reconsideration because his term as governor had
already expired.
LIZA M. QUIROG and RENE L. RELAMPAGOS, v
GOVERNOR ERICO B. AUMENTADO
Before this Court are two consolidated petitions for
review under Rule 45 of the Rules of Court both
assailing and seeking to set aside the Court of
Appeals (CA) Decision[1] dated March 31,
2003 and the Resolution[2] dated April 12,
2004 in CA-G.R. SP No. 70255. The Decision set
aside Resolution Nos. 011812 and 020271 dated
November 20, 2001 and February 22, 2002,
respectively, of the Civil Service Commission in
Administrative NDC No. 01-88 and reinstated the (a)
June 28, 2001 Order and (b) July 23, 2001 Decision
of the Civil Service Commission Regional Office No.
VII.
The facts as culled from the records are as follows:
On May 28, 2001, Bohol Provincial Governor Rene
L. Relampagos permanently appointed[3] Liza M.
Quirog as Provincial Government Department
Head[4] of the Office of the Bohol Provincial
Agriculture (PGDH-OPA). The appointment was
confirmed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in
Resolution No. 2001-199[5] on June 1, 2001. On
even date, Quirog took her oath of office.
Before the issuance of the permanent appointment,
the Personnel Selection Board (PSB) of the Human
Resource Management and Development Office of
Bohol issued a certification[6] that Quirog was one of
two candidates qualified for the position of PGDH-
OPA.
A copy of the Monthly Report on Personnel Actions
(ROPA) covering the months of May and June 2001
of the provincial government was submitted to the
Civil Service Commission Regional Office
No. VII (CSCROVII), Cebu City.
In the Order dated June 28, 2001[7], the Director of
CSCROVII invalidated Quirogs appointment as
PGDH-OPA upon finding that the same was part of
the bulk appointments issued by then Governor
Relampagos after the May 14, 2001 elections
allegedly in violation of Item No. 3(d)[8] of CSC
Resolution No. 010988 dated June 4, 2001. The
Order pointed out that the prohibition against the
issuance of midnight appointments was already laid
down as early as February 29, 2000 in CSC
Resolution No. 000550.[9]
Both Relampagos and Quirog moved for
reconsideration of the CSCROVII Order, alleging
that when the latter took her oath of office on June
1, 2001, CSC Resolution No. 010988 was not yet
effective as it took effect only on June 4, 2001. They
argued that the subject appointment cannot be
considered a midnight appointment because it was
made days before the expiration of Relampagos
term, and that Quirog was already the acting
Provincial Agriculturist a year prior to said
appointment or since June 19, 2000.[10] Besides, so
they asserted, since Quirog had already taken her
oath of office, assumed her duties and collected her
salary for the month of June, 2001, she had already
acquired a legal, not merely equitable, right to the
position in question, which cannot be taken away
from her either by revocation of the appointment or
by removal except for cause and with previous
notice and hearing.
In a decision[11] dated July 23, 2001, the CSCROVII
denied Quirogs and Relampagos motion for
reconsideration for lack of legal personality to file
such pleading, citing Section 2, Rule VI of CSC
Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 40, series of 1998.
The CSCROVII explained that only the appointing
officer may request reconsideration of the
disapproval of an appointment by the Civil Service
Commission.Even if Relampagos was the one who
appointed Quirog, he could not file a motion for
Aggrieved, the petitioners in G.R. No. 163443
appealed to the Civil Service Commission (CSC)
where their joint appeal was docketed as Adm. NDC
No. 01-88.
On November 20, 2001, the CSC issued Resolution
No. 011812,[12] which granted the said joint appeal
and set aside the order and decision of the
CSCROVII. More specifically, the Resolution states:
WHEREFORE, the joint appeal of former Governor
Rene L. Relampagos and Liza M. Quirog is hereby
GRANTED. Accordingly, the decision dated July
23, 2001 of the Civil Service Commission-Regional
Office No. VII and CSCRO No. VII Order
dated June 28, 2001 are hereby set aside. Said
Regional Office is enjoined to approve the
appointment of Quirog to the position of Provincial
Government Head, Office of the Provincial
Agriculturist, Province of Bohol.
According to the CSC, since Relampagos had
ceased to be the appointing authority upon the
expiration of his term as governor and incumbent
Governor Erico B. Aumentado was not the official
who made the subject appointment, equity dictates
that the appointee Quirog be allowed to question the
decision to obviate possible damage or injury to the
delivery of public service. The CSC also declared
that the appointment of Quirog was not
a midnight appointment as it was not hurriedly
issued nor did it subvert the policies of the incoming
administration. The CSC relaxed the application of
Item 3(a)[13] in CSC Resolution 01-0988 requiring
that appointments should have gone through the
1
regular screening by the PSB before the election
ban or the prohibited period from March 30,
2001 to May 14, 2001. After noting that the
selection board only deliberated upon Quirogs
qualifications on May 24, 2001, or after the election
ban, the CSC ratiocinated that the spirit, rather than
the letter of the said rule should prevail as long as
the case did not involve a midnight appointment
proscribed by Aytona v. Castillo, et al.[14] Lastly, the
CSC justified Quirogs appointment even though
such was included among 46 post-election
appointments because of the need to immediately
fill up in a permanent capacity the vacant position of
Provincial Agriculturist and the fact that Governor
Aumentado expressly declared his trust and
confidence in Quirog in his Memorandum No.
1[15] dated July 2, 2001.
On December 10, 2001, incumbent Bohol Governor
Erico B. Aumentado filed an amended Motion for
Reconsideration[16] of the CSC Resolution No.
011812. He insisted that Quirog and Relampagos
had no legal personality to file a motion for
reconsideration of the disapproved appointment or
to appeal the same. He insisted that Quirogs
appointment was
a midnight appointment. Aumentado added that the
selection board which screened Quirogs
qualifications was not validly constituted and that
the subject appointment was made more than six
months from the time it was published on July 23,
2000 in violation of CSC Resolution No.
010114[17] dated January 10, 2001. Aumentado
insisted that Relampagos made 97, not 46, mass
appointments on the eve of his term, 95 of which
were invalidated by the CSC Bohol Field Office and
two, including that of Quirog, by the CSCROVII.
In Resolution No. 020271[18] dated February 22,
2002, the CSC denied Aumentados motion for
reconsideration. Aumentado then filed a petition for
review[19] under Rule 43 of the Rules of Court with
the CA where it was docketed as CA-G.R. SP No.
70255.
On March 31, 2003, the CA rendered the herein
challenged Decision,[20] granting Aumentados
petition. The CA reversed and set aside CSC
Resolution No. 011812 and ruled that Quirogs
appeal should have been dismissed outright for lack
of legal personality:
WHEREFORE, based on the foregoing premises,
the instant petition is hereby GRANTED, the
assailed CSC Resolution Nos. 011812 and 020271,
dated November 20, 2001 and February 22, 2002
respectively, are REVERSED and SET ASIDE. The
CSCROVIIs June 28, 2001 Order and its July 23,
2001 Decision are hereby REINSTATED.
SO ORDERED.
On April 12, 2004, the CA rendered the second
assailed Resolution,[21] denying Quirog and
Relampagos motion for reconsideration.
From the adverse decision of the CA, the CSC as
well as Relampagos and Quirog interposed
separate petitions for review
on certiorari. Relampagos and Quirogs
petition[22] filed on June 25, 2004, was docketed
as G.R. No. 163443, while the CSCs petition[23] filed
on July 8, 2004, was docketed as G.R. No. 163568.
In the Resolution[24] dated July 13, 2004, the Court
ordered the consolidation of the two petitions.
The consolidated petitions present the following
issues for the Courts resolution: (1) whether or not
petitioners Relampagos and Quirog have the legal
standing to file a motion for reconsideration of, or
appeal from, the disapproval of the latters
appointment by the Civil Service Commission, (2)
whether or not Quirogs appointment violated Item 3
of CSC Resolution No. 010988 dated June 4, 2001,
and 3) whether or not the subject appointment was
a midnight appointment.
