SECOND DIVISION

G.R. No. 170810 August 7, 2007

AZUCENA B. DON, JOSEPH DETERA, NENITA B. GRESOLA, LETICIA L.
ESPENILLA, EDITH G. DETOITO, JULNA D. JACO, ROGER ARIARTE, CAL!IN
DEL !ALLE, "#$ ERLN RA%IREZ, Petitioners,
vs.
RA%ON H. LACSA "s &'st()*+& Pu#o#g B"'"#g", o- B".o+o$, Ju/"#, So'sogo#,
Respondent.
D E C I S I O N
CARPIO %ORALES, J.:
Petitioners-public school teachers charged beore the Sangguniang Bayan o !uban, Sorsogon
respondent Ra"on #. $acsa %respondent&, then Punong Barangay o 'acolod, !uban, Sorsogon,
(ith grave threats, oppression, grave "isconduct, and abuse o authorit).
On the directive o the then vice "a)or o the *unicipalit) o !uban in his capacit) as presiding
oicer o the Sangguniang 'a)an, respondent iled his +ns(er.
,
+ Special Investigating Co""ittee %SIC& created b) the Sangguniang Bayan to investigate the
case ound suicient evidence or the preventive suspension o respondent. -he Sangguniang
Bayan thus passed a resolution reco""ending his preventive suspension.
+cting on the reco""endation, the "a)or slapped a t(o-"onth preventive suspension against
respondent on !anuar) ., /001.
/
-he SIC later sub"itted its report inding respondent guilt) o oppression, grave "isconduct, and
abuse o authorit).
2
On *arch ., /001, the Sangguniang Bayan issued Resolution No. ,/-/001
3

adopting the SIC Report. ') the sa"e resolution, respondent (as re"oved ro" oice.
1
On *arch 4, /001, the "a)or issued E5ecutive Order No. 4, Series o /001
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i"ple"enting
Resolution No. ,/-/001 o the Sangguniang Bayan and installing 7lorencio #. $acsa, the highest
ran8ing Sangguniang 'aranga) "e"ber, in place o Ra"on #. $acsa as Punong 'aranga) o
'acolod.
.
On even date, respondent received a cop) o the e5ecutive order, together (ith a cop)
o Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. ,/-/001.
4
-(ent) one da)s ater receiving a cop) o Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. ,/-/001 or on
*arch /9, /001, respondent iled beore the Regional -rial Court %R-C& o Sorsogon a Petition
or Certiorari %:ith +pplication or -e"porar) Restraining Order and;or :rit o Preli"inar)
In<unction&
9
against herein petitioners, along (ith the Sangguniang Bayan o !uban and *a)or
*a. -eresa =uab-7ragata. -he case (as doc8eted as Special Civil +ction No. /001-.1,2.
') Decision o October /3, /001, 'ranch 12 o the R-C o Sorsogon granted respondent>s
petition and accordingl) nulliied the "a)or>s e5ecutive order. -hus the trial court ruled?
5 5 5 5
@RespondentA is entitled to be inor"ed and have a cop) o the decision rendered b) the
Sangguniang 'a)an o !uban, Sorsogon pursuant to Section 66 o R.+. .,60, or hi" to see8 the
re"edies aorded b) la(, i he so desires. 5 5 5 @#eA received E5ecutive Order No. 4 and
attached thereto is Sangguniang 'a)an Resolution No. ,/-/001, on the sa"e da), *arch 4,
/001. It appears that the . . . Sangguniang 'a)an urnished @hi"A (ith a cop) o the said
resolution not to aord hi" his re"edies on appeal in violation o Section 66 .,60, but to
e5ecute said resolution hastil) . . . in ut"ost disregard o @hisA constitutional right to due process.
Pursuant to Section 6. o R.+. .,60, @heA has thirt) %20& da)s ro" receipt o the said resolution
to ile an appeal. @#eA (as not aorded the opportunit) to elevate Resolution No. ,/-/001 on
appeal.
