DILG Opinion No.

22 S, 2010
March 10, 2010
MARILYN L. DELA CRUZ
MLGOO, Municipality of Labrador
Provinc of Pan!a"inan
Dar M". Dla #ru$%
&hi" prtain" to your lttr "'in! th Dpart(nt)" l!al opinion, on th
follo*in! i""u", *hich * hrundr +uot%
,-1. I" thr a nd to dclar th po"ition of Mr. /"cano
vacant "o that th 0aran!ay #ouncil can rco((nd and th
Municipal Mayor appoint hi" rplac(nt1 If "o, *ho *ill
dclar it vacant and ho*1
-2. #an not th 0aran!ay #ouncil rco((nd and th
Municipal Mayor appoint th rplac(nt of Mr. /"cano outri!ht
"an" th dclaration of vacancy in th "aid po"ition con"idrin!
that h ha" not bn rportin! for *or' any(or "inc May
200213
Pr your lttr, it appar" that on May 14, 2002, Mr. &ofi"to P. /"cano, a
San!!unian! 0aran!ay M(br of 5!on!, Labrador, Pan!a"inan, "uffrd a "tro'
r"ultin! fro( hi" non6attndanc to """ion" and non6prfor(anc fro( hi" duti" and
r"pon"ibiliti". On Nov(br 7, 2002, th 0aran!ay #ouncil of 5!on! pa""d
8"olution No. 02262002, r+u"tin! th Municipal 9alth Officr thru Mayor /rn"to L.
:cain to conduct a (dical ;a(ination on Mr. /"cano to dtr(in hi" phy"ical "tatu"
to !o bac' to *or'. On <bruary =, 2007, Mayor :cain al"o *rot Mr. /"cano to "ub(it
hi("lf for Mdical #hc'6up bfor th Municipal 9alth Offic or to any othr
authori$d phy"ician". 5p to th dat of your lttr, no infor(ation *a" "nt by Mr.
/"cano to th San!!unian! 0aran!ay or to Mayor :cain a" to hi" phy"ical "tatu" to !o
bac' to *or'.
9nc, your +uri".
> "hall an"*r your +uri" in on -1. di"cu""ion "inc thy ar rlatd.
In rply thrto, allo* u" fir"t to r"tat th prtinnt provi"ion of th Local
Govrn(nt #od. Sction ?? provid" and * +uot%
,Sc. ??. Pr(annt vacanci" in th offic" of th !ovrnor,
@ic Govrnor, Mayor and @ic Mayor. A -a. If a pr(annt
vacancy occur" in th offic of th !ovrnor or (ayor, th vic
!ovrnor or vic (ayor concrnd "hall bco( th !ovrnor or
(ayor. If a pr(annt vacancy occur" in th offic" of th
!ovrnor, vic6!ovrnor, (ayor, or vic (ayor, th hi!h"t
ran'in! "an!!unian! ((br or, in ca" of hi" pr(annt
inability, th "cond hi!h"t ran'in! "an!!unian! ((br, "hall
bco( th !ovrnor, vic !ovrnor, (ayor or vic (ayor, a"
th ca" (ay b. Sub"+unt vacanci" in th "aid offic "hall
b filld auto(atically by th othr "an!!unian ((br"
accordin! to thir ran'in! a" dfind hrin.
-b. If a pr(annt vacancy occur" in th offic of th punon!
baran!ay, th hi!h"t ran'in! "an!!unian! baran!ay ((br
or, in ca" of hi" pr(annt inability, th "cond hi!h"t ran'in!
"an!!unian ((br, "hall bco( th punon! baran!ay.
-c. : ti bt*n or a(on! th hi!h"t ran'in! "an!!unian
((br" "hall b r"olvd by th dra*in! of lot".
-d. &h "ucc""or" a" dfind hrin "hall "rv only th
un;pird tr(" of thir prdc""or".
<or purpo"" of thi" #haptr, a pr(annt vacancy ari"" *hn
an lctiv local official" fill" a hi!hr vacant offic, rfu"" to
a""u( offic, fail" to +ualify, di", i" r(ovd fro( offic,
voluntarily r"i!n", or i" othr*i" pr(anntly incapacitatd to
di"char! th function" of hi" offic.
