Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Manila THIRD DIVISION G.R. No. 127980
December 19, 2007
DE L SLLE UNIVERSIT!, INC., EMMNUEL SLES, RONLD HOLMES, "UDE DEL TORRE, MPRO RIO, CRMELIT #UE$ENGCO, GNES !UHICO %&' "MES !P, petitioners, !P, petitioners, vs. THE COURT O( PPELS, HON. )IL(REDO D. RE!ES, *& +* c%-%c*/ % Pre*'*& "'e o $r%&c+ 34, Re*o&%5 Tr*%5 Cor o M%&*5%, THE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCTION, THE DEPRTMENT O( EDUCTION CULTURE ND SPORTS, LVIN GUILR, "MES PUL $UNGU$UNG, RICHRD REVERENTE %&' RO$ERTO VLDES, "R., respondents. "R., respondents.
Facts: PRIVATE respondents Alvin Aguilar, a!es Paul "ungubung, Richard Reverente and Roberto Valdes, r. are !e!bers of Tau #a!!a Phi Fraternit$ %ho %ere e&pelled b$ the 'e (a )alle *niversit$ +'()* and -ollege of )aint "enilde +-)" oint 'iscipline "oard because of their involve!ent in an offensive action causing in/uries to petitioner a!es 0ap and three other student !e!bers of 'o!ino (u& Fraternit$. This is the bac1drop of the controvers$ before *s pitting private respondents2 right to education vis-a-vis vis-a-vis the the *niversit$2s right to acade!ic freedo!. A))AI(E' in this this Petition for Certiorari Certiorari ,, Prohibition and Manda!us under Rule 34 of the Rules of -ourt are the follo%ing: + Resolution of the -ourt of Appeals +-A dated
"ungubung, Reverente, and Valdes, r.89 +9 Resolution of the -A dated ctober 4, 773 den$ing the !otion for reconsideration85 +5 rder dated anuar$ ;, 77; of the Regional Trial -ourt +RT-, "ranch 53 Manila granting private respondent Aguilar2s !otion to reiterate %rit of preli!inar$ in/unction8< and +< Resolution =o. >?73 dated Ma$ <, 773 of the -o!!ission on @igher Education +-@E' e&onerating private respondent Aguilar and lo%ering the penalties for the other private respondents fro! e&pulsion to e&clusion.4 n Ma$ 5, 774, the '()*?-)" oint 'iscipline "oard issued iss ued a Res Resolu oluti tion on> findi finding ng priva private te respo respondents ndents guilt guilt$. $. The$ Th e$ %e %ere re !e !ete ted d th the e su supr pre! e!e e pe pena nalt lt$ $ of aut auto! o!at atic ic e&pulsion,7 pursuant to -@E' rder =o. <
Private respondents separatel$ !oved for reconsideration99 before the ffice of the )enior Vice? President for Internal perations of '()*. The !otions %ere all denied in a (etter?Resolution95 dated une , 774. The ancillar$ re!ed$ pra$ed for is granted. Respondent, its agents, representatives, or an$ and all persons acting for and its behalf are hereb$ restrained and en/o$ed fro!: . I!ple!enting and enforcing the Resolution dated Ma$ 5, 774 ordering the auto!atic e&pulsion of petitioner and petitioners?in? intervention and the (etter?Resolution dated une , 7748 and 9. "arring the enroll!ent of petitioner and petitioners?in?intervention in the courses
petitioners?in?intervention to enroll and co!plete their respective coursesdegrees until their graduation thereat. 'espite the said order, private respondent Aguilar %as refused enroll!ent b$ petitioner '()* %hen he atte!pted to enroll on )epte!ber 99, 774 for the second ter! of )0 774?773. Thus, on )epte!ber 94, 774, Aguilar filed %ith respondent udge an urgent !otion to cite petitioners +respondents there in conte!pt of court.5< Aguilar also pra$ed that petitioners be co!pelled to enroll hi! at '()* in accordance %ith respondent udge2s rder dated )epte!ber 96, 774. n )epte!ber 94, 774, respondent udge issued54 a %rit of preli!inar$ in/unction, the relevant portion of %hich reads: IT I) @ERE"0 R'ERE' b$ the undersigned of the RE#I=A( TRIA( -*RT F MA=I(A that until further orders, $ou the said 'E (A )A((E *niversit$ as %ell as $our subordinates, agents, representatives, e!plo$ees and an$ other person assisting or acting for or on $our behalf, to i!!ediatel$ desist fro! i!ple!enting the Resolution dated Ma$ 5, 774 ordering the auto!atic e&pulsion of petitioner and the intervenors in '()*, and the letter?resolution dated une , 774 affir!ing the said Resolution of Ma$ 5, 774 and to i!!ediatel$ desist fro! barring the enrol!ent of petitioner and intervenors in the courses offered at '()* and to allo% the! to enroll and co!plete their degree courses until their graduation fro! said school.53 n ctober 3, 774, petitioner '()* filed %ith the -A a petition for certiorari 5; +-A?#.R. )P =o. 5>;7 %ith pra$er
