PHILIPPINE MERCHANT MARINE SCHOOL, INC., represented by JUAN O. NOLASCO III, petitioner, vs. COURT OF APPEALS, THE OFFICE OF O F THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY SECRETARY,, EELMIRO AMANTE, RENATO CORONA, !nd t"e EPARTMENT OF EUCATION, CULTURE AN SPORTS, respondents.
FACTS# PHILIPPINE MERCHANT MARINE SCHOOL, INC. (PMMSI), was estabis!ed in Mania in "#$% "#$% to train train and prod&' prod&'e e 'opet 'opetent ent arine arine oi' oi'ers ers.. It oers oers a two*+e two*+ear ar 'o&rse 'o&rse in Marine Marine Eninee Enineerin rin (A.M. (A.M.E.) E.) and a o&r*+ o&r*+ear ear 'o&rse 'o&rse in Marine Marine Trans Transpor portat tation ion (-.S.M (-.S.M.T .T..). In "#/ "#/ it estabis!ed a bran'! in Taon, Las Pi0as, Metro Mania. -&t we are !ere 'on'erned on+ wit! t!e ain s'!oo in Mania. 1or severa ties prior to "#/$ respondent 2epartent o Ed&'ation, C&t&re and Sports (2ECS) disapproved petitioner3s re4&ests or renewa perit5re'onition. However, on "" Mar'! "#/6 t!e 2ECS iss&ed petitioner a renewa perit or S7 "#/$*"#/6. Later, petitioner appied or a s&er perit or "#/6 w!i'! t!e 2ECS avorab+ indorsed to t!e Minister o Ed&'ation in 'onsideration o t!e rad&atin st&dents or s&er. T!ereater t!e appi'ation was ret&rned to 2ire'tor Modesta -o4&iren o t!e 2ECS or eva&ation and de'ision p&rs&ant to t!e a&t!orit+ deeated to t!e Reions &nder 2epartent Order No. 88, series o "#$. 2ire'tor -o4&iren iss&ed petitioner t!e s&er perit or "#/6 based on t!e previo&s+ stated !&anitarian reason b&t s&b9e't to t!e 'ondition t!at petitioner s!o&d not enro st&dents or t!e irst seester o S7 "#/6*"#/ &nti a perit t!ereor was ranted and t!at t!e enroent ist or t!e s&er ter be s&bitted iediate+. 2esp 2espit ite e a': a': o per perit it,, peti petiti tion oner er 'ont 'ontin in&e &ed d to enro enro st&d st&den ents ts and and oe oerr 'o&r 'o&rse ses s in Marin Marine e Enineerin and Marine Transportation or S7 "#/*"#//. T!is propted t!e 2ECS t!ro&! 2ire'tor Hernando 2i;on to write petitioner on < A&&st "#// dire'tin it not to operate wit!o&t perit and invitin its attention to t!e provisions o t!e Private S'!oo Law $ as reiterated in t!e Ed&'ation A't o "#/8 % w!i'! pro!ibits operation o &na&t!ori;ed s'!oos5'o&rses. S&bse4&ent inspe'tion o petitioner3s preises b+ t!e -&rea& o Hi!er Ed&'ation*2ECS Te'!ni'a Pane Pane or or Mari Mariti tie e Ed&' Ed&'at atio ion n (TPM (TPME) E) o&n o&nd d peti petiti tion oner er dei dei'i 'ien entt in ter ters s o t!e t!e ini ini& & re4&ireents as provided in 2ECS Order No. III, series o "#/, w!i'! reers to t!e poi'ies and standards or Maritie Ed&'ation Pan. In a etter dated "" =&+ "#/# t!e 2ECS t!ro&! Se'retar+ >&is&bin inored petitioner t!at it !ad re'eived reports t!at petitioner enroed res!en or its aritie proras w!i'! were ordered p!ased p!ased o&t ee'ti ee'tive ve S7 "#/#*" "#/#*"##% ##% per etter etter o 2ire't 2ire'tor or Rosas Rosas dated dated 8$ Ma+ "#/#? 'aed 'aed petitioner3s attention to t!e provision o Se'. ", R&e ", Part @, o t!e Ipeentin R&es o t!e Ed&'ation A't o "#/8 w!i'! a:es it p&nis!abe and s&b9e't to penaties t!e operation o a s'!oo t!ro&! t!e 'ond&'t or oerin o Ed&'ationa Proras or Co&rses o St&dies5Trainin, wit!o&t prior overnent a&t!ori;ation and5or in vioation o an+ o t!e ters and 'onditions o said perit or re'onition? dire'ted t!at in a''ordan'e wit! t!e p!ase*o&t order, petitioner3s Mania 'ap&s is aowed to operate on+ t!e 8nd, rd and
