Flores v Drilon (223 SCRA 568)

AUTHOR: Magsino, Patricia Marie C.

TOPIC: Restrictions on the power of congress to prescribe NOTES: NOTE ISSUE NO. 1 & 4
qualifications restrictive provisions
PONENTE: Bellosillo, J.
FACTS:
Petitioners,taxpayersandemployeesofU.SfacilitiesatSubic,challengetheconstitutionalityofSec.13(d)ofthe
BasesConversionandDevelopmentActof1992(RA7227)
ThisdirectsthePresidenttoappointaprofessionalmanagerasadministratoroftheSBMAprovidedthatforthe1st
yearofitsoperations,themayorofOlongapoCity(RichardGordon)shallbeappointedasthechairmanandtheCEO
oftheSubicAuthority
Respondent Mayor Richard J. Gordon of Olongapo City was appointed as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
PETITIONERS:

Petitioners maintain that this infringes the constitutional provision of Sec. 7, first par., Art. IX-B, of the
Constitution, which states "no elective official shall be eligible for appointment or designation in any capacity to
any public officer or position during his tenure"
The petitioners also contend that Congress encroached upon the discretionary power of the President to appoint

RESPONDENTS:

Respondents argue that Sec. 94 of the Local Government Code permits the appointment of a local elective official
to another post if so allowed by law or by the primary functions of his office COURT HELD THIS
CONTENTION IS FALLACIOUS
No legislative act can prevail over the fundamental law of the land COURT FINDS NO NEED TO DISCUSS
THIS ISSUE

ISSUE(S):
Does the proviso violate the constitutional proscription against appointment or designation of elective
officialstoothergovernmentposts
Are the SBMA posts merely ex officio to the position of Mayor of Olongapo City and thus an excepted
circumstance
IstheConstitutionalprovisionallowinganelectiveofficialtoreceivedoublecompensation(Sec.8,Art.IXB)
uselessifnoelectiveofficialmaybeappointedtoanotherpost
IstherelegislativeencroachmentontheappointingauthorityofthePresident
CanMayorGordonretainanyandallperdiems,allowancesandotheremoluments,whichhemayhavereceived
pursuanttohisappointment

HELD/RATIO:

YES. Sec.7ofArt.IXBoftheConstitutionProvides:Noelectiveofficialshallbeeligibleforappointmentor
designationinanycapacitytoanypublicofficeorpositionduringhistenure.Unlessotherwiseallowedbylawor
bytheprimaryfunctionsofhisposition,noappointiveofficialshallholdanyotherofficeoremploymentinthe
Governmentoranysubdivision,agencyorinstrumentalitythereof,includinggovernmentownedorcontrolled
corporationsortheirsubsidiaries.ThesubjectprovisodirectsthePresidenttoappointanelectiveofficiali.e.the
MayorofOlongapoCity,toothergovernmentpost(asChairmanandCEOofSBMA).Thisispreciselywhatthe
Constitutionprohibits.Itseekstopreventasituationwherealocalelectiveofficialwillworkforhisappointment
inanexecutivepositioningovernment,andneglecthisconstituents.

NO.CongressdidnotcontemplatemakingtheSBMApostsasautomaticallyattachedtotheOfficeoftheMayor

withoutneedofappointment.ThephraseshallbeappointedunquestionablyshowstheintenttomaketheSBMA
postsappointiveandnotmerelyadjuncttothepostofMayorofOlongapoCity.

NO. Sec. 8 does not affect the constitutionality of the subject proviso. In any case, the VicePresident for
example,anelectiveofficialwhomaybeappointedtoacabinetpostmayreceivethecompensationattachedtothe
cabinet

position

if

specifically

authorized

by

law.

YES.AlthoughSection13(d)itselfvestsinthePresidentthepowertoappointtheChairmanofSBMA,hereally
hasnochoicebuttoappointtheMayorofOlongapoCity.Thepowerofchoiceistheheartofthepowertoappoint.
Appointmentinvolvesanexerciseofdiscretionofwhomtoappoint.WhenCongressclothesthePresidentwiththe
powertoappointanofficer,itcannotatthesametimelimitthechoiceofthePresidenttoonlyonecandidate.Such
enactmenteffectivelyeliminatesthediscretionoftheappointingpowertochooseandconstitutesanirregular
restrictiononthepowerofappointment.Whileitmaybeviewedthattheprovisomerelysetsthequalificationsof
the officer duringthe first year of operations of SBMA, i.e., he must be the Mayor of Olongapo City, it is
manifestlyan abuseof congressional authority to prescribe qualifications where onlyone, andno other, can
qualify.Sincetheineligibilityofanelectiveofficialforappointmentremainsallthroughouthistenureorduring
his incumbency, he may however resign first from his elective post to cast off the constitutionallyattached
disqualificationbeforehemaybeconsideredfitforappointment.Consequently,aslongasheisanincumbent,an
elective official remains ineligible for appointment to another public office.

YES.Asincumbentelectiveofficial,GordonisineligibleforappointmenttothepositionofChairmanandCEOof
SBMA;hisappointmentcannotbesustained.HeremainsMayorofOlongapoCity,andhisactsasSBMAofficial
arenotnecessarilynullandvoid;hemaybeconsideredadefactoofficer,andinaccordancewithjurisprudence,is
entitledtosuchbenefits.

CASE LAW/ DOCTRINE:

DISSENTING/CONCURRING OPINION(S):