8/10/2019 Mejoff vs Dir of Prisons

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Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila EN BANC G.R. No. L- !"" #ul$ %&' ()*)BOR+S ME#O,,' petitione ' s. /+RECTOR O, PR+SONS' espon0ent. ,i st Assistant SolicitoGene al Robe to A. Gian1on an0 Solicito Lucas Lacson fo espon0ent. BENG2ON' #.3 Thepetitione Bo is Me4off is an alien of Russian 0escent 5ho 5as b ou6ht to this count $ f o7Shan6hai as a sec et ope ati e b$ the #apanese fo ces 0u in6 the latte 8s e6i7e in these+slan0s. Upon libe ation he 5as a este0 aa a #apanese sp$' b$ U. S. A 7$ Counte +ntelli6enceCo ps. Late he 5as han0e0 to the Co77on5ealth Go e n7ent fo 0isposition in acco 0ance5ith Co77on5ealth Act No. 9! . The eafte the People8s Cou t o 0e e0 his elease. But the0epo tation boa 0 ta:in6 his case up' foun0 that ha in6 no t a el 0ocu7ents Me4off 5as ille6all$

in this count $' an0 conse;uentl$ effe 0 the 7atte to the i77i6 ation autho ities. Afte theco espon0in6 in esti6ation' the Boa 0 o, Co77issione s of +77i6 ation on Ap il "' ()*!'0ecla e0 that Me4off ha0 ente e0 the Philippines ille6all$ in ()**' 5ithoutinspection an0a07ission b$ the i77i6 ation officials at a 0esi6nate0 po t of ent $ an0' the efo e' it o 0e e0 thathe be 0epo te0 on the fi st a ailable t anspo tation to Russia. The petitione 5as then un0ecusto0$' he ha in6 been a este0 on Ma ch (!' ()*!. +n Ma$' ()*!' he 5as t ansfe e0 to theCebu P o incial #ail to6ethe 5ith th ee othe Russians to a5ait the a i al of so7e Russian

essels. +n #ul$ an0 in Au6ust of that $ea t5o boats of Russian nationalit$ calle0 at the CebuPo t. But thei 7aste s efuse0 to ta:e petitione an0 his co7panions alle6in6 lac: of autho it$ to0o so. +n Octobe ' ()*!' afte epeate0 failu es to ship this 0epo tee ab oa0' the autho ities

e7o e0 hi7 to Bilibi0 P ison at Muntin6lupa 5he e he has been confine0 up to the p esentti7e' inas7uch as the Co77issione of +77i6 ation belie es it is fo the best inte est of thecount $ to :eep hi7 un0e 0etention 5hile a an6e7ents fo his 0epo tation a e bein6 7a0e. +t isconten0e0 on behalf of petitione that ha in6 been b ou6ht to the Philippines le6all$ b$ the#apanese fo ces' he 7a$ not no5 be 0epo te0. +t is enou6h to sa$ that the a 6u7ent 5oul0 0en$to this Go e n7ent the po5e an0 the autho it$ to e4ect f o7 the +slan0s an$ an0 all of that7e7be s of the Nipponese A 7$ of occupation 5ho 7a$ still be foun0 hi0in6 in e7ote places. of the Philippine +77i6 ation Act of ()*& an$ alien 5ho ente s this count $ ?5ithout inspectionan0 a07ission b$ the i77i6 ation autho ities at a 0esi6nate0 point of ent $? is sub4ect to0epo tation 5ithin fi e $ea s. +n a ecent 0ecision of a si7ila liti6ation @Bo o s:$ s.Co77issione of +77i6 ation 5e 0enie0 the e;uest fo habeas co pus' sa$in63 ?+t 7ust bea07itte0 that te7po a $ 0etention is a necessa $ step in the p ocess of e=clusion o e=pulsion of un0esi able aliens an0 that pen0in6 a an6e7ents fo his 0epo tation' the Go e n7ent has the

i6ht to hol0 the un0esi able alien un0e confine7ent fo a easonable len6ht of ti7e. o5e e 'un0e establishe0 p ece0ents' too lon6 a 0etention 7a$ 4ustif$ the issuance of a 5 it of habeasco pus.(

