Republic of the philippines DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENI A.

Francisco Gold Condominium Btdg, EDSA corner Mapagmahal St., Diliman, euezon Citv

r.EaALsliRvloil.
DTLG OP1NION NO.

..u; ; 6 ?010.

127

S.

2010

MS. EDITH A. HATUIRT MR. JOST C. FEIINEN MR. SILVERIO V. TAPIA, JN, MR. RAMON N. BATAOIL MR. GITBERT IT4, IT,IANGAI'OI Sanggu nia ng Bayan Menrbers Lingayen, Pangasinan

Gentlemen and Lady:

This has reference lo your edrliel letter asking our legal opinion on the following issues, which we quotcd in toLo, ro w[:

"FACIS /VO.

1. Rula V

Section 3 of ottr House Rules provides that fttaybe rcotgat zecl at anytime by a majority vote of all melltbe/s of the SanggL tian.'
'Coi ').t/nlltees

/SSUES;

"

1. Whether or Dot ex_officio /ren.lbers ot the SaneElu!1iang Bayan are allowed to vote on a MOTION to reorganize all Stanc/i,tg Co/n,.)littees or a MOTION to declare att positions in the Sta,)cilltg Comnlittees yacaltt? 2. Whether -the Majority rnentbers of the sanggunian,, as statec/ l/t the abovc rule refcrs to najority of att the regular /t.rembers or najorjly a{ all the /nembefs itlcluclit:lg the exolficio? 3. Whether u not ex_officio inembers of the Sangguniang Bayan are allowed to vote on a MOTION to inctucie in the House Ru/es that ex_officio can participate in the re orEatlization of Stancling Con )tittees?
Rule V

FACIS NO.

2.

refuse cnaitmanship/ tjte/nbership to any committee except when he has no knowleclgc regarcljng thal comnlittee and other jLtstifiable reason." lt1 the recent re orEjanization, some San1guniang Baya[J Menbrs refused noninatlol]s and this rule was overlooked resultitlg to four Sanggluniang Bayan Members having no chainnattsltip ancl nternbership.

Sangguniang Bayan Mentbers shalt

Seclioir J.g of our HoLrse Ru/es states that,

,,No

/SSUC f. is t/te /ece/)t re-organizaliotj valirl or not? lf

be the remedy ta rectify the crror?,'
are interrelated.

not, what wilt

we shall answer arr your queries or rhe firsr scerario given above joinfly since they

Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160), whict.r states that:

ln reply thereto, nray we invite your altention to Section 50 (b) (1) of the

Local

t
Sectlo/] 50. //lter/)ai Ru/es of PtocedLtre.

xxx xxx

xxx

(b)

Ihe rulL.s o{ praceclurc shall provicled for the following:

(1) The oreaDizauon of Lhe sanggunian and the election af its ofllccrs as wel/ as the creation of standing cornm/ttees which sl]ll iticlucle, bul shall not be limited to, the co,rntitteL.s on approp! ialiotls, won)cn and family, human rights, yoLtth ai)(i spo,ts c/eve/opn)L))t, environmental protectiot't, ancl cooper.tlives, the Eetrcral jurisdiction of each committee: anc/ the cieclio,t of the chairnan arrd members of each conniLtee. xxx"
From the cited provisior.t o[ law, it is evidcnt that all matters in the sanggunian involving a conrmittee and its nrenrbcrship slrould be governed by the adopted Internal Rules Procedure (lRP). Therefore, the prin.tafy autltority lltat governs the issue you have raised is
your adopted lRP.

Per your letter, SecLion 3, Rule V of your IRP provides that "Committees maybe reorganized at anytin]e by a nrajority vote of all ntembers of the Sanggunian." By "all its members" shall be consl.rued to in0lude lhe l\4unicipal Vice l\4ayor and the presidents of the municipal chapter of the liga ng Inga bat;rngay and LhL- pambayang pederasyon ng mga
sangguniang kabataan, as the Presiding Officer ar-rd ex officio n]embers, respectively, of the Sangguniang Bayan [Section 446 (a), RA 7160]. Let it lre noted that in the case of Gamboa vs. Aguirre and Araneta, G.R. No. L34213,20 July 1999, the Supreme Court categorically stated that ex-officio men.lbers are inclucled ir'l tl.te contposition of the sanggunian.

With regard to your query on lhe second scenario that you gave us, please be informed of the ruling of the Suprerne Court in the case of Rontulo vs. YRiquez, 141 SCRA 263, which states, In part. tlru5:
"Rules of parliamentary practice are nerely procedural and not substantive. Ihc rules of proceclurc etcloplecl by cleliberative bodies have not the'force of a pLtblic law, but they arc merely iti the nature of bylaws, prescribed for the orclerly aucl convenient concluct of their own proceedings. The rules adopted by deliberative boc/les subject to revocatiotl, modification, or waiver at the p/easure ot the body adopting lhem. Where a deliberative body adopts rules of order for its parliamentary governance, the fact that it vlolates one of the rLtles so aclopleci ntay not invalidate a /neasure passed il compliance with statue. The rules af proccclutc passed by one legislative body are nol bitlditlg o/) a sr/bsec/ue/r1 /egls/atlve body operating within the same jurisdiction, and, where a body icsoi ves t|dt the /i//es of a prior body be adopted unlil a conmittee reporls rules, fhe prior rules cease to be i/l force on the repart of the conlnrillec. lI n?y bc of asslstance, in determining the effect of pa iamentary /aw, to col)slder the nature of the pafticular deliberative bodv."
We hope that we have addressed your conccrn accordingly.

Very truly yours,

y'TrY. rESUS/6). DoauE

///.4-v.

Direqtor'lll

un
t-

cc:

REGIONAL DIRECTOR MANUEL V. BIASON

DILG Region I City of San Fe|lrando

MLGOO of Lingayen

Pangasinan
lag{^L: L7 /d>tt 29