356 Phil. 678
PURISIMA, J.:
"xxx Firstly, the provisions of RA #6971 insofar as the coverage is concerned, refer to business enterprises including government owned and/or controlled corporations performing proprietary functions.With the denial of its appeal, petitioner found its way here via the petition in G.R. No. 119597, to seek relief from the aforesaid decision of COA.
Section 1a of the Supplemental Rules Implementing RA #6971 classified such coverage as:
"All business enterprises, with or without existing duly certified labor organizations, including government owned and/or controlled corporations performing proprietary functions which are established solely for business or profit and accordingly excluding those created, maintained or acquired in pursuance of a policy of the State enunciated in the Constitution, or by law and those whose officers and employees are covered by the Civil Service. (underscoring supplied)
The PTrA is a GOCC created in pursuance of a policy of the State. Section 9 of Presidential Decree No. 189 states that "To implement the policies and program of the Department (Dept. of Tourism), there is hereby created a Philippine Tourism Authority, xxx." Likewise, Section 21 of the same decree provides that "All officials and employees of the Authority, xxx, shall be subject to Civil Service Law, rules and regulations, and the coverage of the Wage and Position Classification Office."
Furthermore, although Supplemental Rules and Regulations implementing R.A. #6971 was issued only on December 27, 1991, the law itself is clear that it pertains to private business enterprises whose employees are covered by the Labor Code of the Philippines, as mentioned in the following provisions:
"Section 5. Labor Management Committee. xxx that at the request of any party to the negotiation, the National Wages and Productivity Commission of the Department of Labor and Employment shall provide the necessary studies, xxx."
"Section 8. Notification. - A business enterprise which adopts a productivity incentive program shall submit copies of the same to the National Wages and Productivity Commission and to the Bureau of Internal Revenue for their information and record."
"Section 9. Disputes and Grievances. - Whenever disputes, grievances, or other matters arise from the interpretation or implementation of the productivity incentive program, xxx may seek the assistance of the National Conciliation and Mediation Board of the Department of Labor and Employment for such purpose. xxx"
Therefore, considering the foregoing, the PTrA is within the "exclusion" provision of the Implementing Rules of RA #6971 and so, it (PTrA) does not fall within its coverage as being entitled to the productivity incentive bonus under RA #6971.
Secondly, Administrative Order No. 29 which is the basis for the grant of the productivity incentive bonus/benefits for CY 1992 also expressly provides "prohibiting payments of similar benefits in future years unless duly authorized by the President."
Thirdly, the disallowance of the Auditor, PTrA has already been resolved when this Commission circularized thru COA Memorandum #92-758 dated April 3, 1992 the Supplemental to Rules Implementing RA 6971 otherwise known as the "Productivity Incentives Act of 1990." xxx
Lastly, considering the title of RA #6971, i.e. "An Act to encourage productivity and maintain industrial peace by providing incentives to both labor and capital", and its implementing rules and regulations prepared by the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Finance, this Office concludes that said law/regulation pertains to agencies in the private sector whose employees are covered by the Labor Code."
"SECTION 3. Coverage. This Act shall apply to all business enterprises with or without existing and duly recognized or certified labor organizations, including government-owned and controlled corporations performing proprietary functions. It shall cover all employees and workers including casual, regular, supervisory and managerial employees." (underscoring ours)Pursuant to Section 10[8] of RA 6971, the Secretary of Labor and Secretary of Finance issued Supplemental Rules to Implement the said law, as follows:
"Section 1. - Paragraph (a) Section 1, Rule II of the Rules Implementing RA 6971, shall be amended to read as follows:Petitioner contends that the PTA is a government-owned and controlled corporation performing proprietary function, and therefore the Secretary of Labor and Employment and Secretary of Finance exceeded their authority in issuing the aforestated Supplemental Rules Implementing RA 6971.
