Davao City Water District v Arajuez - Digestcrtique

 John Ericson M. Alo

Constitutional Constitutional Law II - Atty Atty.. Edwin Bellen Bellen

Case: Davao City Water District v Arajuez et. al. Details: GR No. 194192, June 16, 21! Ponente: Jose "erez Topics: #ree$o% o& '(eec) * Civil 'ervice Co%%ission

5 Facts: "etitioner Davao City Water Water District +DCWD is a -overn%ento/ne$ an$ controlle$ cor(oration in Davao City Re(resente$ 0y its General ana-er n-r. Ro$ora Ga%0oa +G Ga%0oa

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"rivate res(on$ents Aranjuez Aranjuez et al., are o&&icers an$ %e%0ers o& Na-3a)iusan- a%u%uno sa Davao City Water District +NAADACWAD. )ey /ere c)ar-e$ /it) several a$%inistrative cases $ue to acts co%%itte$ $urin- t)e anniversary cele0ration o& DCWD suc) as /earin- o& ts)irts /it) inscri(tions an$  (ostin- o& 0on$ (a(ers (a(ers outsi$e t)e $esi-nate$ $esi-nate$ (laces. (laces. )e inscri(tions inscri(tions an$ (ostin-s 0ore 0ore e%(loyees5 -rievances. )e sai$ -rievances /as $ue to t)e non(ay%ent o& t)eir Collective Ne-otiation A-ree%ent A-ree%ent +CNA incentives an$ t)eir o((osition to DCWD5s (rivatization. )e inscri(tions state$ CNA 7ncentive 7)ata- Na, Dir. 8ra-anza "a)a/a Na

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Durin- t)e anniversary, asi$e &ro% /earin- s)irts /it) t)e inscri(tions insi$e t)e (re%ises o& t)e DCWD o&&ice $urin- t)e o&&ice )ours. Also, one o& t)e %e%0ers o& t)e 8oar$ o& Directors o& NAADACWAR Gre-orio Ca-ula, /it) )el( o& so%e o& its %e%0ers, attac)e$ si%ilar inscri(tions inscri(tions an$ (osters o& e%(loyees5 -rievances to a (ost in t)e %otor (ool area, an area not a%on- t)e o&&icial $esi-nate$ (laces.

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As a conse:uence o& t)eir action, G Ga%0oa sent a e%oran$u% a$$resse$ to t)e o&&icers an$ %e%0ers o& NAADACWAD, re:uirin- t)e% to e;(lain &or t)e attire t)at t)ey /ore $urin- t)e sai$ event.

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 NAADACWA  NAADACWAD collectively res(on$e$ t)at t)ey t)ey /ere only re:uire$ re:uire$ to /ear any s(orts attire attire $urin- t)e event an$ t)ey just a$$e$ t)e inscri(tions containin- t)e sai$ -rievances. Also, Also, t)ey %ani&este$ t)at it is t)eir constitutional ri-)t o& &ree s(eec) an$ &ree$o% o& e;(ression. DCWD &oun$ a (ri%a &acie case a-ainst t)e res(on$ents, G Ga%0oa &ile$ &or%al a$%inistrative c)ar-es a-ainst t)e res(on$ents.

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A&ter t)e -iven o((ortunity to e;(lain t)rou-) several )earin-s, t)e o&&icers an$ %e%0ers o& t)e  NAADACWA  NAADACWAD /as &oun$ -uilty -uilty as c)ar-e$ /it) (enalties (enalties ran-in- &ro% sus(ension to $is%issal $is%issal &ro% service. )e res(on$ents a((eal 0e&ore t)e C'C 0rin-in- u( t)e violations to t)eir constitutional ri-)ts to asse%0le an$ (etitioner &or re$ress o& -rievances. C'C (artly -rante$ t)e a((eal an$ )el$ t)at t)e collective act o& res(on$ents in /earin- ts)irts /it) -rievance inscri(tions $urin- o&&ice )ours /as not /it)in t)e a0it o& t)e $e&inition o& (ro)i0ite$ %ass action  (unis)%ent since t)ere /as no intent intent to cause /or3 sto((a-e. in reco-nition o& t)e ri-)ts o& t)e -overn%ent e%(loyees to air t)eir -rievances  0alance$ 0y t)e $elivery o& services to t)e (u0lic /)ic) s)oul$ not 0e (reju$ice$. C No. >> sets $o/n rules -overnin- t)e (ostin- o& (osters an$ ot)er si%ilar %aterials /it)in t)e (re%ises o& -overn%ent a-encies as &ollo/s? 1.

All )ea$ o& a-encies are )ere0y $irecte$ to (rovi$e s(eci&ic s(aces /it)in t)eir res(ective (re%ises,  (re&era0ly near t)e 0un$y cloc3, at t)e canteen or (laces nor%ally &re:uente$ 0y e%(loyees, /)ere e%(loyees5 unions@associations coul$ (ost t)eir (osters.

