ECOND DIVISION

[G.R. No. 136374. February 9, 2000.]

FRANCISCA S. BALUYOT, petitioner, vs. PAUL E. HOLGANZA

and the OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN (VISAYAS)
represented by its Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas
ARTURO C. MOJICA, Director VIRGINIA PALANCA-
SANTIAGO, and Graft Investigation Officer I ANNA MARIE P.
MILITANTE, respondents.

Lord M. Marapao for petitioner.

The Solicitor General for respondents.

SYNOPSIS

Petitioner Francisca Baluyot, Chapter Administrator of the Philippine National

Red Cross (PNRC), Bohol Chapter, was held accountable for a cash shortage of
P154,350.13 which was discovered during a spot audit conducted by a team of
auditors from the National Headquarters. A complaint for malversation under
Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code before the Office of the Ombudsman
(Visayas) was filed by private respondent Paul Holganza in his capacity as a
member of the board of directors of the Bohol Chapter. Petitioner filed her
counter-affidavit and motion to dismiss, raising principally the defense that public
respondent Office of the Ombudsman had no jurisdiction over the controversy
since the PNRC is allegedly a private voluntary organization and not a
government-owned and controlled corporation. Petitioner's motion to dismiss the
complaint was denied by the Ombudsman. Her motion for reconsideration was
likewise denied. Hence, the present petition. Petitioner raised the same argument
she had in her counter-affidavit.
The Supreme Court, in denying the petition, cited the case of Camporedondo vs.
National Labor Relations Commission, et al., where an almost identical set of
facts was obtained. In that cited case, the Court resolved that the PNRC is a
government-owned and controlled corporation with an original charter
under Republic Act No. 95. With that previous holding, the Court held that public
respondent Office of the Ombudsman has jurisdiction over the matter, pursuant
to Section 13 of Republic Act No. 6770, otherwise known as the "Ombudsman
Act of 1989." Said provision vests the Ombudsman and his Deputies power to act
on complaints in any form or manner against officers and employees of the
government, including government-owned and controlled corporations such as
the PNRC.

SYLLABUS

POLITICAL LAW; ACCOUNTABILITY OF PUBLIC OFFICERS; OFFICE OF THE

OMBUDSMAN; HAS JURISDICTION OVER COMPLAINTS FILED AGAINST
ANY OFFICIAL OR EMPLOYEE OF THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL RED CROSS
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6770, OTHERWISE
KNOWN AS "THE OMBUDSMAN ACT OF 1989." — Practically the same issue
was addressed in Camporedondo v. National Labor Relations Commission, et
al., where an almost identical set of facts obtained. Petitioner therein was the
administrator of the Surigao del Norte chapter of the PNRC. An audit conducted
by a field auditor revealed a shortage in the chapter funds in the sum of
P109,000.00. When required to restitute the amount of P135,927.78, petitioner
therein instead applied for early retirement, which was denied by the Secretary
General of the PNRC. Subsequently, the petitioner filed a complaint for illegal
dismissal and damages against PNRC before the National Labor Relations
Commission. In turn, PNRC moved to dismiss the complaint on the ground of
lack of jurisdiction, averring that PNRC was a government corporation whose
employees are embraced by civil service regulation. The labor arbiter dismissed
the complaint, and the Commission sustained his order. The petitioner assailed
the dismissal of his complaint via a petition for certiorari, contending that the
PNRC is a private organization and not a government-owned or controlled
corporation. In dismissing the petition, we ruled thus: "Resolving the issue set out
in the opening paragraph of this opinion, we rule that the Philippine National Red
Cross (PNRC) is a government owned and controlled corporation, with an
original charter under Republic Act No. 95, as amended. The test to determine
whether a corporation is government owned or controlled, or private in nature is
simple. Is it created by its own charter for the exercise of a public function, or by
incorporation under the general corporation law? Those with special charters are
government corporations subject to its provisions, and its employees are under
the jurisdiction of the Civil Service Commission, and are compulsory members of
the Government Service Insurance System. The PNRC was not "impliedly
converted to a private corporation" simply because its charter was amended to
vest in it the authority to secure loans, be exempted from payment of all duties,
taxes, fees and other charges of all kinds on all importations and purchases for
its exclusive use, on donations for its disaster relief work and other services and
in its benefits and fund raising drives, and be allotted one lottery draw a year by
the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office for the support of its disaster relief
operation in addition to its existing lottery draws for blood program." Clearly then,
public respondent has jurisdiction over the matter, pursuant to Section 13,
of Republic Act No. 6770, otherwise known as "The Ombudsman Act of 1989," to
wit: "SEC. 13. Mandate. — The Ombudsman and his Deputies, as protectors of
the people, shall act promptly on complaints filed in any form or manner against
officers or employees of the Government, or of any subdivision, agency or
instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled
corporations, and enforce their administrative, civil and criminal liability in ever
case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the
Government to the people." caTIDE