Coverage. These Rules shall apply to:
(a) All business enterprises with or without existing duly certified labor organizations, including government-owned and controlled corporations performing proprietary functions which are established solely for business or profit or gain and accordingly excluding those created, maintained or acquired in pursuance of a policy of the state, enunciated in the Constitution or by law, and those whose officers and employees are covered by the Civil Service. (underscoring ours)
x x x"
Its general purposes [11] are:Categorized in light of the foregoing provisions of law in point, PTA’s governmental functions include the first, third, fourth, and sixth of the aforesaid general purposes. The second[13] and fifth general purposes fall under its proprietary functions.
1. To implement the policies and programs of the Department of Tourism ("Department");
2. To develop tourist zones;
3. To assist private enterprises in undertaking tourism projects;
4. To operate and maintain tourist facilities;
5. To assure land availability for private investors in hotels and other tourist facilities;
6. To coordinate all tourism project plans and operations.
Its specific functions and powers[12] are:
1. Planning and development of tourism projects
a. To assist the Department make a comprehensive survey of the physical and natural tourism resources of the Philippines; to establish the order of priority for development of said areas; to recommend to the President the proclamation of a tourist zone; and to define and fix the boundaries of the zone;
b. To formulate a development plan for each zone;
c. To submit to the President through the National Economic and Development Authority for review and approval all development plans before the same are enforced or implemented;
d. To submit to the President an Annual Progress Report;
e. To assist the Department to determine the additional capacity requirements for various tourist facilities and services; to prepare a ten-year Tourism Priorities Plan; to update annually the ten year Tourism Priorities Plan.
f. To gather, collate and analyze statistical data and other pertinent information for the effective implementation of PD 564.
2. Acquisition and disposition of lands and other assets for tourist zone purposes
a. To acquire possession and ownership of all lands transferred to it from other government corporations and institutions and any land having tourism potential and earmarked in the Tourism Priorities Plans for intensive development into a tourist zone or as a part thereof, subject to the approval of the President.
b. To acquire by purchase, by negotiation or by condemnation proceedings any private land within and without the tourist zones for any of the following reasons: (a) consolidation of lands for tourist zone development purposes, (b) prevention of land speculation in areas declared as tourist zones, (c) acquisition of right of way to the zones, (d) protection of water shed areas and natural assets with tourism value, and (e) for any other purpose expressly authorized under PD 564.
c. For the purpose of providing land acquisition assistance to registered tourism enterprises, to sell, subdivide, resell, lease, sublease, rent out, or otherwise, to said registered tourism enterprises under sufficiently soft terms for use specifically in the development of hotels, recreational facilities, and other tourist services.
d. To develop and/or subdivide any land in its name or undertake condominium projects thereon, and sell subdivision lots or condominium units to private persons for investment purposes.
e. To take over or transfer to a registered tourism enterprise in accordance with law any lease on foreshore areas within a tourist zone or adjacent thereto, in cases said areas are not being utilized in accordance with the PTA’s approved zone development plan and wherein the lessee concerned does not agree to conform accordingly.
f. To arrange for the reclamation of any land adjacent to or adjoining a tourist zone in coordination with appropriate government agencies.
3. Infrastructure development for tourist zone purposes
a. To contract, supervise and pay for infrastructure works and civil works within a tourist zone owned and operated by the PTA.
b. To coordinate with appropriate government agencies the development of infrastructure requirements supporting a tourist zone.
c. To take water from any public stream, river, creek, lake, spring, or waterfall and to alter, straighten, obstruct or increase the flow of water in streams.
4. Zone administration and control
a. To formulate and implement zoning regulations.
b. To determine and regulate the enterprises to be established within a tourist zone.
c. To ensure, through the proper authorities concerned, the ecological preservation, maintenance and/or rehabilitation of the common and the public areas within a tourist zone and the environment thereof.
d. To identify and recommend to the President the preservation and/or restoration of national monuments or preserves; to arrange for the preservation and/or restoration of the same with appropriate government agencies or with the private sector or with the owners themselves of said tourist attractions; and to identify and recommend to the appropriate authorities concerned the declaration of tourist areas and attractions as national monuments and preserves.
