Case Digest: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES v. ATTY. VICTORIA V. LOANZON 482 SCRA 533 (2006)

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES v. ATTY. VICTORIA V. LOANZON 482 SCRA 533 (2006)

Atty. Victoria V. Loanzon was appointed as Deputy Secretary General, Public Relations and Information Department (PRID) of the House of Representatives by then Speaker Manuel Villar of the Eleventh Congress. Her Civil Service Commission (CSC) appointment paper stated that her status was “PERMANENT,” albeit with a caveat annotated thereon that “the appointee does not have security of tenure until she obtains a career executive service eligibility.” Upon request of the Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and with the approval of House of Representatives Secretary General Nazzareno, Loanzon was part-time detail at the Office of the Quezon City Mayor. When Jose de Venecia, Jr., assumed position as the new Speaker of the House, he appointed Emmanuel A. Albano as Deputy Secretary General, PRID on temporary status. On even date, Mayor Belmonte again requested for the detail of Loanzon to his office. Loanzon sought clarification from the Civil Service Commission about the status of her appointment in light of Albano‘s appointment to her position. The CSC holds that Loanzon was a rightful holder of the position of Deputy Secretary General up to July 31, 2001 and is entitled to the payment of her salaries and other benefits up to that period only. Accordingly, when Speaker De Venecia appointed Albano as Deputy Secretary General, PRID, on July 25, 2001, Loanzon was still detailed at the Office of Mayor Belmonte. Thus, Albano‘s appointment on July 25, 2001 is legally infirm because there was no vacancy yet at that time. On appeal, the Court of Appeals (CA) found that the position of Deputy Secretary General, PRID pertains to the non-career service; Loanzon held a primarily confidential position and her tenure was thus coterminous with and subject to the pleasure of the appointing authority, and her termination could be justified only on the ground of loss of confidence. It declared the removal of Loanzon and the appointment of Albano in her place null and void.

 
ISSUES:

1.) Whether or not the CA the position of Deputy Secretary General is a primarily confidential position belonging to non-career service.

2.) Whether or not the termination of Loanzon as Deputy Secretary General is illegal and the appointment of Albano in her place is null and void.

HELD:

Whether or not the CA the position of Deputy Secretary General is a primarily confidential position belonging to non – career service. Clearly, the position of Deputy Secretary General of the House of Representatives belongs to the career service which is, so the Civil Service Law provides, characterized, among other things, by entrance based on merit and fitness to be determined as far as practicable by competitive examinations, or based on highly technical qualifications and security of tenure. The holder of the position can only enjoy security of tenure if he or she possesses the qualifications and eligibility prescribed for it. In Loanzon‘s case, although Loanzon‘s appointment was denominated as “permanent,” it having been “proposed as permanent,” it was in reality temporary for, so her CSC appointment paper clearly stated, she did not enjoy security tenure as she lacked the eligibility requirement for the position. In fine, Loanzon‘s appointment was merely temporary, not to exceed twelve months. Since she was appointed on March 8, 1999, it was effective only for one year or up to March 8, 2000. Having continued, however, to hold on to her position up to July 25, 2001 when Albano was appointed by Speaker de Venecia, she did so in a hold-over capacity.
Whether or not the termination of Loanzonas Deputy Secretary General is illegal and the appointment of Albano in her place is null and void.
Even if Albano then did not possess the required eligibility, his appointment was not legally infirm. As correctly pleaded by House of Representatives before the appellate court, when Nazareno approved Mayor Belmonte‘s request for Loanzon‘s detail until July 31, 2001, Speaker de Venecia had not yet been elected and assumed office as speaker. With Speaker de Venecia‘s subsequent election and assumption of office as speaker, Nazareno‘s action as secretary-general became subject to supervision and control, hence, it could be revoked anytime.
By thus appointing Albano on July 25, 2001, Speaker de Venecia impliedly revoked or modified Nazareno‘s action by shortening the period of the approved detail. As for the Speaker‘s approval on October 25, 2001 of Mayor Belmonte‘s second request for Loanzon‘s detail to his office effective August 1, 2001, the same may be taken as mere oversight on the part of the Speaker.