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203 SCRA 767

Inquiry in Aid of Legislation

Justice Padilla

JOSE F.S. BENGZON JR., ET. AL.vs. SENATE BLUE RIBBON

COMMITTEE

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Facts

PC!! "led #it$ Sandigan%ayan Ci&il Case'o( 003)

*ntitled +Re,u%lic of t$e P$ili,,ines &s(-en.a/in +o1oy Ro/ualde4 et al(

A/ended to a/,lify allegations andi/,lead ne# defendants(

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Alleges -en.a/in +o1oy Ro/ualde #it$$is #ife along #it$ t$e 5arcoses un.ustlyenric$ed t$e/sel&es engaged in de&ices4sc$e/es4 and strategies4 at t$e e,ense of

t$e Plainti and t$e Fili,ino ,eo,le4 #it$t$e $el, of Atty( -engon and $is la#,artners and Ricardo Lo,a8

Control o&er so/e of t$e %iggest %usinessenter,rises in t$e country including5*RALC94 PCI -an14 S$ell P$ili,,ines and-enguet Consolidated 5ining Cor,oration(

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Senator *nrile on $is ,ri&ilege s,eec$contained a /otion to in&estigate on t$ealleged &iolation of t$e $erein ,etitioners ofSec( ) of Anti:!raft and Corru,t Practices

Senate -lue Ri%%on Co//ittee started itsin&estigation and su%,oenaed Lo,a and-engon to testify %efore t$e co//ittee(

Lo,a refused for it /ig$t unduly ,re.udiced

$is ,ending ci&il case #; Sandigan%ayan

Li1e#ise4 -engon declined and in&o1ed $isrig$t of due ,rocess(

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+Clai/ing t$at t$e Senate -lue Ri%%onCo//ittee is ,oised to su%,oena t$e/ andrequired t$eir attendance and testi/ony in,roceedings %efore t$e Co//ittee4 in

ecess of its .urisdiction and legislati&e,ur,ose4 in clear and %latant disregard oft$eir constitutional rig$ts4 and to t$eirgra&e and irre,ara%le da/ager4 ,re.udice

and in.ury4 and t$at t$ere is no a,,eal norany ot$er ,lain4 s,eedy and adequatere/edy in t$e ordinary course of la#

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9ne of t$e defendants in Ci&il Case 003)"led a /otion for inter&ention %efore t$eSandigan%ayan #$ic$ granted %y suc$ andrequired t$e co//ittee to co//ent on on

t$e said ,etition(

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ISS=*>9' t$e Senate -lue Ri%%on Co//ittee?s

inquiry $as no &alid legislati&e ,ur,ose4 i(e(4it is not done in aid of legislation(

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@eld

'9(Legal %asis

Section 24 Article BI t$ereof ,ro&ides

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Sec( of t$e Senate Rules of ProcedureGoverning Inquiries in Aid ofLegislation. Suc$ inquiries /ay refer to t$ei/,le/entation or re:ea/ination of any

la# or in connection #it$ any ,ro,osedlegislation or t$e for/ulation of futurelegislation(

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Sec( D of t$e afore/entioned Rules4 t$eSenate /ay refer to any co//ittee orco//ittees any s,eec$ or resolution "led%y any Senator #$ic$ in tis .udg/ent

requires an a,,ro,riate inquiry in aid oflegislation( In order t$erefore to ascertaint$e c$aracter or nature of an inquiry4 resort/ust %e $ad to t$e s,eec$ or resolution

under #$ic$ suc$ an inquiry is ,ro,osed to%e /ade(

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A,,lication+ Berily4 t$e s,eec$ of Senator *nrile contained nosuggestion of conte/,lated legislation8 $e /erelycalled u,on t$e Senate to loo1 into a ,ossi%le &iolationof Sec( ) of RA 'o( 30E4 ot$er#ise 1no#n as

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@*R*F9R*4 t$e ,etition is !RA'

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