Archive for September, 2016


CASE 2016-0057: RE: LETTER OF COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICE VICENTE S.E. VELOSO FOR ENTITLEMENT TO LONGEVITY PAY FOR HIS SERVICES AS COMMISSION MEMBER III OF THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS COMMISSION (A.M. NO. 12-8-07-CA); RE: COMPUTATION OF LONGEVITY PAY OF COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICE ANGELITA A. GACUTAN (A.M. NO. 12-9-5-SC)RE: REQUEST OF COURT OF APPEALS JUSTICE REMEDIOS A. SALAZARFERNANDO THAT HER SERVICES AS MTC JUDGE AND AS COMELEC COMMISSIONER BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF HER JUDICIAL SERVICE AND INCLUDED IN THE COMPUTATION/ADJUSTMENT OF HER LONGEVITY PAY. (A.M. NO. 13-02-07-SC) (26  JULY 2016, LEONARDO-DE CASTRO J.) (SUBJECT/S: LONGEVITY PAY)


DISPOSITIVE:

 

“WHEREFORE, premises considered, the Court resolves to GRANT the Motion for Reconsideration of CA Justice Gacutan and MODIFY the Resolution dated June 16, 2015 in A.M. Nos. 12-8-07-CA, 12-9-5-SC, and 13w02·07-SC, insofar as to GRANT CA Justice Gacutan’s request that her services as NLRC Commissioner be included in the computation of her longevity pay, but reckoned only from August 26, 2006, when Republic Act No. 9347 took effect.

 

SO ORDERED.”

 

SUBJECTS/DOCTRINES/DIGEST:

 

WHAT IS MEANT BY CONTEMPORANEOUS CONSTRUCTION?

 

IT IS THE INTERPRETATION OR CONSTRUCTION PLACED UPON THE STATUTE BY AN EXECUTIVE OR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER CALLED UPON TO EXECUTE OR ADMINISTER THE STATUTE.

 

IT INCLUDES THE CONSTRUCTION BY THE SECRETARY OF JUSTICE IN HIS CAPACITY AS THE CHIEF LEGAL ADVISER OF THE GOVERNMENT.

 

CERTAIN LAWS  GRANT TO CERTAIN OFFICIALS OF THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT THE RANK AND SALARY OF A MEMBER OF THE JUDICIARY. MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY ENJOY LONGEVITY PAY. DO THOSE CERTAIN OFFICIALS ALSO ENJOY LONGEVITY PAY?

 

YES.

 

THIS WAS THE INTERPRETATION OF THE JUSTICE SECRETARY.

 

THE RULE IS THAT COURTS SHOULD RESPECT THE CONTEMPORANEOUS CONSTRUCTION PLACED UPON A STATUTE BY THE EXECUTIVE OFFICERS WHOSE DUTY IS TO ENFORCE IT, AND UNLESS SUCH INTERPRETATION IS CLEARLY ERRONEOUS WILL ORDINARILY BE CONTROLLED THEREBY.

 

IN THE CASE OF JUDGES, WHAT LAW DEFINES LONGEVITY AS PART OF SALARY?

 

SECTION 42 OF BATAS PAMBANSA BLG. 129 CLEARLY STATES THAT THE LONGEVITY PAY IS “ADDED” TO THE BASIC MONTHLY SALARY AND FORMS PART OF THE “TOTAL SALARY” OF A JUDGE OR JUSTICE.

 

THUS, THE SALARY OF THE MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY REFERS TO THEIR RESPECTIVE BASIC PAY PLUS THE. LONGEVITY PAY TO WHICH THEY MAY BE ENTITLED BY VIRTUE OF THEIR CONTINUOUS, EFFICIENT, AND MERITORIOUS SERVICE IN THE JUDICIARY.

 

WHY WOULD LONGEVITY PAY BE ALSO PART OF SALARY IN THE CASE OF THOSE IN THE EXECUTIVE WHICH BY LAW ARE GIVEN THE EQUIVALENT RANK AND SALARY OF THOSE IN THE JUDICIARY?

