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Philippine laws provide for the following remedies to citizens who are victims
of abuses by public officials:
I. IMPEACHMENT AS REMEDY
1.01 Grounds for impeachment.- The grounds for impeachment are: (a)
culpable violation of the Constitution, (b) treason, (c) bribery, (d) graft and
corruption, (e) other high crimes, and (f) betrayal of public trust.
2.01 How ‘recall’ is initiated.- There are two ways of initiating recall
proceedings. One is by a preparatory recall assembly convened for the
purpose where the recall of an elective provincial, city or municipal official is
initiated through a resolution adopted by a majority of all members of the
assembly. The other is upon petition of at least 25% of the total number of
registered voters in the local government unit concerned during the election in
which the local official sought to be recalled was elected.
2.02 Election recall.- Upon the filing of a valid resolution or petition for recall,
the Commission on Election sets the date of the election on recall. Any
elective local official may be subject of recall election for loss of confidence
only once during his term of office.
3.01 Who are victims of official abuses.- The following, among others, are
considered victims of official abuses who can claim damages before the
courts: (a) Those who suffered material or moral loss because a public officer
or employee refuses or neglects, without just cause, to perform his official
duty; (b) Those whose rights and liberties as guaranteed by the constitution
and the laws have been obstructed, defeated, violated, impeded, or impaired
by any public officer or employee; (c) Those who suffered injury, loss or
damage caused by any public officer who showed bad faith, malice or gross
negligence in the performance of his official duties; (d) Those who suffered
damages caused by any public officer who, without just cause, neglects to
perform a duty within a period fixed by law or regulation or within a
reasonable period if none is fixed.
3.03 Legal basis of remedy.- The remedy of civil action for damages springs
from the fundamental principle of law that “Whoever by act or omission
causes damage to another, there being fault or negligence, is obliged to pay
for the damage done.” This principle is extended by law to public officers and
employees, as follows:
3.04 Right of person suffering loss due to refusal or neglect of public officer to
perform duty.- Any person suffering material or moral loss because a public
servant or employee refuses or neglects, without just cause, to perform his
official duty may file an action for damages and other relief against the latter,
without prejudice to any disciplinary action that may be taken.
3.05 Liability of public officers for violating rights and liberties of persons.- Any
public officer or employee, or any private individual, who directly or indirectly
obstructs, defeats, violates or in any manner impedes or impairs any of the
following rights and liberties of another person shall be liable to the latter for
damages: (1) Freedom of religion; (2) Freedom of speech; (3) Freedom to
write for the press or to maintain a periodical publication; (4) Freedom from
arbitrary or illegal detention; (5) Freedom of suffrage; (6) The right against
deprivation of property without due process of law; (7) The right to a just
compensation when private property is taken for public use; (8) The right to
the equal protection of the laws; (9) The right to be secure in one’s person,
house, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures; (10)
The liberty of abode and of changing the same; (11) The privacy of
communication and correspondence; (12) The right to become a member of
associations or societies for purposes not contrary to law; (13) The right to
take part in a peaceable assembly to petition the Government for redress of
grievances; (14) The right to be free from involuntary servitude in any form;
(15) The right of the accused against excessive bail; (16) The right of the
accused to be heard by himself and counsel, to be informed of the nature and
cause of the accusation against him, to have a speedy and public trial, to
meet the witnesses face to face, and to have compulsory process to secure
the attendance of witness in his behalf; (17) Freedom from being compelled
to be a witness against one’s self, or from being forced to confess guilt, or
from being induced by a promise of immunity or reward to make such
confession, except when the person confessing becomes a State witness;
(18) Freedom from excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishment, unless
the same is imposed or inflicted in accordance with a statute which has not
been judicially declared unconstitutional; and (19) Freedom of access to the
courts.
In any of the cases referred to above, whether or not the defendant’s act or
omission constitutes a criminal offense, the aggrieved party has a right to
commence an entirely separate and distinct civil action for damages, and for
other relief. Such civil action shall proceed independently of any criminal
prosecution, and may be proved by a preponderance of evidence. The
indemnity shall include moral damages. Exemplary damages may also be
adjudicated.
