THIRD DIVISION
G.R. No. 197561, April 07, 2014
COCA-COLA BOTTLERS PHILIPPINES, INC., Petitioner, v. CITY OF MANILA; LIBERTY M. TOLEDO, IN HER CAPACITY AS OFFICER-IN-CHARGE (OIC), TREASURER OF THE CITY OF MANILA; JOSEPH SANTIAGO, IN HIS CAPACITY AS OIC, CHIEF LICENSE DIVISION OF THE CITY OF MANILA; REYNALDO MONTALBO, IN HIS CAPACITY AS CITY AUDITOR OF THE CITY OF MANILA, Respondents.
D E C I S I O N
PERALTA, J.:
WHEREFORE, premises considered, judgment is hereby rendered ordering defendants to either refund or credit the tax assessed under Section 21 of the Revenue Code of Manila and paid for by plaintiff on the first quarter of year 2000 in the amount of P3,036,887.33.
The defendants City of Manila, etc. are enjoined from collecting the tax from plaintiff Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils., Inc. under Section 21 of the Revenue Code of Manila. The counterclaims [sic] of respondents is hereby DENIED for lack of merit.
Accordingly, the Injunction bond posted by petitioner is hereby CANCELLED.
SO ORDERED.4
WHEREFORE, the Court DENIES the petition. The Court AFFIRMS the 09 April 2003 and 28 February 2005 Resolutions of the Court of Appeals in CA-G.R. CV No. 74517.
SO ORDERED.7
NOW THEREFORE, you are hereby commanded to cause the execution of the aforesaid judgment, including payment in full of your lawful fees for the service of this writ.11
Finding the motion to be prejudicial to the defendants, if implemented, and considering that the projects of the City will be hampered, the same is hereby GRANTED.
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the Motion to Quash the Writ of Execution is hereby GRANTED.
SO ORDERED.14
ARTICLE 286. Claim for Refund or Tax Credit. — All taxpayers entitled to a refund or tax credit provided in this Rule shall file with the local treasurer a claim in writing duly supported by evidence of payment (e.g., official receipts, tax clearance, and such other proof evidencing overpayment) within two (2) years from payment of the tax, fee, or charge. No case or proceeding shall be entertained in any court without this claim in writing, and after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of payment of such tax, fee, or charge, or from the date the taxpayer is entitled to a refund or tax credit.
The tax credit granted a taxpayer shall not be refundable in cash but shall only be applied to future tax obligations of the same taxpayer for the same business. If a taxpayer has paid in full the tax due for the entire year and he shall have no other tax obligation payable to the LGU concerned during the year, his tax credits, if any, shall be applied in full during the first quarter of the next calendar year on the tax due from him for the same business of said calendar year.
Any unapplied balance of the tax credit shall be refunded in cash in the event that he terminates operation of the business involved within the locality.21
It is difficult to see by what process of ratiocination petitioner insists on the literal interpretation of the word "automatic." Such literal interpretation has been discussed and precluded by the respondent court in its decision of 23 December 1991 where, as aforestated, it ruled that "once a taxpayer opts for either a refund or the automatic tax credit scheme, and signified his option in accordance with the regulation, this does not ipso facto confer on him the right to avail of the same immediately. An investigation, as a matter of procedure, is necessary to enable the Commissioner to determine the correctness of the petitioner's returns, and the tax amount to be credited.
Prior approval by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue of the tax credit under then section 86 (now section 69) of the Tax Code would appear to be the most reasonable interpretation to be given to said section. An opportunity must be given the internal revenue branch of the government to investigate and confirm the veracity of the claims of the taxpayer. The absolute freedom that petitioner seeks to automatically credit tax payments against tax liabilities for a succeeding taxable year, can easily give rise to confusion and abuse, depriving the government of authority and control over the manner by which the taxpayers credit and offset their tax liabilities, not to mention the resultant loss of revenue to the government under such a scheme.26
Endnotes:
1 Penned by Judge Amor A. Reyes; Annexes "A" and “B” to Petition, respectively, rollo, pp. 24-25.
2 Annex “C” to Petition, id. at 26-30.
3 Section 21. – Tax on Businesses Subject to the Excise, Value-Added or Percentage Taxes under the NIRC. – On any of the following businesses and articles of commerce subject to excise, value-added or percentage taxes under the National Internal Revenue Code hereinafter referred to as NIRC, as amended, a tax of FIFTY PERCENT (50%) of ONE PERCENT (1%) per annum on the gross sales or receipts of the preceding calendar year is hereby imposed:chanRoblesvirtualLawlibrary(A) On persons who sell goods and services in the course of trade or business; and those who import goods whether for business or otherwise; as provided for in Sections 100 to 103 of the NIRC as administered and determined by the Bureau of Internal Revenue pursuant to the pertinent provisions of the said Code.cralawred4Rollo, p. 30.
