BLAQUERA VS ALCALA

Theory of the petitioner

Petitioners theorize that AO 29 and AO 26 !io"ate EO 292 and sin#e the "atter is
a "a$% itpre!ai"s o!er e&e#'ti!e iss'an#es( Petitioners "i)e$ise assert that AO 29
and AO 26en#roa#h 'pon the #onstit'tiona" a'thority of the Ci!i" Ser!i#e
Co**ission to adopt*eas'res to stren+then the *erit and re$ards syste* and
to pro*'"+ate r'"es% re+'"ationsand standards +o!ernin+ the in#enti!e a$ards
syste* of the #i!i" ser!i#e(AO 29 A,- AO 26 ARE V.OLAT.VE O/ T0E
PROV.S.O,S O/ EO 292 A,-% 0E,CE% ,ULL A,-VO.-(..( AO 29 A,- AO
26 U,LA1/ULL2 USURP T0E CO,ST.TUT.O,AL AUT0OR.T23RA,TE-
SOLEL2 TO T0E C.V.L SERV.CE CO44.SS.O,(...( T0E /ORCE- RE/U,-
O/ .,CE,T.VE PA2 .S A, U,CO,ST.TUT.O,AL .4PA.R4E,TO/ A
CO,TRACTUAL OBL.3AT.O,(.V( ASSU4.,3% /OR T0E SA5E O/
AR3U4E,T O,L2% T0AT T0E 3RA,T O/PRO-UCT.V.T2 .,CE,T.VE
BE,E/.TS 1AS .,VAL.-% T0E SA4E S0OUL- BE T0E PERSO,ALL.AB.L.T2
O/ O//.C.ALS -.RECTL2 RESPO,S.BLE T0ERE/OR ., ACCOR-A,CE
1.T0 SECT.O, 9O/ AO 26(.ss'ed 6y the then President Corazon A7'ino
89President A7'ino9: on ;'"y 2<% =9> in thee&er#ise of her "e+is"ati!e po$ers
'nder the =9> Constit'tion% EO 292% or the Ad*inistrati!eCode of =9>%
pro!ided for the fo""o$in+ in#enti!e a$ard syste*?9Se#( @=( Career and
Personne" -e!e"op*ent P"ans(
A
Ea#h depart*ent or a+en#y sha""prepare a #areer and personne" de!e"op*ent
p"an $hi#h sha"" 6e inte+rated into a nationa"p"an 6y the Co**ission( S'#h
#areer and personne" de!e"op*ent p"ans $hi#h sha"" in#"'depro!isions on *erit
pro*otions% perfor*an#e e!a"'ation% inBser!i#e trainin+% in#"'din+o!erseas and
"o#a" s#ho"arships and trainin+ +rants% Co6 rotation% s'++estions and
in#enti!ea$ard syste*s% and s'#h other pro!isions for e*p"oyeesD hea"th%
$e"fare% #o'nse"in+%re#reation and si*i"ar ser!i#es(Se#( @<( E*p"oyee
S'++estions and .n#enti!e A$ard Syste*(
A
There sha"" 6e esta6"ished a+o!ern*entB$ide e*p"oyee s'++estions and
in#enti!e a$ards syste* $hi#h sha"" 6ead*inistered 'nder s'#h r'"es%
re+'"ations% and standards as *ay6e pro*'"+ated 6y theCo**ission(On
/e6r'ary 2=% =992% President A7'ino iss'ed AO 26 $hi#h +ranted 9ea#h offi#ia"
ande*p"oyee of the +o!ern*ent the prod'#ti!ity in#enti!e 6enefits in a *a&i*'*
a*o'nte7'i!a"ent to thirty per#ent 8@EF: of his one 8=: *onth 6asi# sa"ary 6't in
no #ase sha"" s'#ha*o'nt 6e "ess than t$o tho'sand pesos 8P2%EEE(EE:%9 29 for
those $ho ha!e rendered at"east one year of ser!i#e as of -e#e*6er @=% =99=(
@E Said AO #arried the prohi6ition%pro!ided in Se#tion > thereof% $hi#h
reads?9SEC( >( The prod'#ti!ity in#enti!e 6enefits herein a'thorized sha"" 6e
+ranted on"y forCa"endar 2ear =99=( A##ordin+"y% a"" heads of a+en#ies%
in#"'din+ the +o!ernin+ 6oards of +o!ern*entBo$ned or B#ontro""ed #orporations
and finan#ia" instit'tions% are here6y stri#t"yprohi6ited fro* a'thorizin+G+rantin+
prod'#ti!ity in#enti!e 6enefits or other a""o$an#es of si*i"ar nat're for Ca"endar
2ear =992 and f't're years pendin+ the res'"t of a #o*prehensi!est'dy 6ein+
'nderta)en 6y the Offi#e of the President in #oordination $ith the Ci!i"