3.06 Responsibility of State for its agents.- The State is responsible for the
damage done by the acts or omission of its special agent; but not when the
damage has been caused by the official to whom the task done properly
pertains, in which case the former is obliged to pay for the damage done.
3.07 Liability of Superior Officers: (1) A public officer may be civilly liable for
acts done in the performance of his official duties, if there is a clear showing
of bad faith, malice or gross negligence. (2) Any public officer who, without
just cause, neglects to perform a duty within a period fixed by law or
regulation, or within a reasonable period if none is fixed, shall be liable for
damages to the private party concerned without prejudice to such other
liability as may be prescribed by law. (3) A head of a department or a superior
officer may be civilly liable for the wrongful acts, omissions of duty,
negligence, or misfeasance of his subordinates, if he has actually authorized
by written order the specific act or misconduct complained of.
4.0 Civil action for damages deemed instituted with criminal action.
When a criminal action is filed against a public officer, the civil action for
damages arising from the offense charged is deemed instituted with the
criminal action. The offended party, or party who suffered the damage, may
however either waive the civil action, reserve the right to institute it
separately, or institute the civil action prior to the criminal action.
5.0 Assistance in filing civil action for damages. One of the reasons why
only few victims of official abuses are interested in the aspect of civil action
for damages, is the expenses involved. Even if the civil action for the recovery
of civil liability is instituted in the criminal action, there might be need to
engage the services of counsel to intervene in the prosecution of the offense.
This is even more so if a civil action for damages has to be filed separately
from the criminal action.
5.02 Legal assistance from the Public Attorney’s Office.- A victim of official
abuse who is an indigent may request for legal assistance from the Public
Attorney’s Office (PAO). Among the activities of the PAO is to represent
indigents or immediate members of their family in all civil, criminal, labor and
administrative cases.
5.03 Assistance from the Office of the Citizen’s Counselor.- Under R.A. No.
6028 (1969) there is created the Office of the Citizen’s Counselor which
seeks to promote higher standards of efficiency and justice in the
administration of laws, and secure the right of the people to petition the
government for redress of grievances.
5.04 Legal assistance from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP).- The
IBP Vision in Combating Corruption is “to render legal assistance in the
prosecution of cases against government officials accused of graft and
corruption”, and among its stated strategies in fighting graft is “providing free
legal assistance to victims of government officials involved in graft and
corruption”.
5.05 Legal assistance from NGOs.- Active legal assistance are likewise
extended by some Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) which specify as
among their organizational goals preventing and fighting graft and corruption,
such as the following: (a) Fellowship of Christians in Government, Inc.;
(b) Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government, Inc. (CCAGG);
(c) Citizens Oversight on Accountability, Inc. (COA, Inc.); (d) Although less
adversarial and more on people empowerment, the Cebu Citizens'
Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation
Foundation, Inc. (C-CIMPEL) may also offer some assistance to victims of
government corruption.
5.06 Legal assistance from young lawyers.- Young civic-minded lawyers who
wish to render social service and restore morality in government, may find
assisting complainants in filing cases against corrupt government people a
socially fulfilling endeavor. Accepting engagements either as counsels or as
private prosecutors in cases involving civil action for damages in behalf of
victims of corruption on contingent basis can also be rewarding, aside from
being socially beneficial.
7.01 Filing with the Ombudsman.- Administrative complaints may be filed with
the Office of the Ombudsman which has disciplinary authority over all elective
and appointive officials of the government and its subdivisions,
instrumentalities and agencies, including Members of the Cabinet, local
governments, government-owned and/or controlled corporations and their
subsidiaries, except officials removable only by impeachment. However, the
Office of the Ombudsman may investigate any serious misconduct in office
allegedly committed by officials removable only by impeachment, for the
purpose of filing a verified complaint for impeachment, if warranted.
7.02 Filing with the PAGC.- Complaints may also be filed with the Presidential
Anti-Graft Commission which has the power to investigate administrative
complaints against presidential appointees in government and any of its
agencies or instrumentalities occupying the positions of assistant regional
director, or equivalent rank, and higher, classified as Salary Grade "26" and
higher, of the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989 (R.A. No.
6758).
V. CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
9.02 Procedure for filing criminal case.- The procedure for filing criminal
cases before the Office of the Ombudsman are as follows: (1) A Petition
should be in writing, duly notarized and with proper annexes/evidences
attached, to be addressed to the Ombudsman. (2) The Petition and all
attachments should be delivered to the Central Records Division or the
Area/Sectoral Office of the Office of the Ombudsman where the respondent
resides. (3) The total number of copies to be furnished is the total number of
respondents plus two (2).
10.01 Petition for certiorari.- When any tribunal, board or officer exercising
judicial or quasi-judicial functions has acted without or in excess of its or his
jurisdiction, or with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of
jurisdiction, and there is no appeal, or any plain, speedy, and adequate
remedy in the ordinary course of law, a person aggrieved thereby may file a
verified petition in the proper court, alleging the facts with certainty and
praying that judgment be rendered annulling or modifying the proceedings of
such tribunal, board or officer, and granting such incidental reliefs as law and
justice may require.
10.03 Petition for mandamus.- When any tribunal, corporation, board, officer
or person unlawfully neglects the performance of an act which the law
specifically enjoins as a duty resulting from an office, trust, or station, or
unlawfully excludes another from the use and enjoyment of a right or office to
which such other is entitled, and there is no other plain, speedy and adequate
remedy in the ordinary course of law, the person aggrieved thereby may file a
verified petition in the proper court, alleging the facts with certainty and
praying that judgment be rendered commanding the respondent, immediately
or at some other time to be specified by the court, to do the act required to be
done to protect the rights of the petitioner, and to pay the damages sustained
by the petitioner by reason of the wrongful acts of the respondent.
11.01 Election of President and Vice-President.- The President and the Vice-
President shall be elected by direct vote of the people for a term of six years,
without reelection. The regular election for President and Vice-President of
the Philippines is on the first Monday of May Nineteen hundred eighty seven
(1987) and on the same day every six years thereafter.
11.02 Election of Senators.- In the case of the Senators, their term of office is
for six years, provided no Senator may serve for more than two consecutive
terms. Unless otherwise provided by law, the regular election of the Senators
is held on the second day of May.
11.04 Regular elections of local officials. - The election of provincial, city and
municipal officials whose positions are provided for by the Local Government
Code shall be held throughout the Philippines on the first Monday of May,
Nineteen hundred and eighty-six and on the same day every six years
thereafter. In the case of barangay officials, their elections shall be held
throughout the Philippines on the second Monday of May Nineteen hundred
and eighty-eight and on the same day every six years thereafter.
12.0 Citizen’s final remedy. All of the above regular remedies against official
abuses presuppose a situation where the established political institutions of
government still uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and provide the
citizenry with a channel through which they can seek redress for their
legitimate complaints and grievances. But suppose the regular administrative
and legislative avenues for such redress are sealed, what remedy is now left
for the aggrieved citizenry? The Supreme Court is the final remedy, being the
so-called bastion of the people’s rights, and the court of last resort. And
perhaps rightly so. But then, is it not incapable of falling into error, or even of
committing abuse, just like the two other departments of government?
14.0 The Supreme Court as bastion of people’s rights. In its 2003 Public
Opinion Survey on Courts, the Social Weather Stations released the finding
that “Filipino’s trust in the Supreme Court, Sandiganbayan, and trial courts is
positive, but not outstanding.” It also found that: “Trust in the Supreme Court
and in the Sandiganbayan (anti-corruption court) are only at par with trust in
Congress and the National Government. Trust in trial courts is much less,
though still slightly favorable.” Writing in his regular newspaper column on the
subject “Criticism of the Courts”, retired Supreme Court Justice Isagani A.
Cruz boldly asserted that “many citizens may think that the only faultless
department of the government is the Judiciary. That is a naïve and ignorant
assumption. This so-called bastion of the people’s rights has its share of the
imperfections of our public service like corruption, inefficiency, toadying to
political authority, greed for publicity, personal ambition and other similar
weaknesses.” Justice Cruz then went on to cite specific cases where he
alleged the Supreme Court committed lapses in its decisions. Going back to
the make-believe scenario, suppose the Supreme Court was “toadying to
political authority”, an imperfection that Justice Cruz remarked it has a share
of, and thus rendered a decision which is perceived to be grossly erroneous,
and roundly denounced by the electorate. Where then will the aggrieved
citizenry now run to for relief?