THE OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR GENERAL (OSG), Petitioner, vs. Petitioner, vs. THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS and THE UNICIPAL GO!ERNENT OF SAGUIRAN, LANAO "EL SUR Res#ondents. G.R. No. 199027, $%ne &, '* ,
Doctrine: A++ +oa+ -overn -overnent ent %nits, in in t/e #er0orane #er0orane o0 o0 its #o+itia+ #o+itia+
0%ntions, is an a-en1 o0 t/e Re#%2+i and ats 0or t/e +atter3s 2ene4t. Facts: T/e %nii#a+it1 o0 Sa-%iran 5as naed a res#ondent in a #etition 0or
anda%s 4+ed 5it/ t/e Re-iona+ Tria+ Co%rt (RTC) o0 Lanao de+ S%r 21 t/e 0orer e2ers o0 t/e San--%nian- Ba1an Ba 1an o0 Sa-%iran, nae+1, nae+1, aod P. asoron-, Arosi aoteSa#orna, A+anie A+an ie L. "a+aa, Hassan P. P. Aai67%rot and Cada+a1 S. Rata2an. T/erein #etitioners so%-/t to o#e+ t/e %nii#a+it1 o0 Sa-%iran to #a1 t/e t/e a--re-ate ao%nt o0 8'9,., re#resentint/eir %n#aid terina+ +eave 2ene4ts %nder Setion : o0 t/e Civi+ Servie Coission eorand% Cir%+ar Nos. *, Series o0 &&; and *, Series o0 &&&. T/e %nii#a+it1 o0 Sa-%iran so%-/t t/e tria+ o%rt3s disissa+ o0 t/e #etition t/ro%-/ its !eri4ed Ans5er 5it/ A#+ained t/at t/e #a1ent o0 terina+ +eave 2ene4ts /ad to %nder-o t/e ordinar1 #roess o0 veri4ation, a##rova+ or disa##rova+ 21 %nii#a+ otendi2+e #eriod o0 @ da1s. T/e OSG initia++1 oved 0or a s%s#ension o0 t/e #eriod to 4+e t/e re?%ired eorand%, e>#+ainin- t/at it /ad not reeived an1 do%ent or #+eadin- in onnetion 5it/ t/e ase. It ased 0or a #eriod o0 @ da1s 0ro reei#t o0 s%/ do%ents 5it/in 5/i/ to 4+e t/e re?%ired eorand%. On A#ri+ '@, ', t/e OSG3s otion 5as denied 21 t/e CA on t/e -ro%nd t/at t/e re+ie0 so%-/t 5as not aon- t/e reedies a++o5ed %nder t/e R%+es o0 Co%rt. T/e OSG 5as instead -iven a non6e>tendi2+e #eriod o0 & da1s 0ro notie 5it/in 5/i/ to 4+e t/e eorand%. On A%-%st :, ', t/e OSG 4+ed a ani0estation and otion re?%estin- to 2e e>%sed 0ro 4+in- t/e eorand% on t/e -ro%nd o0 +a o0 +e-a+ a%t/orit1 to re#resent t/e %nii#a+it1 o0 Sa-%iran. It reasoned t/at t/e %nii#a+it1 o0 Sa-%iran /ad to 2e re#resented 21 its +e-a+ o
instr%enta+ities and its o
disretion ao%ntin- to +a or e>ess o0 =%risdition in o#e++in- t/e O
OSG3s #o5ers and 0%ntions are de4ned in t/e Adinistrative Code o0 &;8 (Adinistrative Code), #arti%+ar+1 in Setion @:, Boo I!, Tit+e III, C/a#ter ' t/ereo0, 5/i/ reads Se. @:. Po5ers and F%ntions. T/e Oa#+e, t/e Co%rt r%+ed t/at t/e OSG o%+d not re#resent at an1 sta-e a #%2+i o
Governent o0 Sa-%iran, Lanao de+ S%r, or i0 t/ere is none, t/e Provinia+ Attorne1 Attorne1 o0 t/e Provine Provine o0 Lanao Lanao de+ S%r S%r,, and not t/e O