Opinion No. 96, s.

2004
October 13, 2004
HON. SHALANI SR. SOLEDAD
City Councilor, 2
nd
District
Valenzuela City
e! 1" Can t#e $ice %ayor assu&e t#e aut#ority to de&and t#e return'dispose
t#e properties assi(ned to a City Councilor by t#e City %ayor, t#rou(#
t#e City )reasurer*+
2" ,#at is t#e e-tent o. t#e $ice %ayor/s 0discretion1 in t#e appro$al o. t#e
appoint&ent o. e&ployees #ired t#rou(# a ser$ice contract and casual
e&ployees in t#e o..ices o. 2an((unian &e&bers*+
3" Can t#e Vice %ayor de.er t#e appro$al o. &y 0e&ployees1 appoint&ent
papers on t#e (round t#at 3 #a$e not returned t#e $e#icle pre$iously
turned o$er to &e by %r. )i4uia*+ and
4" 3s t#ere a period 5it#in 5#ic# t#e Vice %ayor s#ould act upon t#e
appoint&ent o. &y casual'coter&inous e&ployees*
%ada&!
3n re.erence to your abo$e stated 4ueries, you #a$e alle(ed so&e .acts 5#ic# 5e brie.ly
re6state, $iz!
3t appears t#at on No$e&ber 13, 2002, t#e City 7o$ern&ent o. Valenzuela, t#rou(# its
City )reasurer, issued a ser$ice $e#icle to Councilor Carlitos )i4uia t#rou(# a %e&orandu&
eceipt. 2aid $e#icle 5as t#en re6issued to you by %r. )i4uia, as out(oin( councilor upon your
assu&ption into o..ice. 2aid &ode o. trans.er, as you put it, is t#e 05ell6accepted practice1 o.
turnin(6o$er properties by out(oin( to inco&in( City electi$e o..icials.
8o5e$er, your City Vice %ayor, by #i&sel. de&anded t#e return o. t#e sub9ect $e#icle.
%oreo$er, it li:e5ise appears .ro& your attac#&ents t#at t#e City Vice %ayor #as conditioned t#e
appro$al o. your e&ployees/ appoint&ent 5#ic# #as been pendin( at #is o..ice since ;uly 2<,
2004, upon t#e return o. t#e $e#icle.
8ence, your 4ueries.
3n reply to your .irst 4uery, 5e opine in t#e ne(ati$e. =lease be in.or&ed o. t#e
ele&entary rule t#at t#e po5er to issue carries 5it# it t#e po5er to recall suc# issuance. )#us,
since t#e o..icer 5#o issued t#e sub9ect $e#icle 5as t#e %ayor t#rou(# t#e City )reasurer, t#en
only t#e latter can de&and t#e return t#ereo.. %oreo$er, it appears t#at t#e sub9ect $e#icle 5as
issued to a City Councilor and not to t#e City Council itsel., 5#ic# t#ereby precludes e$en t#e
=residin( O..icer as #ead o. t#e 2an((unian .ro& e-ercisin( do&inion o$er t#e said $e#icle.
3n reply to your second 4uery, 5e 4uali.y as to t#e :ind o. e&ployees. )#us!
> contract o. ser$ice, is, li:e any ot#er contract, to be e-ecuted by and bet5een t#e
contractor and t#e contractee. )#e contractor .or t#at &atter 5ould be t#e local (o$ern&ent unit
as represented by ?ocal C#ie. @-ecuti$e, on one #and, and t#e contractee Aperson" on t#e ot#er,
re(ardless o. t#e station'o..ice'unit in t#e ?ocal 7o$ern&ent Bnit 5#ere contract e&ployee 5ill be
assi(ned. %ay it be pointed out t#at t#e ?ocal C#ie. @-ecuti$e only needs #is'#er san((unian/s
aut#orization to enter into t#e contract o. ser$ices.
3nso.ar as t#e discretion o. t#e Vice ?ocal C#ie. @-ecuti$e to appro$e t#e appoint&ent o.
e&ployees #ired t#rou(# contract o. ser$ices and casual e&ployees in t#e o..ices o. t#e
san((unian &e&bers is concerned, please be in.or&ed t#at t#e ?ocal 7o$ern&ent Code o. 1991
A> C160" is silent as to 5#et#er t#e reco&&endation o. t#e Vice ?ocal C#ie. @-ecuti$e is a
condition sine 4ua non to t#e e-ecution o. t#e contract o. personal ser$ice. =er.orce to state, t#e
e-ecution o. t#e contract bet5een t#e contractor A?ocal C#ie. @-ecuti$e" and t#e contractee
Ae&ployee" already (i$es rise to a per.ected contract e$en 5it#out t#e reco&&endation o. t#e
Vice ?ocal C#ie. @-ecuti$e. )#us, upon t#e si(nin( o. t#e contract, t#e contractee6e&ployee &ay
already per.or& #is'#er duties on t#e date o. t#e per.ection o. t#e contract, unless a later date is
speci.ied t#erein.