In the herein challenged decision, the CA held that
only the appointing authority could challenge the
CSCs disapproval of an appointment. In arriving at
such a conclusion, the CA relied solely on Section 2
of Rule VI of CSC Memorandum Circular (MC) No.
40, series of 1998[25] which provides:
Sec. 2. Requests for reconsideration of, or appeal
from, the disapproval of an appointment may be
made by the appointing authority and submitted to
the Commission within fifteen (15) days from receipt
of the disapproved appointment.
The petitioners share the view that the word may in
the afore-quoted provision simply means that a
request for reconsideration or appeal from a
disapproved appointment is not vested exclusively
in the appointing authority and that Quirogs appeal
should have been given due course because she
was the real party-in-interest, being the one
aggrieved by the disapproval of the appointment.
Petitioners Quirog and Relampagos contend that
their appeal before the CA should not have been
dismissed on a mere technicality such as lack of
legal personality. They argued that litigants must be
2
afforded full opportunity for the adjudication of their
case on the merits.
The CSC for its part, pointed out that in previously
decided cases, the CSC allowed the appointees to
take relief from the disapproval of their
appointments as an exception to the rule on legal
standing.
Upon the other hand, respondent Aumentado
maintains that the controlling rule on the matter of
legal standing is the afore-cited Section 2, Rule VI,
CSC MC No. 40, series of 1998. He anchors his
argument in Mathay, Jr. v. Civil Service
Commission,[26] where the Court laid down the ruling
that only the appointing authority can request for
reconsideration of a CSC-disapproved
appointment.
The Court rules for the petitioners.
In the recent case of Abella, Jr. v. Civil Service
Commission,[27] the Court declared that both the
appointing authority and the appointee are equally
real parties in interest who have the requisite legal
standing to bring an action challenging a CSC
disapproval of an appointment. In said case, we
held that:
The CSCs disapproval of an appointment is a
challenge to the exercise of the appointing
authoritys discretion. The appointing authority must
have the right to contest the disapproval. Thus,
Section 2 of Rule VI of CSC Memorandum Circular
40, s. 1998 is justified insofar as it allows the
appointing authority to request reconsideration or
appeal.
xxx
Although the earlier discussion demonstrates that
the appointing authority is adversely affected by the
CSCs Order and is a real party in interest, the
appointee is rightly a real party in interest too. He is
also injured by the CSC disapproval, because he is
prevented from assuming the office in a permanent
capacity. Moreover, he would necessarily benefit if
a favorable judgment is obtained, as an approved
appointment would confer on him all the rights and
privileges of a permanent appointee.
xxx
Section 2 of Rule VI of CSC Memorandum Circular
40, s. 1998 should not be interpreted to restrict
solely to the appointing authority the right to move
for a reconsideration of, or to appeal, the
disapproval of an appointment. PD 807 and EO
292, from which the CSC derives the authority to
promulgate its rules and regulations, are silent on
whether appointees have a similar right to file
motions for reconsideration of, or appeals from,
unfavorable decisions involving
appointments. Indeed, there is no legislative intent
to bar appointees from challenging the CSCs
disapproval.
The view that only the appointing authority may
request reconsideration or appeal is too
narrow. The appointee should have the same
right. Parenthetically, CSC Resolution 99-1936
recognizes the right of the adversely affected party
to appeal to the CSC Regional Offices prior to
elevating a matter to the CSC Central Office. The
adversely affected party necessarily includes the
appointee.[28]
Also, in Abella, Jr, we held that the right of the
appointee to seek reconsideration or appeal was not
the main issue in Mathay:
This judicial pronouncement does not override
Mathay v. Civil Service Commission xxx. The Court
merely noted in passing -- by way of obiter -- that
based on a similar provision, only the appointing
officer could request reconsideration of actions
taken by the CSC on appointments.
In that case, Quezon City Mayor Ismael A. Mathay
Jr. sought the nullification of CSC Resolutions that
recalled his appointment of a city government
officer. He filed a Petition assailing the CA Decision,
which had previously denied his Petition for
Certiorari for being the wrong remedy and for being
filed out of time. We observed then that the CSC
Resolutions were already final and could no longer
be elevated to the CA. Furthermore, Mathays
Petition for Certiorari filed with the CA was improper,
because there was an available remedy of
appeal. And the CSC could not have acted without
jurisdiction, considering that it was empowered to
recall an appointment initially approved.
The right of the appointee to seek reconsideration
or appeal was not the main issue in Mathay. At any
rate, the present case is being decided en banc, and
the ruling may reverse previous doctrines laid down
by this Court. [29]
Clearly, pursuant to Abella, Jr., Quirog had the right
to ask for reconsideration of, or to appeal the
adverse ruling of CSCROVII. In contrast,
Relampagos, by reason of the expiration of his term
3
as governor, had lost the legal personality to contest
the disapproval of the appointment.
As to the validity of Quirogs appointment, the
CSCROVII disapproved Quirogs appointment for
non-compliance with Item No. 3 of CSC Resolution
No. 010988 dated June 4, 2001. Item No. 3 refers
to the disapproval of appointments unless certain
requisites are complied with. Item No. 3 reads:
3. All appointments, whether original, transfer,
reemployment, reappointment, promotion or
demotion, x x x which are issued AFTER the
elections, regardless of their dates of effectivity
and/or date of receipt by the Commission, x x x shall
be disapproved unless the following requisites
concur relative to their issuance:
a) The appointment has gone through the regular
screening by the Personnel Selection Board (PSB)
before the prohibited period on the issuance of
appointments as shown by the PSB report or
minutes of its meeting;
b) That the appointee is qualified;
c) There is a need to fill up the vacancy immediately
in order not to prejudice public service and/or
endanger public safety;
d) That the appointment is not one of those mass
appointments issued after the elections.
The CSC ruled that the promotional appointment
extended to Quirog by Governor Relampagos was
not violative of the aforesaid CSC Resolution. This
interpretation by the CSC of its own rules should be
given great weight and consideration for after all, it
is the agency tasked with interpreting or applying
the same.
Records disclose that on May 28, 2001, the PSB of
the Human Resource Management and
Development Office of Bohol, issued a
certification[30] that Quirog was one of two
candidates qualified for the position of PGDH-
OPA. On the same day, Quirog was appointed by
then Governor Relampagos and on June 1, 2001,
she took her oath of office. CSC Resolution No.
010988 was issued three days later, or on June 4,
2001. Evidently, the CSCROVII should not have
subjected Quirogs appointment to the requirements
under said resolution, as its application is against
the prospective application of laws. Having no
provision regarding its retroactive application to
appointments made prior to its effectivity, CSC
Resolution No. 010988 must be taken to be of
prospective application. As we have held time and
again:
Since the retroactive application of a law usually
divests rights that have already become vested, the
rule in statutory construction is that all statutes are
to be construed as having only a prospective
operation unless the purpose and intention of the
legislature to give them a retrospective effect is
expressly declared or is necessarily implied from the
language used.[31]
Prescinding therefrom, it cannot be said that
Quirogs appointment violated CSC Resolution No.
010988, the said Resolution having taken effect
after the questioned appointment was extended.
It cannot also be said that Quirogs appointment was
a midnight appointment. The constitutional
prohibition on so-called midnight appointments,
specifically, those made within two (2) months
immediately prior to the next presidential elections,
applies only to the President or Acting President.[32]
As the Court ruled in De Rama v. CA[33]:
The records reveal that when the petitioner brought
the matter of recalling the appointments of the
fourteen (14) private respondents before the CSC,
the only reason he cited to justify his action was that
these were midnightappointments that are
forbidden under Article VII, Section 15 of the
Constitution. However, the CSC ruled, and correctly
so, that the said prohibition applies only to
presidential appointments. In truth and in fact, there
is no law that prohibits local elective officials from
making appointments during the last days of his or
her tenure.