 

BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT CONGRESS INTENDED IT. THE PERTINENT LAWS GRANTING THESE OFFICERS IN THE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT THE SAME RANKS AS THOSE IN THE JUDICIARY DO NOT DISTINGUISH SALARY WITH LONGEVITY PAY AND SALARY WITHOUT LONGEVITY PAY.


TO READ THE DECISION, JUST CLICK/DOWNLOAD THE FILE BELOW.

 

SCD-2016-0057-VELOSO

 

NOTE: TO RESEARCH ON A TOPIC IN YAHOO OR GOOGLE SEARCH  JUST TYPE “jabbulao and the topic”. EXAMPLE: TO RESEARCH ON FORUM SHOPPING JUST  TYPE “jabbulao and forum shopping”.

 

 

CASE 2016-0056: Re: VERIFIED COMPLAINT FOR DISBARMENT OF AMA LAND, INC. (REPRESENTED BY JOSEPH B. USITA) AGAINST COURT OF APPEALS ASSOCIATE JUSTICES HON. DANTON Q. BUESER, HON. SESINANDO E. VILLON AND HON. RICARDO G. ROSARIO. (OCA IPI No. 12-204-CA-J, 26 JULY 2016, BERSAMIN, J.) (INDIRECT CONTEMPT) (BRIEF TITLE: RE DISBARMENT OF AMA LAND INC AGAINST CA JUSTICES)


DISPOSITIVE:

 

“WHEREFORE, the Court:

 

(1) ABSOLVES and PURGES Felizardo R. Colambo, Alberto L. Buenviaje and Garry de Vera of any act of contempt of court:

 

(2) DECLARES and PRONOUNCES Joseph B. Usita, Darwin V. Dominguez and Arnel F. Hibo GUILTY of INDIRECT CONTEMPT for degrading the judicial office of respondent Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals, and for obstructing and impeding the due performance of their work for the Judiciary, and, ACCORDINGLY, metes on each of Usita, Dominguez and Hibo a fine of F20,000.00, the same to be paid within 10 days from notice of this resolution.

 

AMA Land, Inc., Joseph B. Usita, Darwin V. Dominguez and Arne! F. Hibo are WARNED that a repetition of the same or similar acts shall be dealt with more severely in the future.

 

SO ORDERED.”


SUBJECTS/DOCTRINES/DIGEST:

 

HOW WOULD THE POWER TO PUNISH FOR CONTEMPT BE USED?

 

MUST BE USED SPARINGLY, WITH CAUTION, RESTRAINT, JUDICIOUSNESS, DELIBERATION, AND IN DUE REGARD TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAW AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF THE INDIVIDUAL.

 

CAN THE CORPORATION AND ITS OFFICERS AND AGENTS BE HELD LIABLE FOR CONTEMPT OF COURT?

 

YES. FOR DISOBEYING JUDGMENTS, DECREES, OR ORDERS OF A COURT OR FOR COMMITTING ANY IMPROPER CONDUCT TENDING, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, TO IMPEDE, OBSTRUCT, OR DEGRADE THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE.

 

WHAT ARE SOME PRECEDENTS TO SERVE AS GUIDES IN DETERMINING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FINE?

 

In Ang Bagong Bayani-OFW Labor Party v. Commission on Elections, 14 the Court meted on the CO MEL EC Chairman and four COMELEC Commissioners a fine of P20,000.00 each for various actions, including issuing three resolutions that were outside of the jurisdiction of the COMELEC, for degrading the dignity of the Court, for brazen disobedience to the lawful directives of the Court, and for delaying the ultimate resolution of the many incidents of the party-list case to the prejudice of the litigants and of the country. It is notable that the Court prescribed a fine of PS,000.00 each on the two remaining Commissioners whose actions were deemed less serious in degree.

