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ArLuro L. Carcla has applled for admlsslon Lo Lhe pracLlce of law ln Lhe hlllpplnes
wlLhouL submlLLlng Lo Lhe requlred bar examlnaLlons. ln hls verlfled peLlLlon, he avers,
among oLhers, LhaL he ls a llllplno clLlzen born ln 8acolor ClLy, rovlnce of negros
CccldenLal, of llllplno parenLage, LhaL he had Laken and flnlshed ln Spaln, Lhe course of
"8achllleraLo Superlor", LhaL he was approved, selecLed and quallfled by Lhe "lnsLlLuLo
de CervanLes" for admlsslon Lo Lhe CenLral unlverslLy of Madrld where he sLudled and
flnlshed Lhe law course graduaLlng Lhere as "Llcenclado Ln uerecho", LhaL LhereafLer he
was allowed Lo pracLlce Lhe law professlon ln Spaln, and LhaL under Lhe provlslon of Lhe
1reaLy of Academlc uegrees and Lhe Lxerclse of rofesslons beLween Lhe 8epubllc of Lhe
hlllpplnes and Lhe Spanlsh sLaLe, he ls enLlLled Lo pracLlce Lhe law professlon ln Lhe
hlllpplnes wlLhouL submlLLlng Lo Lhe requlred bar examlnaLlons.
AfLer due conslderaLlon, Lhe CourL resolved Lo deny Lhe peLlLlon on Lhe followlng
grounds:
(1) Lhe provlslons of Lhe 1reaLy on Academlc uegrees and Lhe Lxerclse of rofesslons
beLween Lhe 8epubllc of Lhe hlllpplnes and Lhe Spanlsh SLaLe can noL be lnvoked by
appllcanL. under ArLlcle 11 Lhereof,
1he !"#$%&"'( %* +",- %* #-+ #.% ,%/&#0$+( who shall have obLalned recognlLlon
of Lhe valldlLy of Lhelr academlc degrees by vlrLue of Lhe sLlpulaLlons of Lhls
1reaLy, ,"& 10",#$,+ #-+$0 10%*+(($%&( .$#-$& #-+ #+00$#%02 %* #-+ 3#-+04 5 5 5.
(Lmphasls supplled).
from whlch lL could clearly be dlscerned LhaL sald 1reaLy was lnLended Lo govern llllplno
clLlzens deslrlng Lo pracLlce Lhelr professlon ln Spaln, and Lhe clLlzens of Spaln deslrlng
Lo pracLlce Lhelr professlons ln Lhe hlllpplnes. AppllcanL ls a llllplno clLlzen deslrlng Lo
pracLlce Lhe legal professlon ln Lhe hlllpplnes. Pe ls Lherefore sub[ecL Lo Lhe laws of hls
own counLry and ls noL enLlLled Lo Lhe prlvlleges exLended Lo Spanlsh naLlonals deslrlng
Lo pracLlce ln Lhe hlllpplnes.
(2) ArLlcle l of Lhe 1reaLy, ln lLs perLlnenL parL, provldes .
1he naLlonals of boLh counLrles who shall have obLalned degree or dlplomas Lo
pracLlce Lhe llberal professlons ln elLher of Lhe ConLracLlng SLaLes, lssued by
compeLenL naLlonal auLhorlLles, shall be deemed compeLenL Lo exerclse sald
professlons ln Lhe LerrlLory of Lhe CLher, (/67+,# #% #-+ '".( "&8 0+9/'"#$%&( %*
#-+ '"##+0. . . ..
lL ls clear, Lherefore, LhaL Lhe prlvlleges provlded ln Lhe 1reaLy lnvoked by Lhe appllcanL
are made expressly sub[ecL Lo Lhe laws and regulaLlons of Lhe conLracLlng SLaLe ln whose
LerrlLory lL ls deslred Lo exerclse Lhe legal professlon, and SecLlon 1 of 8ule 127, ln
connecLlon wlLh SecLlons 2,9, and 16 Lhereof, whlch have Lhe force of law, requlre LhaL
before anyone can pracLlce Lhe legal professlon ln Lhe hlllpplne he musL flrsL
successfully pass Lhe requlred bar examlnaLlons, and
(3) 1he aforemenLloned 1reaLy, concluded beLween Lhe 8epubllc of Lhe hlllpplnes and
Lhe Spanlsh SLaLe could noL have been lnLended Lo modlfy Lhe laws and regulaLlons
governlng admlsslon Lo Lhe pracLlce of law ln Lhe hlllpplnes, for Lhe reason LhaL Lhe
LxecuLlve ueparLmenL may noL encroach upon Lhe consLlLuLlonal prerogaLlve of Lhe
Supreme CourL Lo promulgaLe rules for admlsslon Lo Lhe pracLlce of law ln Lhe
hlllpplnes, Lhe lower Lo repeal, alLer or supplemenL such rules belng reserved only Lo
Lhe Congress of Lhe hlllpplnes. (See Sec. 13, ArL vlll, hll. ConsLlLuLlon).