Administra*ve

Law and
Administra*ve Agencies
Alberto C. Agra
Professor of Laws, Ateneo Law School

Administra*ve Law
Deni:on: All the laws that regulate or control
the administra:ve organiza:on and
opera:ons of the government
Classica:ons:
1. Internal and External Administra:on
2. Law that Controls and those made by
Administra:ve Agencies
3. Substan:ve or Procedural Administra:ve Law
4. General or Special Administra:ve Law
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

Administra*ve Agencies (AAs)

An agency which exercises some signicant
form or combina:on of execu:ve, legisla:ve
or judicial powers (4th Branch)
Include boards, commissions, departments,
bureaus, oces, authori:es, government
corpora:ons, government instrumentali:es,
and local governments
Ra:onale: complex, diverse and specialized
concerns
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

Crea*on of AAs
1. Cons:tu:on
2. Congress (Law; for Quasi-Corpora:ons
economically viable and common good; LGUs -
plebiscite)
3. President (Execu:ve Order; by authority under the
Cons:tu:on or of law)
4. Supreme Court (reclassica:on by Decision)
5. Administra:ve Agencies themselves (Ar:cles of
Incorpora:on; by authority of law)
6. Local Governments (Ordinance; by authority of law)
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

Government Bureaucracy
o Administra:ve Agency
o GOCCs (original charter)
o GOCCs (special charter)
o Gis
o Na:onal Government
Agency
o Government Financial
Ins:tu:on

o Public Corpora:on
o Quasi-Corpora:on
o Quasi-Public
o Municipal Corpora:on
Proper/ Local
Government
o Quasi-Municipal Corp

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

Charter: Enabling Instrument

1. Name
2. Principles
3. Mandate and
Purpose
4. Powers
5. Du:es and
Responsibili:es

6. Rela:onships
7. Jurisdic:on
8. Structure
9. Budget
10.Dissolu:on

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

Characteris*cs of AAs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Size
Specializa:on
Responsibility for Results
Variety of Administra:ve Du:es
Delegated Authori:es
Accountability
Rela:onships
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

Types of AAs
1.
2.
3.
4.

Oers gratui:es, grants or privileges (PAO)

Performs specic governmental func:ons (BIR)
Undertakes public service (MWSS)
Regulates businesses aected with public
interest (NTC)
5. Exercises police power to regulate private
businesses (SEC)
6. Resolves controversies (NLRC)
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

Administra*ve Rela*onship
Areas: policies, opera:ons, budget, decisions, day-
to-day, policy and program coordina:on
Types:
1. Supervision and Control (subs5tute judgment; rules
on how to execute act; alter-ego; e.g. President and
DOTC)
2. Administra:ve Supervision (oversight, reports, proper
performance; not over appointments and contracts,
not reverse decisions; e.g. Department and Regulatory
Agencies; Province and Component City)
3. Ahachment (sit in Board; repor5ng; not day-to-day;
Law Reviewer, Agra
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e.g. DPWH and Administra:ve
MWSS)

Powers
Possesses Delegated, not Inherent, Powers
Subordinate, not Superior, to Enabling
Instrument
Liberal, not Strict, Interpreta:on of Powers
AA cannot prohibit what law does not prohibit
Basic Powers
1. Inves:ga:ve
2. Rule-Making or Quasi-Legisla:ve
3. Adjudica:ve or Quasi-Judicial
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Delega*on of Powers
Potestas delegata non potest delegari
Excep:ons:
President tari and emergency
Local Governments
Peoples Ini:a:ve
Administra:ve Agencies

Tests of Valid Delega:on:

Completeness (the what); and
Sucient Standards (may be broad; need not be
stated in law); not vague
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Inves*ga*ve Powers
partakes of judicial discre:on, not judicial
func:on
Express Grant
Express or Implied
1. Contempt
1. Fact-Finding
2. Subpoena
2. Ocular Inspec:on
3. Search
3. Visitorial
(Presence of counsel
not required)
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Rule-Making
Deni:on: Power to Issue Rules/ Fill in details/
How (notWhat) a Law will be implemented
Nature: Inferior/ Subordinate (cannot change,
amend or conict with charter or law)
Ra:onale: regula:on highly complex, future
situa:ons cannot be fully an:cipated

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Rule-Making
Eect
1. Force and eect of law
2. Interpreta:ons persuasive (not controlling)
3. Presumed legal and cons:tu:onal
4. Opera:ve eect
5. Subject to judicial review
6. Subject to repeal and amendment
7. Prospec:ve applica:on
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Rule-Making
Requisites
1. by authority of law
2. not contrary to law (content)
3. properly promulgated (process publica:on;
hearing, if required by law)
4. Reasonable
o
o
o
o

Rela:on to purpose
Supported by good reasons
Not arbitrary
Free from legal inrmi:es
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Types of Rules (PIPICS)

Type

Grant

Publica1on

Supplementary

Required

Interpreta*ve

Express (E)
or Implied (I)
E or I

Not Required

Con*ngent

Required

Penal

Required

Procedural

E or I

Required

E or I

Not Required

Internal

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Invalid Exercise: Rule-Making