5. Project and investment promotions
a. To identify, develop, invest in, own, manage and operate such projects as it may deem to be vital for recreation and rest but not sufficiently attractive economically for private investment.
b. To construct hotel buildings and other tourist facilities within a tourist zone and in turn lease such facilities to registered tourism enterprises for operation, management and maintenance.
c. To organize, finance, invest in, manage and operate wholly-owned subsidiary corporations.
6. Direct assistance to registered enterprises
a. To administer the tax and other incentives granted to registered enterprises.
b. To evaluate, approve and register or reject any and all tourism projects or enterprises established within the tourist zones.
c. To grant medium and long-term loans and/or re-lend any funds borrowed for the purpose to duly qualified registered tourism enterprises.
d. To guarantee local and foreign borrowings of registered enterprises.
e. To provide equity investments in the form of cash and/or land.
f. To extend technical, management and financial assistance to tourism projects.
g. To identify, contact and assist in negotiations of suitable partners for both local and foreign investors interested in investment or participation in the tourism industry.
h. To assist registered enterprises and prospective investors to have their papers processed with dispatch by government offices.
7. Other powers and functions
a. To engage or retain the services of financial, management, legal, technical, and/or project consultants from the private or government sector.
b. To have the power to succeed by its corporate name.
c. To adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal.
d. To sue and be sued under its corporate name.
e. To enter into any contracts of any kind and description.
f. To own or possess personal and/or real property.
g. To make, adopt and enforce rules and regulations to execute its powers, duties and functions.
h. To purchase, hold, and alienate shares of stock or bonds of any corporation.
I. To collect fees or charges as may be imposed under PD 564.
j. To contract indebtedness and issue bonds.
k. To fix and collect rentals for the lease, use or occupancy of lands, buildings, or other property owned or administered by PTA.
l. To do any and all acts and things necessary to carry out the purposes for which the PTA is created.
"Chairman Veloso: The intent of including government-owned and controlled corporations within the coverage of the Act is the recognition of the principle that when government goes into business, it (divests) itself of its immunity from suit and goes down to the level of ordinary private enterprises and subjects itself to the ordinary laws of the land just like ordinary private enterprises. Now, when people work therefore in government-owned or controlled corporations, it is as if they are also, just like in the private sector, entitled to all the benefits of all laws that apply to workers in the private sector. In my view, even including the right to organize, bargain...." VELOSO (Bicameral Conference Committee on Labor and Employment, pp. 15-16)After a careful study, the Court is of the view, and so holds, that contrary to petitioner’s interpretation, the government-owned and controlled corporations Mr. Chairman Veloso had in mind were government-owned and controlled corporations incorporated under the general corporation law. This is so because only workers in private corporations and government-owned and controlled corporations, incorporated under the general corporation law, have the right to bargain (collectively). Those in government corporations with special charter, which are subject to Civil Service Laws, have no right to bargain (collectively), except where the terms and conditions of employment are not fixed by law.[15] Their rights and duties are not comparable with those in the private sector.
"Since the terms and conditions of government employment are fixed by law, government workers cannot use the same weapons employed by workers in the private sector to secure concessions from their employers. The principle behind labor unionism in private industry is that industrial peace cannot be secured through compulsion by law. Relations between private employers and their employees rest on an essentially voluntary basis. Subject to the minimum requirements of wage laws and other labor and welfare legislation, the terms and conditions of employment in the unionized private sector are settled through the process of collective bargaining. In government employment, however, it is the legislature and, where properly given delegated power, the administrative heads of government which fix the terms and conditions of employment. And this is effected through statutes or administrative circulars, rules, and regulations, not through collective bargaining agreements." (Alliance of Government Workers v. Minister of Labor and Employment, 124 SCRA 1) (italics ours)Government corporations may be created by special charters or by incorporation under the general corporation law. Those created by special charters are governed by the Civil Service Law while those incorporated under the general corporation law are governed by the Labor Code.[16]
"Government employees may, therefore, through their unions or associations, either petition the Congress for the betterment of the terms and conditions of employment which are within the ambit of legislation or negotiate with the appropriate government agencies for the improvement of those which are not fixed by law. If there be any unresolved grievances, the dispute may be referred to the Public Sector Labor-Management Council for appropriate action. But employees in the civil service may not resort to strikes, walkouts and other temporary work stoppages, like workers in the private sector, to pressure the Government to accede to their demands." (supra, footnote 14, p. 698; italics ours)It is a rule in statutory construction that every part of the statute must be interpreted with reference to the context, i.e., that every part of the statute must be considered together with the other parts, and kept subservient to the general intent of the whole enactment.[23] The provisions of RA 6971, taken together, reveal the legislative intent to include only government-owned and controlled corporations performing proprietary functions within its coverage.
