Case # 003. Cabansag v. Fernandez Ref. Ref./D /Dat ate/ e/ Pn. Pn. G.R. G.R. No. No. L89 L8974 74 Octo Octobe berr 18, 18, 1957 1957 BAUT BAUTI IT TA ANG!L NG!LO, O, ".# ".# "!N "!N La$/ % %b&ect# 'ONTI II II / (ree)o* of !+ !+re--on 'a-e A)# Pettoner $rote a etter to P'A' 0 not n)rect conte* e*t Facts: T- - a conte*t rocee)n2 $c aro-e n '3 'a-e No. 954 of te 'o%rt of (r-t In-tance of Pan2a-nan $eren Aoono 'aban-a2 an) - a$er- Roberto 6. errera $ere fo%n) 2%t an) -entence) te fr-t to a a fne of P an) te a-t t$o P5 eac $t te $arnn2 tat a reetton of te of offen-e $ ne+t t*e be ea3 )eat $t.
'aban-a2 $rote a etter to te Pre-)enta 'o*ant- an) Acton 'o**--on -ee:n2 for te fa-t re-o%ton of - ca-e en)n2 at te '(I of Pan2a-nan. Pan2a-nan. (ernan)e; rae) tat 'aban-a2 'aban-a2 be )ecare) n conte*t conte*t of co%rt for a ne n - etter. Pettoner
a2-a-a>-- a--%*t a--%*ton on n offce offce an) creaton creaton of Pre-)ent Pre-)enta a 'o*an 'o*antt- an) Acton 'o**--on 'o**--on
petitioner should be liable for indirect contempt.
eld: NO. Wherefore! the decision appealed from is reversed! "ithout pronouncement as to costs.
"atio# Te 3er )ea of a 2o3ern*ent, re%bcan n for*, *e- a r2t on te art of t- ct;en- to *eet eaceab for con-%taton n re-ect affar- an) to etton for a re)re-- of 2re3ance-. Te (r-t A*en)*ent- of te (e)era e+re-- 2%arantee- tat r2t a2an-t abr)2*ent b 'on2re--. B%t *enton )oe- not ar2%e e+c%-on e-e$ere. (or te r2t - one tat cannot be )ene) $to%t 3oatn2 to-e f%n)a*enta rnce- of bert an) &%-tce $c e at te ba-e of a c3 an) otca n-tt%ton- rnce- $c te A*en)*ent A*en)*ent e*bo)e- n te 2enera ter*- of t- )%e roce-- ca%-e. Te free)o* of te re-- n t-ef re-%o-e- an n)een)ent &%)car tro%2 $c tat free)o* *a, f nece--ar, be 3n)cate). An) An) one of te otent *ean- of a--%rn2 &%)2e- ter n)een)ence - a free re--. T$o T$o teoretca for*%a- a) been )e3-e) n te )eter*naton of confctn2 r2t- of -*ar *ort n an atte*t to )ra$ te roer con-tt%tona bo%n)ar bet$een free)o* of e+re--on an) te n)een)ence of te &%)car. Te-e Te-e are @te cear an) re-ent )an2er r%e an) te @)an2ero%- ten)enc r%e. Te fr-t a- nterrete) n a n%*ber of ca-e-, *ean- tat te e3 con-e%ence of te co**ent or %tterance *%-t be @e+tre*e -ero%- an) te )e2ree of **nence e+tre*e 2 before te %tterance can be %n-e). Te )an2er to be 2%ar)e) a2an-t - te @-%b-tant3e e3 -o%2t to be re3ente). An) t- e3 - r*ar te @)-or)er an) %nfar a)*n-traton of &%-tce. T- te-t e-tab-e- a )efnte r%e n con-tt%tona a$. It ro3)e- te crteron a- to $at $or)- *abe %b-e). Un)er t- r%e, te a)3ocac of )ea- cannot con-tt%tona be abr)2e) %ne-- tere - a cear an) re-ent )an2er tat -%c a)3ocac $ ar* te a)*n-traton of &%-tce. Te U %re*e 'o%rt a- *a)e te -2nfca -2nfcant nt -%22e-to -%22e-ton n tat t- r%e @- an arora arorate te 2%)e 2%)e n )eter*nn2 )eter*nn2 te con-tt% con-tt%ton tonat at of re-trct re-trcton on %on e+re--on $ere te -%b-tanta e3 -o%2t to re3ent b te re-trcton - )e-tr%cton of fe or roert or n3a-on of te r2t of r3ac. Te 'o%rt f%rter- @cear an) re-ent )an2er of -%b-tant3e e3 a- a re-%t of n)-cr*nate %bcaton-
re2ar)n2 &%)ca rocee)n2- &%-tfe- an *ar*ent of te con-tt%tona r2t of free)o* of -eec an) re-- on f te e3- are e+tre*e -ero%- an) te )e2ree of **nence e+tre*e 2C A %bc %tterance or %bcaton - not to be )ene) te con-tt%tona rotecton of free)o* of -eec an) re-- *ere beca%-e t concern- a &%)ca rocee)n2 -t en)n2 n te co%rt-, %on te teor tat n -%c a ca-e, t *%-t be nece--ar ten) to ob-tr%ct te or)er an) far a)*n-traton of &%-tce. Te o--bt of en2en)ern2 )-re-ect for te &%)car a- a re-%t of te %b-e) crtc-* of a &%)2e - not -%c a -%b-tant3e e3 a- $ &%-tf *ar*ent of te con-tt%tona r2t of free)o* of -eec an) re--. A- )ecare) n 'ra2 3. ?arne, te U %re*e 'o%rt -a) tat te @free)o* of -eec an) re-- -o%) not be *are) tro%2 te e+erc-e of te %n-*ent for conte*t of co%rt %ne-- tere - no )o%bt