CASE DIGEST FOR LEGAL EDUCATION MESIA.pdf

CASE DIGEST FOR LEGAL EDUCATION IN EPM

1. MIRIAM COLLEGE FOUNDATION, INC.
V. COURT OF APPEALS, G.R. NO.
127930, [DECEMBER 15, 2000]
CASE NO. 1
DISCUSSANT: MESIA, GERMIL

2. FACTS:
•ThemembersoftheeditorialboardoftheMiriamCollegeFoundation’sschool
paperweresubjectedtodisciplinarysanctionbytheCollegeDiscipline
CommitteeafterlettersofcomplaintwerefiledbeforetheBoardfollowingthe
publicationoftheschoolpaperthatcontainsobscene,vulgar,andsexually
explicitcontents.Priortothedisciplinarysanctiontothedefendants,theywere
requiredtosubmitawrittenstatementtoanswerthecomplaintsagainstthemto
theDisciplineCommitteebutthedefendants,insteadofdoingsowrotetothe
CommitteetotransferthecasetotheDECSwhichtheyallegedtohavethe
jurisdictionovertheissue.Pushingthroughwiththeinvestigationexpartethe
Committeefoundthedefendantsguiltyandimposeduponthemdisciplinary
sanctions.Defendantsfiledbeforethecourtforprohibitionwithpreliminary
injunctiononsaiddecisionoftheCommitteequestioningthejurisdictionofsaid
DisciplineBoardoverthedefendants.
•Exparte=donewithrespecttoorintheinterestsofonesideonlyorofaninterestedoutsideparty.

3. ISSUE:
•the petitioner has the power to discipline
and dismiss the students.

4. RULING: YES.
•Section5(2),ArticleXIVoftheConstitutionguaranteesallinstitutionsofhigher
learningacademicfreedom.Thisinstitutionalacademicfreedomincludestheright
oftheschoolorcollegetodecideforitself,itsaimsandobjectives,andhowbestto
attainthemfreefromoutsidecoercionorinterferencesavepossiblywhenthe
overridingpublicwelfarecallsforsomerestraint.Theessentialfreedoms
subsumedintheterm“academicfreedom”encompassesthefreedomtodetermine
foritselfonacademicgrounds:(1)Whomayteach,(2)Whatmaybetaught,(3)
Howitshallbetaught,and(4)Whomaybeadmittedtostudy.Therightofthe
schooltodisciplineitsstudentsisatonceapparentinthethirdfreedom,i.e.,“how
itshallbetaught.”Aschoolcertainlycannotfunctioninanatmosphereofanarchy.

5. •Thus,therecanbenodoubtthattheestablishmentofan
educationalinstitutionrequiresrulesandregulationsnecessaryfor
themaintenanceofanorderlyeducationalprogramandthecreation
ofaneducationalenvironmentconducivetolearning.Suchrules
andregulationsareequallynecessaryfortheprotectionofthe
students,faculty,andproperty.Moreover,theschoolhasaninterest
inteachingthestudentdiscipline,anecessary,ifnotindispensable,
valueinanyfieldoflearning.Byinstillingdiscipline,theschool
teachesdiscipline.

6. •Accordingly,therighttodisciplinethestudentlikewisefindsbasisinthe
freedom“whattoteach.”Incidentally,theschoolnotonlyhastherightbut
thedutytodevelopdisciplineinitsstudents.TheConstitutionnoless
imposessuchduty.[Alleducationalinstitutions]shallinculcatepatriotism
andnationalism,fosterloveofhumanity,respectforhumanrights,
appreciationoftheroleofnationalheroesinthehistoricaldevelopmentof
thecountry,teachtherightsanddutiesofcitizenship,strengthenethical
andspiritualvalues,developmoralcharacterandpersonaldiscipline,
encouragecriticalandcreativethinking,broadenscientificand
technologicalknowledge,andpromotevocationalefficiency.

7. •Section4(1),ArticleXIVoftheConstitutionrecognizestheState’s
powertoregulateeducationalinstitution:TheStaterecognizesthe
complementaryrolesofpublicandprivateinstitutionsinthe
educationalsystemandshallexercisereasonablesupervisionand
regulationofalleducationalinstitutions.Asmaybegleanedfrom
theaboveprovision,suchpowertoregulateissubjecttothe
requirementofreasonableness.Moreover,theConstitutionallows
merelytheregulationandsupervisionofeducationalinstitutions,not
thedeprivationoftheirrights.

