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RePubllc of the PhiliPPines

GOV-ERNMENT
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTER|OR AND LOCAL
EDSA
ll
Bldg'
condominium
Gold
A. Francisco
City
Quezon
Dillman,
St,
Mapagmahal
comer

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

DILG OPINION NO. 48

S.

2OIO

April 16, 2010

MR. SALVADOR L. URBONA

Punong BarangaY

Brgy. Sabang Settlers Association

Baybay, Leyte
Dear Punong BarangaY Urbona:

opinion of this
This has reference to your letter-query seeking. the legal as provided in
O""p".tr""i ."nlerning tf,e rutes on Vacancies and Succession
and 45 of the
lr.|-Jioi.r-couernment-code of 1991 particularty in sections 44
said code.

to inform you that this Department had -already

In this regard, we would like-in
DILG Opinion N.o' 25' series of-20o8 th.at
answered a similar qr"ry
barangay where . automatic
p"..i""^t vacancies in' the sangguniang
-dtlea
by appointment by the City or
successions do not apply shall be
barangay
Municipal Mayor, upon recommendation of the sangguniang
concelned [Sel.45 (a) (3) Local Government Code]'
Attached herewith

is a copy of the said DILG opinion tor your ready

reference.
Very truly Yours,
By AuthorltY of the Secretary:

-'\------.-- - 1'- \,
DoQUrylv
,(rrv.

resu9!.

Director

III v

!-egal:20:cors:ins

ffi

RePublic ol the PltiliPPtnes

DEpARrvrENr oF

nlio rocnr- GovERNMENT

r;Eiiii;Rioli
condomrnium ll Bldq' EDSA

a' r*nti!""

Cold

Quezon City
to'nut'il'Jpugtahal St ' Dillman'
FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT
OFFICE OF] THE UhIDERSECRETARV
BILC 0Ptt'tl${t t{t},*zL

Si'

Ht)fi&,

15 APril 2008
MT{. ALEX S. TAGIAPON
BarangaY 4, Hiniqiran

Negros Occidental
Dear l\ilr. LagtaPotr:

ol'l
letter askinq our legal opinion
earlier
your
to
re{erence
has
This
t'nott the Local Government code
succest;;"":;";totJ
not
or
died
whether
the elected Punong Barangay
case
t'
7160)
of 1991 (HA
"ppl;;;Jln
lunctlons o{ his oflice'

bel'ore tal<inE hh' oath

u"Ol"u*t

the

that the rule on succession is

in{ormed
be
please
outset,
At the
c:t-"1,]19'
+o tr the Local Government.
In
embodied unau, section"s? ""0
of filling-up ol permanent vacanctes on
(RA 7160) pertaining to tftu tunntr
ancl
and Vice-Mayor
il',e off ices of the GovernJ'''vilu-o"uutnor'
chief executive' respectively'
t'n"""ri"t the local'Mayor
vacatrcy

temporary
"istated in your letter'
'^
and not Section 64 as erroneously
qY:ty' *t answer in ttre affirmative'
Nevertheless' in reply to your
we arrived to this conclusion'
Allorrv us to illustrate how
t'lltl :y
a person ac-quires public o'lfice
Well-settlctr is the rule that-"pi'"i"tment
is the act or designation"by
appointlnent or try electioir' nrr

orricer, u""'o^"' ltgv,T

"1TTnin,i"ffS'J
"n""rtiu"
of the individual who is to exerclse
i"l"gui.to,
other hand' an electio'n "nret:ts IIt:t
o"
i6'i
section
(Mechem,
office
t!:
ztott tlrrou:4h tttt rrst'
il;; .,ril; t'i'i" "1 """tnll'-tJ. t" prttttic olt'ice br1 ltolLrlor
tlrouy, tht uill ol' tlrt
t,L'
o.l tha Inllrtt, tttrtl
t:xprtssitttr ol
ttJ- tltt' ltoltrtltr toill' tlrt'
"'",.'ii""'ii'"'i'll'ui"'ri'''..''tc'niir"l'l
L'lrrliou
Atr
rlet:torttltt.
'' 'i'' ";iL"A"nt'trl
',i,,.',iui),.,ig|,,poiocro!,"t:ha1,c,l1,!L,,,,,,,'',,^,u,',::.':

iT ff::

itiJ

u):,,,rio'it'1 or ltlrtralittl of ual l aotes^utst

,,btoiuu,l
"c-ijniii.ec,
c.n" ru"' t6+tse' Januarv 20' 2003)'

Barangay was duly elected as such"

