Right to Information (2010)

8/10/2019 Right to Information (2010)

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Republic of the Philippines

Supreme Court

Manila

FIRST DIVISION

HAZEL MA. C. ANTOLIN, G.R. No. 16506

Petitioner,

- versus -

A!ELARDO T. DOMONDON,

"OSE A. GANGAN, #$%

VIOLETA ". "OSEF,

Respondents.

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x

HAZEL MA. C. ANTOLIN G.R. No. 1&5&05Petitioner,

Present:

CORONA, C.J., Chairperson,

- versus - VEA!CO, "R.,

EONAR#O-#E CA!$RO,

#E CA!$%O, and

PERE&,JJ.

ANTONIETA FORT'NA(I!E, Pro'ul(ate):

Respondent. "ul* +,

x - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - x


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D E C I S I O N

DEL CASTILLO,J.)

Exa'inations have a t/o-fol) purpose. 0irst, the* are su''ative1 exa'inationsare inten)e) to assess an) recor) /hat an) ho/ 'uch the stu)ents have learne). !econ),

an) perhaps 'ore i'portantl*, the* are for'ative1 exa'inations are inten)e) to be part

an) parcel of the learnin( process. %n a perfect s*ste', the* are tools for learnin(. %n

vie/ of the pe)a(o(ical aspect of national exa'inations, the nee) for all parties to full*

ventilate their respective positions, an) the vie/ that (overn'ent transactions can onl* be

i'prove) b* public scrutin*, /e re'an) these cases to the trial court for further

procee)in(s.

Factual Antecedents

Petitioner too2 the accountanc* licensure exa'inations 3the Certifie) Public

Accountant 4CPA5 6oar) Exa's7 con)ucte) b* the 6oar) of Accountanc* 3the 6oar)7 in

October 889.45 $he exa'ination results /ere release) on October 8, 8891 out of

1 [1] The examination questions were of the multiple choice type, where each questionwas followed by four possible answers to choose from. The examinee was required to


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,;hen the

results /ere release), she receive) failin( (ra)es in four out of the seven sub?ects.45

!ub?ect Petitioner@s ra)e

$heor* of Accounts + B

6usiness a/ B

Mana(e'ent !ervices 8 B

Au)itin( $heor*


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Actin( Chair'an #o'on)on )enie) petitioner@s reuest on t/o (roun)s: first,

that !ection D, Article %%% of the Rules an) Re(ulations overnin( the Re(ulation an)

Practice of Professionals, as a'en)e) b* Professional Re(ulation Co''ission 3PRC7

Resolution No. DD, series of 88;, onl* per'itte) access to the petitioner@s ans/er sheet

3/hich she ha) been sho/n previousl*7, an) that reconsi)eration of her exa'ination

result /as onl* proper un)er the (roun)s state) therein:

!ec. D An exa'inee shall be allo/e) to have access or to (o over hisher testpapers or ans/er sheets on a )ate not later than thirt* 3D7 )a*s fro' the official release

of the results of the exa'ination. >ithin ten 37 )a*s fro' such )ate, heshe 'a* filehisher reuest for reconsi)eration of ratin(s. Reconsi)eration of ratin( shall be effecte)onl* on (roun)s of 'echanical error in the (ra)in( of hisher testpapers or ans/er sheets,

or 'alfeasance.45

!econ), Actin( Chair'an #o'on)on clarifie) that the 6oar) /as preclu)e) fro'

releasin( the Exa'ination Papers 3other than petitioner@s ans/er sheet7 b* !ection ,

Article %V of PRC Resolution No. DD


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D. that have been (iven in the exa'ination except if the test ban2 for the

sub?ect has on )eposit at least t/o thousan) 3,7 uestions.9495

After a further exchan(e of correspon)ence,


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On 0ebruar* +, 88rit of Preli'inar* Man)ator* %n?unction, an) ar(ue), inter alia, that petitioner /as not

entitle) to the relief sou(ht, that the respon)ents )i) not have the )ut* to furnish

petitioner /ith copies of the Exa'ination Papers, an) that petitioner ha) other plain,

spee)*, a)euate re'e)* in the or)inar* course of la/, na'el*, recourse to the PRC.