It (ay b ob"rvd that th la"t para!raph of th afor+uotd provi"ion
nu(ratd th "pcific cau"" of pr(annt vacanci". Such nu(ration *a"
follo*d by a !nral "tat(nt, to *it% ,i" othr*i" pr(anntly incapacitatd to
di"char! th function" of hi" offic.3 &hi" !nral "tat(nt (ay rfr to pr(annt
vacanci" brou!ht about by application of la*, "uch a" civil intrdiction or
di"+ualification to hold offic a" an acc""ory pnalty to cri(inal conviction. It (ay al"o
rfr to "vr illn"" by th incu(bnt, "uch a" th ca" of San!!unian! 0aran!ay
M(br /"cano, *hich could ffctivly affct th prfor(anc of hi" duti" and
function".
>ith r"pct to "vr illn"" of th incu(bnt, th nor(al cour" of thin!"
*ould b for hi( to ithr r"i!n or fil a lav of ab"nc, *hichvr h opt" to do "o,
in *hich ca", th rul of "ucc""ion (ay no* b proprly applid, *hthr rfrrin! to
pr(annt or t(porary vacancy. &h probl(, ho*vr, *ould ari" if th ill
incu(bnt *ill not r"i!n or *ill not fil a lav of ab"nc but on th contrary, *ill in"i"t
to continu to hold Offic *hn in th (anti( hi" phy"ical or (ntal "ic'n"" *ill not
allo* hi( to do "o any(or. Parnthtically, thr bin! no pr(annt or t(porary
vacancy to "pa' of, th rul of pr(annt vacancy undr Sction ?? of th #od or th
rul on t(porary vacancy undr Sction ?B of th "a( #od cannot yt b applid.
It bar" to "tr"" that in "ituation" li' thi", th Local Govrn(nt #od did not
(po*r any a!ncy or official of th !ovrn(nt to dclar pr(annt or t(porary
vacancy du to th illn"" of th incu(bnt.
:t thi" point, it bar" to "tr"" that du to lac' of provi"ion in th Local
!ovrn(nt #od, th dtr(ination a" to *hthr or not thr i" pr(annt or
t(porary vacancy du to illn"" of th incu(bnt *ould nc""arily bco( an
adCudicatory (attr, (anin!, "uch dclaration "hould b obtaind fro( our court" of
Cu"tic in ordr for th "aid court to adCudicat and apply th la* involvd.
It i" in thi" r!ard, that * "tron!ly "u!!"t that in ordr for thi" hiatu" not to b
lft *ithout r(dy a" it *ould undoubtdly affct th opration" of your baran!ay, you
(ay invo' th aid of th 8!ional &rial #ourt, a court of !nral Curi"diction, "'in! a
dclaration pur"uant to th 8ul" of #ourt, a" to *hthr or not your incu(bnt
San!!unian! 0aran!ay M(br i" "till phy"ically and (ntally fit to di"char! th
function" of hi" offic. It i" only th court *hich can Cudicially dclar a vacancy in th
offic of th San!!unian! 0aran!ay, *hthr pr(annt or t(porary.
Should th court dcid that thr ;i"t" a pr(annt in your San!!unian, (ay
* invit your attntion to Sction ?= -a. -D. of th Local Govrn(nt #od of 1771
*hich provid" for th propr procdur in fillin! up of pr(annt vacanci" in th
"an!!unian. It "tat" that%
,Sc. ?=. Pr(annt @acanci" in th San!!unian. A -a.
Pr(annt vacanci" in th "an!!unian *hr auto(atic
"ucc""ion" providd abov -Sction ??. do not apply "hall b
filld by appoint(nt in th follo*in! (annr%
-D. &h city or (unicipal (ayor, in th ca" of San!!unian!
0aran!ay, upon rco((ndation of th San!!unian! 0aran!ay
concrnd.3
In vi* of th for!oin!, it i" clar that in ca"" *hrin auto(atic "ucc""ion
do" not apply, a pr(annt vacancy in th San!!unian! 0aran!ay i" to b filld by
appoint(nt by th Mayor, upon rco((ndation of th San!!unian! 0aran!ay
concrnd. It (u"t b notd ho*vr, that th r+uird prior rco((ndation i" a
collctiv act of th San!!unian.
9op * hav nli!htnd you accordin!ly.
@ry truly your",
0y :uthority of th Scrtary%
ATTY. JESUS B. DOQUE IV
Dirctor III
#c%
Manul @. 0ia"on, #/SO III
8!ional Dirctor, San <rnando #ity
La 5nion