>s re(ards casual e&ployees 5it# correspondin( plantilla ite&s in t#e 2an((unian, &ay
it be noted t#at t#e ?ocal Vice C#ie. @-ecuti$e en9oys discretionary po5ers in appointin( t#e
.or&er. 8o5e$er, t#is discretion is not 5it#out li&itation.
%ay it be e&p#asized t#at plantilla positions in a local (o$ern&ent unit are created
pursuant to an ordinance 5#ic# is also a local la5. 2uc# bein( t#e case, t#e duty to .ill6up t#e
said position is rat#er &andatory on t#e part o. t#e appointin( aut#ority. )#e 0discretion1 o. t#e
appointin( aut#ority is t#us li&ited to t#e deter&ination as to 5#et#er or not t#e applicant
possesses t#e &ini&u& 4uali.ications re4uired by t#e ordinance creatin( suc# position and
cannot be &ade to e-tend on t#e discretion 5#et#er to .ill up or not a $acant plantilla position.
)#is is especially true i. t#e o..icials o. t#e san((unian already re4uested and sub&itted t#e
na&es o. t#e prospecti$e appointees as t#e san((unian &e&bers are in t#e better position to
:no5 t#e personnel re4uire&ent o. #is o..ice .or e..icient and e..ecti$e disc#ar(e o. #is'#er
&andated .unctions.
,e reply to your t#ird 4uery, stron(ly in t#e ne(ati$e, .or t#e reason t#at assu&in(
ar(uendo t#at t#e Vice %ayor #as t#e aut#ority to de&and t#e return o. t#e $e#icle, your
supposed re.usal to #eed suc# de&and is neit#er a .actual nor le(al (round to de.er t#e
0appro$al1 o. appoint&ent papers. 3t is inescapable to note t#at t#e t5o &atters stand on
separate and distinct issues, as to &a:e one a pre6re4uisite .or t#e ot#er.
3n reply to your last 4uery, please be in.or&ed t#at 2ection D Aa" o. > 6C13 ot#er5ise
:no5n as t#e Code o. @t#ical 2tandards .or =ublic O..icials and @&ployees pro$ides .or a .i.teen
5or:in( day period .ro& receipt o. t#e letter or re4uest, 5it#in 5#ic# t#e concerned o..icial or
e&ployees #as to act on t#e said letter or re4uest.
Einally, 5e ta:e issue on t#e alle(ed 0partiality1 o. your Vice %ayor in re4uirin( t#e
0proper accountin( procedure1 only .ro& t#e latter/s c#osen 0political ne&esis1, t#us 0lea$in( t#e
e4ual protection principle a &ere 9ar(on.1
%ay 5e note t#at 2ection 4 A>" Ad" o. > 6C13 &andates all public o..icials and
e&ployees to 0pro$ide ser$ice to e$eryone 5it#out un.air discri&ination and re(ardless o. party
a..iliation or pre.erence1. )#e 5ord 0e$eryone1 in t#e pro$ision &a:es no distinction as to 5#et#er
t#e re4uestin( party is a pri$ate person or a public o..icial or e&ployee. 8ence, since t#e la5 did
not distin(uis#, 5e s#ould not distin(uis#.
%oreo$er, t#e alle(ed partiality o. t#e Vice %ayor &ay (i$e rise to #is possible
ad&inistrati$e liability'ies under 2ection 60 o. > C160 and cri&inal culpability'ies under >
3019, ot#er5ise :no5n as t#e >nti67ra.t and Corrupt =ractices >ct and > 6C13 ot#er5ise
:no5n as )#e Code o. @t#ical 2tandards .or =ublic O..icers and @&ployees.
,e #ope 5e #a$e enli(#tened you on t#e &atter.
Very truly yours,
ANGELO T. REYES
2ecretary
cc! D3@C)O 2@>E3N %. F@N>?DO
D3?7 G NC
7round .loor, ?%= Fuildin(
@r&in 7arcia 2treet
Cubao, Huezon City
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