x x x x
(D) Excisable goods subject to VAT(1) Distilled spiritsx x x x
(2) Wines(8) Coal and cokex x x x
(9) Fermented liquor, brewers’ wholesale price, excluding the ad valorem tax
PROVIDED, that all registered businesses in the City of Manila that are already paying the aforementioned tax shall be exempted from payment thereof.
5Id. at 6.
6Id. at 6-7.
7Id. at 31.
8 Annex “D” to Petition, id. at 31-32.
9Rollo, p. 7.
10 Annex “E” to Petition, id. at 33.
11 Annex “F” to Petition, id. at 34. (Emphasis in the original)
12Rollo, p. 8.
13 Annex “A” to Petition, id. at 24.
14Id.
15 The pertinent provision of Administrative Circular No. 10-2000 provides that:chanroblesvirtuallawlibrary
In order to prevent possible circumvention of the rules and procedures of the Commission on Audit, judges are hereby enjoined to observe utmost caution, prudence and judiciousness in the issuance of writs of execution to satisfy money judgments against government agencies and local government units.
Judges should bear in mind that in Commissioner of Public Highways v. San Diego (31 SCRA 617, 625 [1970]), this Court explicitly stated:The universal rule that where the State gives its consent to be sued by private parties either by general or special law, it may limit claimant's action “only up to the completion of proceedings anterior to the stage of execution” and that the power of the Court ends when the judgment is rendered, since government funds and properties may not be seized under writs of execution or garnishment to satisfy such judgments, is based on obvious considerations of public policy. Disbursements of public funds must be covered by the corresponding appropriation as required by law. The functions and public services rendered by the State cannot be allowed to be paralyzed or disrupted by the diversion of public funds from their legitimate and specific objects, as appropriated by law.16 Annex “B” to Petition, rollo, p. 25.
Moreover, it is settled jurisprudence that upon determination of State liability, the prosecution, enforcement or satisfaction thereof must still be pursued in accordance with the rules and procedures laid down in P. D. No. 1445, otherwise known as the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines (Department of Agriculture v. NLRC, 227 SCRA 693, 701-02 [1993] citing Republic vs. Villasor, 54 SCRA 84 [1973]). All money claims against the Government must first be filed with the Commission on Audit which must act upon it within sixty days. Rejection of the claim will authorize the claimant to elevate the matter to the Supreme Court on certiorari and, in effect, sue the State thereby (P. D. 1445, Sections 49-50).
However, notwithstanding the rule that government properties are not subject to levy and execution unless otherwise provided for by statute (Republic v. Palacio, 23 SCRA 899 [1968]; Commissioner of Public Highways v. San Diego, supra) or municipal ordinance (Municipality of Makati v. Court of Appeals, 190 SCRA 206 [1990]), the Court has, in various instances, distinguished between government funds and properties for public use and those not held for public use. Thus, in Viuda de Tan Toco v. Municipal Council of Iloilo (49 Phil. 52 [1926]), the Court ruled that "[w]here property of a municipal or other public corporation is sought to be subjected to execution to satisfy judgments recovered against such corporation, the question as to whether such property is leviable or not is to be determined by the usage and purposes for which it is held." The following can be culled from Viuda de Tan Toco v. Municipal Council of Iloilo:1. Properties held for public uses - and generally everything held for governmental purposes - are not subject to levy and sale under execution against such corporation. The same rule applies to funds in the hands of a public officer and taxes due to a municipal corporation.
2. Where a municipal corporation owns in its proprietary capacity, as distinguished from its public or governmental capacity, property not used or used for a public purpose but for quasi-private purposes, it is the general rule that such property may be seized and sold under execution against the corporation.
3. Property held for public purposes is not subject to execution merely because it is temporarily used for private purposes. If the public use is wholly abandoned, such property becomes subject to execution.
17Rollo, pp. 8-9. (Underscoring and emphasis omitted)
18 Supra note 2.
19Philam Asset Management, Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 514 Phil. 147, 157 (2005).
