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POLI TI CAL LAW ( LAW ON PUBL I C OF F I CE RS )

REVIEWER & MEMORY AID
LAMBDA EPSILON XI DVOREF COLLEGE OF LAW
Public Oic! is the right, authority, and duty created and conferred by law, by which for
a given period, either fixed by law or enduring at the pleasure of the appointing power,
an individual is invested with some portion of the sovereign functions of the government,
to be exercised by him for the benefit of the public.
E""!#$i%l !l!&!#$"
1. Created by Constitution or by law or by some body or agency to which the power to
create the office has been delegated (enabling law)
2. Invested with authority to exercise some portion of the sovereign power of the tate
!. "owers#$unctions defined by the enabling law
%. &uties are performed independently without control unless those of an inferior
'. Continuing # permanent in nature
Di"$i#c$i'#"
Public Oici%l is an officer of the (overnment itself, as distinguished from the
'ic!(" and !&)l'*!!" of instrumentalities of government.
Oic!( is distinguished from an !&)l'*!! in the greater importance, dignity and
independence of his position, being re)uired to ta*e an official oath, and perhaps give an
official bond and in the liability to be called to account as a public offender for
misfeasance or nonfeasance in office.
Eli+ibili$*
+ligibility is the state or )uality of being legally fitted or )ualified to be chosen.
,ualification refer to the act which a person, before entering upon the performance of his
duties is by law re)uired to do such as the ta*ing, and often, of subscribing and filing of
an official oath, and, in some cases, the giving of an official bond.
W,' %(! (!-ui(!. $' +i/! %# 'ici%l b'#.0
-ccountable public officers or those to whom are entrusted the collection and
custody of public money, and public ministerial officers whose actions may affect the
rights and interests of individuals.
Di"-u%liic%$i'#"
&is)ualifications to hold public office are mental or physical incapacity,
misconduct or crime, impeachment, removal or suspension from office, previous tenure
of office, consecutive terms, holding more than one office, relationship with the
appointing power, office newly created or the emoluments of which have been
increased, being an elective official, having been a candidate for any elective position,
and grounds under the local government code.
In the absence of constitutional inhibition, Congress has the same right to
provide dis)ualifications that it has to provide )ualifications for office.
.hen the constitution has attached a dis)ualification to the holding of any office,
Congress cannot remove it under the power to prescribe )ualifications as to such offices
as it may create.
"resumption is in favor of eligibility.
/he )ualifications are continuing re)uirements and must be possessed not only
at the time of appointment or election or assumption of office but during the officer0s
entire tenure. $ormal )ualifications are 1 citi2enship, age, suffrage, residence, education,
ability to read and write, political affiliation, civil service examination
A))'i#$&!#$
-ppointment is the act of designation by the executive officer, board, or body to
whom that power has been delegated, of the individual who is to exercise the powers
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POLI TI CAL LAW ( LAW ON PUBL I C OF F I CE RS )
REVIEWER & MEMORY AID
LAMBDA EPSILON XI DVOREF COLLEGE OF LAW
and functions of a given office. It is to be distinguished from the selection or designation
by a popular vote.
"ower to appoint is generally regarded as an executive function. 3ut it is not
limited to the executive department.
"ower of appointment is absolute when the choice of the appointing authority is
conclusive. It is conditional where assent or approval by some other officer or body is
necessary to complete the appointment.
-cceptance of appointment is not necessary for the completion or validity of
appointment. -cceptance may be express when it is done verbally or in writing.
-cceptance is implied when without formal acceptance, the appointee enters upon the
exercise of the duties and functions of an office.
/he general rule is that an appointment to an office, once made and complete, is
not sub4ect to reconsideration or revocation. /he exception is where an officer is
removable at will of the appointing power.
teps in the -ppointing "rocess1
1. Nomination 5 exclusive prerogative of the "resident
2. Confirmation 5 belongs to Congress i.e. Commission on -ppointments
!. Issuance of commission 5 a commission is a written authority from a competent
source given to the officer as his warrant for the exercise of the powers and duties of
the office to which he is commissioned.
Confirmation on the part of the Civil ervice Commission is called 6-ttestation7.
