University of the Philippines College of Law Constitutional Law 1| Professor Charlemagne Yu Case Digest TOPIC: Cabinet Members > Prohibition DOCTRI!: DOCTRI!: "e# $% &rt 'II of the Constit(tion C&"! (mber )in#l(*ing *ate+: G.R. No. 191644 F!R"#RY 19$ %&1' C&"! ame: Funa (s #gra Ponente: !ersamin$ ). ,&CT" Mar#h $- ./$/ 0 #rro*o a++ointe, -on. #lerto C. #gra as #/ting 0e/retar* of )usti/e Mar#h 1- ./$/ 0 #rro*o a++ointe, him as #/ting 0oli/itor General &pri &prill 2- ./$/ ./$/ 0 Petit Petition ioner er le, le, a /ase /ase as a ta2+a ta2+a*er *er$$ allegi alleging ng that that the the a++oin a++ointme tments nts were were +rohi +rohii ite, te, un,er un,er "e# 193 "e#tion tion $% &rt &rt 'II 'II of the 193 Constitution 5+rohiits the Presi,ent$ 7i/e8Presi,ent$ the emers of the Cainet$ an, their ,e+uties or assistants from hol,ing an* other o:/e or em+l em+lo* o*m ment ent ,uri ,uring ng thei theirr tenu tenurre unle unless ss othe otherw rwis ise e +ro( +ro(i, i,e, e, in the the Constitution;$ Constitution;$ an, "e#tion 2- paragraph ).+- &rti#le I345 of the 193 Constitution$ whi/h ans an* a++ointi(e o:/ial from hol,ing an* other o:/e or em+lo*ment in the Go(er Go(ernm nment ent or an* an* su,i su,i(i (isio sion$ n$ agen/ agen/* * or instru instrumen mental talit* it* there thereof$ of$ in/lu,ing go(ernment8owne, or /ontrolle, /or+orations or their susi,iaries$ unless otherwise allowe, * law or the +rimar* fun/tions of his +osition. &(g(st 1- ./$/ 0 During the +en,en/* of the suit$ !enigno 0imeon # as 0oli/itor General an, the latter /ommen/e, his ,uties 5#gra sa*s? he was then the Go(ernment Cor+orate Counsel when Presi,ent #rro*o ,esignate, him as the #/ting 0oli/itor General in +la/e of 0oli/itor General De(ana,era who ha, een a++ointe, as the 0e/retar* of )usti/e@ Ahat on ar/h B$ %&1&$ Presi,ent Presi,ent #rro*o #rro*o ,esignate, him also as the #/ting 0e/retar* of )usti/e (i/e 0e/retar* 0e/retar* De(ana,era who ha, meanwhile ten,ere, her resignation in or,er to run for Congress re+resenting a ,istri/t in ue>on Pro(in/e in the a* %&1& ele/tions@ that he then relin
Res+on,ents further /onten, that$ e(en on the assum+tion that #gras /on/urrent ,esignation /onstitute, hol,ing of multi+le o:/es$ his /ontinue, ser(i/e as the #/ting 0oli/itor General was aHin to a hol,8o(er@ that u+on #gras ,esignation as the #/ting 0e/retar* of )usti/e$ his term as the #/ting 0oli/itor General e2+ire, in (iew of the /onstitutional +rohiition against hol,ing of multi+le o:/es * the emers of the Cainet@ that un,er the +rin/i+le of hol,8o(er$ #gra /ontinue, his ser(i/e as the #/ting 0oli/itor General until his su//essor is ele/te, an, e, e2/e+tions otaine,$ namel*? )$+ there was a grave violation of the Constit(tion< 5%; the /ase in(ol(e, a situation of e2/e+tional /hara/ter an, was of +aramount +uli/ interest@ 5'; the /onstitutional issue raise, re
+rin/i+les to gui,e the !en/h$ the !ar an, the +uli/@ an, 54; the /ase was /a+ale of re+etition$ *et e(a,ing re(iew. )%+ ;es: o Ahe ,esignation of #gra as #/ting 0e/retar* of )usti/e /on/urrentl* with his +osition of #/ting 0oli/itor General was un/onstitutional an, (oi, for eing in (iolation of the /onstitutional +rohiition un,er 0e/tion 1'$ #rti/le 7== of the 193 Constitution. o !eing ,esignate, as the #/ting 0e/retar* of )usti/e /on/urrentl* with his +osition of #/ting 0oli/itor General$ therefore$ #gra was un,oute,l* /o(ere, * 0e/tion 1'$ #rti/le 7==$ su+ra$ whose te2t an, s+irit were too /lear to e ,iEerentl* rea,. -en/e$ #gra /oul, not (ali,l* hol, an* other o:/e or em+lo*ment ,uring his tenure as the #/ting 0oli/itor General$ e/ause the Constitution has not otherwise so +ro(i,e,. =n this regar,$ to hol, an o:/e means to +ossess or to o//u+* the o o:/e$ or to e in +ossession an, a,ministration of the o:/e$ whi/h im+lies nothing less than the a/tual ,is/harge of the fun/tions an, ,uties of the o:/e. o Ao e sure$ #gras /on/urrent ,esignations as #/ting 0e/retar* of )usti/e an, #/ting 0oli/itor General ,i, not /ome within the ,enition of an e2 o:/io /a+a/it*KKK. -a, either of his /on/urrent ,esignations een in an e2 o:/io /a+a/it* in relation to the other$ the Court might now e ruling in his fa(or. o Ahe I0G are neither re
RULI9: M-RFIR$ the Court GR#NA0 the +etition for /ertiorari an, +rohiition@ #NN"L0 #ND 7I=D0 the ,esignation of -on. #lerto C. #gra as the #/ting 0e/retar* of )usti/e in a /on/urrent /a+a/it* with his +osition as the #/ting 0oli/itor General for eing (n#onstit(tional an* violative of 0e/tion 1'$ #rti/le 7== of the 193 Constitution@ an, DCL#R0 that l8=on. #lerto C. #gra was a *e fa#to o=#er ,uring his tenure as #/ting 0e/retar* of )usti/e.
=n or,er to e /lear$ therefore$ the Court hol,s that all o=#ial a#tions of &gra as a ,e fa/to #/ting 0e/retar* of )usti/e$ assuming that was his later ,esignation$ were pres(me* vali* $ in,ing an, eEe/ti(e as if he was the o:/er legall* a++ointe, an,
KKK 2 o:/io liHewise ,enotes an a/t ,one in an o:/ial /hara/ter$ or as a /onse