?The 7eanin6 of ? easonable ti7e? 0epen0s upon the ci cu7stances' speciall$ the 0ifficulties ofobtainin6 a passpo t' the a ailabilit$ of t ansfo tation' the 0iplo7atic a an6e7ents conce ne0an0 the effo ts 0ispla$e0 to sen0 the 0epo tee a5a$. Consi0e in6 that this Go e n7ent 0esi esto e=pel the alien' an0 0oes not elish :eepin6 hi7 at the people8s e=pense' 5e 7ust p esu7e itis 7a:in6 effo ts to ca $ out the 0ec ee of e=clusion b$ the hi6hest office of the lan0. On top ofthis p esu7ption assu ances 5e e 7a0e 0u in6 the o al a 6u7ent that the Go e n7ent is eall$t $in6 to e=pe0ite the e=pulsion of this petitione . On the othe han0' the eco 0 fails to sho5 ho5lon6 he has been un0e confine7ent since the last ti7e he 5as app ehen0e0. Neithe 0oes hein0icate ne6lecte0 oppo tunities to sen0 hi7 ab oa0. An0 unless it is sho5n that the 0epo tee isbein6 in0efinitel$ i7p isone0 un0e the p etense of a5aitin6 a chance fo 0epo tation% o unless

the Go e n7ent a07its that itcan not 0epo t hi7* o unless the 0etainee is bein6 hel0 fo toolon6 a pe io0 ou cou ts 5ill not inte fe e. ?+n the Unite0 States the e 5e e at least t5o instancesin 5hich cou ts fi=e0 a ti7e li7it 5ithin 5hich the i7p isone0 aliens shoul0 be 0epo te0"othe 5ise thei elease 5oul0 be o 0e e0 b$ 5 it of habeas co pus. Ne e theless' supposin6such p ece0ents appl$ in this 4u is0iction' still 5e ha e no sufficient 0ata fai l$ to fi= a 0efinite0ea0line.? The 0iffe ence bet5een this an0 the Bo o s:$ case lies in the fact that the eco 0sho5s this petitione has been 0etaine0 since Ma ch' ()*!. o5e e ' consi0e in6 that in theUnite0 States @5he e t anspo tation facilities a e 7uch 6 eate an0 0iplo7atic a an6e7ents a eeasie to 7a:e a 0ela$ of t5ent$ 7onths in ca $in6 out an o 0e of 0epo tation has not been

hel0 sufficient to 4ustif$ the issuance of the 5 it of habeas co pus'9 this petition 7ust be' an0 it ishe eb$ 0enie0. So o 0e e0. Mo an' C.#.' O1aeta' Pa0illa' Monte7a$o an0 Re$es' ##.' concu .Pa as' #.' + 0issent fo the sa7e easons state0 in 7$ 0issentin6 opinion in case No. L- !" .,e ia' #.' + 0issent on the sa7e 6 oun0 state0 in 7$ 0issent in case G. R. No. L- !" .

Sepa ate Opinions PER,ECTO' #.' 0issentin63 To continue :eepin6 petitione un0econfine7ent is a thin6 that shoc:s conscience. Un0e the ci cu7stances' petitione is entitle0 tobe elease0 f o7 confine7ent. e has not been con icte0 fo an$ offense fo 5hich he 7a$ bei7p isone0. Go e n7ent8s inabilit$ to 0epo t hi7 no p ete=t to :eep hi7 i7p isone0 fo anin0efinite len6th of ti7e. The constitutional 6ua antee that no pe son shall be 0ep i e0 of libe t$5ithout 0ue p ocess of la5 has been inten0e0 to p otect all inhabitants o esi0ents 5ho 7a$happen to be un0e the sha0o5s of Philippine fla6. Ou ote is the sa7e as one 5e cast 5henthe case of Bo o s:$ s. Co77issione of +77i6 ation' L- !" ' 5as sub7itte0 fo 0ecisionalthou6h' fo so7e 7isun0e stan0in6' ou ote 5as o e loo:e0 at the ti7e of the 0ecision 5asp o7ul6ate0. Ou ote is to 6 ant the petition an0 to o 0e the i77e0iate elease of petitione '5ithout p e4u0ice fo the 6o e n7ent to 0epo t hi7 as soon as the 6o e n7ent coul0 ha e the7eans to 0o so. +n the 7eanti7e' petitione is entitle0 to li e a no 7al life in a peaceful count $'

ule0 b$ the p inciples of la5 an0 4ustice. Tuason' #.' + 0issent on the sa7e 6 oun0 state0 in 7$0issent in case No. L- !" .

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