THIRD DIVISION
G.R. No. 238191, August 28, 2019
FREDERICK L. SURIAGA, PETITIONER, v. COMMISSIONERS ALICIA DELA ROSA-BALA AND ROBERT S. MARTINEZ, RESPONDENTS.
D E C I S I O N
REYES, J. JR., J.:
Challenged before this Court via this Petition for Review on Certiorari1 under Rule 45 of the Rules of Court is the Decision2 dated November 8, 2017 and the Resolution3 dated March 21, 2018 of the Court of Appeals (CA), in CA-G.R. SP No. 148700, which dismissed petitioner Frederick L. Suriaga's (Suriaga) appeal for lack of merit.
The facts are aptly summarized by the CA.
Suriaga was a Fire Officer I with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), who started working for the latter on July 15, 2003. He claimed that in 2001, when he was first applying with the BFP, he approached Nelson Baguion (Baguion) of the Valenzuela Fire Station (VFS), through a certain FO3 Guevara, for his civil service eligibility, a necessary requirement for his application. Baguion allegedly asked for P25,000.00 in exchange for his civil service eligibility.4
Subsequently, Suriaga requested from the Integrated Records Management Office (IRMO) of the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the authentication of his Subprofessional eligibility, after obtaining a rating of 87.89 in the October 3, 2001 examination. During the verification process, the IRMO noted disparities in Suriaga's physical appearance and the signature appearing in the Picture Seat Plan, accompanied on the examination date, as well as his employee's identification card and driver's license. The IRMO, thus, issued a Memorandum to the Office for Legal Affairs (OLA) of the CSC for appropriate action.5
The OLA directed Suriaga to file an answer and in compliance thereto, Suriaga submitted his Salaysay dated December 4, 2012, wherein he acknowledged the questionable nature of his application, as well as his desire to testify on Baguion's alleged machinations.6 To wit:
3. Na noong ika-28 [ng] Nobyemhre 2012, sa ganap na ika 1:05 ng hapon ay nakausap namin si Atty. Pablo ng Legal Affairs Services CSC, Quezon City at ipinaliwanag ang Career Service Subprofessional Examination held at CSC-CO Quezon City on October 3, 2001 na iba ang litrato at pirma, na inaamin ko ito na nagpatulong ako sa isang too na nalaman ko ang pangalan noong ika-3 ng Disyembre 2012 kagaya ng nakasaad sa ibaba nito:On March 20, 2013, the CSC formally charged Suriaga for Serious Dishonesty, and directed the CSC-National Capital Region (NCR) Branch to conduct the formal investigation of the case. During the preliminary conference, Suriaga submitted his Memorandum reiterating that Baguion took the October 3, 2001 Subprofessional examination on his behalf in consideration of the amount of P25,000.00. The CSC-NCR, thereafter, submitted its Investigation Report recommending the denial of Suriaga's application for failure to comply with the conditions for the grant of immunity from administrative prosecution. The CSC-NCR found that Suriaga failed to adduce sufficient evidence to support his allegations, particularly Baguion's participation in the examination anomaly.8Mr. Nelson Baguion4. Na upang malaman ko kung siya ay nasa himpilan ng Pamatay Sunog ng Valenzuela ay nagtanong ako at wala ang pangalan ni Nelson;
Valenzuela Fire Station
Valenzuela City;
5. Na gusto ko[ng] tumulong bilang testigo sa nangyari sa akin na maling pamamaraan na ginawa ni Nelson Baguion ay tutulong ako ng kumalap ng impormasyon kung saan ang nabanggit na pangalan;
6. Na, umaasa po ako na magkakaroon ng Konsiderasyon ang pag-apela ko ng mga Documento na kagaya ng mga sumusunod:
. . .