Law

Rule

Creates

Abolishes

Strict Requirements

Liberalizes Requirements

No Requirement

Imposes Requirement

Stated Requirement

Alters/ Deletes Requirement

Enumera:on Exclusive

Adds/ Deletes Requirement

No Classica:on

Discriminates/ Classies

Limited Applica:on

Expands Applica:on

Fixed Period

Changes Period

Con:nue Prac:ce

Discon:nues Prac:ce

Grant Power

Nullies Power

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Quasi-Judicial Power
Grant of Power: Express
Deni:on: Deciding controversies, resolving
conic:ng claims and posi:ons
Extent: Typically only ques:ons of fact
(ques:ons of law or mixed if expressly
permihed under the Charter/ law)
Limita:on: Subject to Judicial Review
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Classes: Quasi-Judicial Power

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Direc:ng (correc:ve/ award) backwages

Enabling (grant/ permit) grant of franchise
Dispensing (exempt/ relieve) amnesty
Summary (compel/ force) cease and desist
Equitable

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Quasi-Legisla*ve or -Judicial
Applica:on for rate increase by a par:cular
public u:lity (QJ)
Increase rates for all buses (QL)
Seong qualica:on standards (QL)
Disqualifying a candidate (QJ)
Procedures for applying for a franchise (QL)
Revoking a specic franchise (QJ)
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Quasi-Legisla*ve and -Judicial

Topic

Quasi-Judicial

Quasi-Legisla1ve

Grant

E or I

Par:es

Par:cular

All/ Sectors

Adversarial

Yes

No

Controversy

Exists

None

No:ce and Hearing

Required

Not Required
(unless law)

Primary/ Exhaus:on

Applicable

Not Applicable

Time

Past/ Present

Future

Publica:on

Not Required

Depends

Res Judicata

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

Applicable

Not Applicable

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Administra*ve Proceedings
Character: Adversarial, quasi-judicial, civil
Jurisdic:on: Dened by Law/ Charter (not by
AA or par:es)
Nature: Power to Adjudicate Not Delegable
(power to hear/ receive evidence can be
delegated)
Due Process (DINA): Decision, Impar:al
Tribunal, No:ce and Appear/ Defend
Procedure: reasonable, due process, meet
ends, published
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Administra*ve Proceedings
No:ce and Hearing
oRequired (actual or construc:ve)
oSubject to waiver and estoppel
oCurable (i.e., subsequently heard, ling of mo:on
of reconsidera:on, oral arguments)
oPosi:on papers allowed
oNot required when privilege, abatement,
condi:onal right, legisla:ve or administra:ve

Right to counsel not impera:ve

Full Hearing: All Claims, Rebuhal, Evidence
and Cross-Examina:on (dispensable)
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Administra*ve Proceedings
Evidence
oSubstan:al (unless law provides dierent
quantum)
oOcular allowed (when relevant)
oAdop:on of reports allowed

Decision: Bases, Form (need not be full-

blown), Par:es, All Issues and Evidence
Enforcement: by AA if authorized by law (if
not, courts)
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Administra*ve Findings
AA ndings are not conclusive and nal before
courts
Given weight, not disturbed unless:
oNot based on substan:al evidence
oFraud, mistake, collusion
oPalpable errors
oGrave abuse of discre:on
oMisapprecia:on of evidence
oConict in factual ndings
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Judicial Review
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Cer:orari
Prohibi:on
Injunc:on
Mandamus
Declaratory Relief
Appeal

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

26

Defenses: Judicial Review Premature

1. Doctrine of Finality of Administra*ve Ac*on:
Decision of AA must be nal before Judicial
Review; Excep:ons:
o
o
o
o

interlocutory orders
protect rights
violate Cons:tu:on
excessive use of power

2. Doctrine of Primary Jurisdic*on: AA

concurrent with courts; needs administra:ve
discre:on and exper:se of AA
Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Defenses: Judicial Review Premature

3. Doctrine of Ripeness for Review:
Controversy must be real, present or
imminent (not future/ imaginary/ remote)
4. Doctrine of Exhaus*on of Administra*ve
Remedies: exhaust all administra:ve
remedies before recourse to courts,
condi:on precedent, with 19 excep:ons,
namely: JPLCS DRIED DARN CLRNT

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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Excep*ons: Non-Exhaus*on
JPLCS
Ques:ons essen:ally
Judicial
Administra:ve Remedy
is Permissive
Pure ques:on of Law
Cons:tu:onality
Small amount that
exhaus:on will be
costly

DRIED
Uher disregard for Due
Process
No plain speedy
Remedy
Strong public Interest
Estoppel
Con:nued and
unreasonable Delay

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

29

Excep*ons: Non-Exhaus*on
DARN
Irreparable Damage by
party
Alter Ego Bears
approval of President
No administra:ve
Review is provided
Insistence on
exhaus:on will lead
to Nullica:on of
claim

CLRNT
Civil ac:on for damages
Land not part of public
domain
Special Reasons
demanding
immediate judicial
relief
No Decision rendered
Transcendental issues

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

30

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Administrative Law Reviewer, Agra

31

THANK YOU.

Administra:ve Law Reviewer, Agra

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