"SECTION 1. - Each department or agency of government, whether national or local, including bureaus and agencies, state colleges and universities, and government owned and controlled corporations with original charters, shall establish its own Department or Agency Employee Suggestions and Incentives Award System in accordance with these Rules and shall submit the same to the Commission for approval." (underscoring ours)It is thus evident that PTA, being a government-owned and controlled corporation with original charter subject to Civil Service Law, Rules and Regulations,[25] is already within the scope of an incentives award system under Section 1, Rule X of the Omnibus Rules Implementing EO 292 issued by the Civil Service Commission ("Commission"). Since government-owned and controlled corporations with original charters do have an incentive award system, Congress enacted a law that would address the same concern of officials and employees of government-owned and controlled corporations incorporated under the general corporation law.
Petitioners contend and argue, that:Issued by the then President Corazon Aquino ("President Aquino") on July 25, 1987 in the exercise of her legislative powers under the 1987 Constitution,[27] EO 292, or the Administrative Code of 1987, provided for the following incentive award system:
I. AO 29 AND AO 268 ARE VIOLATIVE OF THE PROVISIONS OF EO 292 AND, HENCE, NULL AND VOID.
II. AO 29 AND AO 268 UNLAWFULLY USURP THE CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY GRANTED SOLELY TO THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION.
III. THE FORCED REFUND OF INCENTIVE PAY IS AN UNCONSTITUTIONAL IMPAIRMENT OF A CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATION.
IV. ASSUMING, FOR THE SAKE OF ARGUMENT ONLY, THAT THE GRANT OF PRODUCTIVITY INCENTIVE BENEFITS WAS INVALID, THE SAME SHOULD BE THE PERSONAL LIABILITY OF OFFICIALS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE THEREFOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 9 OF AO 268.
"Sec. 31. Career and Personnel Development Plans. - Each department or agency shall prepare a career and personnel development plan which shall be integrated into a national plan by the Commission. Such career and personnel development plans which shall include provisions on merit promotions, performance evaluation, in-service training, including overseas and local scholarships and training grants, job rotation, suggestions and incentive award systems, and such other provisions for employees’ health, welfare, counseling, recreation and similar services."Pursuant to the provision of Section 12(2),[28] Chapter 3, Book V of EO 292, the Commission adopted and prescribed the Omnibus Rules Implementing Book V of EO 292 which, among others, provide:
"Sec. 35. Employee Suggestions and Incentive Award System. - There shall be established a government-wide employee suggestions and incentive awards system which shall be administered under such rules, regulations, and standards as maybe promulgated by the Commission.
In accordance with rules, regulations, and standards promulgated by the Commission, the President or the head of each department or agency is authorized to incur whatever necessary expenses involved in the honorary recognition of subordinate officers and employees of the government who by their suggestions, inventions, superior accomplishment, and other personal efforts contribute to the efficiency, economy, or other improvement of government operations, or who perform such other extraordinary acts or services in the public interest in connection with, or in relation to, their official employment."
"Sec. 36. Personnel Relations. - (1) It shall be the concern of the Commission to provide leadership and assistance in developing employee relations programs in the department or agencies.
