07/06/2026
โ๏ธ ๐ณ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐
๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐. ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 1949. ๐ญ๐ช๐ฑ ๐ด๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐น๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ซ๐ซ๐บ, ๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ด, ๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
Here is the FULL TEXT of his opinion:
โMORAN, C.J., concurring:
I believe that this Court has jurisdiction over the case. The present crisis in the Senate is one that imperatively calls for the intervention of the Court.
Respondent Cuenco cannot invoke the doctrine of non-interference by the courts with the Senate because the legal capacity of his group of twelve senators to acts as a senate is being challenged by petitioner on the groundof lack of quorum (Attorney General ex rel. Werts vs. Rogers et al., Atl. 726; 23 L. R. A., 352). If this group is found sufficient to constitute a quorum under the Constitution, then its proceedings should be free from interference. But if it is not possessed of a valid quorum, then its proceedings should be voided.
The issue as to the legal capacity of the Cuenco group to act as a senate cannot be considered a political question the determination of which devolves exclusively upon the Senate. That issue involves a constitutional question which cannot be validly decided either by the Cuenco group or by the Avelino group separately, for, if the Cuenco group has no quorum, the Avelino has decidedly less. And for obvious reasons, the two groups cannot act together inasmuch as the members of the Avelino group, possibly to avoid trouble, do not attend the sessions presided by the respondent believing as they do that the latter was illegally elected. Upon the other hand, the Cuenco group believing itself as possessing the constitutional quorum and not desiring to make any semblance of admission to the contrary, does not find it convenient to compel the attendance of any senator of the Avelino group. Then the question arises--who will decide the conflict between the two groups? This anomalous situation will continue while the conflict remains unsettled, and the conflict will remain unsettled while this Court refuses to intervene. In the meantime the validity of all the laws, resolutions and other measures which may be passed by the Cuenco group will be open to doubt because of an alleged lack of quorum in the body which authored them. This doubt may extend, in diverse forms, to the House of Representative and to the other agencies of the government such as the Auditor General's Office. Thus, a general situation of uncertainty, pregnant with grave dangers, is developing into confusion and chaos with severe harm to the nation. This situation may, to a large extent, be stopped and constitutional processes may be restored in the Senate if only this Court, as the guardian of the Constitutional, were to pronounce the final word on the constitutional mandate governing the existing conflict between the two groups. And, in my opinion, under the present circumstances, this Court has no other alternative but to meet challenge of the situation which demands the utmost of judicial temper and judicial statesmanship. As hereinbefore stated, the present crisis in the Senate is one that imperatively calls for the intervention of this Court.
๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐,๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐
๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐, ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ. ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐, ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ. ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ-๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐๐๐ง. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ.
The constitution of our state ordains that a majority of each house shall constitute a quorum. the house of representative consist of 125 members; 63 is a majority and quorum. When a majority or quorum are present, the house can do business; not otherwise. A quorum possessed all the powers of the whole body, a majority of which quorum must, of course, govern. (In re Gunn, 50 Kan., 155; 32 P., 470, 476; 19 L.R.A., 519.)
Quorum as used in U. S. C. A. Const. Art. 4 sec. 8, providing that a majority of each house shall constitute a quorum to do business, is, for the purpose of the Assembly, not less than the majority of the whole number of which the house may be composed. Vacancies from death, resignation or failure to elect cannot be deducted in ascertaining the quorum. (Opinion of Justice, 12 Fla. 653.)
The general rule is that a quorum is a majority of all the members and a majority of this majority may legislate and do the work of the whole. (State vs. Ellington 117 N. C., 158; 23 S. E. 250-252, 30 L.R.A., 532; 53 Am. SR., 580.)
. . a majority of each House is necessary to transact business, and a minority cannot transact business, this view being in keeping with the provision of the Constitution permitting a smaller number than a quorum to adjourn from day to day merely. (Earp vs. Riley, 40 OKL., 340; p. 164; Ralls vs. Wyand, 40 OKL., 323; 138 P. 158.)
The Constitution provides that "a majority of each (house) shall constitute a quorum to do business." In other words, when a majority are present the House is in a position to do business. Its capacity to transact business is then established, created by the mere presence of a majority, and depend upon the disposition or assent or action of any single member or faction of the majority present. All that the Constitution required is the presence of a majority, and when that majority are present, the power of the House arises. (U. S. vs. Ballin, Joseph & Co., 36 Law ed. 321, 325.)
If all the members of the select body or committee, or if all the agents are assembled, or if all have been duly notified, and the minority refuse, or neglect to meet with the other, a majority of those present may act, provided those present constitute a majority of the whole number. In other words, in such case, a major part of the whole is necessary to constitute a quorum, and a majority of the quorum may act. If the major part withdraw so as to leave no quorum, the power of the minority to act is, in general, considered to cease. (1 Dillon, Mun. Corp. 4th ed., sec. 283.)3
Therefore, without prejudice to writing a more extensive opinion, if necessary, I believe that respondent Mariano J. Cuenco has not been legally elected as acting President of the Senate. It is true that respondent Cuenco, in fact, must be the Senate President because he represent the majority of the members now present in Manila, and, at any new session with a quorum, upon the present senatorial alignment, he will be elected to said office. But precisely he is now the master of the situation, he must win his victory in accordance with the Constitution. It is absolutely essential in the adolescent life of our Republic to insist, strictly and uncompromisingly, on thedemocratic principles consecrated in our Constitution. By such efforts alone can we insure the future of our political life as a republican form of government under the sovereignty of a Constitution from being a mockery.
๐๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ โ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ช๐ฎ๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ช๐ฎ๐จ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฆ. ๐๐ฐ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ง๐, ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ, ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ญ, ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐๐ก ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฌ, ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ง๐๐จ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ ๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ซ๐ญ๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ. ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ณ๐๐ง ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ง๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ.โ
