ABS-CBN v. COMELEC G.R. No. 133486 Jan. 28, 2000 petitioners ABS-CBN Broadcasing Cor!oraion responden Co""ission on #$ecions
Panganiban,J.
Bec
ts summary C%&#'#C !ro(ibied (e cond)c o* e+i !o$$s b ABS-CBN on (e gro)nd o* c$ear and !resen danger i !oses o (e inegri o* e$ecions. oe/er (e co)r said (a i erred in s)c( "eas)re beca)se i /io$aes *reedo" o* s!eec( and *reedo" o* !ress b "aing an o/erbroad reso$)ion as i !ro(ibis (e $ong-ern )se o* s)c( daa on researc(.
facts of the case C%&#'#C re$eased a reso$)ion (ic( a!!ro/ed (e iss)ance o* a resraining order agains ABS-CBN o cond)c e+i s)r/e. aced )!on re!ors (a (e neor !$ans o cond)c a radio co/erage o* (e e$ecions and "ae an e+i s)r/e o* (e /oes cas *or Pres and P and broadcas (e res)$s i""ediae$. SC iss)ed a R% agains (e reso$)ion o* C%&#'#C and (e e+i !o$$s ere ac)a$$ cond)ced and re!ored b "edia. Arg)"ens ABS-CBN o$ding e+i !o$$s and naionide re!oring o* res)$s are /a$id e+ercises o* (e *reedo"s o* s!eec( and o* (e !ress. C%&#'#C co""ied GA5 (en i iss)ed s)c( reso$)ion C%&#'#C 1. (e cond)c o* e+i !o$$s "ig( con*)se (e /oers and )nd)$ in)ence (e". 2. #+i s)r/es indirec$ /io$ae (e sanci o* ba$$os as ens(rined in (e Consi)ion 7Sec. 2 Ar. 9 beca)se (e /oers i$$ be $)red o re/ea$ (eir /oes. 3. #+i s)r/es !ose a c$ear and !resen danger o* desroing (e credibi$i and inegri o* (e e$ecora$ !rocess beca)se (e "edia is no s)!er/ised b an go/: agenc (ic( can easi$ be "ani!)$aed.
issue ;%N C%&#'#C in (e e+ercise o* is !oers can ban e+i !o$$s ? NO. The measure is overroad and unnecessari!y restricts fundamenta! ri"hts of speech and of press.
ratio (e Consi)ion Consi)ion "andaes (a (a no $a s(a$$ s(a$$ be !assed abridging *reedo" o* s!eec( s!eec( and !ress. (ese *reedo"s basica$$ consis o* (e $iber o disc)ss !)b$ic$ and r)(*)$$ an "aer o* !)b$ic ineres i(o) !rior resrain. 7Gon
(e (e e/i$ conse?)ence conse?)ence o* co""en or )erance ")s ")s be e+re"e$ serio)s and (e degree o* i""inence ")s be e+re"e$ (ig( be*ore (e )erance can be !)nis(ed. (e danger o be g)arded agains is (e s)bsani/e e/i$ so)g( o be !re/ened. 2. 5anger 5angero)s o)s enden endenc c r)$e r)$e - * (e ords )ered creae a dangero)s endenc (ic( (e sae (as a rig( o !re/en, (en s)c( ords are !)nis(ab$e. is s)@cien i* (e na)ra$ #
endenc and !robab$e eec o* (e )erance be o bring abo) (e s)bsani/e e/i$ (ic( (e $egis$ai/e bod sees o !re/en. Noe (a (e ords need no be de=nie so as o incie (e $iseners o acs o* *orce, /io$ence or )n$a*)$ness. (e co)r ad(eres o (e c!ear and present dan"er ru!e (ic( is a ?)esion on (e !ro+i"i and degree o* (e )erance i$$ res)$ o (e danger or e/i$ so)g( o be a/oided. (is is a (ea/ b)rden beca)se (e co)r is a$as on (e side o* *reedo" o* e+!ression. o )si* resricion, (e !ro"oion o* s)bsania$ go/ ineres ")s be c$ear$ s(on. And e/en (en is !)r!ose are $egii"ae and s)bsania$, (e "eans e"!