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SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANN
DeLeonvs.Esguerra
No.L78059.August31,1987.*
ALFREDOM.DELEON,ANGELS.SALAMAT,MARIOC.
STA.ANA,JOSEC.TOLENTINO,ROGELIOJ.DELAROSA
and JOSE M. RESURRECCION, petitioners, vs. HON.
BENJAMINB.ESGUERRA,inhiscapacityasOICGovernorof
the Province of Rizal, HON. ROMEO C. DE LEON, in his
capacity as OIC Mayor of the Municipality of Taytay, Rizal,
FLORENTINOG.MAGNO,REMIGIOM.TIGAS,RICARDOZ.
LACANIENTA,TEODOROV.MEDINA,ROSENDOS.PAZ,
andTERESITAL.TOLENTINO,respondents.
Action;Prohibition;LocalGovernment;Securityoftenureofbarangay
officials.ItisapolicyoftheStatetoguaranteeandpromotetheautonomy
of the barangays to ensure their fullest development as selfreliant
communities.Petitionersmustnowbeheldtohaveacquiredsecurityof
tenurespeciallyconsideringthattheBarangayElectionActof1982declares
it "a policy of the State to guarantee and promote the autonomy of the
barangaystoensuretheirfullestdevelopmentasselfreliantcommunities."
Similarly,the1987Constitutionensurestheautonomyoflocalgovernments
andofpoliticalsubdivisionsofwhichthebarangaysformapart,andlimits
thePresident'spowerto"generalsupervision"overlocalgovernments.
Same;Same;Same;Termofofficeoflocalelectiveofficials.Sec.8Art.
X of 1987 Constitution provides that the term of office of elective local
officials,exceptbarangayofficialswhichshallbedeterminedbylaw,shall
bethreeyears.Untilthetermofofficeofbarangayof
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*ENBANC.

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VOL.153,AUGUST31,1987
DeLeonvs.Esguerra
ficialshasbeendeterminedbylaw,therefore,thetermofofficeofsix(6)
yearsprovidedforintheBarangayElectionActof1982shouldstillgovern.

Same;Same;Same;Thereisnoinconsistencybetweenthetermofsix
(6) years for elective Barangay officials and the 1987 Constitution.
Contrarytothestandofrespondents,wefindnothinginconsistentbetween
the term of six (6) years for elective Barangay officials and the 1987
Constitution,andthesameshould,therefore,beconsideredasstilloperative,
pursuanttoSection3,ArticleXVIIIofthe1987Constitution.

ORIGINALACTIONforprohibitiontoreviewtheorderofthe
OICGovernoroftheProvinceofRizal.
ThefactsarestatedintheopinionoftheCourt.
MELENCIOHERRERA,J.:
AnoriginalactionforProhibitioninstitutedbypetitionersseeking
toenjoinrespondentsfromreplacingthemfromtheirrespective
positions as Barangay Captain and Barangay Councilmen of
BarangayDolores,MunicipalityofTaytay,ProvinceofRizal.
AsrequiredbytheCourt,respondentssubmittedtheirComment
on the Petition, and petitioner's their Reply to respondents'
Comment.
In the Barangay elections held on May 17, 1982, petitioner
AlfredoM.DeLeonwaselectedBarangayCaptainandtheother
petitioners Angel S. Salamat, Mario C. Sta. Ana, Jose C.
Tolentino, Rogelio J. de la Rosa and Jose M. Resurreccion, as
BarangayCouncilmenofBarangayDolores,Taytay,Rizalunder
Batas Pambansa Blg. 222, otherwise known as the Barangay
ElectionActof1982.
OnFebruary9,1987,petitionerAlfredoM.deLeonreceiveda
Memorandum antedated December 1, 1986 but signed by
respondentOICGovernorBenjaminEsguerraonFebruary8,1987
designatingrespondentFlorentinoG.MagnoasBarangayCaptain
ofBarangayDolores,Taytay,Rizal.Thedesignationmadebythe
OIC Governor was "by authority of the Minister of Local
Government.''
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SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANN
DeLeonvs.Esguerra
Also on February 8, 1987, respondent OIC Governor signed a
Memorandum, antedated December 1, 1986 designating
respondentsRemigioM.Tigas,RicardoZ.Lacanienta,TeodoroV.
Medina,RobertoS.PazandTeresitaL.Tolentinoasmembersof
theBarangayCouncilofthesameBarangayandMunicipality.
ThattheMemorandahadbeenantedatedisevidencedbythe
AffidavitofrespondentOICGovernor,thepertinentportionsof
whichread:
"xxx
"ThatIamtheOICGovernorofRizalhavingbeenappointedassuchon
March20,1986;
"That as being OIC Governor of the Province of Rizal, and in the
performanceofmydutiesthereof,Iamongothers,havesignedasIdidsign
theunnumberedmemorandumorderingthereplacementofallthebarangay
officialsofallthebarangay(s)intheMunicipalityofTaytay,Rizal;
"ThattheabovecitedmemorandumdatedDecember1,1986wassigned
bymepersonallyonFebruary8,1987;
"Thatsaidmemorandumwasfurtherdeciminated(sic)toallconcerned
thefollowingday,February9,1987.
FURTHERAFFIANTSAYETHNONE.
"Pasig,MetroManila,March23,1987."

Before us now, petitioners pray that the subject Memoranda of

February8,1987bedeclarednullandvoidandthatrespondentsbe
prohibitedfromtakingovertheirpositionsofBarangayCaptain
andBarangayCouncilmen,respectively.Petitionersmaintainthat
pursuanttoSection3oftheBarangayElectionActof1982(BP
Blg.222),theirtermsofoffice"shallbesix(6)yearswhichshall
commence on June 7, 1982 and shall continue until their
successorsshallhaveelectedandshallhavequalified,"orupto
June7,1988.Itisalsotheirpositionthatwiththeratificationofthe
1987 Constitution, respondent OIC Governor no longer has the
authoritytoreplacethemandtodesignatetheirsuccessors.