(2) Every Secretary or head of agency shall take all proper steps toward the creation of an atmosphere conducive to good supervisor-employee relations and the improvement of employee morale."
"Sec. 1. - Each department or agency of government, whether national or local, including bureaus and agencies, state colleges and universities, and government owned and controlled corporations with original charters, shall establish its own Department or Agency Employee Suggestions and Incentives Award System in accordance with these Rules and shall submit the same to the Commission for approval."On February 21, 1992, President Aquino issued AO 268 which granted “each official and employee of the government the productivity incentive benefits in a maximum amount equivalent to thirty percent (30%) of his one (1) month basic salary but in no case shall such amount be less than two thousand pesos (P2,000.00),"[29] for those who have rendered at least one year of service as of December 31, 1991.[30] Said AO carried the prohibition, provided in Section 7 thereof, which reads:
"Sec. 2. - The System is designed to encourage creativity, innovativeness, efficiency, integrity and productivity in the public service by recognizing and rewarding officials and employees, individually or in groups, for their suggestions, inventions, superior accomplishments, and other personal efforts which contribute to the efficiency, economy, or other improvement in government operations, or for other extraordinary acts of services in the public interest.
x x x "
"Sec. 7. - The incentive awards shall consist of, though not limited to, the following:
x x x
(c) Productivity Incentive which shall be given to an employee or group of employees who has exceeded their targets or has incurred incremental improvement over existing targets."
"SECTION 7. The productivity incentive benefits herein authorized shall be granted only for Calendar Year 1991. Accordingly, all heads of agencies, including the governing boards of government-owned or -controlled corporations and financial institutions, are hereby strictly prohibited from authorizing/granting productivity incentive benefits or other allowances of similar nature for Calendar Year 1992 and future years pending the result of a comprehensive study being undertaken by the Office of the President in coordination with the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Budget and Management on the matter.On January 19, 1993, President Ramos issued AO 29 which granted productivity incentive benefits to government employees in the maximum amount of P1,000.00[31] for the calendar year 1992 but reiterated the proscription under Section 7 of AO 268, thus:
The formulation of the necessary implementing guidelines for Executive Order No. 486 dated 8 November 1991 establishing a performance-based incentive system for government-owned or -controlled corporations shall likewise be included in the comprehensive study referred to in the preceding paragraph."
"SECTION 2. The prohibition prescribed under Section 7 of Administrative Order No. 268 is hereby reiterated. Accordingly, all heads of government offices/agencies, including government-owned and/or controlled corporations, as well as their respective governing boards are hereby enjoined and prohibited from authorizing/granting Productivity Incentive Benefits or any and all similar forms of allowances/benefits without prior approval and authorization via Administrative Order by the Office of the President. Henceforth, anyone found violating any of the mandates in this Order, including all officials/employees and the COA Auditor-in-Charge of such government office/agency found to have taken part thereof, shall be accordingly and severely dealt with in accordance with the applicable provisions of existing penal laws.Petitioners theorize that AO 29 and AO 268 violate EO 292 and since the latter is a law, it prevails over executive issuances. Petitioners likewise assert that AO 29 and AO 268 encroach upon the constitutional authority of the Civil Service Commission to adopt measures to strengthen the merit and rewards system and to promulgate rules, regulations and standards governing the incentive awards system of the civil service.
Consequently, all administrative authorizations to grant any form of allowances/benefits and all forms of additional compensation usually paid outside of the prescribed basic salary under R.A. No. 6758, the Salary Standardization Law, that are inconsistent with the legislated policy on the matter or are not covered by any legislative action are hereby revoked.
The implementation of Executive Order No. 486 dated November 8, 1991, as amended by Executive Order No. 518 dated May 29, 1992, is hereby deferred until a more comprehensive and equitable scheme for the grant of the benefits that can be applied government-wide is formulated by the Department of Budget and Management."
