De Joya vs.

Jail Warden of Batangas City

Facts: Petitioner Norma De Joya was charged separately with violations of BP 22. When
arraigned in both cases, petitioner pleaded not guilty. While trial was going on, petitioner jumped
bail. No evidence was thereby adduced in her defense in any of the two cases. The Court found the
her guilty. Petitioner remained at large and no appeal was filed from any of the said decisions. After
five years, petitioner was finally arrested while she was applying for an NBI clearance. She was
forthwith detained at the Batangas City Jail. Subsequently, she filed an urgent motion with the MTC
of Batangas City asking the court to apply SC Admin. Circular No. 12-2000 retroactively pursuant to
Article 22 of the Revised Penal Code and to order her release from detention. In an Order dated
August 15, 2003, the trial court denied the motion on three grounds: (a) its decision convicting the
petitioner of violation of B.P. Blg. 22 had long become final and executory; hence, could no longer
be amended to change the penalty imposed therein; (b) the SC Circular should be applied
prospectively; and (c) the SC Circular did not amend B.P. Blg. 22, a substantive law, but merely
encourages trial court judges to have a uniform imposition of fine. Petitioner thus filed a petition for
habeas corpus before the Supreme Court praying for her release from the Batangas City Jail on the
claim that her detention was illegal.

Issue: Is petitioner entitled to a writ habeas corpus?

Held: No. Section 4, Rule 102 of the Rules of Court, as amended, provides that the writ of
habeas corpus is not allowed if the person alleged to be restrained of his liberty is in the custody of
an officer under process issued by a court or judge or by virtue of a judgment or order of a court of
record:

Sec. 4. When writ not allowed or discharged authorized. If it appears that the person alleged to be
restrained of his liberty is in the custody of an officer under process issued by a court or judge or by
virtue of a judgment or order of a court of record, and that the court or judge had jurisdiction to issue
the process, render the judgment; or make the order, the writ shall not be allowed; or if the
jurisdiction appears after the writ is allowed, the person shall not be discharged by reason of any
informality or defect in the process, judgment, or order. Nor shall anything in this rule be held to
authorize the discharge of a person charged with or convicted of an offense in the Philippines, or of a
person suffering imprisonment under lawful judgment.

In this case, the petitioner was arrested and detained pursuant to the final judgment of the MTC of
Batangas City, convicting her of violation of B.P. Blg. 22. Irrefragably then, the petitioner is not
entitled to a writ of habeas corpus.

Petitioners reliance of our ruling in Ordonez v. Vinarao that a convicted person is entitled to benefit
from the reduction of penalty introduced by the new law, citing People v. Simon, is misplaced. Thus,
her plea that as provided for in Article 22 of the Revised Penal Code, SC Admin. Circular No. 12-
2000 as modified by SC Admin. Circular No. 13-2001 should benefit her has no basis.

First. SC Admin. Circular No. 12-2000 is not a penal law; hence, Article 22 of the Revised Penal
Code is not applicable. The circular applies only to those cases pending as of the date of its
effectivity and not to cases already terminated by final judgment.

Second. As explained by the Court in SC Admin. Circular No. 13-2001, SC Admin. Circular No. 12-
2000 merely lays down a rule of preference in the application of the penalties for violation of B.P.
Blg. 22. It does not amend B.P. Blg. 22, nor defeat the legislative intent behind the law. SC Admin.
Circular No. 12-2000 merely urges the courts to take into account not only the purpose of the law but
also the circumstances of the accused whether he acted in good faith or on a clear mistake of fact
without taint of negligence and such other circumstance which the trial court or the appellate court
believes relevant to the penalty to be imposed.

The clear tenor and intention of Administrative Circular No. 12-2000 is not to remove imprisonment
as an alternative penalty, but to lay down a rule of preference in the application of the penalties
provided for in B.P. Blg. 22. The pursuit of this purpose clearly does not foreclose the possibility of
imprisonment for violators of B.P. Blg. 22. Neither does it defeat the legislative intent behind the
law. (De Joya vs. Jail Warden of Batangas City, G.R. Nos. 159418-19. December 10, 2003)