How Language of Constitution Construed

11.05

Should be used in broad sense

Ordillo vs. COMELEC

Article X, Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution: There shall be created autonomous regions in Muslim Mindanao and in the Cordilleras consisting of provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures Section 18: The Congress shall enact an organic act for each autonomous region The creation of the autonomous region shall be effective when approved by majority of the votes cast by the constituent units in a plebiscite called for the purpose, provided that only provinces, cities, and geographic areas voting favorably in such plebiscite shall be included in the autonomous region.

Ordillo vs. COMELEC

Republic Act No. 6766: An Act Providing for an Organic Act for the Cordillera Autonomous Region Benguet, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Abra and KalingaApayao and the city of Baguio Lone province of Ifugao voted in favor of the creation of the autonomous region HELD: region is to be made up of two or more provinces

When words both have general and restricted meaning

General prevails over restricted except when the context provides otherwise
Marcos vs. Chief of Staff
Article VI, Section 17 of the 1935 Constitution: He shall not appear as counsel before the Electoral Tribunals or before any court in any civil case wherein the Government or any subdivision or instrumentality thereof is the adverse party, or in any criminal case wherein an officer or employee of the government is accused of an offense committed in relation to his office

Ruffy vs. Chief of Staff Article VIII, section 2, paragraph 4 of the 1935 Constitution: the National Assembly may not deprive the Supreme Court of its original jurisdiction over all criminal cases in which the penalty imposed is death or life imprisonment.

Words or phrase in one part of the Constitution to receive same interpretation when used in other parts

Words which acquires technical meaning before they are used in the Constitution must be taken in that sense when such words as thus used are construed