14) Peralta vs CSC

Peralta v. Civil Service Commission [G.R. No. 95832. August 10 1992! When an administrative or executive agency renders an opinion or issues a statement of policy, it merely interprets a pre-existing law; and the administrat administrative ive interpretation of the law is at best advisory , for it is the courts that finally determine what the law means. It has also been held that interpretative regulations need not be published.

What is primarily questioned by the petitioner is the validity of the respondent Commissions policy mandating salary deductions corresponding to the intervening !aturdays, !undays or "olidays where an employee without leave credits was absent on the immediately preceding wor#ing day. When an administrative or executive agency renders an opinion or issues a statement of policy, it merely interprets a pre-existing law; and the ad ministrative interpretation of the law is at best advisory, for it is the courts that finally determine what the law means. 8 It has also been held that interpretative regulations need not be published.

9

 $dministrative construction, if we may repeat, is not not necessarily binding upon the courts. courts. $ction $ction of an administrative agency may be disturbed or set aside by the %udicial department if there is an error of law, or abuse of power or lac# of %urisdiction or grave abuse of discretion clearly conflicting with either the letter or the spirit of a legislative enactment. 10 FACTS

Pursuant to Civil Service Act o" 1959 #R.A. No. 22$0% &'ic' con"erre( u)on t'e Commissioner o" Civil Service to prescribe, to  prescribe, amend amend and enforce enforce suitable rules rules and regulations for carrying into eect the provisions of this Civil Service Law  t'e Commission inter)rete( )rovisions o" Re)u*lic Act No. 2$25 amen(ing t'e Revise( A(ministrative A(ministrative Co(e an( a(o)te( a )olic+ t'at when an employee who was on leave of absence without pay on a day before or on a day time immediately preceding a Saturday, Sunday or Holiday, he is also considered on leave of absence without pay on such Saturday, Sunday or Holiday. Petitioner Peralta a,ecte( *+ t'e sai( )olic+ -uestione( t'e sai( a(ministrative inter)retation. ISSUES

'et'er or not t'e Civil Service Commission/s inter)retative inter)retative construction is •

#1% vali( an( constitutional. constitutional.

•

#2% *in(ing u)on t'e courts.

RULING •

#1% N. 'e construction *+ t'e res)on(ent Commission o" R.A. 2$25 is not in accor(ance &it' t'e legislative intent. R.A. 2$25 s)ecicall+ )rovi(es t'at government em)lo+ees are are entitle( to leaves o" a*sence &it' "ull )a+ e4clusive o" Satur(a+s Sun(a+s an( oli(a+s. 'e la& s)ea6s o" t'e

granting o" a rig't an( t'e la& (oes not )rovi(e "or a (istinction *et&een t'ose &'o 'ave accumulate( leave cre(its an( t'ose &'o 'ave e4'auste( t'eir leave cre(its in or(er to en7o+ suc' rig't. Ubi lex non distinguit nec nos distinguere debemus. 'e "act remains t'at government em)lo+ees &'et'er or not t'e+ 'ave accumulate( leave cre(its are not re-uire( *+ la& to &or6 on Satur(a+s Sun(a+s an( oli(a+s an( t'us t'e+ can not *e (eclare( a*sent on suc' non&or6ing (a+s. 'e+ cannot *e or are not consi(ere( a*sent on non&or6ing (a+s t'e+ cannot an( s'oul( not *e (e)rive( o" t'eir salar+ corres)on(ing to sai( non&or6ing (a+s 7ust *ecause t'e+ &ere a*sent &it'out )a+ on t'e (a+ imme(iatel+ )rior to or a"ter sai( non&or6ing (a+s. A (i,erent rule &oul( constitute a (e)rivation o" )ro)ert+ &it'out (ue )rocess. •

#2% N. A(ministrative construction is not necessaril+ *in(ing u)on t'e courts. Action o" an a(ministrative agenc+ ma+ *e (istur*e( or set asi(e *+ t'e 7u(icial (e)artment i" t'ere is an error o" la& or a*use o" )o&er or lac6 o"   7uris(iction or grave a*use o" (iscretion clearl+ con:icting &it' eit'er t'e letter or t'e s)irit o" a legislative enactment. 'en an a(ministrative or e4ecutive agenc+ ren(ers an o)inion or issues a statement o" )olic+ it merel+ inter)rets a )ree4isting la& an( t'e a(ministrative inter)retation o" t'e la& is at *est a(visor+ "or it is t'e courts t'at nall+ (etermine &'at t'e la& means.

 'e general rule visavis legislation is t'at an unconstitutional act is not a la& it con"ers no rig'ts it im)oses no (uties it a,or(s no )rotection it creates no o;ce it is in legal contem)lation as ino)erative as t'oug' it 'a( never *een )asse(.
P'ili))ines i" necessar+ to 'an(le t'is )ro*lem &it' 7ustice an( e-uit+ to all a,ecte( government em)lo+ees.