"#$ %&"$'&("%)&(* #('+,))+ (&+ -$&$$'
.)/0(&1 2 "#$ 0(&3%* 4$+$'("%)& )4 *(5)' C8 no. 47178 |
november 23, 1940 Supreme CourL Ln 8anc Laurel, !. 4(."671he
SecreLary of Labor cerLlfled Lo Lhe CourL of lndusLrlal 8elaLlons
(Cl8) LhaL an lndusLrlal dlspuLe exlsLed beLween Lhe peLlLloner and
cerLaln of lLs employees who are members of respondenL unlon, and
LhaL Lhe conLroversy was a proper one Lo be dealL wlLh by sald
CourL ln Lhe publlc lnLeresL under secLlon 4 of CommonwealLh AcL
no. 103. 1he lndusLrlal dlspuLe menLloned above referred Lo cerLaln
demands made by Lhe respondenL on Lhe peLlLloner, among whlch were
Lhe followlng: 2. SeL Lhe mlnlmum dally wages of common laborers aL
one peso. 3. uevlse a proper schedule of raLe of wages for all
laborers. 4. 1he raLe of wages for Lhe mounLaln camps should be
hlgher by 20 per cenL over Lhose glven ln Lhe Lown. Cl8 ruled ln
favor of Lhe unlon workers. Whlle a moLlon for reconslderaLlon was
pendlng resoluLlon by Lhe CourL, Lhe peLlLloner flled a moLlon
praylng LhaL sald CourL hold lLself wlLhouL [urlsdlcLlon Lo declde
Lhe quesLlon relaLlng Lo demands nos. 2 and 4, alleglng (1) LhaL
Lhe CourL of lndusLrlal 8elaLlons has no auLhorlLy Lo deLermlne
mlnlmum wages for an lndlvldual employer ln connecLlon wlLh a
parLlcular and speclflc lndusLrlal dlspuLe under Lhe provlslons of
secLlon 4 of CommonwealLh AcL no. 103, (2) LhaL such auLhorlLy
would consLlLuLe an undue delegaLlon of leglslaLlve power Lo Lhe
CourL of lndusLrlal 8elaLlons and would deny Lhe peLlLloner Lhe
equal proLecLlon of Lhe laws, Lhus renderlng sald secLlon
unconsLlLuLlonal and vold. %668$71-WheLher or noL Lhe CourL of
lndusLrlal 8elaLlons has Lhe power Lo deLermlne mlnlmum wages for
an lndlvldual employer ln connecLlon wlLh an lndusLrlal dlspuLe
whlch sald courL mlghL Lake cognlzance of under Lhe provlslons of
CommonwealLh AcL no. 103 2-lf lL has, wheLher or noL such granL
power ls unconsLlLuLlonal and vold #$*+7 1-?es, CommonwealLh AcL
no. 103 was creaLed Lo glve effecL Lo Lhe sLaLe's pollcy
recognlzlng compulsory arblLraLlon ln lndusLrlal dlspuLes. SecLlons
4 & 3, LogeLher wlLh Lhe oLher secLlons complemenLlng lL, ls
deslgned Lo provlde for compulsory arblLraLlon ln order Lo prevenL
non-speclflc meLhods ln Lhe deLermlnaLlon of lndusLrlal and
agrlculLural dlspuLes. ln SecLlon 4, Lhe CourL of lndusLrlal
8elaLlons ls empowered Lo "Lake cognlzance for purposes of
prevenLlon, arblLraLlon, declslon, and seLLlemenL, of any
lndusLrlal or agrlculLural dlspuLe causlng or llkely Lo cause a
sLrlke or lockouL, arlslng from dlfferences as regard wages, shares
or compensaLlon, dlsmlssals, lay-offs, or suspenslons of employees
or laborers, LenanLs or farm-laborers, hours of labor, or
condlLlons of Lenancy or employmenL, beLween employers and
employees or laborers and beLween landlords and LenanLs or
farm-laborers." SecLlon 3, on Lhe oLher hand, provldes for Lhe
careful examlnaLlon LhaL Lhe Cl8 underLakes Lo arrlve aL a proper,
[usL and reasonable mlnlmum wage. 2-no. SecLlon 20 of CommonwealLh
AcL no. 103 prescrlbes LhaL ln Lhe hearlng, lnvesLlgaLlon and
deLermlnaLlon of any quesLlon or conLroversy and ln exerclslng any
duLles and power under Lhls AcL, Lhe courL shall acL accordlng Lo
[usLlce and equlLy and subsLanLlal merlLs of Lhe case, wlLhouL
regard Lo LechnlcallLles or legal forms. 1he naLlonal Assembly has
by Lhls secLlon furnlshed a sufflclenL sLandard by whlch Lhe courL
wlll be gulded ln exerclslng lLs dlscreLlon ln Lhe deLermlnaLlon of
any quesLlon or conLroversy before lL, and we have already ruled
LhaL Lhe dlscreLlonary power Lhus conferred ls [udlclal ln
characLer and does noL lnfrlnge upon Lhe prlnclple of separaLlon of
powers, Lhe prohlblLlon agalnsL Lhe delegaLlon of leglslaLlve
funcLlon, and Lhe equal proLecLlon clause of Lhe ConsLlLuLlon."
lurLhermore, ln Lhe case of angaslnan 1ransporLaLlon Co. vs. 1he
ubllc Servlce Commlsslon, Lhe Supreme CourL made Lhe followlng
observaLlon: 1he Lheory of Lhe separaLlon of powers ls deslgned by
lLs orlglnaLors Lo secure acLlon and aL Lhe same Llme Lo foresLall
overreacLlon whlch necessarlly resulLs from undue concenLraLlon of
powers, and Lhereby obLaln efflclency and prevenL despoLlsm.
1hereby, Lhe "rule of law" was esLabllshed whlch narrows Lhe range
of governmenLal acLlon and makes lL sub[ecL Lo conLrol by cerLaln
legal devlces. Cne Lhlng, however, ls apparenL ln Lhe developmenL
of Lhe prlnclple of separaLlon of powers and LhaL ls LhaL Lhe maxlm
of !"#"$%&'( *+* ,+&"(& !"#"$%-. +- !"#"$%&%
,+&"(&%( *+* ,+&"(& !"#"$%-., has been made Lo
adapL lLself Lo Lhe complexlLles of modern governmenLs, glvlng rlse
Lo Lhe adopLlon, wlLhln cerLaln llmlLs, of Lhe prlnclple of
"subordlnaLe leglslaLlon". Accordlngly, wlLh Lhe growlng complexlLy
of modern llfe, Lhe mulLlpllcaLlon of Lhe sub[ecLs of governmenLal
regulaLlon, and Lhe lncreased dlfflculLy of admlnlsLerlng Lhe laws,
Lhere ls a consLanLly growlng Lendency Loward Lhe delegaLlon of
greaLer powers by Lhe leglslaLure, and Loward Lhe approval of Lhe
pracLlce by Lhe courLs." SubmlLLed by:Clarlce !oy u.!. San !ose
AdmlnlsLraLlve Law | ALLy. 8. uemlglllo
