climing tht
un"er the $rovisions of P# No. 104 the! re clo/e" with uthorit! to reclim ln", inclu"ing foreshore n" submerge" res, to "evelo$, im$rove, c6uire, "minister, lese n" sell n! n" ll /in"s of ln"s, n" to hol" ln"s of the $ublic "omin. b. P5 sserts, citing Chavez v. PCGG,31 tht in cses of on-going negotitions the right to informtion is limite" to &"enite $ro$ositions of the government.& P5 mintins the right "oes not inclu"e ccess to &intr-genc! or inter-genc! recommen"tions or communictions "uring the stge when common ssertions re still in the $rocess of being formulte" or re in the Ae$lortor! stgeA c. 5lso, 5)5 conten"s tht $etitioner cnnot invo/e the right t the $re-"ecisionl stge or before the closing of the trnsction tht there must rst be consummte" contrct before $etitioner cn invo/e the right. e6uiring government o(icils to revel their "elibertions t the $re-"ecisionl stge will "egr"e the 6ulit! of "ecision-m/ing in government gencies. Bovernment o(icils will hesitte to e$ress their rel sentiments "uring "elibertions if there is imme"ite $ublic "issemintion of their "iscussions, $utting them un"er ll /in"s of $ressure before the! "eci"e. >> . Dhether or not the trnsfer of ln" to 5)5 is voi". b. Dhether or not the constitutionl right to informtion inclu"es o(icil informtion on ongoing negotiations before nl contrct. HE# . No. +o llow vst res of reclime" ln"s of the $ublic "omin to be trnsferre" to 5mri s $rivte ln"s will snction gross violtion of the constitutionl bn on $rivte cor$ortions from c6uiring n! /in" of lienble ln" of the $ublic "omin. +he >u$reme Court (irme" tht the 187.4 hectres of reclime" ln"s com$rising the ree"om sln"s, now covere" b! certictes of title in the nme of P5, re lienble ln"s of the $ublic "omin. +he 892.18 hectres of submerge" res of )nil *! remin inlienble nturl resources of the $ublic "omin. +he trnsfer %s embo"ie" in oint venture greement' to 5)5, $rivte cor$ortion, ownershi$ of 77.3 hectres of the ree"om sln"s, is voi" for being contrr! to >ection 3, 5rticle @ of the 1947 Constitution which $rohibits $rivte cor$ortions from c6uiring n! /in" of lienble ln" of the $ublic "omin. urthermore, since the 5men"e" :<5 lso see/s to trnsfer to 5mri ownershi$ of 290.18= hectres of still submerge" res of )nil *!, such trnsfer is voi" for being contrr! to >ection 2, 5rticle @ of the 1947 Constitution which $rohibits the liention of nturl resources other thn griculturl ln"s of the $ublic "omin. b. nformtion, on on-going evaluation or review of bi"s or $ro$osls being un"ert/en b! the bi""ing or review committee is not imme"itel! ccessible un"er the right to informtion. Dhile the evlution or review is still on-going, there re no &o(icil cts, trnsctions, or "ecisions& on the bi"s or $ro$osls. However, once the committee m/es its oficial recommendation, there rises "denite proposition" on the $rt of the government. rom this moment, the $ublicAs right to informtion ttches, n" n! citi;en cn ccess ll the non-$ro$rietr! informtion le"ing to such "enite $ro$osition Contrr! to 5)5As contention, the commissioners of the 194= Constitutionl Commission un"erstoo" tht the right to informtion "contemplates inclusion o negotiations leading to the consummation o the transaction." Certinl!, consummte" contrct is not re6uirement for the eercise of the right to informtion. Otherwise, the $eo$le cn never eercise the right if no contrct is consummte", n" if one is consummte", it m! be too lte for the $ublic to e$ose its "efects. 1âwphi1.nêt
e6uiring consummte" contrct will /ee$ the $ublic in the "r/ until the contrct, which m! be grossl! "is"vntgeous to the government or even illegl, becomes fait accompli. +his negtes the >tte $olic! of full trns$renc! on mtters of $ublic concern, sitution which the frmers of the Constitution coul" not hve inten"e". >uch re6uirement will $revent the citi;enr! from $rtici$ting in the $ublic "iscussion of n! proposed contrct, e(ectivel! truncting bsic right enshrine" in the *ill of ights. De cn llow neither n emscultion of constitutionl right, nor retret b! the >tte of its vowe" &$olic! of full "isclosure of ll its trnsctions involving $ublic interest.&