We, however, hasten to add that the
aforementioned ruling does not mean that
the raison d etre behind the prohibition against
midnight appointments may not be applied to those
made by chief executives of local government units,
as here. Indeed, the prohibition is precisely
designed to discourage, nay, even preclude, losing
candidates from issuing appointments merely for
partisan purposes thereby depriving the incoming
administration of the opportunity to make the
corresponding appointments in line with its new
policies. As we held in Aytona v. Castillo:
The filling up of vacancies in important positions, if
few, and so spaced as to afford some assurance of
deliberate action and careful consideration of the
need for the appointment and the appointee's
qualifications may undoubtedly be permitted. But
the issuance of 350 appointments in one night
and the planned induction of almost all of them
in a few hours before the inauguration of the
new President may, with some reason, be
regarded by the latter as an abuse of
Presidential prerogatives, the steps taken being
apparently a mere partisan effort to fill all vacant
positions irrespective of fitness and other
conditions, and thereby to deprive the new
4
administration of an opportunity to make the
corresponding appointments.[34] (Emphasis ours)
The appointment of Quirog cannot be categorized
as a midnight appointment. For it is beyond dispute
that Quirog had been discharging and performing
the duties concomitant with the subject position for
a year prior to her permanent appointment
thereto. Surely, the fact that she was only
permanently appointed to the position of PGDH-
OPA after a year of being the Acting Provincial
Agriculturist more than adequately shows that the
filling up of the position resulted from deliberate
action and a careful consideration of the need for
the appointment and the appointee's
qualifications. The fact that Quirog had been the
Acting Provincial Agriculturist since June 2000 all
the more highlights the public need for said position
to be permanently filled up.
In any event, respondent Governor Aumentado, in
a Memorandum[36] dated March 4, 2003, has
reinstated Quirog to the permanent position
of PGDH-OPA. Such act of respondent bespeaks of
his acceptance of the validity of Quirogs
appointment and recognition that indeed, the latter
is qualified for the subject position.
WHEREFORE, the assailed Decision dated March
31, 2003 and the Resolution dated April 12, 2004 of
the Court of Appeals are REVERSED AND SET
ASIDE and CSC Resolution Nos. 011812 and
020271 dated November 20, 2001 and February 22,
2002, respectively, are AFFIRMED.
SO ORDERED.

Besides, as correctly held by the CSC:

A careful evaluation of the circumstances obtaining

in the issuance of the appointment of Quirog shows
the absence of the element of hurriedness on the
part of former Governor Relampagos which
characterizes a midnightappointment. There is also
wanting in the records of the case the subversion by
the former governor of the policies of the incumbent
Governor Erico Aumentado as a logical
consequence of the issuance of Quirogs
appointment by the latter. Both elements are the
primordial considerations by the Supreme Court
when it laid down its ruling in
prohibiting midnight appointments in the landmark
case of Aytona vs Castillo, et. al.[35]

5
MONTUERTO V. TY AND SANGGUNIANBAYAN
(LOCAL GOVERNMENT)
RESOLUTION
Before this Court is a Petition for Review
on Certiorari[1] under Rule 45 of the Rules of Civil
Procedure seeking the reversal of the Court of
Appeals (CA) Decision[2] dated October 31, 2006
and Resolution[3]dated March 29, 2007, which
affirmed in toto the Resolution of the Civil Service
Commission (CSC) dated June 7, 2005.
The antecedents, as found by the CA, are as
follows:
On March 17, 1992, petitioner was issued an
appointment as Municipal Budget Officer by the
then Mayor Supremo T. Sabitsana of
the Municipality of Almeria, Biliran. On March 24,
1992, her appointment was approved as permanent
by Gerardo Corder, Acting Civil Service
Commission Field Officer.
On January 14, 2002, the Sangguniang Bayan of
Almeria, Biliran passed Sangguniang Bayan (SB)
Resolution No. 01-S-2002 entitled A Resolution
Requesting the Civil Service Commission Regional
Office, to Revoke the Appointment of Mrs. Melanie
P. Montuerto, Municipal Budget Officer of the
Municipality of Almeria, Biliran for Failure to Secure
the Required Concurrence from the Sangguniang
Bayan.
Consequently, the Municipality of Almeria, Biliran
submitted the 201 file of petitioner to Civil Service
Commission Regional Office No. VIII (CSCRO No.
VIII) which showed that petitioners appointment
lacked the required concurrence of the
local sanggunian. On the other hand, petitioner
submitted to the same office a Joint-
Affidavit[4] executed on March 6, 2002, by the
majority of the then members of the Sangguniang
Bayan of Almeria, Biliran, the pertinent portion of
which reads:
4. Since the regular session focused on the
deliberations
regarding the municipal budget, the concurrence o
n the appointment of Municipal Budget Officer
Melanie P. Montuerto was not highlighted and
the concurrence was inadvertently omitted in the
Minutes of the Regular Session for 2 March
1992. But, we can still fully recall that there was
really a verbal concurrence on the appointment of
Municipal Budget Officer Melanie P. Montuerto x x
x.
On March 11, 2002, CSCRO No. VIII issued an
Order decreeing:
WHEREFORE, foregoing premises considered, the
approval on the appointment of Melanie P.
Montuerto as Municipal Budget Officer of LGU-
Almeria, Leyte xxx is hereby RECALLED on the
ground that it lacks the required concurrence of the
majority of all the members of the Sangguniang
Bayan of LGU-Almeria, Biliran.
Petitioner moved for reconsideration. Before
resolving the motion, CSCRO No. VIII invited
Marcelo C. Maceda, Jr., incumbent SB Secretary, to
appear and bring with him any document showing
that petitioners appointment as Municipal Budget
Officer had been submitted to the SB for
concurrence. In reply, Maceda issued a Certification
on June 10, 2002, which reads:
This is to certify that as per records kept on file by
this office, there is no record that would show that
the appointment of Mrs. Melanie P. Montuerto, as
Municipal Budget Officer of Almeria, Biliran was
submitted to the Sangguniang Bayan for
concurrence from June 1992 up to the present.
However, the SB minutes of the March 2,
1992 regular session pointed out the presence of a
budget officer who explained fully the details of the
1992 Municipal Annual Budget of Almeria, Biliran.
Likewise, Maceda submitted a copy of the SB
Minutes of the regular session held on March 2,
1992.
On July 9, 2002, CSCRO No. VIII denied petitioners
motion for reconsideration. Aggrieved, petitioner
appealed to the CSC Central Office. After due
consideration of the pleadings and documents
presented, the latter issued CSC Resolution No.
040728 dated July 1, 2004, disposing of petitioners
appeal in this wise:
WHEREFORE, the instant appeal of Melanie P.
Montuerto is hereby DISMISSED. Accordingly, the
appealed Order dated March 11, 2002 of the Civil
6
Service Commission-Regional Office No. VIII,
Palo, Leyte, recalling the initial approval of the
appointment of Montuerto as Municipal Budget
Officer of Almeria, Biliran, for lack of the required
concurrence by the majority of all the members of
Sangguniang Bayan, is hereby AFFIRMED.
Petitioner filed a motion for reconsideration which
was denied in CSC Resolution No. 050756
dated June 7, 2005. Meanwhile, on July 30, 2004,
the Municipal Mayor of Almeria, Biliran issued
Office Order No. 15 which directed the indefinite
detail of the petitioner to the Cooperative
Development Project. In the same office order, the
commutable representation and transportation
allowance of petitioner was removed. On July 11,
2005, the Municipal Mayor issued a Memorandum
terminating the services of petitioner as Municipal
Budget Officer pursuant to CSC Resolution No.
050756.
Petitioner filed a Petition for Review under Rule 43
of the Rules of Civil Procedure before the CA, which
denied it for lack of merit.
Hence, the instant Petition raising the sole issue of
whether the appointment of petitioner as Municipal
Budget Officer, without the written concurrence of
the Sanggunian, but duly approved by the CSC and
after the appointee had served as such for almost
ten years without interruption, can still be revoked
by the Commission.
We resolve to deny the Petition.
All told, we find no reversible error on the part of the
CA.
