255448020 Cooperative Development Authority vs Dolefil Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative Inc 382 SCRA 552 Case Digest Administrative Law

COOPERATIVE COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY vs DOLEFIL AGRARIAN REFORM BENEFICIARIES COOPERATIVE, COOPERATIVE, INC. FACTS: ACTS: Sometme in he laer par of 1997, he CDA received from cerain members of he Dolel Agrarian Reform

Beneciaries Cooperatve, nc!, an agrarian reform cooperatve ha o"ns #,#$% hecares of land in &olomolo', So(h Coabao Coabao,, several several complains complains alleging alleging mismanage mismanagemen men and)or misappro misappropria priaton ton of f(nds f(nds of DARBC DARBC b* he hen inc(mben o+cers and members of he board of direcors of he cooperatve, some of "hom are herein privae respondens! Actng on he complains doc'eed as CDAC- Case .o! 97%11, CDA /0ec(tve Direcor Candelario ! 2er3osa, 4r! iss(ed an order daed December #, 1997 directng he privae respondens respondens o le heir ans"er "ihin en 51%6 da*s from receip hereof! -n December 1#, 1991, he privae respondens led a &etton for Certorari "ih a pra*er for preliminar* in(ncton, damages and a8orne*s fees agains he CDA and is o+cers primaril* :(estoning he (risdicton of he CDA o resolve he complains agains he privae respondens, specicall* "ih respec o he a(hori* of he CDA o iss(e he ;free3e order< and o creae a managemen commi8ee ha "o(ld r(n he a=airs of DARBC! -n >ebr(ar* ?@, 199#, CDA Chairman 4ose C! edina, 4r! iss(ed an order in CDAC- Case .o! 97%11 placing he privae respondens (nder preventve s(spension, hence, paving he "a* for he ne"l*creaed managemen commi8ee o ass(me o+ce on arch 1%, 199#! -n arch ?7, 199#, he RC of &olomolo', So(h Coabao, Branch 9, iss(ed a emporar* resraining order, initall* for seven* seven*"o "o 57?6 ho(rs and s(bse:(en s(bse:(enl* l* e0ended e0ended o "en* "en* 5?%6 da*s, in an -rder -rder daed arch 1, 199#! he emporar* resraining order, in e=ec, direced he partes o resore sa(s :(o ane, hereb* enabling he privae respondens o reass(me he managemen of DARBC! he CDA :(estoned he proprie* of he emporar* resraining order iss(ed b* he RC of &olomolo', So(h Coabao on arch ?7, 199# hro(gh a petton for certorari before he Co(r of Appeals! -n April ?1, 199#, he Co(r of Appeals, iss(ed a emporar* resraining order enoining he RC of &olomolo', So(h Coabao, Branch 9, from enforcing he resraining order "hich he la8er co(r iss(ed on arch ?7, 199#, and ordered ha he proceedings in S& Civil Case .o! ? be held in abe*ance! he Co(r of Appeals hereaEer  hereaEer declared he responden Cooperatve Developmen A(hori* orders in CDAC- case .o! 97%11 daed %# December 1997, 1 December 1997, ?$ 4an(ar* 199#, ?@ >ebr(ar* 199#, % arch 199#, and he Resol(ton daed ?$ a* 199#, n(ll and void and of no legal force and e=ec! >(rher, he respondens are ordered o perpe(all* cease and desis from a'ing an* f(rher proceedings in C DAC- Case .o! 97%11! he CDA led a moton for reconsideraton of he Decision b( i "as denied b* he Co(r of Appeals in is assailed Resol(ton! Fence, he insan petton for revie"! revie"! &ettoner CDA claims ha i is vesed "ih :(asi(dicial a(hori* o ad(dicae cooperatve disp(es in vie" of is po"ers, f(nctons and responsibilites (nder Secton  of Rep(blic Ac .o! $99! he :(asi(dicial na(re of is po"ers and f(nctons "as conrmed b* he Deparmen of 4(stce, hro(gh he hen Actng Secrear* of 4(stce Demerio G! Demeria, in D-4 -pinion -pinion .o! 1%, Series of 199, "hich "as iss(ed in response o o a :(er* of he hen Chairman /dna /! Aberina of he CDA, o "iH