Punong
the
'*o'la-tn"ttroit
represented,
you
,As
t"un that he acquired a
tr
His election to said p;;;ti;;
barangay ' "'lln' JitcL ol' haztitrg
lris
in
votes
pluraliry of the
xxx'"
!;t*'y "u'i
is uhnt Ltt t,tfLrs llrt' lillt to tJu: offict" and
uu'1u"l:t-y-''ol't
'ttolt's
tt.f
ltltu'alilrl
uuon' l-i' J'' Lu* on Public ofjices
iMechem, note 2 at rso,';it;Ji*bt
Liecti,,n l-aw, 1990 Edition, p'374)'

I
l

subsequent to one's election to o{fice and before entering upon the

performance of his duties, the person so elected is usually required by law
to do some acts bY which he shall signify his acceptance oi the office and
his undertaking [o execute the trust conlided in him. section 92 0f the
Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160) provides and we quote:

()otttt.- (n) All el.cctiue ttlttl ttl,loittliTr locdl

.o.lJ.icit,tlslllitlttt'lllotltcsslnll,ttlloltctsstrntlltitlttttloJ|it-t,st]bscribt:
xxx"
ti,,t nn ootlt ltt ctlfinttLttiott of oJficc itr lltc prest'ribttl Jttrnr
,,SFlL'l-lON !)2.

Suchactwhereinthepersone|ectedSha||Signify|risacceptanceof
the offioe and his unclertaking to execute the trust confided in hiln is
ordinarily terrned qgalli-f ication. lt generalty consists o{ the taking, and
often of subscril-.,inE and filinE of an officiaN oath" Accordingly, failure to

takeanoathandassumethepowers,dutiesandfunctionsoftheoffice
Wou|d result to a lai|ure to qua|ify, which, in turn, is one ol the grounds

enumerated uncler section 44 0f the Local Government code that would

renderanofficepermanent|yVacant.SaidprovisionprovidesandWe
q

uote:
Pernurtr?trt Vtu:uttcics irt thc OJ.'[itts u.f llrt
r:Jx
Coucrnor, V ict'-Oouanutr, M(ryor, urrl Vicc-Mtttlor' - xxx

"Spt'lion

(t,

44.

U tUeal,tttcltT-?rlt'(t:ultl !!!JMl

jrl-tht offict 31i-!lt1',

ag!!lJJ3!1!J
1t1111t111g-.!14111trr!:t,1, tlt( l4gl!(aL!- !:!lltl\u4.-a4lltg.!JJJJ(ll8
'tuurrbir
ttr. itr crtst' of ltis 1tt'rtrtt.r ttg1lyllnbil i ttt, !hv .lteql4 llryLlll!
rir.ttr rtrcmbtr hnll bct-ottte the ttutrttttt! btratr
rnttltirt

'

7'ht' srttcessctrs us ittl'int'il lrtn:iu slttrll scrttc ottlry IIrc

(f)

rtttt'x1rired !trtns o.l

lIttir

1trtdLtct'ssors.

For yttrpostts of tltis CItul:t('.r, Lt Peft LtttL'ttL TtnLLTttrl] ttt'is('s

rt{uscs to
It,LSlL,illllL l!4ry-lpSaLgfQli-41.f ills a liglrcr ttaccrnt tt.[[ice,
u:;sllne o.l.l i,'c, .(SJJi-JP--ql!a].111' dies, is n:nrottc .fnrrt t <t.ll'it:c,
t,olrrri.trilst ,.cl'^iJil/s/ tr is otltcnoisr pcrnrntcttlltl itrt'ttltttcitrrttrl to
I i sclnrgt' I t .l'r t t' I i o n s o| h i s ttJ'l i ct'.
r

rt

.l

ffi
lfl
Irl

It

tt

For yurposcs tl' sttcccssitttt trs prouitlcrl irr Lhis Cltaplcr,

rtrtltittg i.tt !lu, satry|gtrrti0.n slrtrl.l lta lctarnritad ort Ihc bttsis Lt.f Lln:
toitttrittg t'utttlidalc to Ll,te
1,ru1.rrritir,,, o.l' ztLtltts ttbtn rctl Itry L'nclt
Iottl trtrrtt[,ar o.[ registcrtd ztoltrs in toclt tlistrict irr Iltt'
itttttrtlicrlt'lty yrr'trtdiuil Iocul tlat'l ir'ttt." (Emplrasis Supplied)
ApplyinE llte foregoinE to your case, by reason of his death, the
electecl Punong tsarangay can no longer assume and take his oath of
office. His failure to assume and take his oath of office will, as mentionecl
above, result to his failure to qualify to the office of the Punong Barangay'
since there is failure to qualify on his part, this would thereafter render his
position permanently vacant and there being a permanent vacancy in the
office of the Punong Barangay, the rule on succession as provided under
the aforequotecl [iection 44 (b\, u4tra, is therefore applicable. tsased on the
aforequotecl provision, in case o{ permanent vacancy in the oflice ol the