45 Respon)ents also file) their Ans/er /ith Co'pulsor* Counterclai' in the 'ain

case, /hich as2e) that the Petition for Man)a'us /ith #a'a(es be )is'isse) for lac2 of

'erit on the follo/in( (roun)s: 37 petitioner faile) to exhaust a)'inistrative re'e)ies1

37 the petition state) no cause of action because there /as no 'inisterial )ut* to release

the infor'ation )e'an)e)1 an) 3D7 the constitutional ri(ht to infor'ation on 'atters of

public concern is sub?ect to li'itations provi)e) b* la/, inclu)in( !ection , Article %V,

of PRC Resolution No. DD


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%f onl* to un)erscore the fact that she /as not as2in( for a re-chec2in( of her

exa', the follo/in( pra*er for relief /as )elete) fro' the A'en)e) Petition: Gan), if

/arrante), to issue to her a certificate of re(istration as a CPA.H

On "une D, 88rit of Preli'inar* Man)ator* %n?unction 3not the'ain case7, rulin( that the 'atter ha) beco'e 'oot since petitioner passe) the Ma* CPA

icensure 88< Exa'ination an) ha) alrea)* ta2en her oath as a CPA.


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=n)aunte), petitioner sou(ht an) obtaine) leave to file a Second A'en)e)

Petition for Man)a'us /ith #a'a(es8485 /here she finall* i'plea)e) the PRC as

respon)ent an) inclu)e) the follo/in( plea in her pra*er:

>IERE0ORE, petitioner respectfull* pra*s that:

x x x x

. "u)('ent be issue) F

3a7 co''an)in( respon)ents to (ive petitioner all )ocu'ents an) other

'aterials as /oul) enable her to )eter'ine /hether respon)ents fairl* a)'inistere) thesa'e exa'inations an) correctl* (ra)e) petitioner@s perfor'ance therein #$%, *+

#rr#$te%, to m#-e te #ppropr*#te re/**o$ o$ te reut o+ er e2#m*$#t*o$.

3E'phasis ours7

On "une , , the trial court )is'isse) the petition on the (roun) that the

petition ha) alrea)* beco'e 'oot, since petitioner 'ana(e) to pass the 88< CPA 6oar)

exa'inations.45 Petitioner sou(ht reconsi)eration45 /hich /as (rante) b* the

trial court in its O'nibus Or)er45 )ate) Nove'ber , . $he O'nibus Or)er

provi)es in part:

1 [1] *d. at 1&'/1&.' ['] *d. at )+/): penned by 5udge #eynaldo ". #os.1 [1] *d. at 1&/%. ;n 3ugust +, '', pri;pposition: id. at )-/-1. 9etitioner =led her #eply, id. at -/-.[] *d. at /)'.


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On the 'otion for reconsi)eration file) b* the petitioner, the Court is incline) to

reconsi)er its Or)er )is'issin( the petition. $he Court a(rees /ith the petitioner that the

passin( of the petitioner in the subseuent CPA exa'ination )i) not ren)er the petition'oot an) aca)e'ic because the relief Gan) if /arrante), to issue to her a certificate of

re(istration as Certifie) Public AccountantH /as )elete) fro' the ori(inal petition. As

re(ar) the issue of /hether the petitioner has the constitutional ri(ht to have access to theuestione) )ocu'ents, the Court /oul) /ant first the parties to a))uce evi)ence before it

can resolve the issue so that it can 'a2e a co'plete )eter'ination of the ri(hts of the

parties.

$he Court /oul) also /ant the Professional Re(ulation Co''ission to (ive its

si)e of the case the 'o'ent it is i'plea)e) as a respon)ent in the !econ) A'en)e)

Petition for Man)a'us file) b* the petitioner /hich this Court is incline) to (rant.

As to the Motion for Conservator* Measures file) b* the petitioner, the Court

)enies the sa'e. %t is clear that the PRC has in custo)* the )ocu'ents bein( reueste)

b* the petitioner. %t has also an a)euate facilit* to preserve an) safe(uar) the)ocu'ents. $o be sure that the uestione) )ocu'ents are preserve) an) safe(uar)e), the

Court /ill or)er the PRC to preserve an) safe(uar) the )ocu'ents an) 'a2e the'available an*ti'e the Court or petitioner nee)s the'.

>IERE0ORE, the Or)er of this Court )ate) "une , is reconsi)ere) an)set asi)e. $he Professional Re(ulation Co''ission is or)ere) to preserve an) safe(uar)

the follo/in( )ocu'ents:

a7 Juestionnaire in each of the seven sub?ects co'prisin( theAccountanc* Exa'ination of October, 8891

b7 Petitioner@s Ans/er !heets1 an)

c7 Ans/er 2e*s to the uestionnaires.

!O OR#ERE#.D4D5

Respon)ents file) a 'otion for reconsi)eration /hich /as )enie).;4;5

Proceedings before the Court of Appeals

)[)] *d. at )'.-[-] *d. at )).


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$he R$C #ecisions le) to the filin( of three separate petitions for certioraribefore

the Court of Appeals 3CA7:

3a7 CA-R !P No. 9;8


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0ebruar* , ;,45 that 3i7 !ection , Article %V of PRC Resolution No. DD

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