rder and %rit of preli!inar$ in/unction dated )epte!ber 94, 774. n April 9, 773, the -A granted petitioners2 pra$er for preli!inar$ in/unction. n Ma$ <, 773, the -@E' issued its Buestioned Resolution =o. >?73, su!!aril$ disapproving the penalt$ of e&pulsion for all private respondents. As for Aguilar, he %as to be reinstated, %hile other private respondents %ere to be e&cluded.5>
=ot%ithstanding the said directive, petitioner '()*, through petitioner Cuebengco, still refused to allo% private respondent Aguilar to enroll. Thus, private respondent Aguilar2s counsel %rote another de!and letter to petitioner '()*.<9 Mean%hile, on une 5, 773, private respondent Aguilar, using -@E' Resolution =o. >?73, filed a !otion to dis!iss<5 in the -A, arguing that -@E' Resolution =o. >?73 rendered the -A case !oot and acade!ic. Accordingl$, private respondent Aguilar %as allo%ed to conditionall$ enroll in petitioner '()*, sub/ect to the continued effectivit$ of the %rit of preli!inar$ in/unction dated )epte!ber 94, 774 and to the outco!e of -ivil -ase =o. 74?;<99. n Februar$ ;, 77;, petitioners filed the instant petition. Ie
higher learning that i!pose disciplinar$ action on their students found violating disciplinar$ rules. 9. Dhether or not petitioner '()* is %ithin its rights in e&pelling private respondents. 9.a Dere private respondents accorded due process of la% 9.b -an petitioner '()* invo1e its right to acade!ic freedo! 9.c Das the guilt of private respondents proven b$ substantial evidence 5. Dhether or not the penalt$ i!posed b$ '()* on private respondents is proportionate to their !isdeed.
He5'6 Prefatoril$, there is !erit in the observation of petitioners45 that %hile -@E' Resolution =o. >?73 disapproved the e&pulsion of other private respondents, it nonetheless authoried their e&clusion fro! petitioner '()*. @o%ever, because of the dis!issal of the -A case, petitioner '()* is no% faced %ith the spectacle of having t%o different directives fro! the -@E' and the respondent udge G -@E' ordering the e&clusion of private respondents "ungubung, Reverente, and Valdes, r., and the udge ordering petitioner '()* to allo% the! to enroll and co!plete their degree courses until their graduation.
It is the -@E', not 'E-), %hich has the po%er of supervision and revie% over disciplinar$ cases decided b$ institutions of higher learning. n Ma$ >, 77<, -ongress approved R.A. =o. ;;99, other%ise 1no%n as HAn Act -reating the -o!!ission on @igher Education, Appropriating Funds Thereof and for other purposes.H )ection 5 of the said la%, %hich paved the %a$ for the creation of the -@E', provides: )ection 5. Creation of the Commission on Higher Education. G In pursuance of the above!entioned policies, the -o!!ission on @igher Education is hereb$ created, hereinafter referred to as -o!!ission. The -o!!ission shall be independent and separate fro! the 'epart!ent of Education, -ulture and )ports +'E-) and attached to the office of the President for ad!inistrative purposes onl$. Its coverage shall be both public and private institutions of higher education as %ell as degree?granting progra!s in all post secondar$ educational institutions, public and private. The po%ers and functions of the -@E' are enu!erated in )ection > of R.A. =o. ;;99. The$ include the follo%ing: )ec. >. Powers and functions of the Commission . G The -o!!ission shall have the follo%ing po%ers and functions:
n pro!ulgate such rules and regulations and e&ercise such other po%ers and functions as !a$ be necessar$ to carr$ out effectivel$ the purpose and ob/ectives of this Act8 and o perfor! such other functions as !a$ be necessar$ for its effective operations and for the continued enhance!ent of gro%th or develop!ent of higher education. )HERE(ORE, the petition is PRTILL! GRNTED. The -ourt of Appeals Resolutions dated ul$ 56, 773 and dated ctober 4, 773, and Regional Trial -ourt of Manila, "ranch 53, rder dated anuar$ ;, 77; areNNULLED A=' SET SIDE, %hile -@E' Resolution >?73 dated Ma$ <, 773 is ((IRMED. Petitioner '()* is ordered to issue a certificate of co!pletiongraduation in favor of private respondent Aguilar. n the other hand, it !a$ e&clude or drop the na!es of private respondents "ungubung, Reverente, and Valdes, r. fro! its rolls, and their transfer credentials i!!ediatel$ issued. ) R'ERE'.
