THIRD DIVISION
G.R. No. 107271 September 10, 2003CITY OF CALOOCAN and NORMA M. ABRACIA, petitioners,
vs.
HON. MAURO T. ALLARDE, Presiding Judge of Branch 123, RTC of Caloocan City, ALBERTO A. CASTILLO, Deputy Sheriff of Branch 123, RTC of Caloocan City, and DELFINA HERNANDEZ SANTIAGO and PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK (PNB), respondents.
CORONA, J.:
Assailed in this petition for certiorari is the decision1
dated August 31, 1992, of the Court of Appeals in CA G.R. SP No. 27423,
ordering the Regional Trial Court of Caloocan City, Branch 123, to
implement an alias writ of execution dated January 16, 1992. The
dispositive portion read as follows:
WHEREFORE the petition is hereby granted ordering the
Regional Trial Court of Kaloocan City, Branch 123, to immediately
effect the alias writ of execution dated January 16, 1992 without
further delay.
Counsel for the respondents are warned that a
repetition of their contemptuous act to delay the execution of a final
and executory judgment will be dealt with more severely.
SO ORDERED.2
It is important to state at the outset that the
dispute between petitioner and private respondent has been litigated
thrice before this Court: first, in G.R. No. L-39288-89, entitled Heirs of Abelardo Palomique, et al. vs. Marcial Samson, et al., decided on January 31, 1985; second, in G.R. No. 98366, entitled City Government of Caloocan vs. Court of Appeals, et al., resolved on May 16, 1991, and third, in G.R. No. 102625, entitled Santiago vs. Sto. Tomas, et al.,
decided on August 1, 1995. This is not to mention the numerous
concurrent efforts by the City Government of Caloocan to seek relief
from other judicial and quasi-judicial bodies. The present petition for
certiorari is the fourth time we are called upon to resolve the dispute.
The factual and procedural antecedents follow.
Sometime in 1972, Marcial Samson, City Mayor of
Caloocan City, through Ordinance No. 1749, abolished the position of
Assistant City Administrator and 17 other positions from the plantilla
of the local government of Caloocan. Then Assistant City Administrator
Delfina Hernandez Santiago and the 17 affected employees of the City
Government assailed the legality of the abolition before the then Court
of First Instance (CFI) of Caloocan City, Branch 33.
In 1973, the CFI declared the abolition illegal and
ordered the reinstatement of all the dismissed employees and the payment
of their back salaries and other emoluments. The City Government of
Caloocan appealed to the Court of Appeals. Respondent Santiago and her
co-parties moved for the dismissal of the appeal for being dilatory and
frivolous but the appellate court denied their motion. Thus, they
elevated the case on certiorari before this Court, docketed as G.R. No.
L-39288-89, Heirs of Abelardo Palomique, et al. vs. Marcial Samson, et al.
In our Resolution dated January 31, 1985, we held that the appellate
court "erred in not dismissing the appeal," and "that the appeal of the
City Government of Caloocan was frivolous and dilatory." In due time,
the resolution lapsed into finality and entry of judgment was made on February 27, 1985.
In 1986, the City Government of Caloocan paid respondent Santiago P75,083.37 in partial payment of her backwages, thereby leaving a balance of P530,761.91. Her co-parties were paid in full.3
In 1987, the City of Caloocan appropriated funds for her unpaid back
salaries. This was included in Supplemental Budget No. 3 for the fiscal
year 1987. Surprisingly, however, the City later refused to release the
money to respondent Santiago.
Respondent Santiago exerted effort for the execution
of the remainder of the money judgment but she met stiff opposition from
the City Government of Caloocan. On February 12, 1991, Judge Mauro T.
Allarde, RTC of Caloocan City, Branch 123, issued a writ of execution
for the payment of the remainder of respondent Santiago’s back salaries
and other emoluments.4
For the second time, the City Government of Caloocan
went up to the Court of Appeals and filed a petition for certiorari,
prohibition and injunction to stop the trial court from enforcing the
writ of execution. The CA dismissed the petition and affirmed the order
of issuance of the writ of execution.5 One of the issues
raised and resolved therein was the extent to which back salaries and
emoluments were due to respondent Santiago. The appellate court held
that she was entitled to her salaries from October, 1983 to December,
1986.
And for the second time, the City Government of Caloocan appealed to this Court in G.R. No. 98366, City Government of Caloocan vs. Court of Appeals, et al.