5 5 5 5
Considering the oregoing indings . . . the "unicipal "a)or gravel) abused her discretion,
a"ounting to lac8 o <urisdiction in issuing and e5ecuting E5ecutive Order No. 4 . . .
5 5 5 5
,0
%Bnderscoring supplied&
-he trial court thus disposed?
:hereore, pre"ises considered, this court grants the petition or certiorari and orders the
ollo(ing?
,. -he annul"ent and setting aside o E5ecutive Order No. 4 dated *arch 4, /001 issued
b) the *unicipal *a)orC
/. -he reinstate"ent o . . . Ra"on #. $acsa to his position as Punong 'aranga) o
'acolod, !uban, SorsogonC
2. -he pa)"ent to the said petitioner o the e"olu"ents;allo(ances accruing to hi" ro"
the ti"e o re"oval ro" oice up to the ti"e o reinstate"ent thereatC
3. Directing the Sangguniang 'a)an o !uban, Sorsogon to serve ane( the petitioner (ith
a cop) o the Decision;Resolution No. ,/-/001 and ro" receipt o (hich the petitioner
shall en<o) his right to appeal such decision to the Sangguniang Panlala(igan pursuant to
Section @6A. o R.+. .,60.
:ith costs against the respondents Sangguniang 'a)an *e"bers and *unicipal *a)or.
SO ORDERED.
,,
-he trial court having denied
,/
petitioners> *otion or Reconsideration,
,2
the petitioners iled the
present Petition or Revie( on Certiorari, "aniesting earl) on that the) are raising onl)
Duestions o la(. -he) ault the trial court
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,. . . . in holding that the Sangguniang 'a)an o !uban, Sorsogon, urnished respondent
(ith a cop) o its Resolution No. ,/-/001, not to aord hi" his re"ed) o appeal, but to
e5ecute the said resolution hastil) in violation o Section 66 o R.+. .,60.
/. . . . in holding that the respondent *unicipal *a)or issued E5ecutive Order No. 4 in
Eut"ostE disregard o respondent>s right to due process, as pursuant to Section 6. o R.+.
.,60, he has thirt) da)s ro" receipt o the aoresaid resolution to ile an appeal.
2. . . . in holding that the "unicipal "a)or, in pro"ptl) e5ecuting Sangguniang 'a)an
Resolution No. ,/-/001, co""itted Egrave abuse o discretion a"ounting to lac8 o
<urisdiction.E
3. -he court a quo erred even "ore (hen it restored to respondent, through a (rit o
e5ecution, the right o ad"inistrative appeal (hich he had abandoned and lost.
,1
-he petition is i"pressed (ith "erit.
-he pertinent provision o R.+. .,60, other(ise 8no(n as the $ocal =overn"ent Code, reads?
Sec. 6,%c& F + co"plaint against an) elective baranga) oicial shall be iled beore the
sangguniang panlungsod or Sangguniang 'a)an concerned (hose decision shall be inal and
e5ecutor).E %E"phasis and underscoring supplied&
-he Einal and e5ecutor)E phrase used in the i""ediatel)-Duoted provision (as construed in
*endoGa v. $a5ina, Sr.
,6
to be Ei""ediatel) e5ecutor),E albeit the respondent "a) appeal the
adverse decision to the proper oice. -hus this Court declared?
Sections 6, and 6. o the $ocal =overn"ent Code, provide?
Section 6,. Form and Filing of Administrative Complaints. + veriied co"plaint against an)
erring local elective oicial shall be prepared as ollo(s?
5 5 5 5
%c& + co"plaint against an) elective baranga) oicial shall be iled beore the
sangguniang panlungsod or sangguniang bayan concerned (hose decision shall be final
and executory, %Italics supplied&
Sec. 6.. Administrative Appeals. F Decisions in ad"inistrative cases "a), (ithin thirt)
%20& da)s ro" receipt thereo, be appealed to the ollo(ing?
