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tr/rd.lil.F\
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RePubllc of the PhiliPPines

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTER|OR AND LOCAL
GOV-ERNMENT
A. Francisco Gold condominium ll Bldg' EDSA
comer Mapagmahal St, Dillman, Quezon City

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

DILG OPINION NO. 48 S. 2OIO

April 16, 2010

MR. SALVADOR L. URBONA

Punong BarangaY
Brgy. Sabang Settlers Association
Baybay, Leyte

Dear Punong BarangaY Urbona:

opinion of this
This has reference to your letter-query seeking. the legal as provided in
O""p".tr""i ."nlerning tf,e rutes on Vacancies and Succession and 45 of the
lr.|-Jioi.r-couernment-code of 1991 particularty in sections 44
said code.
to inform you that this Department had -already
In this regard, we would like-in
answered a similar qr"ry DILG Opinion N.o' 25' series of-20o8 th.at
p"..i""^t vacancies in' the sangguniang-dtlea
barangay where . automatic
successions do not apply shall be by appointment by the City or
Municipal Mayor, upon recommendation of the sangguniang
barangay
concelned [Sel.45 (a) (3) Local Government Code]'

Attached herewith is a copy of the said DILG opinion tor your ready
reference.

Very truly Yours,

By AuthorltY of the Secretary:

- -'\------.-- - 1'- \,
,(rrv. resu9!. DoQUrylv
Director III v
!-egal:20:cors:ins
 DEpARrvrENr oF
ffi
RePublic ol the PltiliPPtnes
r;Eiiii;Rioli nlio rocnr- GovERNMENT
a' r*nti!"" condomrnium ll Bldq' EDSA
Cold

I
Quezon City
to'nut'il'Jpugtahal St ' Dillman'
FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT
OFFICE OF] THE UhIDERSECRETARV
BILC 0Ptt'tl${t t{t},*zL Si' Ht)fi&, l

15 APril 2008

MT{. ALEX S. TAGIAPON

BarangaY 4, Hiniqiran
Negros Occidental

Dear l\ilr. LagtaPotr:

ol'l
has re{erence to your earlier letter askinq our legal opinion
This
or not succest;;"":;";totJ t'nott the Local Government code
whether died
7160) t' case the elected Punong Barangay
of 1991 (HA "ppl;;;Jln lunctlons o{ his oflice'
bel'ore tal<inE hh' oath u"Ol"u*t the

outset, please be in{ormed that the rule on succession is

At the c:t-"1,]19'
+o tr the Local Government.
embodied unau, section"s? ""0 In
(RA 7160) pertaining to tftu tunntr
of filling-up ol permanent vacanctes on
and Vice-Mayor ancl
il',e off ices of the GovernJ'''vilu-o"uutnor' chief executive' respectively'
temporary vacatrcy t'n"""ri"t the local'Mayor
"istated in your letter'
'^
and not Section 64 as erroneously
qY:ty' *t answer in ttre affirmative'
Nevertheless' in reply to your
Allorrv us to illustrate how
we arrived to this conclusion'

a person ac-quires public o'lfice

t'lltl :y
Well-settlctr is the rule that-"pi'"i"tment is the act or designation"by
appointlnent or try electioir' nrr
itiJ orricer, u""'o^"' ltgv,T iT ff::
"n""rtiu" of the individual who is to exerclse
"1TTnin,i"ffS'J
i"l"gui.to, other hand' an electio'n "nret:ts IIt:t
office (Mechem, section i6'i o" t!: ztott tlrrou:4h tttt rrst'
il;; .,ril; t'i'i" "1 """tnll'-tJ. t" prttttic olt'ice br1 ltolLrlor tlrouy, tht uill ol' tlrt
o.l tha Inllrtt, tttrtl t,L' t:xprtssitttr ol
ttJ- tltt' ltoltrtltr toill' tlrt'
"'",.'ii""'ii'"'i'll'ui"'ri'''..''tc'niir"l'l
rlet:torttltt. Atr L'lrrliou
'' 'i'' ";iL"A"nt'trl
',i,,.',iui),.,ig|,,poiocro!,"t:ha1,c,l1,!L,,,,,,,'',,^,u,',::.':
u):,,,rio'it'1 or ltlrtralittl of ual l aotes^utst
r
,,btoiuu,l
"c-ijniii.ec,
c.n" ru"' t6+tse' Januarv 20' 2003)'
you represented, the Barangay was duly elected as such"
'*o'la-tn"ttroit
Punong
,As
t"un that he acquired a
His election to said p;;;ti;; lris barangay ' "'lln' JitcL ol' haztitrg
tr
pluraliry of the votes in
tt.f 'ttolt's
!;t*'y "u'i
uu'1u"l:t-y-''ol't is uhnt Ltt t,tfLrs llrt' lillt to tJu: offict" and
xxx'"
ltltu'alilrl uuon' l-i' J'' Lu* on Public ofjices
iMechem, note 2 at rso,';it;Ji*bt
Liecti,,n l-aw, 1990 Edition, p'374)'
 subsequent to one's election to o{fice and before entering upon the
performance of his duties, the person so elected is usually required by law
to do some acts bY which he shall signify his acceptance oi the office and
his undertaking [o execute the trust conlided in him. section 92 0f the
Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160) provides and we quote:
,,SFlL'l-lON !)2. ()otttt.- (n) All el.cctiue ttlttl ttl,loittliTr locdl
.o.lJ.icit,tlslllitlttt'lllotltcsslnll,ttlloltctsstrntlltitlttttloJ|it-t,st]bscribt:
ti,,t nn ootlt ltt ctlfinttLttiott of oJficc itr lltc prest'ribttl Jttrnr
xxx"