The petition was dismissed, through our Resolution of May 16, 1991, for
having been filed late and for failure to show any reversible error on
the part of the Court of Appeals. The resolution subsequently attained
finality and the corresponding entry of judgment was made on July 29,
1991.
On motion of private respondent Santiago, Judge Mauro
T. Allarde ordered the issuance of an alias writ of execution on March
3, 1992. The City Government of Caloocan moved to reconsider the order,
insisting in the main that respondent Santiago was not entitled to
backwages from 1983 to 1986. The court a quo denied the motion
and forthwith issued the alias writ of execution. Unfazed, the City
Government of Caloocan filed a motion to quash the writ, maintaining
that the money judgment sought to be enforced should not have included
salaries and allowances for the years 1983-1986. The trial court
likewise denied the motion.
On July 27, 1992, Sheriff Alberto A. Castillo levied
and sold at public auction one of the motor vehicles of the City
Government of Caloocan, with plate no. SBH-165, for P100,000.
The proceeds of the sale were turned over to respondent Santiago in
partial satisfaction of her claim, thereby leaving a balance of P439,377.14,
inclusive of interest. Petitioners filed a motion questioning the
validity of the auction sale of the vehicle with plate no. SBH-165, and a
supplemental motion maintaining that the properties of the municipality
were exempt from execution. In his Order dated October 1, 1992, Judge
Allarde denied both motions and directed the sheriff to levy and
schedule at public auction three more vehicles of the City of Caloocan -6</p>
ONE (1) Unit Motor Vehicle (Hunter Station Wagon); Motor No. C-240-199629; Chassis No. MBB-910369C;
ONE (1) Unit Motor Vehicle (Hunter Series 11-Diesel); Engine No. 4FB1-174328, Chassis No. MBB-910345C; Plate No. SDL-653;
ONE (1) Unit Motor Vehicle (Hunter Series 11-Diesel); Engine No. 4FB-165196; Chassis No. MBB 910349C.
All the vehicles, including that previously sold in
the auction sale, were owned by the City and assigned for the use of
herein petitioner Norma Abracia, Division Superintendent of Caloocan
City, and other officials of the Division of City Schools.
Meanwhile, the City Government of Caloocan sought
clarification from the Civil Service Commission (CSC) on whether
respondent Santiago was considered to have rendered services from
1983-1986 as to be entitled to backwages for that period. In its
Resolution No. 91-1124, the CSC ruled in the negative.
On November 22, 1991, private respondent Santiago challenged the CSC resolution before this Court in G.R. No. 102625, Santiago vs. Sto. Tomas, et al.
On July 8, 1993, we initially dismissed the petition for lack of merit;
however, we reconsidered the dismissal of the petition in our
Resolution dated August 1, 1995, this time ruling in favor of respondent
Santiago:
The issue of petitioner Santiago’s right to back
salaries for the period from October 1983 to December 1986 having been
resolved in G.R. No. 98366 on 16 May 1991, CSC Resolution No. 91-1124
promulgated later on 24 September 1991 – in particular, its ruling on
the extent of backwages due petitioner Santiago – was in fact moot and
academic at the time of its promulgation. CSC Resolution No. 91-1124
could not, of course, set aside what had been judicially decided with
finality x x x x the court considers that resort by the City
Government of Caloocan to respondent CSC was but another attempt to
deprive petitioner Santiago of her claim to back salaries x x x and a
continuation of the City’s abuse and misuse of the rules of judicial
procedure. The City’s acts have resulted in wasting the precious time
and resources of the courts and respondent CSC. (Underscoring supplied).
On October 5, 1992, the City Council of Caloocan passed Ordinance No. 0134, Series of 1992, which included the amount of P439,377.14 claimed by respondent Santiago as back salaries, plus interest.7 Pursuant to the subject ordinance, Judge Allarde issued an order dated November 10, 1992, decreeing that:
WHEREFORE, the City Treasurer (of Caloocan), Norberto
Azarcon is hereby ordered to deliver to this Court within five (5) days
from receipt hereof, (a) manager’s check covering the amount of P439,378.00
representing the back salaries of petitioner Delfina H. Santiago in
accordance with Ordinance No. 0134 S. 1992 and pursuant to the final and
executory decision in these cases.