7. Na, nais ko pong magpatuloy ng Serbisyo sa Gobyerno higit sa lahat sa himpilan ng Pamatay Sunog ng Lungso[d] ng Las Piñas at ito po ay ipinagdarasal naming mag-asawa at pamilya nawa'y patawarin po ako sa aking nagawa na pagkakamali.7
WHEREFORE, the Motion for Reconsideration of Frederick L. Suriaga, Fire Officer I, Bureau of Fire Protection, Las Piñas City, is hereby DENIED. Accordingly, Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution No. 1600909 dated August 11, 2016 issued by the Commission, which denied his application/request for the Grant of Immunity from Administrative Prosecution, with a directive for the Civil Service Commission National Capital Region to proceed with the formal investigation of Suriaga's administrative case for Serious Dishonesty with dispatch. STANDS.Suriaga then sought recourse with the CA which, likewise, denied his appeal for lack of merit. The CA first found that Suriaga's appeal, which was filed under Rule 43 of the 1997 Rules of Procedure, was the incorrect remedy, as the assailed CSC resolution was not a final judgment, but an interlocutory order.13 Said resolution of the CSC merely denied Suriaga's request for immunity and even explicitly directed the CSC-NCR to proceed with the formal investigation of Suriaga's administrative case for Serious Dishonesty.
Quezon City.12
WHEREFORE, the petition is DENIED for lack of merit.Suriaga's Motion for Reconsideration was dismissed for lack of merit. In this Petition to the Court, Suriaga argues that the CSC was mistaken in denying his request for a grant of immunity for the reason that his imputing of the examination anomaly to Baguion was found to be self-serving and unsubstantiated, and because Suriaga failed to show why he was not the most guilty, both crucial requisites before a request can be considered. For Suriaga, he was clearly able to comply with the requisites to be accorded the protection of the immunity. He points to the narration disclosed in his Salaysay which allegedly shows the participation of Baguion in the irregularity, to wit:
SO ORDERED.19
Ako po si Frederick L. Suriaga nag aapply ako nang bumbero Taon August 2001. Pumunta ako sa Las Piñas Fire Office at nakausap ko si CINSP Leynes at tinignan ang ruga papeles ko at ang kulang daw ay Civil Service ang sabi kumuha muna ako, may nakausap ako si FO3 Guevera na sumama na lang ako sa kanya at may kakausapin kaming tao, nagpunta kami sa Valenzuela at nakausap namin[g] si Mr. Nelson Baguion - naka assigned sa Valenzuela Fire Station at sabi ni Mr. Nelson Baguion siya ang bahala at ikinuha nga kami ni Mr. Nelson Baguion ng Civil Service, naniwala ako na totoo ito kasi yong mga iba ay nung 2001 kasalukuyan ng nasa service at mga opisyal na, tulad nila FO3 Guevara, Imp. Renato Salvador, C[i]nsp Linsangan at Arvin Soriano, pero si Arvin Soriano kasabay k[o]ng pumasok sa Bumbero at kasalukuyang FO2.Suriaga argues that the said disclosure cannot be considered self-serving let alone wanting in evidence, as he had also made mention of several officers (i.e., FO3 Guevarra, Inspector Renato Salvador, Chief Inspector Linsangan, and Arvin Soriano) who had benefited from the alleged modus operandi of Baguion.21 This disclosure, according to Suriaga, is indicative of transparency and truthfulness, bolstered by the high risk that he would face possible retaliation due to his testimony.