5 5 5 5
%b& the Oice o the President, in the case o decisions o the sangguniang panlalawigan
and the sangguniang panlungsod o highl) urbaniGed cities and independent co"ponent
cities.
Decisions o the Oice o the President shall be inal and e5ecutor).
In interpreting the oregoing provisions, the trial court did not consider Section 64 o the sa"e
code (hich provides?
+n appeal shall not prevent a decision ro" being inal and e5ecutor). -he respondent shall be
considered as having been placed under preventive suspension during the pendenc) o an appeal
in the event that he (ins such appeal. In the event that the appeal results in e5oneration, he shall
be paid his salar) and other such e"olu"ents during the pendenc) o the appeal.
Obviousl), the said Code does not preclude the ta8ing o an appeal. On the contrar), it
speciicall) allo(s a part) to appeal to the Oice o the President. -he @phraseA Einal and
e5ecutor)E 5 5 5 in Sections 6. and 64, respectivel), o the $ocal =overn"ent Code, are not, as
erroneousl) ruled b) the trial court, indicative o the appropriate "ode o relie ro" the decision
o the Sanggunian concerned. -hese phrases si"pl) "ean that the ad"inistrative appeals (ill not
prevent the enorce"ent o the decisions. -he decision is i""ediatel) e5ecutor) but the
respondent "a) nevertheless appeal the adverse decision to the Oice o the President or to the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, as the case "a) be.
,.
%E"phasis and underscoring supplied&
-he conditions that (ould aord respondent to ile a petition or certiorari under Rule 61 o the
Rules o Court as he did ile one beore the R-C F that a tribunal, board, or oicer e5ercising
<udicial or Duasi-<udicial unctions has acted (ithout or in e5cess o its or his <urisdiction, or (ith
grave abuse o discretion a"ounting to lac8 or e5cess o <urisdiction, and there is no appeal, or
an) plain, speed), and adeDuate re"ed) in the ordinar) course o la( F are not here
present.avvphi
0HERE1ORE, the petition is GRANTED. -he October /3, /001 Decision o the Regional
-rial Court o Sorsogon Cit), 'ranch 12 in Special Civil +ction No. /001-.1,2 is RE!ERSED
and SE- +SIDE.
Resolution No. ,/-/001 issued b) the !uban, Sorsogon Sangguniang 'a)an and E5ecutive Order
No. 4, Series o /001 issued b) *a)or *a. -eresa =uab-7ragata are REINSTATED.
SO ORDERED.
CONCHITA CARPIO %ORALES
+ssociate !ustice
:E CONCBR?
LEONARDO A. 2UISU%BING
+ssociate !ustice
Chairperson
ANTONIO T. CARPIO
+ssociate !ustice
DANTE O. TINGA
+ssociate !ustice
PRESBITERO J. !ELASCO, JR.
+ssociate !ustice
+ - - E S - + - I O N
I attest that the conclusions in the above Decision had been reached in consultation beore the
case (as assigned to the (riter o the opinion o the Court>s Division.
LEONARDO A. 2UISU%BING
+ssociate !ustice
Chairperson
C E R - I 7 I C + - I O N
Pursuant to Section ,2, +rticle VIII o the Constitution, and the Division Chairperson>s
+ttestation, I certi) that the conclusions in the above Decision (ere reached in consultation
beore the case (as assigned to the (riter o the opinion o the Court>s Division.
RENATO S. PUNO
Chie !ustice
1oot#ot&s
,
R-C records, pp. ,9-/0.
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Rollo, p. 3..
2
Id. at 36-13.
3
Id. at 33-31.
1
Id. at 33.
6
Id. at 11-1..
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Id. at 16-1..
4
R-C records, p. 3.
9
Id. at ,-..
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Id. at 63-61.
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Id. at 66.
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Id. at 40.
,2
Id. at 6.-.1.
,3
!ollo, pp. 2-/6.
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Id. at 4-9.
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312 Phil. ,0,2 %/002&.
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Id. at ,0/3-,0/1 %Citations o"itted&.