Then Caloocan Mayor Macario A. Asistio, Jr., however,
refused to sign the check intended as payment for respondent Santiago’s
claims. This, despite the fact that he was one of the signatories of
the ordinance authorizing such payment. On April 29, 1993, Judge Allarde
issued another order directing the Acting City Mayor of Caloocan,
Reynaldo O. Malonzo, to sign the check which had been pending before the
Office of the Mayor since December 11, 1992. Acting City Mayor Malonzo
informed the trial court that "he could not comply with the order since
the subject check was not formally turned over to him by the City Mayor"
who went on official leave of absence on April 15, 1993, and that "he
doubted whether he had authority to sign the same."8
Thus, in an order dated May 7, 1993, Judge Allarde
ordered Sheriff Alberto A. Castillo to immediately garnish the funds of
the City Government of Caloocan corresponding to the claim of respondent
Santiago.9 On the same day, Sheriff Alberto A. Castillo
served a copy of the Notice of Garnishment on the Philippine National
Bank (PNB), Sangandaan Branch, Caloocan City. When PNB immediately
notified the City of Caloocan of the Notice of Garnishment, the City
Treasurer sent a letter-advice informing PNB that the order of
garnishment was "illegal," with a warning that it would hold PNB liable
for any damages which may be caused by the withholding of the funds of
the city. PNB opted to comply with the order of Judge Allarde and
released to the Sheriff a manager’s check amounting to P439,378. After 21 long years, the claim of private respondent Santiago was finally settled in full.
On June 4, 1993, however, while the instant petition
was pending, the City Government of Caloocan filed yet another motion
with this Court, a Motion to Declare in Contempt of Court; to Set Aside
the Garnishment and Administrative Complaint against Judge Allarde,
respondent Santiago and PNB. Subsequently, the City Government of
Caloocan filed a Supplemental Petition formally impleading PNB as a
party-respondent in this case.
The instant petition for certiorari is directed
this time against the validity of the garnishment of the funds of the
City of Caloocan, as well as the validity of the levy and sale of the
motor vehicles belonging to the City of Caloocan. More specifically,
petitioners insist that Judge Allarde gravely abused his discretion in:
(a) ordering the garnishment of the funds of the City
of Caloocan deposited with the PNB, since it is settled that public
funds are beyond the reach of garnishment and even with the
appropriation passed by the City Council, the authority of the Mayor is
still needed for the release of the appropriation;
(b) ordering the levy and sale at public auction of
three (3) motor vehicles owned by the City of Caloocan, which vehicles
are necessary for public use and cannot be attached nor sold in an
execution sale to satisfy a money judgment against the City of Caloocan;
(c) peremptorily denying petitioner City of
Caloocan’s urgent motions to vacate and set aside the auction sale of
the motor vehicle with PLATE NO. SBH-165, notwithstanding that the
auction sale by the Sheriff was tainted with serious irregularities,
more particularly:
i. non-compliance with the mandatory posting of the notice of sale;
ii. non-observance of the procedure that a sale
through public auction has to be made and consummated at the time of the
auction, at the designated place and upon actual payment of the
purchase price by the winning bidder;
iii. violation of Sec. 21, Rule 39 of the Rules of
Court to the effect that sale of personal property capable of manual
delivery ‘must be sold within the view of those attending the sale;’
and,
iv. the Sheriff’s Certificate of Sale contained false narration of facts respecting the actual time of the public auction;
(d) the enforcement of the levy made by the Sheriff
covering the three (3) motor vehicles based on an alias writ that has
long expired.
The petition has absolutely no merit. The trial court
committed no grave abuse of discretion in implementing the alias writ
of execution to settle the claim of respondent Santiago, the
satisfaction of which petitioner had been maliciously evading for 21
years.
Petitioner argues that the garnishment of its funds
in PNB was invalid inasmuch as these were public funds and thus exempt
from execution. Garnishment is considered a specie of attachment by
means of which the plaintiff seeks to subject to his claim property of
the defendant in the hands of a third person, or money owed by such
third person or garnishee to the defendant.10
The rule is and has always been that all government
funds deposited in the PNB or any other official depositary of the
Philippine Government by any of its agencies or instrumentalities,
whether by general or special deposit, remain government funds and may
not be subject to garnishment or levy, in the absence of a corresponding
appropriation as required by law:11
Even though the rule as to immunity of a state from
suit is relaxed, the power of the courts ends when the judgment is
rendered. Although the liability of the state has been judicially
ascertained, the state is at liberty to determine for itself whether to
pay the judgment or not, and execution cannot issue on a judgment
against the state. Such statutes do not authorize a seizure of state
property to satisfy judgments recovered, and only convey an implication
that the legislature will recognize such judgment as final and make
provision for the satisfaction thereof.12
The rule is based on obvious considerations of public
policy. The functions and public services rendered by the State cannot
be allowed to be paralyzed or disrupted by the diversion of public funds
from their legitimate and specific objects, as appropriated by law.13
However, the rule is not absolute and admits of a
well-defined exception, that is, when there is a corresponding
appropriation as required by law. Otherwise stated, the rule on the
immunity of public funds from seizure or garnishment does not apply
where the funds sought to be levied under execution are already
allocated by law specifically for the satisfaction of the money judgment
against the government. In such a case, the monetary judgment may be
legally enforced by judicial processes.