re'onsidered sub-silencio and t!at petitioner was aowed to enro "st +ear st&dents or S7 "#/#* "##%? and, t!at it !ad &nderta:en iproveents in a o its a'iities in 'opian'e wit! 2ECS re4&ireents. In t!is reard, it re4&ested anot!er inspe'tion o its preises. A''ordin+, in a etter dated 8$ Septeber "#/# t!e 2ECS t!ro&! Se'retar+ >&is&bin ordered petitioner to dis'ontin&e its Maritie prora in t!e Mania 'ap&s ee'tive s'!oo +ear "##%*"##" and s&ested t!at eorts be ade towards t!e deveopent o PMMS, Las Pi0as, w!i'! !as a reat potentia o bein a ood Maritie S'!oo. S&bse4&ent+, petitioner oved to re'onsider t!e p!ase*o&t order in its etter o 8" Ma+ "##%. Not satisied t!erewit!, petitioner appeaed t!e atter to respondent Oi'e o t!e President. 2&rin t!e penden'+ o t!e appea t!e 2ECS t!r& Se'retar+ Cari0o iss&ed a Cos&re Order dated 8 A&&st "##". In a Letter dated 8< A&&st "##8 petitioner so&!t re'onsideration o t!e 8 A&&st "##" Cos&re Order and at t!e sae tie re4&ested t!at spe'ia orders be iss&ed to its rad&ates or S7 "##"*"##8. On "% Noveber "##8 t!e Oi'e o t!e President t!ro&! respondent Ee'&tive Se'retar+ Edeiro Aante rendered a Reso&tion disissin petitioner3s appea. Petitioner oved or re'onsideration pra+in t!at t!e 'ase be reanded to t!e 2ECS or anot!er o'&ar inspe'tion and eva&ation o its aeed iproved a'iities. T!&s t!e otion was denied in t!e Reso&tion dated "8 =an&ar+ "## t!ro&! respondent Assistant Ee'&tive Se'retar+ Renato Corona. Petitioner assaied bot! reso&tions o t!e Oi'e o t!e President beore respondent Co&rt o Appeas b+ wa+ o certiorari . It aeed t!at t!e reso&tions aied to eet t!e 'onstit&tiona re4&ireent o d&e pro'ess be'a&se t!e basis or airin t!e 2ECS p!ase*o&t and 'os&re orders was not s&i'ient+ dis'osed. 1&rt!erore, its etters dated 8 and O'tober "##8 w!i'! presented in'ontrovertibe proo t!at it !ad introd&'ed s&bstantia iproveents on its a'iities or t!e past two and a !a +ears w!ie its appea was pendin were not ta:en into a''o&nt, t!ereb+ rave+ ab&sin its dis'retion. ISSUE# D!et!er or not t!e respondents 'oitted rave ab&se o dis'retion in orderin p!ase*o&t and 'os&re o petitioner PMMS RULIN NO. T!e Oi'e o t!e President proper+ inored (in t!e sense t!at it did not ind wort!+ o 'onsideration) t!e aeed s&pervenin events, i.e., s&bstantia iproveents on s'!oo e4&ipent and a'iities d&rin t!e penden'+ o t!e 'ase beore said Oi'e be'a&se t!e iproveents s!o&d !ave been &nderta:en startin "#/6. Moreover, t!e p!ase*o&t and 'os&re orders were based not on+ on petitioner3s dei'ien'ies as a aritie instit&te b&t aso on its 'ontin&ed operation wit!o&t t!e re4&isite a&t!ori;ation ro t!e 2ECS and a''eptan'e o res!an st&dents in batant vioation o t!e atter3s orders and5or persistent warnins not to do so. @eri+, t!ere are s&i'ient ro&nds to &p!od t!e p!ase*o&t and 'os&re orders o t!e 2ECS w!i'! were iss&ed 'onorab+ wit! Se'. 8/ o t!e Ed&'ation A't o "#/8. -+ reason o t!e spe'ia :nowede and epertise o adinistrative departents over atters ain &nder t!eir 9&risdi'tion, t!e+ are in a better position to pass 9&dent t!ereon and t!eir indins o a't in t!at reard are enera+ a''orded respe't, i not inait+, b+ t!e 'o&rts. In t!e 'ase at ben'!, it is not t!e &n'tion o t!is Co&rt nor an+ ot!er 'o&rt or t!at atter F . . . to review t!e de'isions and orders o t!e Se'retar+ on t!e iss&e o w!et!er or not an ed&'ationa instit&tion eets t!e nors and standards re4&ired or perission to 2
operate and to 'ontin&e operatin as s&'!. On t!is 4&estion, no Co&rt !as t!e power or preroative to s&bstit&te its opinion or t!at o t!e Se'retar+. Indeed, it is obvio&s+ not epe'ted t!at an+ Co&rt wo&d ! ave t!e 'opeten'e to do so. T!ere bein no rave ab&se o dis'retion 'oitted b+ respondents representin t!e Oi'e o t!e President in iss&in t!e Reso&tions o "% Noveber "##8 and "8 =an&ar+ "##, respondent Co&rt o Appeas did not err in s&stainin t!e reso&tions in 4&estion. DHERE1ORE , t!e petition is 2ENIE2. T!e 4&estioned 2e'ision o t!e Co&rt o Appeas dated 88 =&+ "##, as we as its Reso&tion o 86 Noveber "##, is A11IRME2.
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