Punong Barangay, the highest-ranking, sangguniang barangay member or,

in case of his permanent inabitity, the second highest-ranking sangguniang
barangay member shall become the flunong Barangay'

Hence, after the highest ranl(ing sangguniang barangay member

could have takerr his oath of office as such and assumed the functions,
povvers and duties thereof, he can now succeed, by operation of lavv, the
permanently vacatrt olfice of the Punong Barangay by simply applying the
aforequoted rulc of succession. lt is, however, required that he shall
likewise take anew an oath of office, this time as Punong Barangay'
Subsequenl vacancies in the sangguniang harangay shall be filled
automatically by other sanggunian members accordinE to their ranking'
Such being the case, there will be a resultant vacancy, specifically the
seventh ranking member in the sangEunianE barangay after applying the
rule of succession.

The severrth place vacancy in the sangguniang sangguniang

barangay shall be filled up by appointmerrt to be issued by the municipal

mayor pursuant to Section 45 (a) and @ of the Local Government Code of
1991 (HA 7160) which provicle and we quote:
Pernranattf Vtrctrncies in lhL' Snrrgl4rrniau. -(o)
Pr:rnttrnotl ztt:tt:ttttt-ies in lhc sttttggLtttiatt zt,lttre utLtttuttrlic
.slrrccss/orr,.; prouirltrl about LLo tnI. apStLry sltttll bc .fillt'r.l btl
trIIpoi!tltr!t ttt itt IIrr JoIlotritt:4 !tltutttr't':

"5IrL'l1ON

45.

) .rlrx, -r.r.T Jrr

(2) rlr Jr.T .r.T:r
(1

(3) I ltt t:itU or mLmiL:ipal nrnqor, in tlrc crlst o.f sanggtLttir.rtrg

bt!t(utSary/ upo r('conuttctt.dation o.l' l;lt.c stttlii:lttttittttt

'

l)tfll a Ll cottcct'ttt,tI.
irr.x
)(x.x

.r.r:iv

/rr t rrst, tltt: ltcrtnctneut. ut;tctLtft'rl is clttst'd bq a sntglttnitrt

nrunbertoiro tloas trot bckttrg to trtrtl political prrrttl, thc Iot-tl tltirl'
cxtcrLtizte sltal.l., ttpotT rcco ttutrt:tulat ion o.l' IItt' s trtr 1;7qr t tri t.trr
crtrtt-cnrctI, tIIIpoLttt ti qrmlil'iaI perstn to li.II lh.c tttttttttt-r1."
L

Nowhere can we lind in pertinent laws or even in jurisprudence that

in case of perm:rnent vacancy in the office of the punong barangay under
the same circunrstance, the second placer in the election shall become the
punong barangay" In fact, in many jurisprudence decided by the Supreme
Co.urt" said Court maintained on the contrary, that is, the non-proclamatiotr
of the seconcl placer simply means he lost in the election. The
ratiocination given by the Supreme Court in the case of Bqye-S VS.
eQMEt-C (254 SCRA 514), is quite enlightening and we quote:

obfulitts tltc stcttttt.I lighost

trtrnrber o.l tt()l(,s nlLul .ot ba lroclnint.cd uitrrrcr irt t'rl sL' tltt tttitr.ttirt,l
r luulidtttL' i:; rl Isqu a l.ifi.etl is n.oz.r.t st:l:lled. '.['lnt tlot:lriru:tl instr.rltilil:.r1
tr.rtrsed bry .,'r'-s117.1ritt1g ntlings hts sitrr-.1' beut rtttrttztut. In thc Lttft'sI
rrtlirts on lltt'qrtesliorr, tlris (.ourl sr,thl:

"'l'lttt tlta cnudit.lttll tuho

io

sin4tl isfit:all ry assunu' thtrt Ilrc sacorrd ltlttcer

t.uottlrl lrupa n't:t'iztr:r.I tlre ollrtr uttttrs tttotrltl It lo strlsstiLrtlc

our judsment /or the minil of thc ootdr. The seconil placer
just thal a second placet. He lost the elections. He was
repud.i ted hu eitlw a. maiority or pfuralittl 0f uoters. He
is

could ttot bc considered tlrc

first arrrcttg qwtlifieil

canilidates because in a fielil zuhich excludes the
disqrntlilieil caflcliilatc, thc corrllitiorts zltouJd ha.ae
substnntially clnnged, We are not prepared to extrapolate
the rcsrrLt unilet the circmstatces."
We hope that we have addressed your concern accordingly.

Very truly yours,

AUSTERE A. PANADERO

^""'',jl"oJ;i::;:ilil/
Legall2o'.'l7

|ral /1-

cc: ' 'Tleglonal

"

Director Evelyn A. Trompeta

DILG Region Vl
6 Parola St., Foft San Pedro

lloilo City