Thus, in the similar case of Pasay City Government, et al. vs. CFI of Manila, Br. X, et al.,14
where petitioners challenged the trial court’s order garnishing its
funds in payment of the contract price for the construction of the City
Hall, we ruled that, while government funds deposited in the PNB are
exempt from execution or garnishment, this rule does not apply if an
ordinance has already been enacted for the payment of the City’s
obligations –
Upon the issuance of the writ of execution, the
petitioner-appellants moved for its quashal alleging among other things
the exemption of the government from execution. This move on the part of
petitioner-appellants is at first glance laudable for ‘all government
funds deposited with the Philippine National Bank by any agency or
instrumentality of the government, whether by way of general or special
deposit, remain government funds and may not be subject to garnishment
or levy.’ But inasmuch as an ordinance has already been enacted
expressly appropriating the amount of P613,096.00 as payment to the respondent-appellee, then the herein case is covered by the exception to the general rule x x x x
In the instant case, the City Council of Caloocan
already approved and passed Ordinance No. 0134, Series of 1992,
allocating the amount of P439,377.14 for respondent
Santiago’s back salaries plus interest. Thus this case fell squarely
within the exception. For all intents and purposes, Ordinance No. 0134,
Series of 1992, was the "corresponding appropriation as required by
law." The sum indicated in the ordinance for Santiago were deemed
automatically segregated from the other budgetary allocations of the
City of Caloocan and earmarked solely for the City’s monetary obligation
to her. The judgment of the trial court could then be validly enforced
against such funds.
Indeed, this conclusion is further buttressed by the
Certification issued on December 23, 1992 by Norberto C. Azarcon, City
Treasurer of Caloocan:
CERTIFICATION
This is to certify that according to the records
available in this Office the claim for backwages of the HON. JUDGE
DELFINA H. SANTIAGO has been properly obligated and can be collected in accordance with existing accounting and auditing rules and regulations.
This is to certify further that in case the claim is
not collected within the present fiscal year, such claim shall be
entered in the books of Accounts Payable and can still be collected in
the next fiscal year x x x x (Underscoring supplied)
Petitioners’ reliance on Municipality of Makati vs. Court of Appeals, et al.,15 and Commissioner of Public Highways vs. San Diego,16 does not help their cause.17 Both cases implicitly affirmed that public funds may be garnished if there is a statute which appropriated the amount so garnished. Thus, in Municipality of Makati, citing San Diego, we unequivocally held that:
In this jurisdiction, well-settled is the rule that public funds are not subject to levy and execution, unless otherwise provided by statute x x x x
Similarly, we cannot agree with petitioner’s argument
that the appropriation ordinance of the City Council did not authorize
PNB to release the funds because only the City Mayor could authorize the
release thereof. A valid appropriation of public funds lifts its
exemption from execution. Here, the appropriation passed by the City
Council of Caloocan providing for the payment of backwages to respondent
was duly approved and signed by both the council and then Mayor
Macario Asistio, Jr. The mayor’s signature approving the budget
ordinance was his assent to the appropriation of funds for respondent
Santiago’s backwages. If he did not agree with such allocation, he could
have vetoed the item pursuant to Section 55 of the Local Government
Code.18 There was no such veto.