Appl*ing he foregoing, he e0press po"ers of he CDA o cancel certcaes of regisraton of cooperatves for non compliance "ih adminisratve re:(iremens or in cases of vol(nar* dissol(ton (nder Secton 5g6, and o mandae and conciliae disp(es "ihin a cooperatve or be"een cooperatves (nder Secton # of R!A! .o! $99, ma* be deemed :(asi(dicial in na(re! he reason is ha I in he performance of is f(nctons s(ch as cancellaton of certcae of regisraton, i is nece ssar* o esablish noncompliance or violaton of adminisratve re:(iremen! o do so, here arises an indispensable need o hold hearings, investgae or ascerain facs ha possibl* const(e noncompliance or violaton and, based on he facs investgaed or ascerained, i becomes inc(mben (pon he CDA o (se is o+cial discreton "heher or no o cancel a cooperatves certcae of regisraton, h(s, clearl* revealing he :(asi(dicial na(re of he said f(ncton! Jhen he CDA acs as a conciliaor* bod* p(rs(an o Secton # of R!A! .o! $99, i in e=ec performs he f(nctons of an arbiraor! Arbiraors are b* he na(re of heir f(nctons ac in :(asi(dicial capaci* 000! he :(asi(dicial na(re of he foregoing f(nctons is bolsered b* he provisions of Sectons 5o6 of R!A! .o! $99 "hich grans CDA on 5sic6 he e0ercise of oher f(nctons as ma* be necessar* o implemen he provisions of cooperatve la"s, he po"er o s(mmaril* p(nish for direc conemp an* person g(il* of miscond(c in he presence hereof "ho serio(sl* inerr(ps an* hearing or in:(ir* "ih a ne or imprisonmen prescribed herein, a po"er (s(all* graned o ma'e e=ectve he e0ercise of :(asi(dicial f(nctons! he pettoner avers ha "hen an adminisratve agenc* is conferred "ih :(asi(dicial po"ers and f(nctons, s(ch as he CDA, all conroversies relatng o he s(bec ma8er peraining o is speciali3aton are deemed o be covered "ihin he (risdicton of said adminisratve agenc*! he co(rs "ill no inerfere in ma8ers "hich are addressed o he so(nd discreton of governmen agencies enr(sed "ih he reg(laton of actvites (ndera'en (pon heir special echnical 'no"ledge and raining! he privae respondens on he oher hand, conend ha, conrar* o he claim of he pettoner, he po"ers, f(nctons and responsibilites of he CDA sho" ha i "as merel* graned reg(laor* or s(pervisor* po"ers over cooperatves in additon o is a(hori* o mediae and conciliae be"een partes involving he se8lemen of cooperatve disp(es! ISSUE:  Jheher or no he CDA has he a(hori* o ad(dicae cooperatve disp(es RULING: .o!  is a f(ndamenal r(le in sa(or* consr(cton ha "hen he la" spea's in clear and caegorical

lang(age, here is no room for inerpreaton, vacillaton or e:(ivocaton I here is onl* room for applicaton!  can be gleaned from he provisions of R!A! .o! $99 ha he a(hori* of he CDA is o discharge p(rel* adminisratve f(nctons "hich consis of polic*ma'ing, regisraton, scal and echnical assisance o cooperatves and implemenaton of  cooperatve la"s! .o"here in he said la" can i be fo(nd an* e0press gran o he CDA of a(hori* o ad(dicae cooperatve disp(es! A mos, Secton # of he same la" provides ha ;(pon re:(es of eiher or boh partes, he A(hori* shall mediae and conciliae disp(es "ih a cooperatve or be"een cooperatves< ho"ever, "ih a resricton ;ha if no mediaton or conciliaton s(cceeds "ihin hree 56 monhs from re:(es hereof, a certcae of non resol(ton shall be iss(ed b* he commission prior o he ling of appropriae acton before he proper co(rs