Republic of the Philippines
SUPREME COURT
Manila
EN BANC
G.R. No. L-21856 June 23, 1965
BENJAMIN BELISARIO, petitioner-appellee,
vs.
MARCELO RAMIREZ, respondent-appellant.
Nemesio G. Beltran and Guillermo G. Ching for petitioner-appellee.
Bukidnon Provincial Fiscal Himerio B. Garcia and Assistant Provincial Fiscal Eulalio D. Rosete for respondent-appellant.
DIZON, J.:
This quo warranto case (Civil Case No. 243 of the lower court, now G.R. No. L-21856) was tried and decided below jointly with two similar cases involving the same questions of law and fact, namely, Civil Case No. 239 entitled Teodoro N. Pepito, et al. vs. Lucilo Alkuino, et al., which on appeal became G.R. No. L-21765, and Civil Case No. 240 entitled Vicente Cabiling, et al. vs. Eusebio Pabualan, et al., which on appeal became G.R. No. L-21764. The latter two involved the positions of municipal mayor and municipal councilors of the municipality of Valencia and Dangcalan, respectively, of the province of Bukidnon, while the present involves the position of municipal secretary of the municipality of Valencia. Petitioner was appointed by Mayor Pepito, while respondent was appointed by Mayor Alkuino.
The parties agreed in the lower court to have this case decided on the basis of the outcome of the other two mentioned heretofore, considering the fact that if the appointment of Teodoro N. Pepito as municipal mayor of Valencia by former President Garcia was sustained as against the appointment for the same position of Lucilo Alkuino by President Macapagal, the appointment of petitioner Belisario as Municipal Secretary would have to be sustained; otherwise that of respondent Ramirez would be the one to be declared valid and lawful.
It appears that in Civil Case No. 239 of the lower court (G.R. No. L-21765 of this court), we ruled that the ad interim appointment of Teodoro N. Pepito as Municipal Mayor of Valencia was one of the midnight appointments declared void by our decision in the Aytona case, thus reversing the decision of the lower court rendered in his favor. Consequently, We must now hold that the appointment of herein petitioner Benjamin Belisario as Municipal Secretary of Valencia made by Mayor Pepito is void and that it is the appointment made by Mayor Alkuino in favor of respondent Marcelo Ramirez that is valid.
WHEREFORE, the decision of the lower court declaring that petitioner Belisario, the appointee of Mayor Pepito, has a better right to the office of Municipal Secretary of the municipality of Valencia than respondent Marcelo Ramirez, the appointee of Mayor Alkuino, is hereby reversed, and another is rendered declaring that it is respondent Marcelo Ramirez who has a better right to the questioned office. With costs.
Bengzon, C.J., Concepcion, Reyes, J.B.L., Paredes, Regala, Makalintal, Bengzon, J.P., and Zaldivar, JJ., concur.
Bautista Angelo, J., took no part.
Barrera, J., is on leave.
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