Case Digest (G.R. No. 110193)
Facts:
The Regional Director, Region VII of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS), Marcelo Balcaso, Nuevas Montes and Generoso Capuyan v. The Hon. Court of Appeals, Hon. Jesus L. Tabilon, et al., G.R. No. 110193, January 27, 1994, Supreme Court Third Division, Vitug, J., writing for the Court.Beginning 19 September 1990 and ending 21 September 1990, a group of public school teachers in Negros Oriental, including the private respondents here, staged a mass action (strike) to press for release of their salaries from the Department of Budget. In response, Regional Director Teofilo Gomez of the DECS issued a return-to-work order and warned that administrative charges would follow if teachers did not resume classes; when the teachers did not comply, administrative complaints were filed and an investigating panel composed of three DECS lawyers (the current petitioners among them) was constituted to conduct hearings.
Before the DECS hearings commenced, the teachers filed in the Regional Trial Court (RTC), Branch 42, Dumaguete City, a complaint for injunction, prohibition and damages with a prayer for preliminary injunction. On 26 March 1991 the RTC issued a writ of preliminary injunction restraining further administrative action. The DECS-investigators filed an answer and a motion to dismiss in the RTC; on 24 June 1991 the RTC denied the motion to dismiss, ruled it had jurisdiction and set the case for pre-trial.
The petitioners sought relief from this Court via a petition for certiorari, prohibition and mandamus filed 25 July 1991 (docketed G.R. No. 100781), which this Court, by resolution dated 5 August 1991, referred to the Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals, in a decision penned by Justice Justo Torres, Jr. (concurred in by Justices Reynato Puno and Pacita Canizares-Nye), promulgated 6 May 1993 and denied the petition. The present petition to the Supreme Court alleges grave abuse of discretion by the Court of Appeals in denying the petition and challenges the RTC’s denial of the motion to dismiss and its issuance of the preliminary injunction...(Pro-only)
Issues:
- Did the Court of Appeals commit grave abuse of discretion in denying the petition and thereby effectively upholding the RTC’s denial of the motion to dismiss Civil Case No. 9884?
- Was the RTC’s issuance of the writ of preliminary injunction restraining continuation of the DECS administrative investigation proper?
- Should the RTC continue hearings in Civil Case No. 9884 pending the outcome of the DECS administrative proceedings, or should court action be suspe...(Pro-only)
Ruling:
- (Pro-only)
Ratio:
- (Pro-only)
Doctrine:
- (Pro-only)