Kuroda vs Jalandoni 83 Phil 171FactsShinegori Kuroda, a former Lieutenant-General of the Jaanese !merial "rm# and $ommanding General of the Jaanese !merial Forces in the Philiines %as charged &efore the Philiine 'ilitar# $ommission for %ar crimes( "s he %as the commanding general duringsuch eriod of %ar, he %as tried for failure to discharge his duties and ermitting the &rutal atrocities and other high crimes committed his men against noncom&atant civilians and risoners of the Jaanese forces, in violation of of the la%s and customs of %ar(Kuroda, in his etition, argues that the 'ilitar# $ommission is not a valid court &ecause the la% that created it, )*ecutive +rder ,o( -8, is unconstitutional( .e further contends that using as &asis the .ague $onvention/s 0ules and 0egulations covering Land 1arfare for the %ar crime committed cannot stand ground as the Philiines %as not a signator# of such rules in such convention( Furthermore, he alleges that the 2nited States is not a art# of interest in the case and that the t%o 2S rosecutors cannot ractice la% in the Philiines( !ssue1(1hether or not )*ecutive +rder ,o( -8 is constitutional3(1hether or not the 2S is a art# of interest to this case0uling4he Sureme $ourt ruled that )*ecutive +rder ,o( -8, creating the ,ational 1ar $rimes +ffice and rescri&ing rules on the trial of accused %ar criminals, is constitutional as it is aligned %ith Sec 3,"rticle 3 of the $onstitution %hich states that 54he Philiines renounces %ar as an instrument of national olic# and adots the generall# acceted rinciles of international la% as art of the la% of the nation(6 4he generall# acceted rinciles of international la% includes those formed during the .ague $onvention, the Geneva $onvention and other international 7urisrudence esta&lished 2nited ,ations( 4hese include the rincile that all ersons, militar# or civilian, %ho have &een guilt# of lanning, rearing or %aging a %ar of aggression and of the commission of crimes and offenses in violation of la%s and customs of %ar, are to &e held accounta&le( !n the doctrine of incororation, the Philiines a&ides these rinciles and therefore has a right to tr# ersons that commit such crimes and most eseciall# %hen it is committed againsts its citi8ens( !t a&ides %ith it even if it %as not a signator# to these conventions the mere incororation of such rinciles in the constitution(4he 2nited States is a art# of interest &ecause the countr# and its eole have &een e9uall#,if not more greatl#, aggrieved the crimes %ith %hich the etitioner is charged for( :# virtue of )*ecutive +rder ,o( -8, the 'ilitar# $ommission is a secial militar# tri&unal and that the rules as to arties and reresentation are not governed the rules of court &ut the ver# rovisions of this secial la%('arcos;$oncordia vs( "FPG0 ,o( L-!" fromt he i rr i gh tt oaea ra sc ou ns elo nt h egr ou ndt h a tt h e#a r e>!S?2"L!F!)>;)@)'P4)>;!,.!:!4)> from S)$ 17, "rticle 17 of the $onstitution= S)$( 17= ,o Senator or 'em&er of the .ouse of 0eresentatives shall directl# or indirectl#&e financiall# interested in an# contract %ith the Government or an# su&divisionor instrumentalit# thereof, or in an# franchise or secial rivilege granted the$ongress during his term of office(.e shall not aear as counsel &efore the )lectoral 4ri&unals or &efore any court in an# civilcase%hereintheGovernmentoran#su&divisionorinstrumentalit#thereofistheadverseart#,orinan#criminalcase%hereinanofferoremlo#eeoftheGovernment is accused of an offense committed in relation to his officeA6!SS2)=1+,therohi&itioncontainedinthea&ove9uotedsection17ofour$onstitutionisalica&le to the etitioners in the t%o cases( B)S(.)L>='"0$+S",>$+,$+,>!">!S?2"L!F!)>4+"PP)"0"S$+2,S)LF+0"$$2S)>!, $+204-'"04!"LS( "FP >!> ,+4 2,L"1F2LLB )@$L2>)> 4.)!0 0!G.4S( .),$),P)4!4!+,S F+0 '",>"'2S "0) >),!)> 1!4. $+S4S('"0$+S;$+,$+0>!"=alica&le,&ecausethe%ordsCan#courtCincludestheGeneral$ourt-'artial,andacourt-martialcaseisacriminalcase%ithinthemeaningofthea&ove 9uoted rovisions of our $onstitution(1ords5an#court6,usedinrohi&itingmem&ersof$ongresstoaearascounsel5inan#criminal case in %hich an officer or emlo#ee of the Government is accused ofan offense committed in relation to his office,6 refers not onl# to civil, &ut also tomilitar# courts(DifEsuortListsF i(DendifFGeneralmeaningmustrevailoverrestrictedmeaning2,L)SSthenatureofthesu&7ectmatterclearl#indicatesthatlimitedsense is intended(!t%ould&ea&artoanotherrosecutionforthesamecase%hich%ouldresultto>+2:L)J)+P"0>B(5!facourt-martialhas7urisdictiontotr#anofficerorsoldierforacrime,its7udgment%ill&eaccorded the finalit# and conclusiveness as to the issues involved %hich attendthe 7udgments of a civil court in a case of %hich it ma# legall# taGe cogni8ance(0estricting our decision to the a&ove 9uestion of dou&le 7eoard#, the laintiff in error, having&een ac9uitted of the crime of homicide, could not &e su&se9uentl# tried for thesame offense in a civil court e*ercising authorit# in that territor#(6!nSec17,itiso&viousthatthereasonofrohi&itingaearanceofmem&ersoftheSenate;.ouse of0eresentatives as counsel for the accusedin court-martials,asforinhi&itingthemtoaearassuchincivilcourts,&ecausetheindeendence of civil courts/ 7udges is guaranteed our $onstitution(2&i eadem ratio i&i eadem le*i" court-martial is strictl# a criminal court( !t has no civil 7urisdictionH cannot enforce a contract,collect a de&t or a%ard damages in favor of an individual(Judgment is a criminal sentence, not a civil verdict(Proer function is to a%ard unishment uon the ascertainment of guilt($ourt-martial is a la%ful tri&unal e*isting same authorit#that an# othere*ists, andthemilitar# la% is a &ranch of la% as valid as the others(!tdiffersfromotherla%sonl#&ecause-italiestoofficersandsoldiers&utnottoothermem&ers of the &od# olitic, it is limited to &eaches of militar# dut#(2S vs( "h $hong I$rim1J4he 2nited States, laintiff-aellee, vs( "h $hong, defendant-aellant()n :anc$arson, 'arch 1K, 1K1L4oic= 'ental element I'ens reaJ - >eli&erate intent I>oloJ - 'istaGe of factFacts=4he defendant "h $hong %as a cooG at C+fficersM 9uarters, ,o( 37,C Fort 'cKinle#, 0i8al Province Pascual Gual&erto, deceased, %orGs at the same lace as a house &o# or muchachoC+fficersM 9uarters, ,o( 37C %as a detached house some