United States v. Ang Tang Ho | Johns, J. (1922) Keywords: FACTS The Philippine Legislature passed !t "o. 2#$#, whi!

!h authori%ed the &o'ernor(&eneral, )or any !ause, or !onditions resulting in an e*traordinary rise in the pri!e o) palay, ri!e or !orn, to issue and pro+ulgate, with the !onsent o) the ,oun!il o) -tate, te+porary rules and e+ergen!y +easures )or !arring out the purposes o) the !t. &o'ernor(&eneral issued .*e!uti'e /rder "o. 01, )i*ing the pri!e at whi!h ri!e should 2e sold at Php3.$1 per ganta. !o+plaint was )iled against ng Tang 4o )or the 'iolation o) ./ "o. 01, )or ha'ing sold to one Pedro Trinidad 1 ganta o) ri!e )or Php3.#3. T,: )ound ng Tang 4o guilty and senten!ed to 0 +onths i+prison+ent and to pay Php033.

ISSUE/HELD WoN Act No. 2868 delegates legislative o!e" to t#e $ove"no"% $ene"al& in a't#o"i(ing t#e #i) to *i+ t#e "ice at !#ic# "ice s#o'ld ,e sold.YES. Act No. 2868 was an undue delegation of legisltive power to the Governor-General. ng Tang 4o argues that the lower !ourt erred in )iniding that ./ "o.01 was o) any )ore and e))e!t, as the 2asis o) the o))ense !harged. -ATI. The Legislature !annot delegate the power to ena!t any law. 5y the /rgani! Law, legislati'e power is 'ested solely in the Legislature, and su!h power to +a6e laws !annot 2e delegated to the &o'ernor(&eneral or anyone else. There are two possi2le interpretations o) !t "o. 2#$#: o 7) the !t is a law within itsel) and does nothing +ore than to authori%e the &o'ernor(&eneral to +a6e rules and regulations to !arry the law into e))e!t, then the !t is 8 L79. o 4owe'er, i) the !t within itsel) is not a law nor does it de)ine a !ri+e, and so+e legislati'e a!t re+ains to 2e done to +a6e it a law or a !ri+e, and the doing o) su!h a!t is 'ested in the &o'ernor(&eneral, then the !t is a delegation o) legislati'e power and is :",/"-T7T:T7/" L and 8/79. The law +ust 2e !o+plete in all its ter+s and pro'isions when it lea'es the legislati'e and nothing +ust 2e le)t to the ;udg+ent o) the appointees or delegates o) the legislature.

lthough the legislature !annot delegate its power to +a6e a law, it can )a/e a la! to delegate a o!e" to dete")ine so)e *act o" state o* t#ings ' on !#ic# t#e la! )a/es o" intends to )a/e& its o!n action to de end. 4owe'er, this is not the !ase in !t "o. 2#$# in authori%ing the &o'ernor(&eneral )or any !ause, or !onditions resulting in an e*traordinary rise in the pri!e o) palay, ri!e or !orn, to issue and pro+ulgate, with the !onsent o) the ,oun!il o) -tate, te+porary rules and e+ergen!y +easures )or !aring out the purposes o) the !t. o The Legislature itsel) does "/T in any +anner spe!i)y or de)ine any 2asis )or the order, and has le)t it to the sole dis!retion o) the &o'ernor(&eneral to deter+ine what is <a !ause,= what is <an e*traordinary rise in the pri!e or ri!e, and what is a <te+porary rule or e+ergen!y +easure,= in!luding the !onditions to )i* the pri!e, without regard to grade or >uality, and how long it should 2e en)or!e and when it should 2e e*tended. There)ore, it was the 'iolation o) the pro!la+ation o) the &o'ernor(&eneral whi!h !onstituted the !ri+e, and not the law itsel)? as without su!h pro!la+ation, it would not ha'e 2een a !ri+e to sell the ri!e at whate'er pri!e the seller pleased (e'en at P3.#3 per ganta)

DIS0.SITI1E !t "o. 2#$# in so )ar as it authori%es the &o'ernor(&eneral in his dis!retion to issue a pro!la+ation, )i*ing the pri!e o) ri!e and +a6e the sale in 'iolation o) the pro!la+ation a !ri+e, is a delegation o) legislati'e power in 'iolation o) the /rgani! Law, and is thus, un!onstitutional and 'oid.