The law is clear. Under Section 443(a) and (d) of
Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7160[5] or the Local
Government Code, the head of a department or
office in the municipal WHEREFORE, the instant Petition is DENIED for
government, such as the Municipal Budget Officer, lack of merit. No costs.
shall be appointed by the mayor with the
concurrence of the majority of all Sangguniang
Bayan members[6] subject to civil service law, rules
SO ORDERED.
and regulations. Per records, the appointment of
petitioner was never submitted to the Sangguniang
Bayan for its concurrence or, even if so submitted,
no such concurrence was obtained. Such factual
finding of quasi-judicial agencies, especially if
adopted and affirmed by the CA, is deemed final
and conclusive and may not be reviewed on appeal
by this Court. This Court is not a trier of facts and
generally, does not weigh anew evidence already
passed upon by the CA. Absent a showing that this
case falls under any of the exceptions to this general
rule, this Court will refrain from disturbing the
findings of fact of the tribunals below.
Moreover, we agree with the ruling of the CA that
the verbal concurrence allegedly given by
the Sanggunian, as postulated by the petitioner, is
not the concurrence required and envisioned under
R.A. No. 7160. The Sanggunian, as a body, acts
through a resolution or an ordinance. Absent such
resolution of concurrence, the appointment of
petitioner failed to comply with the mandatory
requirement of Section 443(a) and (d) of R.A. No.
7160. Without a valid appointment, petitioner
acquired no legal title to the Office of Municipal
Budget Officer, even if she had served as such for
ten years.
Accordingly, the CSC has the authority to recall the
appointment of the petitioner.[7]
7
THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF AURORA,
PETITIONER, VS. HILARIO M. MARCO,
RESPONDENT.
DECISION
LEONEN, J.:
The prohibition on midnight appointments only
applies to presidential appointments. It does not
apply to appointments made by local chief
executives.
Nevertheless, the Civil Service Commission has the
power to promulgate rules and regulations to
professionalize the civil service. It may issue rules
and regulations prohibiting local chief executives
from making appointments during the last days of
their tenure. Appointments of local chief executives
must conform to these civil service rules and
regulations in order to be valid.
This is a Petition for Review on Certiorari[1] of the
Court of Appeals Decision[2] that denied the appeal
of the Provincial Government of Aurora (the
Province). The Province appealed the
Resolution[3] of the Civil Service Commission
granting the Motion for Execution filed by Hilario M.
Marco (Marco). The Civil Service Commission had
earlier reversed and set aside the disapproval of
Marco's permanent appointment as Cooperative
Development Specialist II.[4]
Governor Ramoncita P. Ong (Governor Ong)
permanently appointed[5] Marco as Cooperative
Development Specialist II on June 25, 2004, five (5)
days before the end of her term as Governor of the
Province.[6] On June 28, 2004, Marco's
appointment, together with 25 other appointments,
was submitted to the Civil Service Commission Field
Office-Aurora (the Field Office). Annexed to Marco's
appointment papers was a certification from
Provincial Budget Officer Norma R. Clemente
(Provincial Budget Officer Clemente) and Provincial
Accountant Wilfredo C. Saturno (Provincial
Accountant Saturno) stating that funds from the
Province's 2004 Annual Budget were available to
cover the position.[7]
On June 30, 2004, newly elected Governor Bellaflor
Angara-Castillo assumed office. The next day, she
called to an executive meeting all the department
heads of the Province.[8]
During the executive meeting, Provincial Budget
Officer Clemente allegedly manifested that the
Province had no funds available to pay for the
salaries of Governor Ong's 26 appointees.[9] She
subsequently issued a Letter recalling the
previously issued certification of the availability of
funds:
In view of the result of the dialogue of the concerned
offices regarding the financial status of the
Provincial Government of Aurora, we hereby
recall/retrieve our previously issued certification of
availability of funds relative to the appointments
issued by Governor Ramoncita P. Ong.[10]
Provincial Budget Officer Clemente's Letter was
submitted to the Province's Human Resource
Management-Office. It was then forwarded to the
Field Office.[11]
Due to the recall of the certification, the Field Office
disapproved Marco's appointment in the
Letter[12] dated July 5, 2004.[13]
The Province, through Human Resource
Management Officer Liwayway G. Victorio, served
Marco a copy of the Letter dated July 5, 2004.
Marco was, thus, advised to refrain from reporting
for work beginning July 8, 2004, the day he received
notice of the disapproval of his appointment.[14]
Marco wrote the Civil Service Commission Regional
Office No. IV (Regional Office), moving for the
reconsideration of the disapproval of his
appointment.[15] The Regional Office, however,
denied reconsideration in its Decision[16] dated April
6, 2005 and affirmed the disapproval of Marco's
appointment. It said that "[t]he lack of funds for the
[26 appointments Governor Ong issued] was
established during the meeting of the different
department heads of Aurora Province and their new
governor."[17]
Through the Letter dated May 17, 2005, Marco
appealed before the Civil Service
Commission.[18] The Province, through its Human
Resource Management Office, received a copy of
Marco's Letter on May 23, 2005.[19] However, it
failed to comment on the appeal within 10 days from
receipt as required by Section 73 of the Uniform
Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil
Service.[20]
In the Resolution[21] dated April 14, 2008, the Civil
Service Commission granted Marco's appeal and
set aside the Regional Office's Decision dated April
6, 2005. It ruled that Marco's appointment was valid
since it was accompanied by a certification of
availability of funds.[22] As to the Letter withdrawing
the certification, the Civil Service Commission ruled
that it did not affect the validity of Marco's
appointment because the Province "failed to submit
documentary evidence to support its claim [that it
had no funds to pay for the services of Governor
Ong's appointees]."[23]
The Civil Service Commission added that the
Province's withdrawal of the certification was "unfair
to Marco":[24]
It is unfair to Marco who applied for the said position
believing in good faith that funds were available,
passed the screening conducted by the Personnel
Selection Board (PSB) on February 12 & 13, 2004,
was appointed on June 25, 2004 and was later told
to stop reporting for work as his appointment was
disapproved by [the Civil Service Commission Field
Office-Aurora] simply because the provincial
government under the new governor realized that it
has no funds to pay for his services.[25]
Thus, the Civil Service Commission ordered the
Regional Office to investigate whether Provincial
Budget Officer Clemente and Provincial Accountant
Saturno were administratively liable for certifying
8
that funds were available to cover the positions filled
by Governor Ong's appointees but subsequently
withdrawing this certification.[26] It ordered the. Field
Office to reflect the Resolution in Marco's
appointment papers and in his Service Record.[27]
The Province received a copy of the April 14, 2008
Resolution on May 21, 2008.[28]
On July 22, 2008, Provincial Administrator Alex N.
Ocampo (Provincial Administrator Ocampo), on
behalf of the Province, filed before the Civil Service
Commission a Petition for Relief[29] on the ground of
extrinsic fraud. According to him, the Civil Service
Commission deprived the Province of an
opportunity to be heard when it failed to implead the
Province as an indispensable party.[30] He reiterated
that Marco's appointment was void since the
Province had no funds to pay for Marco's salaries.[31]
The Civil Service Commission denied outright the
Petition for Relief in the Resolution[32] dated
November 4, 2008. It ruled that Provincial
Administrator Ocampo had no legal personality to
file the Petition for Relief absent an authorization
from the Provincial Governor. Moreover, a petition
for relief was not allowed under the Uniform Rules
on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service. Thus,
Provincial Administrator Ocampo erred in filing a
Petition for Relief.[33]
Provincial Administrator Ocampo filed a Motion for
Reconsideration,[34] this time with a written
authority[35] to file from Governor Bellafior Angara-
Castillo annexed to the Motion.[36]
The Civil Service Commission denied the Motion for
Reconsideration in the Resolution[37] dated
September 8, 2009. It ruled that its April 14, 2008
Resolution had become final and executory
considering that the Province did not file a motion
for reconsideration of this Resolution within the
reglementary period.[38]
Consequently, Marco requested the Civil Service
Commission to implement the April 14, 2008
Resolution.[39] Through the Resolution[40] dated July
6, 2010, the Commission granted Marco's request.