Ser!i#eCo**ission and the -epart*ent of B'd+et and 4ana+e*ent on the
*atter(On ;an'ary =9% =99@% President Ra*os iss'ed AO 29 $hi#h +ranted
prod'#ti!ity in#enti!e6enefits to +o!ern*ent e*p"oyees in the *a&i*'* a*o'nt
of P=%EEE(EE for the #a"endaryear =992 6't reiterated the pros#ription 'nder
Se#tion > of AO 26% th's?9SEC( 2( The prohi6ition pres#ri6ed 'nder Se#tion > of
Ad*inistrati!e Order ,o( 26 ishere6y reiterated( A##ordin+"y% a"" heads of
+o!ern*ent offi#esGa+en#ies% in#"'din++o!ern*entBo$ned andGor #ontro""ed
#orporations% as $e"" as their respe#ti!e +o!ernin+6oards are here6y enCoined
and prohi6ited fro* a'thorizin+G+rantin+ Prod'#ti!ity .n#enti!eBenefits or any
and a"" si*i"ar for*s of a""o$an#esG6enefits $itho't prior appro!a"
anda'thorization !ia Ad*inistrati!e Order 6y the Offi#e of the President(
0en#eforth% anyonefo'nd !io"atin+ any of the *andates in this Order% in#"'din+
a"" offi#ia"sGe*p"oyees and theCOA A'ditorBinBChar+e of s'#h +o!ern*ent
offi#eGa+en#y fo'nd to ha!e ta)en part thereof%sha"" 6e a##ordin+"y and se!ere"y
dea"t $ith in a##ordan#e $ith the app"i#a6"e pro!isions of e&istin+ pena" "a$s(
R'"in+
The Co'rt is not i*pressed $ith petitionersD s'6*ission( AO 29 and AO 26 $ere
iss'ed inthe !a"id e&er#ise of presidentia" #ontro" o!er the e&e#'ti!e
depart*ents(The President is the head of the +o!ern*ent( 3o!ern*enta" po$er
and a'thority aree&er#ised and i*p"e*ented thro'+h hi*( 0is po$er in#"'des the
#ontro" o!er e&e#'ti!edepart*ents
A
9The president sha"" ha!e #ontro" of a"" the e&e#'ti!e depart*ents% 6'rea's% and
offi#es( 0esha"" ens're that the "a$s 6e faithf'""y e&e#'ted(9 8Se#tion =>% Arti#"e
V..% =9> Constit'tion:Contro" *eans 9the po$er of an offi#er to a"ter or *odify or
set aside $hat a s'6ordinateoffi#er had done in the perfor*an#e of his d'ties
and to s'6stit'te the C'd+*ent of thefor*er for that of the "atter1hen the
President iss'ed AO 29 "i*itin+ the a*o'nt of in#enti!e 6enefits% enCoinin+
headsof +o!ern*ent a+en#ies fro* +rantin+ in#enti!e 6enefits $itho't prior
appro!a" fro* hi*%and dire#tin+ the ref'nd of the e&#ess o!er the pres#ri6ed
a*o'nt% the President $as C'ste&er#isin+ his po$er of #ontro" o!er e&e#'ti!e
depart*ents( This is de#isi!e"y #"ear fro* the10EREAS CLAUSES of AO 26
and AO 29The PresidentDs d'ty to e&e#'te the "a$ is of #onstit'tiona" ori+in( So%
too% is his #ontro" of a""e&e#'ti!e depart*ents( Th's it is% that depart*ent heads
are *en of his #onfiden#e( 0is isthe po$er to appoint the*H his% too% is the
pri!i"e+e to dis*iss the* at p"eas're( ,at'ra""y%he #ontro"s and dire#ts their a#ts(
.*p"i#it then is his a'thority to +o o!er% #onfir*% *odify orre!erse the a#tion ta)en
6y his depart*ent se#retaries(,either #an it 6e said that the President
en#roa#hed 'pon the a'thority of the Co**issionon Ci!i" Ser!i#e to +rant
6enefits to +o!ern*ent personne"( AO 29 and AO 26 did not re!o)ethe pri!i"e+e
of e*p"oyees to re#ei!e in#enti!e 6enefits( The sa*e *ere"y re+'"ated the+rant
and a*o'nt thereof