tat te %tterance- n %e-ton are a -ero%- an) **nent treat to te a)*n-traton of &%-tce. A &%)2e *a o) n conte*t one $o 3ent%re- to %b- antn2 tat ten)- to *a:e * %no%ar or to bette *C Te 3ee*ence of te an2%a2e %-e) n ne$-aer %bcaton- concernn2 a &%)2e>- )ec-on - not aone te *ea-%re of te o$er to %n- for conte*t. Te fre- $c t :n)e- *%-t con-tt%te an **nent, not *ere a :e, treat to te a)*n-traton of &%-tce. (%rtere) n Penne:a* 3. (or)a, @an) n $e2n2 te )an2er of o--be nterference $t te co%rt- b ne$-aer crtc-* a2an-t te r2t of free -eec to )eter*ne $eter -%c crtc-* *a con-tt%tona be %n-e) a- conte*t, t $a- r%e) tat Efree)o* of %bc co**ent -o%) n bor)erne n-tance- $e2 ea3 a2an-t a o--be ten)enc to nf%ence en)n2 ca-e-.> T%-, te %e-ton n e3er ca-e, accor)n2 to "%-tce ?o*e-, - $eter te $or)- %-e) are %-e) n -%c crc%*-tance- an) are of -%c a nat%re to create a cear an) re-ent )an2er tat te $ brn2 abo%t te -%b-tant3e e3- tat 'on2re-- a- a r2t to re3ent. It - a %e-ton of ro+*t an) )e2ree. Te -econ), $c - te @)an2ero%- ten)enc r%e, a- been a)ote) n ca-e- $ere e+tre*e )ffc%t - confronte) n )eter*nn2 $ere te free)o* of e+re--on en)- an) te r2t of co%rt- to rotect ter n)een)ence be2n-. Tere *%-t be a re*e) to bor)erne ca-e- an) te ba-c rnce of t- r%e e- n tat te free)o* of -eec an) of te re--, a$e a- te r2t to etton for re)re-- of 2re3ance, $e 2%arantee) b te 'on-tt%ton, are not ab-o%te. A- e) n Gbert 3. nne-ota, @te are -%b&ect to re-trcton- an) *taton-, one of te* ben2 te ro tecton of te co%rta2an-t conte*t. A- f%rtere) b te U %re*e 'o%rt n Gto$ 3. Ne$ For:, te )an2ero%- ten)enc r%e *a be eto*;e) a- foo$-# If te $or)- %ttere) create a )an2ero%- ten)enc $c te tate a- a r2t to re3ent, ten -%c $or)- are %n-abe. It - not nece--ar tat -o*e )efnte or **e)ate act- of force, 3oence, or %na$f%ne-- be a)3ocate). It - -%ffcent tat -%c act- be a)3ocate) n 2enera ter*-. Nor - t nece--ar tat te an2%a2e %-e) be rea-onab cac%ate) to ncte er-on- to act- of force, 3oence or %na$f%ne--. It - -%ffcent f te nat%ra ten)enc an) robabe effect of te %tterance be to brn2 abo%t te -%b-tant3e e3 te %tterance be to brn2 abo%t te -%b-tant3e e3 $c te e2-at3e bo) -ee:- to re3ent. It - a f%n)a*enta rnce, on2 e-tab-e), tat te free)o* of -eec an) of te re--, $c - -ec%re) b te 'on-tt%ton )oe- not confer an ab-o%te r2t to -ea: or %b-, $to%t re-on-bt, $ate3er one *a coo-e, or an %nre-trcte) an) %nbr)e) cen-e tat 23e- **%nt for e3er o--be %-e of an2%a2e, an) re3ent- te %n-*ent of to-e $o ab%-e t- free)o*. Rea-onab *te), t $a- -a) b -tor n te a--a2e cte), t- free)o* - an ne-t*abe r3e2e n a free 2o3ern*ent $to%t -%c *taton, t *2t beco*e te -co%r2e of te Re%bc. Te 'o%rt -a$ at once tat t $a- far fro* 'aban-a2>- *n) to %t te co%rt n r)c%e an) *%c e-- to bette or )e2ra)e t n te ee- of to-e to $o* te etter $a- a))re--e) for. T- - cear nferabe fro* t- conte+t $eren, n re-ectf% an) co%rteo%- an2%a2e, 'aban-a2 2a3e 3ent to - feen2 $en e -a) tat e @a- on2 -nce been )er3e) of - an) tr% te caref% *ane%3er- of a tactca a$er. Ana;n2 -a) %tterance-, one $o%) -ee tat f te e3er crtc;e, @te crtc-* refer-, not to te co%rt, b%t to oo-n2 co%n-e $o-e tactca *anoe%3re- a- ae2e) ca%-e) te %n)%e )ea of te ca-e. Te 2re3ance or co*ant, f an, - a))re--e) to te -teno2raer- for ter aarent n)fference n tran-crbn2 ter note-. Te on )-t%rbn2 effect of te etter $c era- a- been te *ot3atn2 factor of te o)2n2 of te conte*t car2e - te fact tat te etter $a- -ent to te Offce of te Pre-)ent, a-:n2 for e beca%-e of te recaro%- re)ca*ent of 'aban-a2. %c act aone $o%) not be conte*t%o%-. To be -o, te )an2er *%-t ca%-e a -ero%- **nent treat to te a)*n-traton of &%-tce. Nor can te 'o%rt nfer tat -%c act a- @a )an2ero%- ten)enc to bette te co%rt or %n)er*ne te a)*n-traton of &%-tce for 'aban-a2 *ere e+erc-e) - con-tt%tona r2t to etton te 2o3ern*ent for re)re-- of a e2t*ate 2re3ance.