8. •Campus journalism act (republic act no. 7079);
section 7 thereof construed to mean that the school
cannot suspend or expel a student solely on the
basis of the articles he or she has written,
exceptwhen such articles materially disrupts class
work or involve substantial disorder or invasion of
the rights of others.

9. •Thepoweroftheschooltoinvestigateisanadjunctofitspowerto
suspendorexpel.Itisanecessarycorollarytotheenforcementof
rulesandregulationsandthemaintenanceofasafeandorderly
educationalenvironmentconducivetolearning.Thatpower,like
thepowertosuspendorexpel,isaninherentpartoftheacademic
freedomofinstitutionsofhigherlearningguaranteedbythe
Constitution.WethereforerulethatMiriamCollegehasthe
authoritytohearanddecidethecasesfiledagainstrespondent
students.
•https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2000/dec2000/gr_127930_2000.html

10. CASE 2:
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, Petitioners vs.
RIZAL TEACHERS KILUSANG BAYAN FOR CREDIT INC.,
represented by TOMAS L. ODULLO, Respondents

11. FACTS:
•Forthebenefitofpublicschoolteachers,TheDepartmentofEducation
(“DepEd”)devisedandimplementedapayrolldeductionschemefortheloans
theysecuredfromDepEd’sdulyaccreditedprivatelenders.RizalTeachers
KilusangBayanforCredit,Inc.(“RTKBCI”)wasamongDepEd'saccredited
privatelenderswhichavailedofthelatter'spayrolldeductionscheme.However
onJuly4,2001,DepEdUndersecretaryPangandirectedthatthesalary
deductionschemeforRTKBCIbesuspendedpendingresolutionoftheteachers’
numerous complaintsagainstRTKBCI’sallegedunauthorizedexcessive
deductionsandconnivancewithsomeDepEd’spersonnel.

12. •RTKBCIthenfiledapetitionformandamusbeforetheRTCtocompelDepEd
toremittoRTKBCItheloancollectionsandcontinuewiththesalarydeduction
schemepursuanttoitsstandingarrangementtoavailofthepayrolldeduction
schemeunderCodes209and219.Thetrialcourtgrantedthewritof
mandamusprayedforandorderedDepEdtoreleasetoRTKBCIthecollections.
TheCourtofAppealsaffirmedtheallegedclearlegalrightofRTKBCItoreceive
thepaymentswhichDepEdhadalreadycollectedthroughthepayrolldeduction
scheme.ButtheSupremeCourtreversedthisholdingthattherewasno
practice,continuedorotherwise,thatwouldestablishandvalidatesuchclear
legaldutyandclearlegalright.

13. ISSUE:
•WhetherornotDepEdcanbecompelledbyRTKBCIthroughthe
WritofMandamus .
•
•*The Writ of Mandamusis a judicial remedy to compel an entity to perform an
act which that entity is required to do under the law.

15. RULING:
•Thepetitionforthewritofmandamus tocompel
DepEdtocollectandremitonRTKBCI’sbehalfloan
paymentsfrompublicschoolteachersisdenied.For
thewritofmandamustoprosper,theapplicantmustprove
bypreponderanceofevidencethat“thereisaclearlegal
dutyimposedupontheofficeortheofficersoughttobe
compelledtoperformanact,andwhenthepartyseeking
mandamus hasaclearlegalrighttotheperformanceof
suchact.”xxx

16. •Continuedpracticeindomesticlegalmattersdoesnotrisetothe
levelofalegalobligation.ThefirstsentenceofArticle7ofthe
CivilCodestates,"lawsarerepealedonlybysubsequentones,
andtheirviolationornon-observanceshallnotbeexcusedby
disuse,orcustomorpracticetothecontrary."Therecanbeno
clearlegaldutyandclearlegalrightwheretodosowould
compelDepEdtoviolateitspower,duties,andfunctionsunder
Section7ofRA9155,specificallytowardtheprotectionand
promotionoftheteachers'welfare.Inthelattercase,no
practice,continuedorotherwise,wouldestablishandvalidate
suchclearlegaldutyandclearlegalright.

18. •RTKBCIhasfailedtoshowthatDepEd'sallegedpractice
ofactingasacollectorandremitterofloanpaymentson
itsbehalfwasgeneralandconsistent,muchless,that
DepEddidsoasasenseoflegalobligation.DepEd,onthe
contrary,hasbeenadamantthatitactedascollectorand
remitteronlybywayofaccommodationandprivilege.
•ACCORDINGLY ,thepetitionforreviewoncertiorariis
GRANTED.AndtheComplaintforMandamus and
DamagesDISMISSED .
•https://chanrobles.com/cralaw/2019julydecisions.php?id=592