Provincial Administrator Ocampo filed a Motion for
Reconsideration with Motion to Quash
"Execution,"[41] arguing that the April 14, 2008
Resolution had already been implemented. As the
Civil Service Commission had ordered, the Province
reflected the April 14, 2008 Resolution.in Marco's
appointment papers and in his Service Record.[42]
In the Resolution[43] dated January 24, 2011, the
Civil Service Commission denied the Motion for
Reconsideration with Motion to Quash "Execution."
It noted that the Province still refused to reinstate
Marco despite the April 14, 2008 Resolution and
thus clarified that this Resolution necessarily
resulted in the approval of Marco's appointment and
his reinstatement as Cooperative Development
Specialist II.[44] The January 24, 2011 Resolution
states:
Ocampo, et al. nonchalantly tries to sweep away
what is obvious in the ruling of the Commission in
[the April 14, 2008 Resolution], i.e., the reversal of
the disapproval by [the Regional Office] and [the
Field Office] of Marco's appointment. The reversal
of the two (2) decisions mean[s] that Marco's
appointment as Cooperative Development
Specialist II is in order and should be approved.
Consequently, the approval of Marco's appointment
is legal proof that he is entitled to perform the duties
and functions of the said position and receive the
salaries and benefits attached to the position.
WHEREFORE, the Motion for Reconsideration with
Motion to Quash of Alex N. Ocampo, Provincial
Administrator, and Manuel Joseph R. Bretana III,
Legal Counsel, Provincial Government of Aurora,
is DENIED. Accordingly, [the July 6, 2010
Resolution] which grants the Motion for the
Implementation of [the April 14, 2008 Resolution]
filed by Hilario M. Marco, STANDS.
The Provincial Governor of Aurora is directed to
reinstate Marco to his Cooperative Development
Specialist II position and pay his back salaries and
other benefits from the time that Marco was actually
prohibited from reporting for work up to his actual
reinstatement.[45]
A Petition for Review[46] under Rule 43 with prayer
for issuance of a temporary restraining order[47] was
filed before the Court of Appeals. For the first time,
the Province argued that Marco was a midnight
appointee since Governor Ong appointed him
during the last five (5) days of her tenure. Therefore,
Marco's appointment was void.[48]
In the Decision dated March 2, 2012, the Court of
Appeals denied the Petition for Review and affirmed
the implementation of the Civil Service
Commission's April 14, 2008 Resolution.[49]
The Court of Appeals ruled that the April 14, 2008
Resolution already became final and executory
since there was no motion for reconsideration filed
within the reglementary period. Although the
Province filed a Petition for Relief before the Civil
Service Commission, the Court of Appeals held that
the remedy of a petition for relief is not allowed
under the Uniform Rules on Administrative Cases in
the Civil Service. Moreover, the Province failed to
prove the extrinsic fraud that allegedly prevented it
from filing a motion for reconsideration. Thus, the
Civil Service Commission correctly denied the
Petition for Relief.[50]
On the merits, the Court of Appeals affirmed
Marco's appointment. The Province had earlier
certified that it had funds to pay for his salary as
Cooperative Development Specialist II.[51] It found
that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan even passed a
"Supplemental Budget for 2004 appropriating
P54,014,127.01 in provincial funds."[52] Therefore,
the issuance of the Letter recalling the certification
"[did] not change the fact that there [were] funds
available for [Marco's] appointment."[53]
On the claim that Marco was a midnight appointee,
the Court of Appeals said that Marco's case fell
within the exception provided under Civil Service
Commission Resolution No. 030918.[54] He was fully
qualified for the position and underwent a screening
9
process on February 12 and 13, 2004, long before As to the claim that the April 14, 2008 Resolution is
the election ban.[55] Therefore, he was validly final and executory and may no longer be reversed,
appointed. the Province argues that nothing prevents this court
from setting aside this Resolution. It argues that the
The Province filed a Motion for promulgation of Nazareno, et al. v. City of
Reconsideration,[56] which the Court of Appeals Dumaguete[65] was a supervening event warranting
denied in the Resolution[57] dated June 13, 2012. the reversal of the final and executory decision.[66]
Commission with the Province's discretionary power
to appoint, Marco argues that it "merely upheld the
validity of an existing appointment[.]"[75] The Civil
Service Commission did not "[substitute] its own
appointee for the one chosen by the appointing
authority."[76] Therefore, it correctly upheld his
appointment.

The Province filed a Petition for Review on Certiorari
before this court. Marco filed his Comment,[58] after
which the Province filed its Reply.[59]
In the Resolution[60] dated January 30, 2013, this
court ordered the parties to file their respective
memoranda. The Province filed its
Memorandum[61] on April 25, 2013, while Marco filed
his Memorandum[62] on May 2, 2013.
The Province maintains that Marco's appointment
was void on the ground that he was a midnight
appointee. Marco was appointed by Governor Ong
five (5) days before the end of her term, in violation
of Civil Service Commission Resolution No.
030918,[63] paragraph 2.1 of which provides:
All appointments issued by elective appointing
officials after elections up to June 30 shall be
disapproved, except if the appointee is fully
2.1.qualified for the position and had undergone
regular screening processes before the Election
Ban as shown in the Promotion and Selection
Board (PSB) report or minutes of meeting.
On Marco's claim that he underwent a regular
screening process, which exempted his
appointment from the prohibition on midnight
appointments, the Province counters that Marco
failed to present convincing evidence to prove this
claim. The Minutes of the Meeting of the Promotion
Selection Board showed that Marco was among the
201 applicants allegedly screened by the Board
within two (2j days. According to the Province, two
days is a period too short for the Personnel
Selection Board to have carefully considered all the
applications.[64]
In Nazareno, this court voided 89 appointments Lastly, Marco argues that Nazareno does not apply
made by a city mayor within the month that he left in this case. This court in Nazareno voided the 89
office, ruling that they were mass appointments appointments of the appointing authority based on
prohibited under Civil Service Commission the criteria set in Resolution No.
Resolution No. 010988.[67] The Province argues that 010988.[77] However, Nazareno had been
Governor Ong's appointments were analogous to promulgated even before he was appointed in
the Nazareno appointments; hence, Governor office. Moreover, Resolution No. 010988 did not set
Ong's appointments should likewise be voided.[68] any new criteria for appointments made during the
last days of the appointing authority in office.
Finally, the Province insists that Marco's Therefore, the promulgation of Nazareno is not a
appointment was void due to lack of funds to pay for supervening event that can set aside the final and
the position.[69] In ordering the Province to uphold executory April 14, 2008 Resolution.[78]
Marco's appointment despite the lack of funds, the
Civil Service Commission allegedly "interfered with The issues for this court's resolution are:
[the Province's] prerogative to draw up its own
budget and to spend its ... revenues as it deems First, whether the Resolution dated July 6, 2010,
fit."[70] which ordered the implementation of the April 14,
2008 Resolution, was void for varying the terms of
For his part, Marco maintains that the Civil Service the April 14, 2008 Resolution;
Commission's Resolution dated April 14, 2008 has
long become final and executory. Therefore, the Second, whether the withdrawal of the certification
Resolution may no longer be disturbed.[71] of sufficiency of funds voided Marco's appointment;
and
On the claim that he was a midnight appointee,
Marco pointed out that the Province belatedly raised Lastly, whether Marco's appointment was void on
this claim. The Province never raised it before the the ground that he was a midnight appointee.
Civil Service Commission but only did so before the
Court of Appeals.[72] By belatedly raising this claim, This Petition must be denied.
the Province should be deemed to have "implicitly
recognized"[73] that he was not a midnight
appointee.