"The Civil Service Commission, as the central personnel agency of the Government, shall establish a career service and adopt measures to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, progressiveness, and courtesy in the civil service. It shall strengthen the merit and rewards system, integrate all human resources development programs for all levels and ranks, and institutionalize a management climate conducive to public accountability. It shall submit to the President and the Congress an annual report on its personnel programs." (Section 3, Article IX, B, 1987 Constitution)The Commission handles personnel matters of the government. As the central personnel agency of the Government, it is tasked to formulate and establish a system of incentives and rewards for officials and employees in the public sector, alike.
"SEC. 1. Declaration of Policy. -- The State shall insure and promote the Constitutional mandate that appointments in the Civil Service shall be made only according to merit and fitness; that the Civil Service Commission, as the central personnel agency of the Government shall establish a career service, adopt measures to promote morale, efficiency, integrity, responsiveness, and courtesy in the civil service, strengthen the merit and rewards system, integrate all human resources development programs for all levels and ranks, and institutionalize a management climate conducive to public accountability; that public office is a public trust and public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people; and that personnel functions shall be decentralized, delegating the corresponding authority to the departments, offices and agencies where such functions can be effectively performed." (Section 1, Chapter I, Subtitle A, Title I, EO 292) (underscoring ours)Specifically, implementation of the Employee Suggestions and Incentive Award System has been decentralized to the President or to the head of each department or agency --
"Sec. 35. Employee Suggestions and Incentive Award System. - There shall be established a government-wide employee suggestions and incentive awards system which shall be administered under such rules, regulations, and standards as maybe promulgated by the Commission.The President is the head of the government. Governmental power and authority are exercised and implemented through him. His power includes the control over executive departments --
In accordance with rules, regulations, and standards promulgated by the Commission, the President or the head of each department or agency is authorized to incur whatever necessary expenses involved in the honorary recognition of subordinate officers and employees of the government who by their suggestions, inventions, superior accomplishment, and other personal efforts contribute to the efficiency, economy, or other improvement of government operations, or who perform such other extraordinary acts or services in the public interest in connection with, or in relation to, their official employment." (EO 292) (underscoring ours)
"The president shall have control of all the executive departments, bureaus, and offices. He shall ensure that the laws be faithfully executed." (Section 17, Article VII, 1987 Constitution)Control means "the power of an officer to alter or modify or set aside what a subordinate officer had done in the performance of his duties and to substitute the judgment of the former for that of the latter."[32] It has been held that "[t]he President can, by virtue of his power of control, review, modify, alter or nullify any action, or decision, of his subordinate in the executive departments, bureaus, or offices under him. He can exercise this power motu proprio without need of any appeal from any party."[33]
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 268The President issued subject Administrative Orders to regulate the grant of productivity incentive benefits and to prevent discontentment, dissatisfaction and demoralization among government personnel by committing limited resources of government for the equal payment of incentives and awards. The President was only exercising his power of control by modifying the acts of the respondents who granted incentive benefits to their employees without appropriate clearance from the Office of the President, thereby resulting in the uneven distribution of government resources. In the view of the President, respondents did a mistake which had to be corrected. In so acting, the President exercised a constitutionally-protected prerogative --
" x x x
WHEREAS, the productivity incentive benefits granted by the different agencies are of varying amounts, causing dissension/demoralization on the part of those who had received less and those who have not yet received any such benefit, thereby defeating the purpose for which the same should be granted; and
WHEREAS, there exists the need to regulate the grant of the productivity incentive benefits or other similar allowances in conformity with the policy on standardization of compensation pursuant to Republic Act No. 6758;
x x x."
