Alquizola vs OcolThe Barangay: Appointment and Replacement

FACTS:

• Petitioner Ramon Alquizola, Sr., won the post of Punong Barangay of Barangay Tuo!, "ligan

City, in the #$th %ay #&&' arangay ele(tions.

• Respon!ents )allar!o *(ol, Camilo Pena(o, Saturnino %en!oza, Rafael Ar!iente, +i(ente

Caseres, Ri(ar!o osa """, an! Sira! -mpa were appointees of the former punong arangay ofBarangay Tuo!, the rst two o((upying the positions of arangay treasurer an! arangayse(retary, respe(ti/ely, with the rest eing arangay utility wor0ers.

• After the ele(tions, petitioner Alquizola terminate! the ser/i(es of respon!ents an! appointe!

his (o1petitioners, %arissa 2oromal an! A!elo Se(o, respe(ti/ely, as arangay treasurer an!as arangay se(retary.

• 3e sumitte! oth appointments to the Sangguniang Barangay for appro/al. The Sanggunian

re4e(te! the appointments.

• Following the a(tion ta0en y the Sangguniang Barangay, respon!ents le! a (omplaint to

en4oin petitioner from terminating the ser/i(es of the former.

• RTC of 5anao !el 6orte foun! in fa/or of respon!ents an! or!ere! petitioner Ramon Alquizola,

Sr., to (ease an! !esist from !ismissing respon!ents on the groun! that their !ismissal ha!een e7e(te! without the (orrespon!ing appro/al of the Sangguniang Barangay.

• "t hel! that Se(tion 89&;<; limite! the power of a arangay (aptain to remo/e appointi/e

arangay o=(ials y requiring an appro/al of su(h a(t y a ma4ority of the SangguniangBarangay. 3en(e this petition.

"SS->: ?*6 Punong Barangay Alquizola has the power to remo/e respon!ents without appro/alof the Sanggunian

3>52: 6*. Se( 89& of the 5)C is (lear:@Se(tion 89&. Chief >e(uti/e: Powers, 2uties, an! Fun(tions.

@; For e=(ient, e7e(ti/e an! e(onomi(al go/ernan(e, the purpose of whi(h is thegeneral welfare of the arangay an! its inhaitants pursuant to Se(tion # of this Co!e,the punong arangay shall:@ @<; -pon appro/al y a ma4ority of all the memers of the sangguniang arangay, appointor repla(e the arangay treasurer, the arangay se(retary, an! other appointi/e arangayo=(ialsDE

RAT"*:

•  The term “replaceE woul! o/iously emra(e not only the appointment of the repla(ementut also the prior remo/al of, or the /a(ation y, the o=(ial (urrently o((upying theappointi/e position (on(erne!.

• "n or!er to pro/i!e a repla(ement to an o=(e, the prior hol!er must ha/e rst een remo/e!

or the o=(e must ha/e, otherwise, een pre/iously ren!ere! /a(ant.

•  There is no other pro/ision in the 5o(al )o/ernment Co!e that treats of the power of the

Punong Barangay to remo/e the arangay se(retary, the arangay treasurer, or any otherappointi/e arangay o=(ial from o=(e.

•  The Co!e epli(itly /ests on the punong arangay, upon appro/al y a ma4ority of all the

memers of the sangguniang arangay, the power to appoint or repla(e the arangaytreasurer, the arangay se(retary, an! other appointi/e arangay o=(ials.

• +erily, the power of appointment is to e eer(ise! (on4ointly y the punong arangay an a

ma4ority of all the memers of the sangguniang arangay. ?ithout su(h (on4oint a(tion,neither an appointment nor a repla(ement (an e e7e(tual.