Ontheotherhand,respondentsrelyonSection2,ArticleIIIof
theProvisionalConstitution,promulgatedonMarch25,
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VOL.153,AUGUST31,1987
DeLeonvs.Esguerra
1986,whichprovided:
"SECTION2.Allelectiveandappointiveofficialsandemployeesunderthe
1973 Constitution shall continue in office until otherwise provided by
proclamationorexecutiveorderoruponthedesignationorappointmentand
qualificationoftheirsuccessors,ifsuchappointmentismadewithinaperiod
ofoneyearfromFebruary25,1986."

Byreasonoftheforegoingprovision,respondentscontendthatthe
termsofofficeofelectiveandappointiveofficialswereabolished
andthatpetitionerscontinuedinofficebyvirtueoftheaforequoted
provision and not because their term of six years had not yet
expired;andthattheprovisionintheBarangayElectionActfixing
thetermofofficeofBarangayofficialstosix(6)yearsmustbe
deemed to have been repealed for being inconsistent with the
aforequotedprovisionoftheProvisionalConstitution.
Examiningthesaidprovision,thereshouldbenoquestionthat
petitioners,aselectiveofficialsunderthe1973Constitution,may
continue in office but should vacate their positions upon the
occurrenceofanyoftheeventsmentioned.1
SincethepromulgationoftheProvisionalConstitution,there
hasbeennoproclamationorexecutiveorderterminatingtheterm
of elective Barangay officials. Thus, the issue for resolution is
whetherornotthedesignationofrespondentstoreplacepetitioners
was validly made during the oneyear period which ended on
February25,1987.
ConsideringthecandidAffidavitofrespondentOICGovernor,
we hold that February 8, 1977, should be considered as the
effectivedateofreplacementandnotDecember1,1986towhichit
wasantedated,inkeepingwiththedictatesofjustice.

ButwhileFebruary8,1987isostensiblystillwithintheoneyear
deadline,theaforequotedprovisionintheProvisionalConstitution
mustbedeemedtohavebeenovertakenbySection27,Article
XVIIIofthe1987Constitutionreading:
"Sec.27.ThisConstitutionshalltakeeffectimmediatelyupon
_____________
1Topacio,Jr.vs.PimentelG.R.No.73770,April10,1986.

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SUPREMECOURTREPORTSANNO
DeLeonvs.Esguerra
its ratificationbyamajorityofthevotescastinaplebisciteheldforthe
purposeandshallsupersedeallpreviousConstitutions."

The1987ConstitutionwasratifiedinaplebisciteonFebruary2,
1987.Bythatdate,therefore,theProvisionalConstitutionmustbe
deemed to have been superseded. Having become inoperative,
respondent OIC Governor could no longer rely on Section 2,
Article III, thereof to designate respondents to the elective
positionsoccupiedbypetitioners.
Petitionersmustnowbeheldtohaveacquiredsecurityoftenure
specially considering that the Barangay Election Act of 1982
declares it "a policy of the State to guarantee and promote the
autonomyofthebarangaystoensuretheirfullestdevelopmentas
selfreliant communities."2 Similarly, the 1987 Constitution
ensures the autonomy of local governments and of political
subdivisionsofwhichthebarangaysformapart, 3 andlimitsthe
President's power to "general supervision" over local
governments.4 Relevantly,Section8,ArticleXofthesame1987
Constitutionfurtherprovidesinpart:
"Sec. 8. The term of office of elective local officials, except barangay
officials,whichshallbedeterminedbylaw,shallbethreeyearsxxx"

Untilthetermofofficeofbarangayofficialshasbeendetermined
bylaw,therefore,thetermofofficeofsix(6)yearsprovidedforin
theBarangayElectionActof19825shouldstillgovern.
Contrary to the stand of respondents, we find nothing

inconsistent between the term of six (6) years for elective

Barangayofficialsandthe1987Constitution,andthesameshould,
therefore,beconsideredasstilloperative,pursuanttoSection3,
ArticleXVIIIofthe1987Constitution,reading:
"Sec.3.Allexistinglaws,decrees,executiveorders,pro
______________

2Section2,BPBlg.222.

3ArticleII,Section25andArticleX,Sections1,2,14,amongothers.
4ArticleX,Section4.

5Section3,BPBlg.222.

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VOL.153,AUGUST31,1987
DeLeonvs.Esguerra
clamations, letters of instructions, and other executive issuances not
inconsistent,withthisConstitutionshallremainoperativeuntilamended,
repealedorrevoked."

WHEREFORE, (1) The Memoranda issued by respondent OIC

Governor on February 8, 1987 designating respondents as the
Barangay Captain and Barangay Councilmen, respectively, of
BarangayDolores,Taytay,Rizal,arebothdeclaredtobeofno
legalforceandeffect;and(2)theWritofProhibitionisgranted
enjoining respondents perpetually from proceeding with the
ouster/takeoverof petitioners' positions subject of this Petition.
Withoutcosts.
SOORDERED.
Yap, Fernan, Narvasa, Gutierrez, Jr., Paras, Feliciano,
Gancayco,Padilla,BidinandCorts,JJ.,concur.
Teehankee(C.J.),concursinaseparateopinion.
Cruz,J.,seeconcurrence.
Sarmiento,J.,dissentsinaseparateopinion.
Memorandum declared of no legal force and effect; Writ of
prohibitiongranted.