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 29
"x x x
WHEREAS, the faithful implementation of statutes, including the Administrative Code of 1987 and all laws governing all forms of additional compensation and personnel benefits is a Constitutional prerogative vested in the President of the Philippines under Section 17, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution;
WHEREAS, the Constitutional prerogative includes the determination of the rates, the timing and schedule of payment, and final authority to commit limited resources of government for the payment of personnel incentives, cash awards, productivity bonus, and other forms of additional compensation and fringe benefits;
WHEREAS, some government agencies have overlooked said Constitutional prerogative and have unilaterally granted to their respective officials and employees incentive awards;
WHEREAS, the Office of the President issued Administrative Order No. 268, dated February 21, 1992, strictly prohibiting the grant of Productivity Incentive Bonus or other allowances of similar nature for Calendar Year 1992 and future years pending the issuance of the requisite authorization by the President;
WHEREAS, notwithstanding said prohibition some government offices/agencies and government-owned and/or controlled corporations and financial institutions have granted productivity incentive benefits in varying nomenclature and amounts without the proper authorization/coordination with the Office of the President;
WHEREAS, the unilateral and uncoordinated grant of productivity incentive benefits gave rise to discontentment, dissatisfaction and demoralization among government personnel who have received less or have not received at all such benefits;
x x x."
"The President’s duty to execute the law is of constitutional origin. So, too, is his control of all executive departments. Thus it is, that department heads are men of his confidence. His is the power to appoint them; his, too, is the privilege to dismiss them at pleasure. Naturally, he controls and directs their acts. Implicit then is his authority to go over, confirm, modify or reverse the action taken by his department secretaries. In this context, it may not be said that the President cannot rule on the correctness of a decision of a department secretary." (Lacson-Magallanes Co., Inc. v. Paño, 21 SCRA 898)Neither can it be said that the President encroached upon the authority of the Commission on Civil Service to grant benefits to government personnel. AO 29 and AO 268 did not revoke the privilege of employees to receive incentive benefits. The same merely regulated the grant and amount thereof.
"Sec. 35. Employee Suggestions and Incentive Award System. - There shall be established a government-wide employee suggestions and incentive awards system which shall be administered under such rules, regulations, and standards as maybe promulgated by the Commission.Conformably, it is "the President or the head of each department or agency who is authorized to incur the necessary expenses involved in the honorary recognition of subordinate officers and employees of the government." It is not the duty of the Commission to fix the amount of the incentives. Such function belongs to the President or his duly empowered alter ego.
In accordance with rules, regulations, and standards promulgated by the Commission, the President or the head of each department or agency is authorized to incur whatever necessary expenses involved in the honorary recognition of subordinate officers and employees of the government who by their suggestions, inventions, superior accomplishment, and other personal efforts contribute to the efficiency, economy, or other improvement of government operations, or who perform such other extraordinary acts or services in the public interest in connection with, or in relation to, their official employment." (Chapter 5, Subtitle A, Book V) (underscoring ours)
"As envisioned in the Constitution, the fiscal autonomy enjoyed by the Judiciary, the Civil Service Commission, the Commission on Audit, the Commission on Elections, and the Office of the Ombudsman contemplates a guarantee of full flexibility to allocate and utilize their resources with the wisdom and dispatch that their needs require. It recognizes the power and authority to levy, assess and collect fees, fix rates of compensation not exceeding the highest rates authorized by law for compensation and pay plans of the government and allocate and disburse such sums as may be provided by law or prescribed by them in the course of the discharge of their functions.Untenable is petitioners’ contention that the herein respondents be held personally liable for the refund in question. Absent a showing of bad faith or malice, public officers are not personally liable for damages resulting from the performance of official duties.[36]
"Fiscal autonomy means freedom from outside control. If the Supreme Court says it needs 100 typewriters but DBM rules we need only 10 typewriters and sends its recommendations to Congress without even informing us, the autonomy given by the Constitution becomes an empty and illusory platitude.
"The Judiciary, the Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman must have the independence and flexibility needed in the discharge of their constitutional duties. The imposition of restrictions and constraints on the manner the independent constitutional offices allocate and utilize the funds appropriated for their operations is anathema to fiscal autonomy and violative not only of the express mandate of the Constitution but especially as regards the Supreme Court, of the independence and separation of powers upon which the entire fabric of our constitutional system is based. In the interest of comity and cooperation, the Supreme Court, Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman have so far limited their objections to constant reminders. We now agree with the petitioners that this grant of autonomy should cease to be a meaningless provision."