Suchactwhereinthepersone|ectedSha||Signify|risacceptanceof
the offioe and his unclertaking to execute the trust confided in hiln is
ordinarily terrned qgalli-f ication. lt generalty consists o{ the taking, and
often of subscril-.,inE and filinE of an officiaN oath" Accordingly, failure to
takeanoathandassumethepowers,dutiesandfunctionsoftheoffice
Wou|d result to a lai|ure to qua|ify, which, in turn, is one ol the grounds
enumerated uncler section 44 0f the Local Government code that would
renderanofficepermanent|yVacant.SaidprovisionprovidesandWe
q uote:

"Spt'lion Pernurtr?trt Vtu:uttcics irt thc OJ.'[itts u.f llrt

44.
Coucrnor, V ict'-Oouanutr, M(ryor, urrl Vicc-Mtttlor' - xxx r:Jx

(t, U tUeal,tttcltT-?rlt'(t:ultl !!!JMl jrl-tht offict 31i-!lt1',

1t1111t111g-.!14111trr!:t,1, tlt( l4gl!(aL!- !:!lltl\u4.-a4lltg.!JJJJ(ll8
ag!!lJJ3!1!J
'tuurrbir
ttr. itr crtst' of ltis 1tt'rtrtt.r ttg1lyllnbil i ttt, !hv .lteql4 llryLlll!
rnttltirt rir.ttr rtrcmbtr hnll bct-ottte the ttutrttttt! btratr

' (f) 7'ht' srttcessctrs us ittl'int'il lrtn:iu slttrll scrttc ottlry IIrc
rtttt'x1rired !trtns o.l lIttir 1trtdLtct'ssors.

For yttrpostts of tltis CItul:t('.r, Lt Peft LtttL'ttL TtnLLTttrl] ttt'is('s

rt{uscs to
It,LSlL,illllL l!4ry-lpSaLgfQli-41.f ills a liglrcr ttaccrnt tt.[[ice,
u:;sllne o.l.l i,'c, .(SJJi-JP--ql!a].111' dies, is n:nrottc .fnrrt t <t.ll'it:c,
t,olrrri.trilst ,.cl'^iJil/s/ tr is otltcnoisr pcrnrntcttlltl itrt'ttltttcitrrttrl to
rI i sclnrgt' I t .l'r t t' I i o n s o| h i s ttJ'l i ct'.
It tt

For yurposcs tl' sttcccssitttt trs prouitlcrl irr Lhis Cltaplcr,

rtrtltittg i.tt !lu, satry|gtrrti0.n slrtrl.l lta lctarnritad ort Ihc bttsis Lt.f Lln:
1,ru1.rrritir,,, o.l' ztLtltts ttbtn rctl Itry L'nclt
toitttrittg t'utttlidalc to Ll,te
rt
Iottl trtrrtt[,ar o.[ registcrtd ztoltrs in toclt tlistrict irr Iltt'
itttttrtlicrlt'lty yrr'trtdiuil Iocul tlat'l ir'ttt." (Emplrasis Supplied)

ApplyinE llte foregoinE to your case, by reason of his death, the

.l electecl Punong tsarangay can no longer assume and take his oath of
office. His failure to assume and take his oath of office will, as mentionecl
i above, result to his failure to qualify to the office of the Punong Barangay'
since there is failure to qualify on his part, this would thereafter render his
position permanently vacant and there being a permanent vacancy in the
office of the Punong Barangay, the rule on succession as provided under
the aforequotecl [iection 44 (b\, u4tra, is therefore applicable. tsased on the
aforequotecl provision, in case o{ permanent vacancy in the oflice ol the

ffi
lfl
Irl
 Punong Barangay, the highest-ranking, sangguniang barangay member or,
in case of his permanent inabitity, the second highest-ranking sangguniang
barangay member shall become the flunong Barangay'