+he right covers three ctegories of informtion which re &mtters of $ublic concern,& nmel!F %1' o(icil recor"s? %2' "ocuments n" $$ers $ertining to o(icil cts, trnsctions n" "ecisions? n" %3' government reserch "t use" in formulting $olicies. +he rst ctegor! refers to n! "ocument tht is $rt of the $ublic recor"s in the custo"! of government gencies or o(icils. +he secon" ctegor! refers to "ocuments n" $$ers recor"ing, evi"encing, estblishing, conrming, su$$orting, ustif!ing or e$lining o(icil cts, trnsctions or "ecisions of government gencies or o(icils. +he thir" ctegor! refers to reserch "t, whether rw, collte" or $rocesse", owne" b! the government n" use" in formulting government $olicies. +he informtion tht $etitioner m! ccess on the renegotition of the :<5 inclu"es evlution re$orts, recommen"tions, legl n" e$ert o$inions, minutes of meetings, terms of reference n" other "ocuments ttche" to such re$orts or minutes, ll relting to the :<5. However, the right to informtion "oes not com$el P5 to $re$re lists, bstrcts, summries n" the li/e relting to the renegotition of the :<5. 3 +he right onl! (or"s ccess to recor"s, "ocuments n" $$ers, which mens the o$$ortunit! to ins$ect n" co$! them. One who eercises the right must co$! the recor"s, "ocuments n" $$ers t his e$ense. +he eercise of the right is lso subect to resonble regultions to $rotect the integrit! of the $ublic recor"s n" to minimi;e "isru$tion to government o$ertions, li/e rules s$ecif!ing when n" how to con"uct the ins$ection n" co$!ing.38 +he right to informtion, however, "oes not eten" to mtters recogni;e" s $rivilege" informtion un"er the se$rtion of $owers. 3= +he right "oes not lso $$l! to informtion on militr! n" "i$lomtic secrets, informtion (ecting ntionl securit!, n" informtion on investigtions of crimes b! lw enforcement gencies before the $rosecution of the ccuse", which courts hve long recogni;e" s con"entil. 37 +he right m! lso be subect to other limittions tht Congress m! im$ose b! lw. +here is no clim b! P5 tht the informtion "emn"e" b! $etitioner is $rivilege" informtion roote" in the se$rtion of $owers. +he informtion "oes not cover Presi"entil converstions, corres$on"ences, or "iscussions "uring close"-"oor Cbinet meetings which, li/e internl "elibertions of the >u$reme Court n" other collegite courts, or eecutive sessions of either house of Congress,34 re recogni;e" s con"entil. +his /in" of informtion cnnot be $rie" o$en b! co-e6ul brnch of government. 5 frn/ echnge of e$lortor! i"es n" ssessments, free from the glre of $ublicit! n" $ressure b! intereste" $rties, is essentil to $rotect the in"e$en"ence of "ecision-m/ing of those ts/e" to eercise Presi"entil, Eegisltive n" :u"icil $ower. 39+his is not the sitution in the instnt cse. De rule, therefore, tht the constitutionl right to informtion inclu"es o(icil informtion on on-going negotiations before nl contrct. +he informtion, however, must constitute "enite $ro$ositions b! the government n" shoul" not cover recogni;e" ece$tions li/e $rivilege" informtion, militr! n" "i$lomtic secrets n" similr mtters (ecting ntionl securit! n" $ublic or"er. Congress hs lso $rescribe" other limittions on the right to informtion in severl legisltions.
Consi"ering tht the 5men"e" :<5 is null n" voi" b initio, there is no necessit! to rule on this lst issue. *esi"es, the Court is not trier of fcts, n" this lst issue involves "etermintion of fctul mtters. DHO, the $etition is &RA%#ED. +he Public sttes 5uthorit! n" 5mri Costl *! #evelo$ment Cor$ortion re PER'A%E%#() E%*$I%ED from im$lementing the 5men"e" :oint O O##.
