Facts:
On or about October 6, 1986, herein respondent Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) issued Resolution No. 105 as parts of its "Additional Instructions to Examinees," to all those applying for admission to take the licensure examinations in accountancy:
No examinee shall attend any review class, briefing, conference or the like conducted by, or shall receive any hand-out, review material, or any tip from any school, college or university, or any review center or the like or any reviewer, lecturer, instructor official or employee of any of the aforementioned or similar institutions during the three days immediately proceeding every examination day including examination day.
Any examinee violating this instruction shall be subject to the sanctions prescribed by Sec. 8, Art. III of the Rules and Regulations of the Commission.
On October 16, 1986, herein petitioners, all reviewees preparing to take the licensure examinations in accountancy schedule on October 25 and November 2 of the same year, filed on their own behalf of all others similarly situated like them, with the Regional Trial Court of Manila a complaint for injunction with a prayer with the issuance of a writ of a preliminary injunction against respondent PRC to restrain the latter from enforcing the above-mentioned resolution and to declare the same unconstitutional.
Respondent PRC filed a motion to dismiss on October 21, 1987 on the ground that the lower court had no jurisdiction to review and to enjoin the enforcement of its resolution. In an Order of October 21, 1987, the lower court declared that it had jurisdiction to try the case and enjoined the respondent commission from enforcing and giving effect to Resolution No. 105 which it found to be unconstitutional. Not satisfied therewith, respondent PRC, on November 10, 1986, an appeal with the Court of Appeals. The petition was granted.
Issue:
Whether or not Resolution No. 105 is constitutional.
Held:
CA stated as basis its conclusion that PCS and RTC are co-equal branches. They relied heavily on the case of National Electrification Administration vs. Mendoza where the Court held that a Court of First Instance cannot interfere with the orders of SEC, the two being a co-equal branch.
SC said the cases cited by CA are not in point. It is glaringly apparent that the reason why the Court ruled that the Court of First Instance could not interfere with the orders of SEC was that this was provided for by the law. Nowhere in the said cases was it held that a Court of First Instance has no jurisdiction over all other government agencies. On the contrary, the ruling was specifically limited to the SEC. The respondent court erred when it place he SEC and PRC in the same category. There is no law providing for the next course of action for a party who wants to question a ruling or order of the PRC. What is clear from PD No. 223 is that PRC is attached to the Office of the President for general direction and coordination. Well settled in our jurisprudence the view that even acts of the Office of the President may be reviewed by the RTC. In view of the foregoing, SC rules that RTC has jurisdiction to entertain the case and enjoin PRC from enforcing its resolution.
As to the validity of Resolution No. 105, although the resolution has a commendable purpose which is to preserve the integrity and purity of the licensure examinations, the resolution is unreasonable in that an examinee cannot even attend and review class, briefing, conference or the like or receive hand-out, review material, or any tip from any school, college or university, or any review center. The unreasonableness is more obvious in that one who is caught committing the prohibited acts even without ill motives will be barred from taking future examinations.
Resolution No. 105 is not only unreasonable and arbitrary, it also infringes on the examinees’ right to liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. PRC has no authority to dictate on the reviewees as to how they should prepare themselves for the licensure examinations specially if the steps they take are lawful.
Another evident objection to Resolution No. 105 is that it violates the academic freedom of the schools concerned. PRC cannot interfere with the conduct of review that review schools and centers believe would best enable their enrollees to pass the examination. Unless the means and methods of instruction are clearly found to be inefficient, impractical, or riddled with corruption, review schools and centers may not be stopped from helping out their students.
The enforcement of Resolution No. 105 is not a guarantee that the alleged leakages in the licensure examinations will be eradicated or at least minimized. What is needed to be done by the respondent is to find out the source of such leakages and stop it right there.
The decision of the CA was REVERSE and SET ASIDE.
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