Chavez'v.'PCGG'(Short!title)! c.! (3)!criminal!matters,!and!!

G.R.'No.'130716'|'299'SCRA'744'|'December'9,'1998' d.! (4)!other!confidential!information.!

Petitioner:'FRANCISCO'I.'CHAVEZ' 2.# National#Security#Matters#
Respondents:' PCGG' and' MAGTANGGOL' GUNIGUNDO,' (in' his' capacity' as' a.! This!jurisdiction!recognizes' the' common' law' holding' that' there'
chairman'of'the'PCGG)' is' a' governmental' privilege' against' public' disclosure! with!
PetitionerVinVintervention:! GLORIA'A.'JOPSON,'CELNAN'A.'JOPSON,'SCARLET' respect! to! state! secrets! regarding! military,! diplomatic! and! other!
A.'JOPSON,'and'TERESA'A.'JOPSON' national!security!matters.!But' where' there' is' no' need' to' protect'
' such'state'secrets,'the'privilege'may'not'be'invoked'to!withhold!
DOCTRINE' documents!and!other!information,!provided!that!they!are!examined!
The! Right! to! information! is! not! limited! to! consummated! transactions,! it! includes! “in!strict!confidence”!and!given!“scrupulous!protection.”!
exploratory!stage!of!the!transaction.! 3.' The'word'“Transactions”'in'the'Constitution,! cover'both'steps'leading'
! to'a'contract,'and'already'a'consummated'contract.''
FACTS!! a.! Hence,!it!is!incumbent!upon!the!PCGG!and!its!officers,!as!well!as!
1.! Francisco!I.!Chavez,!as!taxpayer,!citizen!and!former!government!official!who! other! government! representatives,! to! disclose! sufficient! public!
initiated! the! prosecution! of! the! Marcoses! and! their! cronies,! demands! that! information!on!any!proposed!settlement!they!have!decided!to!take!
PCGG! make! public! any! and! all! negotiations! and! agreements! pertaining! to! up!with!the!ostensible!owners!and!holders!of!illIgotten!wealth.!
PCGG’s!task!of!recovering!the!Marcoses’!illIgotten!wealth.! '
2.! Chavez! alleged! billions! of! illIgotten! wealth! involves! an! issue! of! “paramount! DISPOSITION!
public! interest”.! Hence,! the! people! in! general! have! a! right! to! know! the! WHEREFORE,! the! petition! is! GRANTED.! ! The! General! and! Supplemental!
transactions!or!deals!being!contrived!and!effected!by!the!government.! Agreements! dated! December! 28,! 1993,! which! PCGG! and! the! Marcos! heirs! entered!
3.! PCGG!claim!that!Chavez’s!action!is!premature,!because!there!is!no!showing! into! are! hereby! declared! NULL! ! AND! VOID! for! being! contrary! to! law! and! the!
that! he! has! asked! the! PCGG! to! disclose! the! negotiations! and! the! Constitution.! ! Respondent! PCGG,! its! officers! and! all! government! functionaries! and!
Agreements.! officials!who!are!or!may!be!directly!!or!!indirectly!!involved!!in!!the!!recovery!!of!!the!!
4.! PCGG!also!claim!that!it!may!not!yet!be!compelled!to!make!any!disclosure,! alleged! illIgotten! wealth! of! the! Marcoses! and! their! associates! are! DIRECTED! to!
since! the! proposed! terms! and! conditions! of! the! Agreements! have! not! disclose! to! the! public! the! terms! of! any! proposed! compromise! settlement,! as! well! as!
become!effective!and!binding.! the!final!agreement,!relating!to!such!alleged!illIgotten!wealth,!in!accordance!with!the!
5.! Chavez!invoked!his!right!under:! discussions!embodied!in!this!Decision.!!No!pronouncement!as!to!costs.!
a.! !“Sec.! 7! [Article! III].! ! The! right! of! the! people! to! information! on!
matters! of! public! concern! shall! be! recognized.! ! Access! to! official!
records,! and! to! documents,! and! papers! pertaining! to! official! acts,!
transactions,!or!decisions,!as!well!as!to!government!research!data!
used!as!basis!for!policy!development,!shall!be!afforded!the!citizen,!
subject!to!such!limitations!as!may!be!provided!by!law.”!
ISSUE/S'
1.' W/N! PCGG! may! be! compelled! to! disclose! to! the! public! the! details! of! any!
agreement!with!the!Marcoses.'
'
RULING'&'RATIO!
I! YES!
1.! There!are!no!specific!laws!prescribing!the!exact!limitations!within!which!the!
right! may! be! exercised! or! the! correlative! state! duty! may! be! obliged.!!
However,!the!following!are!some!of!the!recognized'restrictions:!!!
a.! (1)!national!security!matters!and!intelligence!information,!!
b.! (2)!trade!secrets!and!banking!transactions,!!

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