4/16/2021
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Again, there is no merit in this argument.
The fact that the said circular is addressed only to a specified group, namely private
employment agencies or authority holders, does not take it away from the ambit of our
ruling in Tañada vs. Tuvera. In the case of Phil. Association of Service Exporters vs.
Torres[29], the administrative circulars questioned therein were addressed to an even
smaller group, namely Philippine and Hong Kong agencies engaged in the recruitment
of workers for Hong Kong, and still the Court ruled therein that, for lack of proper
publication, the said circulars may not be enforced or implemented.
Our pronouncement in Tañada vs. Tuvera is clear and categorical. Administrative rules
and regulations must be published if their purpose is to enforce or implement existing
law pursuant to a valid delegation. The only exceptions are interpretative regulations,
those merely internal in nature, or those so-called letters of instructions issued by
administrative superiors concerning the rules and guidelines to be followed by their
subordinates in the performance of their duties. Administrative Circular No. 2, Series of
1983 has not been shown to fall under any of these exceptions.
In this regard, the Solicitor General's reliance on the case of Yaokasin vs.
Commissioner of Customs[30] is misplaced. In the said case, the validity of certain
Customs Memorandum Orders were upheld despite their lack of publication as they
were addressed to a particular class of persons, the customs collectors, who were also
the subordinates of the Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs. As such, the said
Memorandum Orders clearly fall under one of the exceptions to the publication
requirement, namely those dealing with instructions from an administrative superior to
a subordinate regarding the performance of their duties, a circumstance which does not
obtain in the case at bench.
With respect to the second ground, petitioner would want us to review the findings of
fact of the POEA regarding the two counts of alleged contract substitution. Again, this is
a question of fact which may not be disturbed if the same is supported by substantial
evidence. A reading of the August 29, 1988 Order of the POEA shows that, indeed, the
ruling that petitioner is guilty of two (2) counts of prohibited contract substitution is
supported by substantial evidence. Thus:
"2. As admitted by respondent, there was definitely a contract of
substitution in the first count. The first contract was duly approved by the
Administration and, therefore, the parties are bound by the terms and
condition thereof until its expiration. The mere intention of respondents to
increase the number of hours of work, even if there was a corresponding
increase in wage is clear violation of the contract as approved by the
Administration, and notwithstanding the same, the amendment is evidently
contrary to law, morals, good customs and public policy and hence, must be
shunned (Art. 1306, Civil Code of the Philippines, Book III, Title I, Chapter
1, Article 83, Labor Code of the Philippines, as amended). Moreover, it would
appear that the proposed salary increase corresponding to the increase in
number of work bonus may just have been a ploy as complainant were (sic)
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