ADMINISTRATIVE LAW | RODRIGO VS. SANDIGANBAYAN, G.R. No. 125498, JULY 2, 1999
RODRIGO VS. SANDIGANBAYAN,
G.R.
No. 125498, JULY 2, 1999
TOPIC/DOCTRINE
What Congress delegated to the
DBM is the administration of the Compensatory and Position Classification
System and not the determination of the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.
FACTS
Petitioner mayor’s
position having been classified as Grade 27 in accordance with R.A. No. 6758,
and having been charged with violation of Section 3 (e) of R.A. No. 3019,
petitioner is subject to the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan, as defined by
Section 4 a. of P.D. No. 1606, as amended by Section 2 of R.A. No. 7975. By
virtue of the same Section 4 a., as amended, his co-accused are also subject to
the Anti-Graft Court's jurisdiction.
Petitioners
now move for a reconsideration of our decision, contending that the authority
of the DBM was limited to the “preparation” of the Index of Occupational
Services, Position Titles and Salary Grades. A new law adopting said Index,
petitioners argue, is required for such Index to have the force of law. It is
also alleged that the authority conferred upon the DBM constitutes an undue
delegation of legislative powers resulting in the executive branch, through the
DBM, determining the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan.
ISSUE
Whether there was undue
delegation of power.
RULING
No.
The court noted that while Section 4 a. of P.D. No. 1606, as amended, did
not expressly include the position of Municipal Mayor as among those within the
Sandiganbayan’s exclusive and original jurisdiction, such position is embraced
in the catch-all provision, Section 4 a. (5).
Here, the
court ruled that Section 444 (d) of the Local Government Code is confirmatory
of the Salary Grade assigned by the DBM to Municipal Mayors and should thus lay
the matter of the Sandiganbayan jurisdiction over petitioner Mayor to rest. It
must be clarified that what Congress delegated to the DBM is the administration
of the Compensation and Position Classification System, and, with it the,
assignment of Salary Grades—not the determination of the jurisdiction of the
Sandiganbayan. When the DBM assigns a position a certain Salary Grade, it does
so pursuant to its authority under R.A. No. 6758. That by such allocation the
official comes under the exclusive and original jurisdiction of the
Sandiganbayan is only incidental to the exercise of such authority.