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)e )an-in- o& (osters an$ strea%ers s)all only 0e allo/e$ in t)e $esi-nate$ areas.

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 No (oster, (lacar$, strea%er or ot)er si%ilar %aterials containin- a0usive, vul-ar, $e&a%atory or  li0elous lan-ua-e s)all 0e allo/e$.

"ursuant to t)is %an$ate, t)e &or%er General ana-er o& DCWD issue$ an o&&ice %e%oran$u% $esi-natin- t)e 0ulletin 0oar$ at t)e %otor(ool area 0elo/ t)e =&&ice o& t)e "urc)asin- Division an$ t)e si$e o& t)e o&&ice 0uil$in- 0esi$e t)e -uar$ )ouse /)ere t)e 0un$y cloc3 is locate$ as t)e $esi-nate$ areas &or (ostin- o& -rievances. Clearly, t)e DCWD =&&ice e%oran$u% )e/s close an$ &ait)&ully to C No. >>. 7t is a reasona0le rule issue$ 0y t)e )ea$s o& t)e a-encies in or$er to re-ulate (ostin- o& -rievances o& t)e e%(loyees. 7t is correct to conclu$e t)at t)ose /)o enter -overn%ent service are su0jecte$ to a $i&&erent $e-ree o& li%itation on t)eir &ree$o% to s(ea3 t)eir %in$ )o/ever, it is not tanta%ount to t)e relin:uis)%ent o& t)eir constitutional ri-)t o& e;(ression ot)er/ise enjoye$ 0y citizens just 0y reason o& t)eir e%(loy%ent. Bnar-ua0ly, a citizen /)o acce(ts (u0lic e%(loy%ent %ust acce(t certain li%itations on )is or )er &ree$o%. 8ut t)ere are so%e ri-)ts an$ &ree$o%s so &un$a%ental to li0erty t)at t)ey cannot 0e 0ar-aine$ a/ay in a contract &or (u0lic e%(loy%ent. 7t is t)e Court5s res(onsi0ility to ensure t)at citizens are not $e(rive$ o& t)ese &un$a%ental ri-)ts 0y virtue o& /or3in- &or t)e -overn%ent. )e GSIS case (ronounce$? Govern%ent /or3ers, /)atever t)eir ran3s, )ave as %uc) ri-)t as any (erson in t)e lan$ to voice out t)eir (rotests a-ainst /)at t)ey 0elieve to 0e a violation o& t)eir ri-)ts an$ interests. Civil 'ervice $oes not $e(rive t)e% o& t)eir &ree$o% o& e;(ression. 7t /oul$ 0e un&air to )ol$ t)at 0y  joinin- t)e -overn%ent service, t)e %e%0ers t)ereo& )ave renounce$ or /aive$ t)is 0asic li0erty. )is &ree$o% can 0e reasona0ly re-ulate$ only 0ut can never 0e ta3en a/ay.

7n si%(le (ara()rase /e say, re-ulation o& t)e &ree$o% o& e;(ression is not re%oval o& t)e constitutional ri-)t.

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)us, in line /it) t)e civil service rules an$ juris(ru$ence, /e conclu$e t)at a violation o& an o&&ice %e%oran$u%, /)ic) /as issue$ as an internal rule to re-ulate t)e area &or (ostin- o& -rievances insi$e t)e o&&ice (re%ise, is only a li-)t o&&ense (unis)a0le 0y re(ri%an$. Rules an$ re-ulations are issue$ to attain )ar%ony, s%oot) o(eration, %a;i%ize e&&iciency an$  (ro$uctivity, /it) t)e ulti%ate o0jective o& realizin- t)e &unctions o& (articular o&&ices an$ a-encies o& t)e -overn%ent. Page  As to t)e o&&icers o& NAADACWAR /)o (oste$ outsi$e t)e $esi-nate$ (laces, t)e (enalty o& re(ri%an$ an$ stron- /arnin- t)at a re(etition o& t)e sa%e s)all 0e $ealt /it) severely is )ere0y AFFIRMED. Critique: Wit) re-ar$ to t)e Courts $ecision 0ase$ on t)e la/s (rovi$e$, 7 concur. C'C -ave %uc) /ei-)t in t)e ri-)ts o& t)e e%(loyees, it is t)eir %an$ate 0ase$ on t)e Constitution to (rovi$e security o& tenure to

 John Ericson M. Alo

Constitutional Law II - Atty. Edwin Bellen

t)ese (eo(le. 'uc) &ree$o% o& s(eec) $ue to t)e -rievances o& e%(loyees %ust al/ays 0e res(ecte$.

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