D!"i+#%$i'#
&esignation is simply the mere imposition of new or additional duties upon an
officer to be performed by him in a special manner. It presupposes that the officer is
already in the service by virtue of an earlier appointment, performing other functions.
V%c%#c*
/here is a vacancy when an office is empty and without a legally )ualified
incumbent appointed or elected to it with a lawful right to exercise its powers and
perform its duties. /here can be no appointment to a non8vacant position.
Causes of vacancy are death, permanent disability, removal from office or
resignation of the incumbent. 9ther causes of vacancy are abandonment, expiration of
term, conviction of a crime, impeachment conviction, acceptance of incompatible office,
creation of a new office, reaching the age limit, and recall.
D! %c$'1 .! 2u(! 'ic!(3 u"u()!(
De facto officer is one who has the reputation of being the officer he assumed to
be and yet is not a good officer in point of law.
- de jure officer is one who has the lawful right to the office in all respects, but
who has either been ousted from it, or who has never actually ta*en possession of it.
.hen the officer de 4ure is also the officer de facto, the lawful title and possession are
united.
Usurper is one who ta*es possession of the office and underta*es to act officially
without any color of right or authority, either actual or apparent.
Sc')! ' P'4!(
cope of power of a public officer consists of those powers which are expressly
conferred upon him by the law under which he has been appointed or elected: expressly
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POLI TI CAL LAW ( LAW ON PUBL I C OF F I CE RS )
REVIEWER & MEMORY AID
LAMBDA EPSILON XI DVOREF COLLEGE OF LAW
annexed to the office by the law which created it or some other law referring to it: or
attached to the office as incidents to it.
Ministerial power is when it is absolute, certain, and imperative involving merely
execution of a specific duty arising from fixed and designated facts.
Discretionary power is when it re)uires the exercise of reason and discretion in
determining how or whether the act shall be done or the course pursued.
M'.!" ' T!(&i#%$i'# ' Oici%l R!l%$i'#"
Natural Causes
1. +xpiration of the term or tenure of office
2. ;eaching the age limit ( retirement)
!. &eath or permanent disability
Acts / Neglect of Officer
1. ;esignation
2. -cceptance of an incompatible office
!. -bandonment of 9ffice
%. "rescription of ;ight to 9ffice
Acts of te !o"ernment or #eople
1. ;emoval
2. Impeachment
!. -bolition of 9ffice
%. Conviction of a crime
'. ;ecall
P(!/!#$i/! Su")!#"i'#
$wo %inds&
1. "reventive uspension "ending Investigation
2. "reventive uspension "ending -ppeal
/he duration of preventive suspension is coeval with the period prescribed for
deciding administrative disciplinary cases. If the case is decided before ninety (<=) days
then the suspension will last less than ninety (<=) days, but if the case is not decided
within ninety (<=) days, then the suspension may not exceed the maximum period of
ninety (<=) days.
O$,!( i&)'($%#$ c'#c!)$"
5'l.6'/!( 5 a public officer0s term has expired or his services terminated but he
should continue holding his office until his successor is appointed or chosen and had
)ualified.
N!)'$i"& 5 all appointments in the national and local governments or any
branch or instrumentality thereof, including government8owned or controlled
corporations, made in favor of a relative of the appointing authority: recommending
authority: chief of the bureau or office: or person exercising immediate supervision over
the appointee are ";9>I3I/+&.
Compensation is not indispensable to a public office.
/he #!7$6i# (%#8 (ul! specifically applies only in cases of promotion but it is not
a mandatory re)uirement.
Di/!"$&!#$ is when a public official is in a conflict8of8interest situation. uch
official must resign from his position in any private business enterprise within != days
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POLI TI CAL LAW ( LAW ON PUBL I C OF F I CE RS )
REVIEWER & MEMORY AID
LAMBDA EPSILON XI DVOREF COLLEGE OF LAW
from his assumption of office and#or divest himself of his shareholdings or interest within
?= days from such assumption.
Oici%l i&&u#i$* only protects public officials from tort liability for damages
arising from discretionary acts or functions in the performance of their officials duties.
9u%liic%$i'#" ' El!c$i/! Oici%l"
El!c$i/!
Oici%l"
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