Hence, after the highest ranl(ing sangguniang barangay member

could have takerr his oath of office as such and assumed the functions,
povvers and duties thereof, he can now succeed, by operation of lavv, the
permanently vacatrt olfice of the Punong Barangay by simply applying the
aforequoted rulc of succession. lt is, however, required that he shall
likewise take anew an oath of office, this time as Punong Barangay'

Subsequenl vacancies in the sangguniang harangay shall be filled

i automatically by other sanggunian members accordinE to their ranking'
Such being the case, there will be a resultant vacancy, specifically the
seventh ranking member in the sangEunianE barangay after applying the
rule of succession.

The severrth place vacancy in the sangguniang sangguniang

barangay shall be filled up by appointmerrt to be issued by the municipal
mayor pursuant to Section 45 (a) and @ of the Local Government Code of
1991 (HA 7160) which provicle and we quote:

"5IrL'l1ON 45. Pernranattf Vtrctrncies in lhL' Snrrgl4rrniau. -(o)

Pr:rnttrnotl ztt:tt:ttttt-ies in lhc sttttggLtttiatt zt,lttre utLtttuttrlic
.slrrccss/orr,.; prouirltrl about LLo tnI. apStLry sltttll bc .fillt'r.l btl
trIIpoi!tltr!t ttt itt IIrr JoIlotritt:4 !tltutttr't':
) .rlrx, -r.r.T Jrr
(1
(2) rlr Jr.T .r.T:r
(3) I ltt t:itU or mLmiL:ipal nrnqor, in tlrc crlst o.f sanggtLttir.rtrg
bt!t(utSary/ upo r('conuttctt.dation o.l' l;lt.c stttlii:lttttittttt
l)tfll a Ll cottcct'ttt,tI.
' )(x.x irr.x .r.r:iv
O /rr t rrst, tltt: ltcrtnctneut. ut;tctLtft'rl is clttst'd bq a sntglttnitrt
nrunbertoiro tloas trot bckttrg to trtrtl political prrrttl, thc Iot-tl tltirl'
cxtcrLtizte sltal.l., ttpotT rcco ttutrt:tulat ion o.l' IItt' s trtr 1;7qr t tri t.trr
crtrtt-cnrctI, tIIIpoLttt ti qrmlil'iaI perstn to li.II lh.c tttttttttt-r1."
L

Nowhere can we lind in pertinent laws or even in jurisprudence that

in case of perm:rnent vacancy in the office of the punong barangay under
the same circunrstance, the second placer in the election shall become the
punong barangay" In fact, in many jurisprudence decided by the Supreme
Co.urt" said Court maintained on the contrary, that is, the non-proclamatiotr
of the seconcl placer simply means he lost in the election. The
ratiocination given by the Supreme Court in the case of Bqye-S VS.
eQMEt€-C (254 SCRA 514), is quite enlightening and we quote:

"'l'lttt tlta cnudit.lttll tuho obfulitts tltc stcttttt.I lighost

trtrnrber o.l tt()l(,s nlLul .ot ba lroclnint.cd uitrrrcr irt t'rl sL' tltt tttitr.ttirt,l
r luulidtttL' i:; rl Isqu a l.ifi.etl is n.oz.r.t st:l:lled. '.['lnt tlot:lriru:tl instr.rltilil:.r1
tr.rtrsed bry .,'r'-s117.1ritt1g ntlings hts sitrr-.1' beut rtttrttztut. In thc Lttft'sI
rrtlirts on lltt'qrtesliorr, tlris (.ourl sr,thl:

io sin4tl isfit:all ry assunu' thtrt Ilrc sacorrd ltlttcer

t.uottlrl lrupa n't:t'iztr:r.I tlre ollrtr uttttrs tttotrltl It lo strlsstiLrtlc
 our judsment /or the minil of thc ootdr. The seconil placer
isjust thal a second placet. He lost the elections. He was
repud.i ted hu eitlw a. maiority or pfuralittl 0f uoters. He
could ttot bc considered tlrc first arrrcttg qwtlifieil
canilidates because in a fielil zuhich excludes the
disqrntlilieil caflcliilatc, thc corrllitiorts zltouJd ha.ae
substnntially clnnged, We are not prepared to extrapolate
the rcsrrLt unilet the circmstatces."

We hope that we have addressed your concern accordingly.

Very truly yours,

AUSTERE A. PANADERO
^""'',jl"oJ;i::;:ilil/
Legall2o'.'l7
|ral /1-
cc: ' 'Tleglonal Director Evelyn A. Trompeta
DILG Region Vl
6 Parola St., Foft San Pedro
" lloilo City