PATACSI L,Jeffr eyC. BALS3
1: 002: 00 MWF P504 November21,2016 ORDI NARY RY JURI RI SDI CTI ON
Ar t i cl e VI I I , Sect i on 5 ( 5) . Pr omu mul gat er ul es concer ni ng t he pr ot ec t i on and e nf o r c e me me nto fc o ns t i t ut i o nalr i g ht s ,pl e adi ng ,pr ac t i c e ,a nd pr o ce dur ei n al lc our t s , acti ce ofl aw,t t headmi ssi on t ot hepr heI nt e g r a t e d Bar ,andl e g alas s i s t anc et ot he unde r pr i v i l e g e d. Cayet anov.Monsod G. R.No.100113,Sept em mb ber3,1991 Facts: Res pondentChr i s t i anMonsodwasnomi mi nat edbyPr es i dentCor azonC.Aqui not ot he posi t i onofChai r manoft heCOMELEC i nal et t err ecei vedbyt heSecr et ari atoft he Comm mmi ssi ononAppoi nt ment sonApr i l25,1991.Pet i t i oneropposedt henomi nat i on becaus eal l egedl yMonsoddoe snotposses st her equi r e dqual i ficat i onofhavi ngbeen e ng ag e di nt hepr ac t i c eo fl a wf o ratl e as tt e ny e ar s . OnJune5,1991,t heComm mmi ss i ononAppoi nt ment sc onfir medt henomi mi nat i onof Mons odasChai r manoft heCOMELEC.OnJune18,1991,het ookhi soat hofoffic ffice . Ont hes ame meday ,heas s ume me doffic ffic easChai r manoft heCOMELEC. Chal l engi ngt heval i di t yoft heconfir mat i onbyt heComm mmi ssi ononAppoi nt ment sof Mo ns o d' sno mi mi nat i o n,pe t i t i o ne ra sac i t i z e nandt ax pa y e r ,fil e dt hei ns t antpe t i t i o nf o r cer t i orar iandPr ohi bi t i onpr ayi ngt hats ai dconfir mat i onandt heconsequent appoi nt mentofMonsodasChai r manoft heComm mmi ss i ononEl ec t i onsbedecl ar ednul l andvoi d.
I ssue: Whe t he rt heappoi nt mentofChai r manMonsodofComel e cvi ol at e sSect i on1( 1) , Ar t i cl eI XC oft he1987Cons t i t ut i on?
Hel d: The1987Cons t i t ut i onpr ovi de si nSect i on1( 1) ,Ar t i cl eI XC,t hatt her eshal lbea Comm mmi ss i ononEl ec t i onsc omp mposedofaChai r manandsi xComm mmi ss i oner swhoshal l benat ur al bor nci t i z ensoft hePhi l i ppi ne sand,att het i meoft hei rappoi nt ment ,at l e as tt hi r t y fiv ey e ar so fag e ,ho l de r so faco l l e g ede g r e e ,andmus tno tha v ebe e n c andi dat e sf o ra nye l e c t i v epo s i t i o ni nt hei mme di at e l ypr e c e di nge l e c t i o ns .Ho we v e r ,a
maj ori t yt her eof ,i ncl udi ngt heChai r man,shal lbemember soft hePhi l i ppi neBarwho ha v ebe e ne ng ag e di nt hepr a c t i c eo fl a wf o ra tl e as tt e ny e ar s . At t y .Chr i s t i an Monsod i s a memberoft he Phi l i ppi ne Bar ,havi ng passed t he bar exami nat i onsof1960wi t hagr adeof8655%.Hehasbee nduespayi ngmemberoft he I nt egr at ed Baroft he Phi l i ppi nessi nce i t si ncept i on i n 197273.He has al so been pa yi nghi spr o f e s s i o nall i c e ns ef e e sasl a wy e rf o rmo r et ha nt e ny e ar s . Att hi spoi nt ,i tmi ghtbehel pf ult o definepr i v at epr act i ce.Thet er m,ascommonl y unde r s t o od,me a ns" a ni ndi v i dua lo ro r g a ni z a t i o ne ng a g e di nt hebus i ne s so fde l i v e r i ng l e g als er v i c es . "( I bi d. ) .La wy er swhopr a ct i c eal onear eof t e nc al l e d" s ol epr a ct i t i one r s . " Gr oupsofl awyer sar ecal l ed" fir ms. "Thefirm i susual l yapart ner shi pandmember sof t hefir m ar et hepart ner s.Somefir msmaybeor gani z edasprof es si onalcor porat i ons andt hemember scal l edshar ehol der s.I nei t hercase,t hemember soft hefirm ar et he exper i enced at t or ne ys .I n mos t fir ms, t her e ar e yo unge r or mor ei nex per i enced s al ar i e dat t or ne y sc al l e d" as soc i at e s . " Hence,t heCommi ssi on ont hebasi sofevi dencesubmi t t eddol i ngt hepubl i chear i ngs on Monsod' s confirmat i on,i mpl i ci t l y det er mi ned t hathe poss es se dt he nec es sar y qual i ficat i onsasr equi r ed by l aw.Thej udgmentr ender ed by t heCommi ss i on i nt he exer ci seofsuch an acknowl edged poweri sbeyond j udi ci ali nt er f er enceexceptonl y upon a cl earshowi ngofa gr aveabuseofdi scr et i on amount i ngt ol ack orexc essof j ur i sdi ct i on.( Ar t .VI I I ,Sec.1 Cons t i t ut i on) .Thus,onl y wher e suc h gr av e abuse of di s c r e t i o ni sc l e a r l ys ho wn s ha l lt heCo ur ti nt e r f e r ewi t ht heCo mmi s s i o n' sj udg me nt . I nt he i ns t a ntc a s e ,t he r ei s no o c c as i o nf o rt he e x e r c i s eo ft he Co ur t ' sc o r r e c t i v e power ,si ncenoabuse,much l essagrav eabuseofdi scr et i on,t hatwoul d amountt o l a c ko re x c e s sofj ur i s di c t i o na ndwo ul dwa r r a ntt hei s s ua nc eoft hewr i t spr a y e d,f o r hasbee ncl ear l yshown. Besi desi nt hel eadi ngcaseofLuegov.Ci vi lServ i ceCommi ssi on,heCourtsai dt hat , Appoi nt menti s an essent i al l y di scr e t i onar y powerand mus tbe per f or med by t he o ffic e ri n whi c hi ti sv e s t e da c c or di ngt ohi sbe s tl i g ht s ,t heonl yc o ndi t i o n be i ngt ha t t heappoi nt eeshoul d possesst hequal i ficat i onsrequi r ed by l aw.I fhedoes,t hen t he appoi nt mentcannotbef aul t ed on t hegr ound t hatt her ear eot her sbet t erqual i fied whoshoul dhav ebeenpr ef er r ed.Thi si sapol i t i calques t i oni nv ol vi ngconsi der at i onsof wi sdom whi c honl yt heappoi nt i ngaut hor i t ycandeci de.
Sour ce:ht t ps//www. scr i bd. com/mobi l e/doc/4360314/Cayet anovsMonsodDi gest