In view of the foregoing discourse, we dismiss
petitioners’ unfounded assertion, probably made more out of sheer
ignorance of prevailing jurisprudence than a deliberate attempt to
mislead us, that the rule that "public funds (are) beyond the reach of
levy and garnishment is not qualified by any condition."19
We now come to the issue of the legality of the levy
on the three motor vehicles belonging to the City of Caloocan which
petitioners claimed to be exempt from execution, and which levy was
based on an alias writ that had purportedly expired. Suffice it to say
that Judge Allarde, in his Order dated November 10, 1992,20
already lifted the levy on the three vehicles, thereby formally
discharging them from the jurisdiction of the court and turning them
over to the City Government of Caloocan:
x x x x the levy of the three (3) vehicles made by
Sheriff Alberto Castillo pursuant to the Orders of this Court dated
October 1 and 8, 1992 is hereby lifted and the said Sheriff is hereby
ordered to return the same to the City Government in view of the
satisfaction of the decision in these cases x x x x
It is thus unnecessary for us to discuss a moot issue.
We turn to the third issue raised by petitioners that
the auction sale by Sheriff Alberto A. Castillo of the motor vehicle
with plate no. SBH-165 was tainted with serious irregularities. We need
not emphasize that the sheriff enjoys the presumption of regularity in
the performance of the functions of his office. This presumption
prevails in the absence of substantial evidence to the contrary and
cannot be overcome by bare and self-serving allegations. The petitioners
failed to convince us that the auction sale conducted by the sheriff
indeed suffered from fatal flaws. No evidence was adduced to prove that
the sheriff had been remiss in the performance of his duties during the
public auction sale. Indeed it would be injudicious for us to assume, as
petitioners want us to do, that the sheriff failed to follow the
established procedures governing public auctions.
On the contrary, a review of the records shows that
the sheriff complied with the rules on public auction. The sale of the
City’s vehicle was made publicly in front of the Caloocan City Hall on
the date fixed in the notice – July 27, 1992. In fact, petitioners in
their Motion to Declare in Contempt of Court; to Set Aside the
Garnishment and Administrative Complaint admitted as much:
On July 27, 1992, by virtue of an alias writ of execution issued by the respondent court, a vehicle owned by the petitioner xxx was levied and sold at public auction for the amount of P100,000.00 and which amount was immediately delivered to the private respondent x x x x21
Hence, petitioners cannot now be heard to impugn the validity of the auction sale.
Petitioners, in desperation, likewise make much of
the proceedings before the trial court on October 8, 1992, wherein
petitioner Norma Abracia, Superintendent of the Division of City Schools
of Caloocan, was commanded to appear and show cause why she should not
be cited in contempt for delaying the execution of judgment. This was in
connection with her failure (or refusal) to surrender the three motor
vehicles assigned to the Division of City Schools to the custody of the
sheriff. Petitioner Abracia, assisted by Mr. Ricardo Nagpacan of the
Division of City Schools, appeared during the hearing but requested a
ten-day period within which to refer the matter of contempt to a counsel
of her choice. The request was denied by Judge Allarde in his assailed
order dated October 8, 1992. Thus petitioner Abracia claimed, inter alia,
that: (a) she was denied due process; (b) the silence of the order of
Judge Allarde on her request for time violated an orderly and faithful
recording of the proceedings, and (c) she was coerced into agreeing to
surrender the vehicles.
We do not think so. What violates due process is the
absolute lack of opportunity to be heard. That opportunity, the Court is
convinced, was sufficiently accorded to petitioner Abracia. She was
notified of the contempt charge against her; she was effectively
assisted by counsel when she appeared during the hearing on October 8,
1992; and she was afforded ample opportunity to answer and refute the
charge against her. The circumstance that she opted not to avail of her
chance to be heard on that occasion by asking for an extension of time
within which to hire a counsel of her choice, a request denied by the
trial court, did not transgress nor deprive her of her right to due
process.
Significantly, during the hearing on October 8, 1992,
Mr. Nagpacan manifested in open court that, after conferring with
petitioner Abracia, the latter was "willing to surrender these vehicles into the custody of the sheriff on the condition that the standing motion (for contempt) be withdrawn."22
Her decision was made freely and voluntarily, and after conferring with
her counsel. Moreover, it was petitioner Abracia herself who imposed
the condition that respondent Santiago should withdraw her motion for
contempt in exchange for her promise to surrender the subject vehicles.
Thus, petitioner Abracia’s claim that she was coerced into surrendering
the vehicles had no basis.
Even assuming ex gratia argumenti that there
indeed existed certain legal infirmities in connection with the assailed
orders of Judge Allarde, still, considering the totality of
circumstances of this case, the nullification of the contested orders
would be way out of line. For 21 long years, starting 1972 when this
controversy started up to 1993 when her claim was fully paid out of the
garnished funds of the City of Caloocan, respondent Santiago was cruelly
and unjustly deprived of what was due her. It would be, at the very
least, merciless and unchristian to make private respondent refund the
City of Caloocan the amount already paid to her, only to force her to go
through the same nightmare all over again.