 

In Heirs of Trinidad de Leon Vda. de Roxas v. Court of Appeals,15 we imposed a fine of Pl0,000.00 on the corporate officer who had caused the preparation and filing of the unwarranted complaint for reconveyance, damages and quieting of title in the trial court, an act that tended to impede the orderly administration of justice.

 

In Lee v. Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, Branch 85,16 the corporate officers who had acted for the corporation to frustrate the execution of the immutable judgment rendered against the corporation by a resort to various moves merited the maximum fine of F30,000.00 for each of them.

 

TO READ THE DECISION, JUST CLICK/DOWNLOAD THE FILE BELOW.

 

SCD-2016-0056-AMA LAND

 

NOTE: TO RESEARCH ON A TOPIC IN YAHOO OR GOOGLE SEARCH  JUST TYPE “jabbulao and the topic”. EXAMPLE: TO RESEARCH ON FORUM SHOPPING JUST  TYPE “jabbulao and forum shopping”.

 

 

SAMPLE FORM OF SECRETARY’S CERTIFICATE AUTHORIZING TRANSACTIONS WITH SMART COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (SMART), DIGITEL MOBILE PHILIPPINES, INC. (DMPI/SUN) and ePLDT, INC. (ePLDT)

 

 

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES)

Makati City                               ) SS.

 

SECRETARY’S CERTIFICATE

 

I, AAAAA, Corporate Secretary of XXXXX INC. organized and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the Philippines with office address at ___________________________, do hereby certify that the Board of Directors of said corporation has passed during their meeting held on ­­­­­­­________________ the following RESOLUTION:

 

  1. That at the Regular Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Corporation held on 01 July 2016 at which meeting a quorum was present and acting throughout, the following resolutions were approved and passed:

 

“RESOLVED, that the Corporation be, as it is hereby authorized to enter into transactions and contracts with, and/or avail of products, facilities, services of or through the representation of PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE TELEPHONE COMPANY (PLDT), and its wholly/partly owned subsidiaries and/or affiliates including but not limited to SMART COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (SMART), DIGITEL MOBILE PHILIPPINES, INC. (DMPI/SUN) and ePLDT, INC. (ePLDT) (hereinafter referred to individually or collectively as the “PLDT Group” for purposes of these resolutions) , including but not limited to wire-line telephone, wireline data, wireline internet, wireless telephone, wireless data service, SMS, GPRS, wireless value added services, wireless broadband internet, and other  present or future product, facilities and services of the PLDT Group, as the Corporation’s authorized signatories may deem reasonable, proper and beneficial for the interest of the Corporation;

 

“RESOLVED, FURTHER, that any _______ of the following Officers and/or Directors of the Corporation whose specimen signatures appear below be, as they are hereby authorized to sign, execute and/or deliver any and all documents, contracts, instruments for and in behalf of the Corporation, as may be appropriate and required by the foregoing transactions authorized above:

 

Name                 Position Signature

 

BBBBB               Chairman      ___________________

 

“RESOLVED, FURTHER, that the foregoing authorized signatories be, as they are hereby authorized to transmit their instructions from time to time via letter correspondence, electronic mail, telecopier (facsimile), and phone in connection with the exercise of the foregoing powers in accordance with which the PLDT Group shall be entitled but not bound to rely and act upon such communications which it believes to be in good faith to be signed and authorized or apparently signed and/or authorized by the authorized signatories of the Corporation; and

 

“RESOLVED, finally, that the Corporate Secretary be, and is hereby, authorized to issue certifications covering the foregoing resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.”

 

  1. The foregoing resolutions have not been revoked, amended, or in any manner modified and, accordingly, the same may be relied upon until a written notice to the contrary is issued by the Corporation.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 11th day of ­­­­­­_____________________ at ____________________.

 

 

 

 

       AAAAA                             

 Corporate Secretary

 

ATTESTED BY:

 

                               CCCCC

                               President

 

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me, this  ______________ at _____________, AAAAA  exhibiting to me his/her TIN ID bearing ________________.

 

Doc. No.  ______;

Page No. ______;

Book No. ______;

Series of  ______.