I
In any case, Marco asserts that he was qualified for
the position and that he underwent a selection
process as required by Resolution No. 030918. We note that the Province filed an appeal before the
Thus, his appointment was an exception to the Court of Appeals against the Civil Service
prohibition on midnight appointments.[74] Commission's Resolution that ordered the
execution of the April 14, 2008 Resolution.[79]
On the alleged interference of the Civil Service

10
The Province erred in filing an appeal before the
Court of Appeals, as no appeal may be taken from
an order of execution.[80] Instead, it should have filed
a petition for certiorari the appropriate special
civil action under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court.[81]
The Court of Appeals, therefore, should have
dismissed the Province's appeal outright. Rule 50,
Section 1(i) of the Rules of Court allows the Court of
Appeals to dismiss an appeal where the order
appealed from is not appealable.[82]
The rule prohibiting appeals from orders of
execution is based on the doctrine of immutability of
final judgments. Under this doctrine, a final and
executory judgment "is removed from the power and
jurisdiction of the court which rendered it to further
alter or amend it, much less revoke it."[83] The
judgment remains immutable even if it is later on
discovered to be erroneous.[84] The doctrine "is
grounded on fundamental considerations of public
policy and sound practice that at the risk of
occasional error, the judgments of the courts must
become final at some definite date fixed by law. To
allow courts to amend final [and executory]
judgments will result in endless litigation."[85]
The doctrine of immutability of final judgments
applies to decisions rendered by the Civil Service
Commission. A decision of the Civil Service
Commission becomes final and executory if no
motion for reconsideration is filed within the 15-day
reglementary period under Rule VI, Section 80 of
the Uniform Rules on Administrative Cases in the
Civil Service:
Section 80. Execution of Decision. - The decisions
of the Commission Proper or its Regional Offices
shall be immediately executory after fifteen (15)
days from receipt thereof, unless a motion for
reconsideration is seasonably filed, in which case
the execution of the decision shall be held in
abeyance.
In Mendiola v. Civil Service
Commission,[86] Teodorico Mendiola (Mendiola)
occupied the position of Budget Examiner III when
the Economic Intelligence and Investigation Bureau
terminated his employment.[87] On Mendiola's
appeal, the Civil Service Commission ordered his
reinstatetment in the resolution dated September
21, 1988.[88]
The Economic Intelligence and Investigation
Bureau failed to file a motion for reconsideration
within the 15-day reglementary period.
Consequently, Mendiola filed a motion for execution
of the September 21, 1988 resolution.[89]
Unknown to Mendiola, the Economic Intelligence
and Investigation Bureau belatedly filed a motion for
reconsideration, which the Civil Service
Commission granted despite having been filed out
of time.[90]
This court reversed the Civil Service Commission's
grant of the motion for reconsideration and ordered
Mendiola's reinstatement as the Commission
previously ordered in the September 21, 1998
resolution. This court held that the September 21,
1998 resolution had become final and executory
when the Economic Intelligence and Investigation
Bureau failed to file a motion for reconsideration
within the reglementary period. Thus, the Civil
Service Commission may no longer reverse the
resolution.[91]
In Obiasca v. Basallote,[92] Jeane O. Basallote
(Basallote) was appointed Administrative Officer II
by the Department of Education and was assigned
to work in Tabaco National High School in Albay.
Basallote had assumed the duties of her office as
Administrative Officer II when she learned that Arlin
B. Obiasca (Obiasca) was subsequently appointed
to the same position. Obiasca's appointment was
attested to by the Civil Service Commission, while
Basallote's appointment papers were not even
forwarded to the Civil Service Commission.[93]
Basallote protested Obiasca's appointment before
the Civil Service Commission Regional Office V.
The Regional Office dismissed the protest. On
appeal, the Civil Service Commission reversed the
Regional Office's Decision, thus approving
Basallote's appointment and recalling that of
Obiasca.[94]
Without filing a motion for reconsideration before the
Civil Service Commission, Obiasca directly filed an
appeal before the Court of Appeals. The Court of
Appeals affirmed the Civil Service Commission's
Decision.[95]
Obiasca's Petition for Review on certiorari was
likewise denied by this court.[96] This court held that
Obiasca's failure to file a motion for reconsideration
rendered the Civil Service Commission's Decision
approving Basallote's appointment final and
executory. Thus, the Civil Service Commission's
Decision may no longer be disturbed:[97]
[Obiasca] did not file a petition for reconsideration of
the [Civil Service Commission's resolution] before
filing a petition for review in the [Court of Appeals].
Such fatal procedural lapse on [Obiasca]'s part
allowed the [Civil Service Commission's resolution]
to become final and executory. Hence, for all intents
and purposes, the [Civil Service Commission's
resolution] has become immutable and can no
longer be amended or modified. A final and
definitive judgment can no longer be changed,
revised, amended or reversed. Thus, in praying
for the reversal of the assailed Court of Appeals
decision which affirmed the final and executory [Civil
Service Commission resolution], [Obiasca] would
want the Court to reverse a final and executory
judgment and disregard the doctrine of immutability
of final judgments.[98] (Emphasis in the original,
citations omitted)
In this case, the Province, through its Human
Resource Management Office, received a copy of
the Civil Service Commission's April 14, 2008
Resolution on May 21, 2008.[99] Thus, the Province
had until June 5, 2008 to file a motion for
reconsideration.
However, the Province failed to file a motion for
reconsideration of the April 14, 2008 Resolution
11
within the 15-day reglementary period. With no
motion for reconsideration seasonably filed, the
April 14, 2008 Resolution-became final and
executory on June 6, 2008.
In addition, the remedy of a petition for relief from
judgment is not among those provided under the
Uniform Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil
Service. This means that the remedy is not allowed
under civil service rules.[100] Even assuming that a
petition for relief may be filed before the Civil
Service Commission, the party must show that the
assailed judgment became final through fraud,
accident, mistake, or excusable negligence. [101]
Here, the Province failed to refute that it received a
copy of the Civil Service Commission's April 14,
2008 Resolution. It was given an opportunity to be
heard, which is the essence of administrative due
process.[103] It did not even justify why it failed to file
a motion for reconsideration despite its receipt of the
Civil Service Commission's Resolution. Contrary to
the Province's claim, there was no extrinsic fraud
since the Province was not prevented "from fully
and fairly presenting [its] defense[.]"[104] The Civil
Service Commission correctly denied the Province's
Petition for Relief.
Since the April 14, 2008 Resolution already became
final and executory, it may no longer be reversed.
The Civil Service Commission correctly granted
Marco's request for the Resolution's
implementation.
II
In implementing the April 14, 2008 Resolution, the
Civil Service Commission ordered the Province to
reinstate Marco and to pay him back salaries and
other benefits:
WHEREFORE, the request of Hilario M. Marco,
Cooperative Development Specialist II, Provincial
Government of Aurora, for the implementation of Should the appointment be initially disapproved, it
CSC Resolution No. 08-0656 dated April 14, 2008 nevertheless remains effective if a motion for
is GRANTED. Accordingly, the Provincial reconsideration or an appeal of the disapproval is
Government of Aurora is directed to reinstate Marco seasonably filed with the proper
to his former position and the payment of his back office.[109] Therefore, during the pendency of the
salaries and other benefits starting from the date he motion for reconsideration, the appointee remains
was advised to stop reporting for work on July 8, entitled to his or her salaries until the appointment
2004 up to his actual reinstatement.[105] is finally disapproved by the Civil Service
Commission.[110]
According to the Province, the Civil Service
Commission went beyond the order sought to be Marco's appointment immediately took effect on
implemented and "varie[d] the term of the June 25, 2004 when Governor Ong appointed him
judgment."[106] The Province claims that nothing in as Cooperative Development Specialist II. Although
the April 14, 2008 Resolution ordered the his appointment was initially disapproved by the
reinstatement of Marco. The dispositive portion of Field Office, Marco seasonably filed a Motion for
the resolution stated:[107] Reconsideration before the Civil Service
Commission. Thus, Marco's appointment remained
effective during the pendency of the Motion for
WHEREFORE, the appeal of Hilario M. Marco Reconsideration.
is GRANTED. Accordingly, the Decision No. 05-
0212 dated April 6, 2005 of the Civil Service Because the Civil Service Commission granted his
Commission Regional Office IV, Quezon City, Motion for Reconsideration and set aside the
affirming the disapproval of the appointment of disapproval of his appointment, Marco remained
Marco for lack of certification of availability of funds entitled to his position. The necessary consequence
is REVERSED and SET ASIDE. of granting reconsideration is his reinstatement as
Cooperative Development Specialist II.