20 Id.
21Emphasis supplied.
22Rollo, p. 13.
23 Sec. 9. Execution of judgments for money, how enforced. -
(a) Immediate payment on demand. - The officer shall enforce an execution of a judgment for money by demanding from the judgment obligor the immediate payment of the full amount stated in the writ of execution and all lawful fees. The judgment obligor shall pay in cash, certified bank check payable to the judgment obligee, or any other form of payment acceptable to the latter, the amount of the judgment debt under proper receipt directly to the judgment oblige or his authorized representative if present at the time of payment. The lawful fees shall be handed under proper receipt to the executing sheriff who shall turn over the said amounts within the same day to the clerk of court of the court that issued the writ.
If the judgment obligee or his authorized representative is not present to receive payment, the judgment obligor shall deliver the aforesaid payment to the executing sheriff. The latter shall turn over all the amounts coming into his possesssion within the same day to the clerk of court of the court that issued the writ, or if the same is not practicable, deposit said amounts to a fiduciary account in the nearest government depository bank of the Regional Trial Court of the locality.
The clerk of court shall thereafter arrange for the remittance of the deposit to the account of the court that issued the writ whose clerk of court shall then deliver said payment to the judgment obligee in satisfaction of the judgment. The excess, if any, shall be delivered to the judgment obligor while the lawful fees shall be retained by the clerk of court for disposition as provided by law. In no case shall the executing sheriff demand that any payment by check be made payable to him.
(b) Satisfaction by levy. - If the judgment obligor cannot pay all or part of the obligation in cash, certified bank check or other mode of payment acceptable to the judgment obligee, the officer shall levy upon the properties of the judgment obligor of every kind and nature whatsoever which may be disposed of for value and not otherwise exempt from execution giving the latter the option to immediately choose which property or part thereof may be levied upon, sufficient to satisfy the judgment. If the judgment obligor does not exercise the option, the officer shall first levy on the personal properties, if any, and then on the real properties if the personal properties are insufficient to answer for the judgment.
The sheriff shall sell only a sufficient portion of the personal or real property of the judgment obligor which has been levied upon.
When there is more property of the judgment obligor than is sufficient to satisfy the judgment and lawful fees, he must sell only so much of the personal or real property as is sufficient to satisfy the judgment and lawful fees.
Real property, stocks, shares, debts, credits, and other personal property, or any interest in either real or persoanl property, may be levied upon in like manner and with like effect as under a writ of attachment.
(c) Garnishment of debts and credits. - The officer may levy on debts due the judgment obligor and other credits, including bank deposits, financial interests, royalties, commissions and other personal property not capable of manual delivery in the posssession or control of third parties. Levy shall be made by serving notice upon the person owing such debts or having in his possession or control such credits to which the judgment obligor is entitled. The garnishment shall cover only such amount as will satisfy the judgment and all lawful fees.
The garnishee shall make a written report to the court within five (5) days from service of the notice of garnishment stating whether or not the judgment obligor has sufficient funds or credits to satisfy the amount of the judgment. If not, the report shall state how much funds or credits the garnishee holds for the judgment obligor. The garnished amount in cash, or certified bank check issued in the name of the judgment obligee, shall be delivered directly to the judgment obligee within ten (10) working days from service of notice on said garnishing requiring such delivery, except the lawful fees which shall be paid directly to the court.
In the event there are two or more garnishees holding deposits or credits sufficient to satisfy the judgment, the judgment obligor, if available, shall have the right to indicate the garnishee or garnishees who shall be required to deliver the amount due; otherwise, the choice shall be made by the judgment obligee.
The executing sheriff shall observe the same procedure under paragraph (a) with respect to delivery of payment to the judgment obligee.
24 Section 11. Execution of special judgments. - When a judgment requires the performance of any act other than those mentioned in the two preceding sections, a certified copy of the judgment shall be attached to the writ of execution and shall be served by the officer upon the party against whom the same is rendered, or upon any other person required thereby, or by law, to obey the same, and such party or person may be punished for contempt if he disobeys such judgment.
25 G.R. No. 103379, November 23, 1993, 228 SCRA 135.
26 San Carlos Milling Co., Inc. v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, supra, at 140-141. (Emphasis in the original)
27 Comment dated February 20, 2012, rollo, p. 73.
28Rollo, pp. 14-15.
29 Id. at 74.
30 Supra note 15.