Bago kami ikinuha ni Mr. Nelson Baguion hiningan kami ng tag [P]25,000.00 at ID picture tapos signature siya na daw bahala at may kausap na daw sya sa loob. Yong [P]25,000.00 na hiningi niya marami din daw syang bihigyan kasama ang kanyang Boss, at ang sabi niya siya na ang bahala sa akin at sa mga kasama k[o]ng ikinuha niya ng exam sa Civil [S]ervice.20
1. Who may avail of the Immunity?In relation to the above is the CSC-NCR's findings contained in its report in relation to Suriaga's request for the grant of immunity:
x x x x
C) Any public official or employee x x x who, after a prima facie case is found to exist, has been formally charged for having participated or acted in conspiracy with each other in the commission of an examination anomaly and desires to be a witness shall likewise be exempt from administrative prosecution provided that the following circumstances are present:x x x
i. The information or testimony must refer to the commission of examination irregularity constituting the offense of dishonesty or grave misconduct pursuant to Section 52 of the Uniform Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service (now Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service);
ii. The information and testimony are necessary for the proper prosecution of the offense committed by the respondent public official or employee or of any private individual who is in conspiracy with him or her;
iii. Such information and testimony are not yet in the possession of the Civil Service Commission, or any government entity;
iv. Such information and testimony can be substantially corroborated on their material points; and
v. The informant or witness has not been previously convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude or perjury; and
vi. The informant does not appear to be the most guilty.27
In the instant case, however, other than the Salaysay executed by Suriaga on December 4, 2012, there are no other evidence adduced on record that would categorically prove the participation of Baguion in the said examination anomaly. Indeed, it is noted that Suriaga failed to sufficiently convince this Office that Baguion offered the services of taking the October 3, 2001 CSSE for and in behalf of Suriaga, for a fee of Twenty-Five Thousand Pesos (P25,000.00). Clearly, Suriaga's statement of imputing the examination anomaly to Baguion is self-serving and his failure to provide any evidence to support his allegations is evidently wanting.28Suriaga was unable to overcome the burden to show that he was eligible to be granted immunity contrary to the findings of the CSC. Based on our own independent review of the facts, the Court is inclined to agree with the findings of the lower courts.
The decision to grant immunity from prosecution forms a constituent part of the prosecution process. It is essentially a tactical decision to forego prosecution oi' a person for government to achieve a higher objective. It is a deliberate renunciation of the right of the State to prosecute all who appear to be guilty of having committed a crime. Its justification lies in the particular need of the State to obtain the conviction of the more guilty criminals who, otherwise, will probably elude the Jong arm of the law. Whether or not the delicate power should be exercised, who should be extended the privilege, the timing of its grant, are questions addressed solely to the sound judgment of the prosecution. The power to prosecute includes the right to determine who shall be prosecuted and the corollary right to decide whom not to prosecute. In reviewing the exercise of prosecutorial discretion in these areas, the jurisdiction of the respondent court is limited. For the business of a court of justice is to be an impartial tribunal, and not to get involved with the success or failure of the prosecution to prosecute. Every now and then, the prosecution may err in the selection of its strategics, but such errors are not for neutral courts to rectify, any more than courts should correct the blunders of the defense.30 (Citation omitted)WHEREFORE, the petition is DENIED.
| Very truly yours, |
(SGD) MISAEL DOMINGO C. BATTUNG III | |
Deputy Division Clerk of Court |
Endnotes:
1Rollo, pp. 12-35.
2 Penned by Associate Justice Jose C. Reyes, Jr. (now a Member of this Court), with Associate Justices Jane Aurora C. Lantion and Pablito A. Perez, concurring; id. at 37-44.
3 Id. at 46.
4 Id. at 37.
5 Id. at 38.
6 Id.
7 Id.
8 Id. at 38-39.
9 Id. at 39.
10 Id.
11 Id. at 40.
12 Id.
13 Id. at 42.
14 Id.
15 Id.
16 783 Phil. 304, 343 (2016).
17Rollo, p. 43.
18 Id. at 44.
19 Id.
20 Id. at 18.
21 Id. at 19.
22 Id. at 19-20.
23 Id. at 20-24.
24 AN ACT DECLARING AS UNLAWFUL ANY FORM OF CHEATING IN CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS, UNAUTHORIZED USE AND POSSESSION OF CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION (CSC) EXAMINATION-RELATED MATERIALS, AND GRANTING THE CSC EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OVER THESE CASES INCLUDING THOSE COMMITTED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS (Approved on March 25, 2007).
25Rollo, p. 24.
26Barcelona v. Lim, et al., 734 Phil. 766, 793 (2014).
27Rollo, pp. 90-91.
28 Id. at 91.
29 674 Phil. 370 (2011).
30 Id. at 392-393.