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Liang v. People (Digest + Annotation)

The case involved Jeffrey Liang, an employee of the Asian Development Bank, who was charged with two counts of grave oral defamation. The MeTC dismissed the cases citing diplomatic immunity. However, the RTC set aside this ruling, finding that slander could not be covered by immunity. The Supreme Court denied Liang's petition, agreeing that immunity did not apply to criminal acts done outside official capacity. The annotation then discussed the various categories and theories of diplomatic and consular immunity under international law.

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Clyde Tan
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200 views3 pages

Liang v. People (Digest + Annotation)

The case involved Jeffrey Liang, an employee of the Asian Development Bank, who was charged with two counts of grave oral defamation. The MeTC dismissed the cases citing diplomatic immunity. However, the RTC set aside this ruling, finding that slander could not be covered by immunity. The Supreme Court denied Liang's petition, agreeing that immunity did not apply to criminal acts done outside official capacity. The annotation then discussed the various categories and theories of diplomatic and consular immunity under international law.

Uploaded by

Clyde Tan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Liangv.

People
DateofPromulgation:January28,2000
Petition:ReviewoncertiorariofadecisionoftheRTCofPasigCity
Petitioner:JeffreyLiang(Huefeng)
Respondent:PeopleofthePhilippines
Facts:
JeffreyLiangwaschargedbyfellowADBworkerJoyceCabalfortwocountsof
graveoraldefamationintheMeTCofMandaluyong.Hisbailwasfixedat
P2,400.
TheMeTCjudgedreceivedanofficeofprotocolfromtheDFAstatingthat
petitioneriscoveredbyimmunityfromlegalprocessundersection45ofthe
AgreementbetweentheADBandthePhilippineGovernmentregardingthe
HeadquartersofADB.
Consequently,theMeTCjudgedismissedthetwocriminalcaseswithout
notifyingtheprosecution.Prosecutionfiledforamotionforreconsiderationand
wasdenied.ProsecutionfiledapetitionforcertiorariandmandamuswithRTC
andtheMeTCrulingsweresetaside.
Petitionerfiledamotionforreconsiderationandwasdenied.Hencethispetition
(furtherarguingthatnopreliminaryinvestigationwasheldbeforethecriminal
caseswerefiledincourt).
Issue:
WoNthepetitionersactioniscoveredbyimmunityundertheagreementNO
Ruling:
1. Theimmunitymentionedhereinisnotabsolutebutsubjecttotheexceptionthat
theactwasdoneinofficialcapacity.Theprosecutionshouldhavebeengiven
thechancetorebuttheDFAprotocolbypresentingcontrovertingevidence.
2. Slanderingapersoncouldnotpossiblybecoveredbytheimmunitybecauseour
lawsdonotallowthecommissionofacrimeinthenameofofficialduty.
Held:PetitionisDENIED.
ANNOTATION:VariousCategoriesofDiplomaticImmunity
1. HistoricalBackgroundofDiplomaticImmunity
Ambassadorswereregardedaspersonalrepresentativesofthekingsor
princes
Exterrioriality:theambassadorandhissuite,togetherwithhisresidence,
werelegallyoutsidetheterritoryofthestate
2. ViennaConventiononDiplomaticandConsularRelations

1961ViennaConventiononDiplomaticRelations:codifiedthelawon
diplomaticintercourse
1963ViennaConventiononConsularRelations:providesthelawin
consularimmunitiesandprivileges
AbsoluteandRelativeImmunity
ClassicalorAbsoluteImmunity:Aforeignsovereigncouldnot,withouthis
consent,bemadeadefendantinthecourtsofanothersovereign.
RestrictiveorRelativeImmunity:Exemptioninprosecutiononlyappliesto
sovereignorpublicactsofstateandnotnecessarilywithrespecttoprivate
acts.
TheoryofAbsoluteImmunity
Regardlessofwhetheranindividualisconstitutionallytheactualheadofa
stateoronlyitsnominalhead,heorsheenjoyscompleteimmunityfromall
civilorcriminalprosecutionintheterritoryofanotherstate.
ImmunitiesofDiplomaticAgents
Headsofdiplomaticmissions(ambassadors,nuncios,internuncios,charges
daffaires)areexemptfromtheexerciseoflocaljurisdictionandenjoy
personalinviolability
Remedy:considerhimapersonanongrataandwillbeaskedtoleavethe
country.Ifherefuses,hewillbetreatedasanordinaryindividualsubjectto
locallaws.
ImmunitiesofConsuls
Consulsdonotenjoyimmunityfromlocaljurisdictionformprivateor
commercialtransactionsnotconnectedwiththeirconsularduties
HonoraryConsuls
Honoraryconsulsareappointedtoperformlimitedcurriculardutiesby
agreementamongstates.
Theirimmunityislimitedtotheminimumlevelnecessaryfortheproper
exerciseofofficialconsularfunctions.
Consularemployeesatapostheadedbyanhonoraryconsulandmembersof
thehonoraryconsulsfamilyaregrantednoneoftheprivileges.
ImmunityofOfficialsRepresentingaSovereignState
Officersrepresentingthesovereignstateareexemptedfromlocal
jurisdiction.
ImmunityofOfficialsofInternationalOrganizations
OfficersinUNagenciesenjoyimmunitiesfromlocaljurisdiction(e.g.
immunityfromsearch;freedomtoholdfunds;exemptionfromtax;
exemptionfromallformsofcensorship).
JudgesoftheInternationalCourtofjusticeenjoydiplomaticprivilegesand
immunities.
RepresentativesoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunityandtheEuropean
AtomicEnergy(EURATOM)possesscustomarydiplomaticprivilegesand
immunities.

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Membersofspecialdiplomaticmissionsenjoyprivilegesininternational
law,exceptinrespectofpersonalactions,orprofessionalorcommercial
activities.
10. ImmunityofIntergovernmentalInternationalOrganizations
InternationalOrganizationsenjoysfunctionalindependenceandfreedom
fromcontrolofthestateinwhoseterritoryitislocated.
Thisistosecurethemlegalandpracticalindependenceintheperformance
oftheirduties.
11. ImmunityofNonGovernmentalInternationalOrganizations
Byagreementwiththegovernment,nongovernmentalinternational
organizationsareexemptedfromlocaljurisdictioninordertogivethem
freedomintheperformanceofmeritoriousservicestoassistcountries.
12. DoctrineofRestrictiveImmunity
Restrictiveimmunitylimitssovereignimmunitytopublicactsandexcludes
allcommercialorprivateacts.
13. ImmunityofAdHocDiplomats
Membersofofficialmissionsanddelegatestravelingabroadtoattend
internationalconferenceareaccordeddiplomaticimmunitywhileinthe
performanceoftheirofficialfunctions.Restrictiveimmunityappliestothem
foractsnotdirectlyconnectedwiththeirofficialduties.
14. ProperProcedureintheJeffreyLiangCase
Themunicipalcourtshouldhaveinquiredwhetherthepetitionerhad
committedthecrimeinconnectionwiththeperformanceofhisofficial
dutiesasanofficeroftheADB.

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