At any rate, of paramount importance to us is that
justice has been served. No right of the public was violated and public
interest was preserved.
Finally, we cannot simply pass over in silence the
deplorable act of the former Mayor of Caloocan City in refusing to sign
the check in payment of the City’s obligation to private respondent. It
was an open defiance of judicial processes, smacking of political
arrogance, and a direct violation of the very ordinance he himself
approved. Our Resolution in G.R. No. 98366, City Government of Caloocan vs. Court of Appeals, et al.,
dated May 16, 1991, dismissing the petition of the City of Caloocan
assailing the issuance of a writ of execution by the trial court,
already resolved with finality all impediments to the execution of
judgment in this case. Yet, the City Government of Caloocan, in a
blatant display of malice and bad faith, refused to comply with the
decision. Now, it has the temerity to come to this Court once more and
continue inflicting injustice on a hapless citizen, as if all the harm
and prejudice it has already heaped upon respondent Santiago are still
not enough.
This Court will not condone the repudiation of just
obligations contracted by municipal corporations. On the contrary, we
will extend our aid and every judicial facility to any citizen in the
enforcement of just and valid claims against abusive local government
units.
WHEREFORE, the petition is hereby DISMISSED
for utter lack of merit. The assailed orders of the trial court dated
October 1, 1992, October 8, 1992 and May 7, 1993, respectively, are
AFFIRMED.
Petitioners and their counsels are hereby warned
against filing any more pleadings in connection with the issues already
resolved with finality herein and in related cases.
Costs against petitioners.
SO ORDERED.
Panganiban, (Acting Chairman), Sandoval-Gutierrez, and Carpio-Morales, JJ., concur.
Puno, (Chairman), J., on official leave.
Puno, (Chairman), J., on official leave.
Footnotes
1 Penned by Associate Justice Manuel C.
Herrera, concurred in by then Associate Justices Justo P. Torres, Jr.
(retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court) and Pacita
Cañizares-Nye of the Eleventh Division.
2 Rollo, p. 90.
3 Annex "19" and "19-1," Rollo, pp. 238-239.
4 Annex "1," Rollo, p. 81.
5 Docketed as CA-G.R. SP No. 24280, City Government of Caloocan vs.
Allarde, et al. Decision penned by Associate Justice Artemon D. Luna,
concurred in by Associate Justices Serafin E. Camilon and Celso L.
Magsino of the Seventh Division.
6 Annex "C," Rollo, p. 49.
7 Annex "G" and "G-1," Rollo, pp. 57-58.
8 Annex "A," Rollo, pp. 116-117.
9 Ibid.
10 Cebu International Finance Corporation vs. Court of Appeals, 316 SCRA 488, 499 [1999].
11 Commissioner of Public Highways vs. San Diego, 31 SCRA 616 [1970].
12 Republic vs. Palacios, 23 SCRA 899 [1968] citing 49 Am. Jur., § 104, pp. 312-320.
13 Providence Washington Insurance Co. vs. Republic of the Philippines, 29 SCRA 598 [1969].
14 132 SCRA 156 [1984].
15 190 SCRA 206 [1990].
16 31 SCRA 616 [1970].
17 Petitioners’ Motion to Declare in Contempt of Court; To Set Aside Garnishment and Administrative Complaint. Rollo, pp. 132-145.
18 Section 55. Veto Power of the Local Chief Executive. xxx
(b) The local chief executive, except the punong
barangay, shall have the power to veto any particular item or items of
an appropriations ordinance, an ordinance or resolution adopting a local
development plan and public investment program, or an ordinance
directing the payment of money or creating liability. In such a case,
the veto shall not affect the item or items which are not objected to.
The vetoed item or items shall not take effect unless the sanggunian
overrides the veto in the manner herein provided; otherwise, the item or
items in the appropriations ordinance of the previous year
corresponding to those vetoed, if any, shall be deemed reenacted.
xxx.
19 Petitioners’ Motion dated June 2, 1993, at p. 6. Rollo, p. 247.
20 Annex "H," Rollo, p. 59.
21 Rollo, pp. 132-145.
22 TSN, October 8, 1992, pp. 6-8.
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