G.R. No. 114714. April 21, 1995

FACTS:

Petitioner Conference of Maritime Manning Agencies, Inc., licensed manning agency to recruit Filipino seamen for and in behalf of their respective foreign shipowner-principals, urge to annul Resolution No. 01, series of 1994, of the Governing Board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and POEA Memorandum Circular No. 05, series of 1994 on the grounds of this 2 main issues –

(a) The POEA does not have the power and authority to fix and promulgate rates affecting death and workmen’s compensation of Filipino seamen

(b) The resolution and the memorandum circular are unconstitutional because they violate the equal protection and non-impairment of obligation of contracts clauses of the Constitution.

POEA contended that the issuance of the challenged resolution and memorandum circular was a valid exercise of the POEA’s rule-making authority or power of subordinate legislation which this Court had sustained.