Philippine habeas corpus cases are cases decided by the Supreme Court of the Philippines, which invoke the writ of habeas corpus. The writ of habeas corpus may be suspended in order to prevent any violence in cases of rebellion or insurrection, as the case may be. In Philippine jurisdiction, the present 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article III, Section 15 provides that “The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in cases of invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it.” The Writ of Habeas Corpus As per definition, it is a law stating that an individual cannot be imprisoned or held in custody inside a prison cell unless he/she has first been brought before a court of law, which decides whether or not it is legal for the person to be kept in prison. Barcelon v. Baker (5 Phil. Reports 87, 1905 ) At the early years of the American Rule in the Philippines, lawlessness was rampant and criminal activities were at large. Governor-General James Francis Smith, with the consent of the Philippine Commission, suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite. A petition was raised questioning such suspension of the writ. The Supreme Court issued a ruling sustaining the suspension of the privilege of the writ. It said that the decision of the Governor-General is his duty on his part, and that the court cannot question the acts of the executive and legislative branches of government. Simply put, the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is a political question that courts cannot decide upon. Montenegro v. Castañeda (91 Phil. Reports 882, 1949) President Elpidio Quirino suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in some parts of Luzon in order to stifle the emergence of the Hukbalahap guerillas. Such suspension was again questioned in the Supreme Court. The court affirmed the president's acts of suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus, based on the decision in the Barcelon case. Lansang v. Garcia (G.R. No. L-33964, December 11, 1971; 42 SCRA 448 ) On August 21, 1971, grenades exploded at Plaza Miranda in the city of Manila during a public meeting of the Liberal Party. Acting on such an event, on August 23, 1971, President Ferdinand Marcos suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus on the entire country.