The Civil Service Commission Field Office-Aurora is
directed to reflect this decision in the appointment of The Civil Service Commission correctly
Marco and in his Service Record.[108] implemented the April 14, 2008 Resolution by
ordering Marco's reinstatement and the payment of
Therefore, the Province claims that the order
his back salaries and other benefits.
implementing the April 14, 2008 Resolution must be
set aside.
We rule that the Civil Service Commission did not III
vary the terms of the April 14, 2008 Resolution.
Under Rule IV, Section 1 of Civil Service The Province contends that the Civil Service
Commission Memorandum Circular No. 40-98, an Commission erred in approving Marco's
appointment takes effect immediately upon appointment as Cooperative Development
issuance by the appointing authority. Once the Specialist II. It allegedly had no funds to cover the
appointee has assumed the duties of the position, position. Therefore, the appointment was void,
he or she is entitled to receive the salaries having been issued in violation of Rule V, Section
corresponding with the position though the Civil 1(e)(ii) of the Civil Service Commission
Service Commission has not yet approved the Memorandum Circular No. 40-98. The rule states:
appointment.
12
SECTION 1. In addition to the common
requirements and procedures, the following
requirements and guidelines shall also be observed
and the necessary documents submitted, when
applicable.
. . . .
LGU Appointment. Appointment in local
government units for submission to the
e. Commission shall be accompanied, in addition to
the common requirements, by the following
. . . .
Certification by the Municipal/City/Provincial
ii. Accountant/Budget Officer that funds are
available.
The certification ensures that the appointee shall
occupy a position adequately covered by
appropriations as required by Section 325(e) of the
Local Government Code:
SECTION 325. General Limitations. - The use of the
provincial, city, and municipal funds shall be subject
to the following limitations:
. . . .
(e) Positions in the official plantilla for career
positions which are occupied by incumbents holding
permanent appointments shall be covered by
adequate appropriations[.]
As required by Rule V, Section 1 (e)(ii) of the Civil
Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 40-
98, Marco's appointment was accompanied by a
certification from the Province, through the
Provincial Budget Officer and the Provincial
Accountant, that funds were available under the
2004 Annual Budget of the Province for the 26
positions issued by Governor Ong. Therefore, there
was no violation of Rule V, Section 1(e)(ii) of the
Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular
No. 40-98. There was no violation of existing Civil
Service Law, rules and regulations. Marco's
appointment remains effective.
That the Province suddenly had no funds to pay for
Marco's salaries despite its earlier certification that
funds were available under its 2004 Annual Budget
does not affect his appointment.
None of the grounds for disapproval, of an
appointment under Rule V, Section 7[111] of the
Omnibus Rules Implementing the Civil Service Law
exists in this case. The appointment remains
effective, and the local government unit remains
liable for the salaries of the appointee.[112]
Moreover, the earlier certification, if proven false,
constitutes intentional misrepresentation of a
material fact concerning a civil service matter. This
is an offense punishable by fine, or imprisonment,
or both as provided under Section 67 of the Civil
Service Law:
SEC. 67. Penal Provision. Whoever makes any
appointment or employs any person in violation of
any provision of this Title or the rules made
thereunder or whoever commits fraud, deceit or
intentional misrepresentation of material facts
concerning other civil service matters, or whoever
violates, refuses or neglects to comply with any of
such provisions or rules, shall upon conviction be
punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand
pesos or by imprisonment not exceeding six (6)
months, or both such fine and imprisonment in the
discretion of the court.
We, therefore, agree with the Civil Service
Commission in ordering the Regional Office to
commence appropriate administrative proceedings
against Provincial Budget Officer Norma R.
Clemente and Provincial Accountant Wilfredo C.
Saturno for issuing the certification of availability of
funds:
The Commission disapproves of the conduct of the
officials of the Provincial Government of Aurora in
issuing a certification dated June 25, 2004 that
funds are available in the 2004 Annual Budget to
support the appointments issued by outgoing
Governor Ong and then later [withdrawing] the
same when a new governor assumes office. As
such, the CSCRO No. IV is directed to conduct the
appropriate administrative proceedings to
determine whether Norma R. Clemente (Provincial
Budget Officer) and Wilfredo C. Saturno (Provincial
Accountant) violated Civil Service Law, rules and
regulations.[113]
IV
The Province claims that Marco was a midnight
appointee. Moreover, he was among those
appointed "en masse"[114] by Governor Ong before
the end of her term. Thus, the Civil Service
Commission should have disapproved Marco's
appointment.
A midnight appointment "refers to those
appointments made within two months immediately
prior to the next presidential election."[115]Midnight
appointments are prohibited under Article VII,
Section 15 of the Constitution:
SECTION 15. Two months immediately before the
next presidential elections and up to the end of his
term, a President or Acting President shall not make
appointments, except temporary appointments to
executive positions when continued vacancies
therein will prejudice public service or endanger
public safety.
Midnight appointments are prohibited because an
outgoing President is "duty bound to prepare for the
orderly transfer of authority to the incoming
13
President, and he [or she] should not do acts which
he [or she] ought to know, would embarrass or
obstruct the policies of his [or her]
successor."[116] An outgoing President should not
"deprive the new administration of an opportunity to
make the corresponding appointments."[117]
However, the constitutiona prohibition on midnight
appointments only applies to presidential
appointments. It does not apply to appointments
made by local chief executives.
In De Rama v. Court of Appeals,[118] Mayor Conrado
L. de Rama (Mayor de Rama) of Pagbilao, Quezon
sought to recall 14 appointments made by former
Mayor Ma. Evelyn S. Abeja on the sole ground that
they were midnight appointments.[119] The Civil
Service Commission denied Mayor de Rama's
request, ruling that the prohibition on midnight
appointments only applies to outgoing
Presidents.[120] On appeal, the Court of Appeals
affirmed the Civil Service Commission's
decision.[121]
This court agreed with the Civil Service Commission
and the Court of Appeals. In denying Mayor de
Rama's petition for review on certiorari, this court
said that the prohibition on midnight appointments
"applies only to presidential appointments."[122] This
court noted that "there is no law that prohibits local
elective officials from making appointments during
the last days of his or her tenure."[123]
Nonetheless, the Civil Service Commission, as the
central personnel agency of the
Government,[124] may "establish rules and
regulations to promote efficiency and
professionalism in the civil service."[125] Although it
conceded that no law prohibits local elective officials
from making appointments during the last days of
their tenure, this court in Nazareno upheld Civil
Service Commission Resolution No. 010988, which
prohibited local elective officials from making
appointments immediately before and after
elections.[126] In addition, Resolution No. 010988
prohibited "mass appointments," or those "issued in
bulk or in large number after the elections by an
outgoing local chief executive and there is no
apparent need for their immediate issuance."