$oed s(o)$d no be broad as o sie !ersona$ $iberies (en (e end can be "ore narro$ ac(ie/ed. n (is case, (e *reedo"s o* s!eec( and o* (e !ress s(o)$d a$$ (e "ore be )!(e$d (en (a is so)g( o be c)rai$ed is (e disse"inaion o* in*or"aion "ean o add "eaning o (e e?)a$$ /ia$ rig( o* s)rage. (e ineres being !roeced is (e *)nda"ena$ rig( o /oe and sec)ring is sanci (ro)g( (e ba$$os. oe/er (e "eans e"!$oed are necessari$ broad beca)se i eeci/e$ !re/ens o(er )ses o* e+i !o$$ daa > *or $ong er" researc( !)r!oses. C%&#'#C ried o )si* (e resrain in arg)ing (a s)c( cond)c o* e+i !o$$s !resen a c$ear and !resen danger o* desroing (e credibi$i and inegri o* e$ecora$ !rocess. 7na )nre$iab$e and s)r/es and "ig( conic i( (e co)n o* C%&#'#C and NA&R#'9 oe/er is arg)"ens are !)re$ s!ec)$ai/e. ;(D 1. Beca)se in a s)r/e, (e !arici!ans are rando"$ se$eced so (e res)$s i$$ be a re!resenaion or reecion o* (e genera$ seni"en o* (e co"")ni. 2. is "ere$ an o!inion o* (e co"")ni or gro)! !o$$ed. s res)$ is no "ean o re!$ace or be a !ar i( (e o@cia$ C%&#'#C co)n. C%&#'#C Es resricion on e+i !o$$s is o/er$ broad. s a!!$icaion is i(o) ?)a$i=caion (e(er (e e+i !o$$s is disr)!i/e or no. And ass)"ing arg)endo (a (ere is s)c( ?)a$i=caion, (ere is no s(oing (a e+i !o$$s i$$ ca)se c(aos in /oing ceners. (e abso$)e !ro(ibiion resrics (e *))re )se o* /a$)ab$e in*or"aion *or $ong-er" researc( on (e i"!ac o* c)rren e/ens on (e /oing be(a/ior o* !eo!$e. ABS-CBN e/en e+!$ained is "e(odo$og (ic( (as eno)g( !reca)ions agains (e e/i$s en)"eraed b C%&#'#C 719 co"")niies are rando"$ se$eced in eac( !ro/inceF 729 residences o be !o$$ed in s)c( co"")niies are a$so c(osen a rando"F 739 on$ indi/id)a$s (o (a/e a$read /oed, as s(on b (e inde$ib$e in on (eir =ngers, are iner/ieedF 749 (e iner/ieers )se no ca"eras o* an sorF 79 (e !o$$ res)$s are re$eased o (e !)b$ic on$ on (e da a*er (e e$ecions And $as$, on (e iss)e o* /io$aion o* ba$$o secrec, (e co)r said (a s)c( is no a iss)e (ere. (e e+i !o$$ dies no see o access (e ba$$os o* (e iner/ieees. (e conens o* (eir ba$$os are no e+!osed. #/en (e c(oice o* re/ea$ing (o (e /oed *or is no "andaor b) /o$)nar. (e reason be(ind (e !rinci!$e o* ba$$o secrec is o a/oid /oe b)ing (ro)g( /oer ideni=caion. ()s, /oers are !ro(ibied *ro" e+(ibiing (e conens o* (eir o@cia$ ba$$os o o(er !ersons, *ro" "aing co!ies (ereo*, or *ro" !)ing dising)is(ing "ars (ereon so as o be ideni=ed. A$so !roscribed is =nding o) (e conens o* (e ba$$os cas b !aric)$ar /oers or disc$osing (ose o* disab$ed or i$$ierae /oers (o (a/e been assised. C$ear$, (a is *orbidden is (e associaion o* /oers i( (eir res!eci/e /oes, *or (e !)r!ose o* ass)ring (a (e /oes (a/e been cas in accordance i( (e insr)cions o* a (ird !ar. (is res)$ canno, (oe/er, be ac(ie/ed "ere$ (ro)g( (e /oers /erba$ and con=denia$ disc$os)re o a !o$$ser o* (o" (e (a/e /oed *or.
$