Resolution No. 010988 states:
WHEREAS, the May 14, 2001 national and local
elections have just concluded and the Commission
anticipates controversies that would arise involving
appointments issued by outgoing local chief
executives immediately before and after elections;
WHEREAS, the Commission observed the
tendency of some outgoing local chief executives to
issue appointments even after the elections,
especially when their successors have already been
proclaimed;
WHEREAS, this practice of some outgoing local
chief executives causes animosities between the
outgoing and incoming officials and the people who
are immediately affected and made to suffer the
consequences thereof are the ordinary civil
servants and eventually, to a larger extent, their
constituents themselves;
WHEREAS, one of the reasons behind the
prohibition in issuing appointments or hiring of new
employees during the prohibited period as provided
for in CSC Memorandum Circular No. 7, series of
2001 is to prevent the occurrence of the foregoing,
among others;
WHEREAS, local elective officials, whose terms of
office are about to expire, are deemed as
"caretaker" administrators who are duty bound to
prepare for the smooth and orderly transfer of power
and authority to the incoming local chief executives;
WHEREAS, under Section 15, Article VII of the
Constitution, the President or Acting President is
prohibited from making appointments two (2)
months immediately before the next presidential
elections and up to the end of his term, except
temporary appointments to executive positions
when continued vacancies therein will prejudice
public service or endanger public safety;
WHEREAS, while there is no equivalent provision in
the Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act
No. 7160) or in the Civil Service Law (Book V of
Executive Order No. 292) of the above-stated
prohibition, the rationale against the prohibition on
the issuance of "midnight appointments" by the
President is applicable to appointments extended
by outgoing local chief executives immediately
before and/or after the elections; and
WHEREAS, the Commission also deems it fit to
issue guidelines that would assist processors in
their actions on appointments issued by theses
outgoing local chief executives immediately before
and/or after the elections;
NOW THEREFORE, the Commission, pursuant to
its constitutional mandate as the central personnel
agency of the government, hereby issues and
adopts the following guidelines:
1. The validity of an appointment issued
immediately before or after the elections
by outgoing local chief executives is to be
determined on the basis of the nature,
character and merit of the individual
appointment and the particular
circumstances surrounding the same.
. . . .
3. All appointments, whether original,
transfer, reemployment, reappointment,
promotion or demotion, except in cases of
renewal and reinstatement, regardless of
status, which are issued AFTER the
elections, regardless of their dates of
effectivity and/or date of receipt by the
Commission, including its Regional or
Field Offices, of said appointments or the
Report of Personnel Actions (ROPA), as
the case may be, shall be disapproved
unless the following requisites concur
relative to their issuance:
14
 The appointment has gone through the regular
screening by the Personnel Selection Board
a) (PSB) before the prohibited period on the
issuance of appointments as shown by the PSB
report or minutes of its meeting;
b) That the appointee is qualified;
There is a need to fill up the vacancy immediately
c) in order not to prejudice public service and/or
endanger public safety;
That the appointment is not one of those mass
d)
appointments issued after the elections.
4. The term "mass appointments" refers to
those issued in bulk or in large number
after the elections by an outgoing local
chief executive and there is no apparent
need for their immediate issuance.
This court said that the rationale behind Resolution
No. 010988 "is not difficult to see":[127]
Appointments are banned prior to the elections to
ensure that partisan loyalties will not be a factor in
the appointment process, and to prevent
incumbents from gaining any undue advantage
during the elections. To this end, appointments
within a certain period of time are proscribed by the
Omnibus Election Code and related issuances.
After the elections, appointments by defeated
candidates are prohibited, except under the
circumstances mentioned in CSC Resolution No.
010988, to avoid animosities between outgoing and
incoming officials, to allow the incoming
administration a free hand in implementing its
policies, and to ensure that appointments and
promotions are not used as a tool for political
patronage or as a reward for services rendered to
the outgoing local officials.[128](Citation omitted)
In Nazareno, this court affirmed the disapproval of
89 appointments Mayor Felipe Antonio B. Remollo
(Mayor Remollo) of Dumaguete City made within
the month that he left office. This court found that
the appointments were issued in violation of
Resolution No. 010988. Particularly, it found no
evidence that the Personnel Selection Board
carefully deliberated on the qualifications of Mayor
Remollo's appointees.[129] Moreover, the timing and
the large number of appointments "indicate that the
appointments were hurriedly issued by the outgoing
administration."[130]
The Province argues that the 26 appointments
Governor Ong issued during the last days of her
tenure were similar to those Mayor Remollo issued
in Nazareno. Governor Ong allegedly issued mass
appointments, the immediate issuance of which the
Province had no apparent need.
We note, however, that Resolution No. 010988
the Resolution effective when Mayor Remollo
issued the appointments in Nazareno was
superseded by Resolution No. 030918 dated
August 28, 2003.[131] Resolution No. 030918 on
"midnight appointments" by local chief executives
was effective at the time Governor Ong issued the
disputed appointments. Resolution No. 030918
states, in part:
WHEREAS, under Section 3, Article IX-B of the
1987 Constitution, the Commission, as the central
personnel agency of the Government, is mandated
to establish a career service and adopt measures to
promote efficiency, integrity, responsiveness,
progressiveness and courtesy in the civil service,
among others;
WHEREAS, the Constitution further mandates the
Commission to issue its own rules and regulations
for effective and efficient personnel administration in
the Civil Service;
WHEREAS, Section 12(1) and (2), Book V of the
Executive Order No. 292 (Administrative Code of
1987) mandates the Commission to administer and
enforce the constitutional and statutory provisions
on the merit system for all ranks and levels in the
Civil Service and to prescribe, amend and enforce
rules and regulations for carrying into effect the
provision of the Civil Service Law and other
pertinent laws;
WHEREAS, problems and controversies inevitably
arise involving appointments issued by outgoing
elective and appointive officials just before and after
election periods;
WHEREAS, personnel morale, office operations,
and delivery of public services are inevitably
disrupted by such problem's and controversies;
WHEREAS, there is a need to forestall such
problems by defining and making more stringent the
restrictions on personnel appointments to be
observed by outgoing appointing officials, elective
or appointive, before they leave office;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Commission, pursuant to
its constitutional and statutory mandates as the
central personnel agency of the government,
hereby issues and adopts the following guidelines:
. . . .
2. Action on Appointments issued by Elective
and Appointive Officials After the Elections Up
to June 30
All appointments issued by elective appointing
officials after elections up to June 30 shall be
disapproved, except if the appointee is fully
2.1.qualified for the position and had undergone
regular screening processes before the Election
Ban as shown in the Promotion and Selection
Board (PSB) report or minutes of meeting.
. . . .
This Resolution supersedes CSC Resolution No.
010988 dated 4 June 2001 and shall take effect
15
fifteen (15) days after its publication in a newspaper effective up to the present.[136] Consequently, the
of general circulation. Civil Service Commission correctly ordered the
Province to reinstate Marco as Cooperative
Quezon City, August 28, 2003. Development Specialist II and to pay him his back
salaries from July 8, 2004 when the Province
Since Resolution No. 030918 was effective at the prevented him from reporting for work up to his
time Governor Ong issued the 26 appointments, we actual reinstatement.
must decide this case based on Resolution No.
030918. Nazareno is not applicable, as it was WHEREFORE, the Petition for Review on Certiorari
decided based on Resolution No. 0109888. is DENIED. The Court of Appeals Decision dated
March 2, 2012 is affirmed.
We agree with the Civil Service Commission and the
Court of Appeals that Governor Ong issued Marco's SO ORDERED.
appointment in accordance with Resolution No.
030918. Although his appointment was made five
(5) days before the end of Governor Ong's term,
Marco was fully qualified for the position and had
undergone regular screening processes before the
election ban. As the Civil Service Commission
found, Marco "applied for the [position of
Cooperative Development Specialist II] [and]
passed the screening conducted by the Personnel
Selection Board (PSB) on February 12 & 13,
2004[.]"[132] The Court of Appeals reiterated this
finding in its Decision dated March 2,
2012.[133] Absent a showing of grave abuse of
discretion, this court will not disturb the findings of
fact of the Civil Service Commission,[134]especially
since it has acquired "specialized knowledge and
expertise"[135] in the field of civil service law.

Assuming without conceding that Governor Ong's

26 appointments were issued in bulk, this per
se does not invalidate the appointments. Unlike
Resolution No. 010988, Resolution No. 030918
does not prohibit appointments that are large in
number. Moreover, 26 appointments can hardly be
classified as "mass appointments," compared with
the 89 appointments this court invalidated
in Nazareno.

Marco's appointment was valid. The Civil Service

Commission correctly approved his appointment.

Considering that Marco had already accepted his

appointment by the time the Province prevented him
from assuming his office, his appointment remains

16