DECISION

DE LEON, JR., J : p

Before us is a special civil action for certiorari, seeking the reversal of the Orders
dated August 21, 1998 and October 28, 1998 issued by the Office of the
Ombudsman, which denied petitioner's motion to dismiss and motion for
reconsideration, respectively. llcd

The facts are:

During a spot audit conducted on March 21, 1977 by a team of auditors from the
Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) headquarters, a cash shortage of
P154,350.13 was discovered in the funds of its Bohol chapter. The chapter
administrator, petitioner Francisca S. Baluyot, was held accountable for the
shortage. Thereafter, on January 8, 1998, private respondent Paul E. Holganza,
in his capacity as a member of the board of directors of the Bohol chapter, filed
an affidavit-complaint 1 before the Office of the Ombudsman charging petitioner
of malversation under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code. The complaint was
docketed as OMB-VIS-CRIM-98-0022. However, upon recommendation by
respondent Anna Marie P. Militante, Graft Investigation Officer I, an
administrative docket for dishonesty was also opened against petitioner; hence,
OMB-VIS-ADM-98-0063. 2
On February 6, 1998, public respondent issued an Order 3 requiring petitioner to
file her counter-affidavit to the charges of malversation and dishonesty within ten
days from notice, with a warning that her failure to comply would be construed as
a waiver on her part to refute the charges, and that the case would be resolved
based on the evidence on record. On March 14, 1998, petitioner filed her
counter-affidavit, 4 raising principally the defense that public respondent had no
jurisdiction over the controversy. She argued that the Ombudsman had authority
only over government-owned or controlled corporations, which the PNRC was
not, or so she claimed.
On August 21, 1998, public respondent issued the first assailed Order 5 denying
petitioner's motion to dismiss. It further scheduled a clarificatory hearing on the
criminal aspect of the complaint and a preliminary conference on its
administrative aspect on September 2, 1998. Petitioner received the order on
August 26, 1998 and she filed a motion for reconsideration 6 the next day. cdasia

On October 28, 1998, public respondent issued the second assailed

Order 7 denying petitioner's motion for reconsideration. Hence, this recourse.
We dismiss the petition.
Petitioner contends that the Ombudsman has no jurisdiction over the subject
matter of the controversy since the PNRC is allegedly a private voluntary
organization. The following circumstances, she insists, are indicative of the
private character of the organization: (1) the PNRC does not receive any
budgetary support from the government, and that all money given to it by the
latter and its instrumentalities become private funds of the organization; (2) funds
for the payment of personnel's salaries and other emoluments come from yearly
fund campaigns, private contributions and rentals from its properties; and (3) it is
not audited by the Commission on Audit. Petitioner states that the PNRC falls
under the International Federation of Red Cross, a Switzerland-based
organization, and that the power to discipline employees accused of misconduct,
malfeasance, or immorality belongs to the PNRC Secretary General by virtue of
Section "G", Article IX of its by-laws. 8 She threatens that "to classify the PNRC
as a government-owned or controlled corporation would create a dangerous
precedent as it would lose its neutrality, independence and impartiality . . ." 9
Practically the same issue was addressed in Camporedondo v. National Labor
Relations Commission, et al., 10 where an almost identical set of facts obtained.
Petitioner therein was the administrator of the Surigao del Norte chapter of the
PNRC. An audit conducted by a field auditor revealed a shortage in the chapter
funds in the sum of P109,000.00. When required to restitute the amount of
P135,927.78, petitioner therein instead applied for early retirement, which was
denied by the Secretary General of the PNRC. Subsequently, the petitioner filed
a complaint for illegal dismissal and damages against PNRC before the National
Labor Relations Commission. In turn, PNRC moved to dismiss the complaint on
the ground of lack of jurisdiction, averring that PNRC was a government
corporation whose employees are embraced by civil service regulation. The labor
arbiter dismissed the complaint, and the Commission sustained his order. The
petitioner assailed the dismissal of his complaint via a petition for certiorari,
contending that the PNRC is a private organization and not a government-owned
or controlled corporation. In dismissing the petition, we ruled thus:
 "Resolving the issue set out in the opening paragraph of this opinion, we
rule that the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) is a government
owned and controlled corporation, with an original charter
under Republic Act No. 95, as amended. The test to determine whether
a corporation is government owned or controlled, or private in nature is
simple. Is it created by its own charter for the exercise of a public
function, or by incorporation under the general corporation law? Those
with special charters are government corporations subject to its
provisions, and its employees are under the jurisdiction of the Civil
Service Commission, and are compulsory members of the Government
Service Insurance System. The PNRC was not "impliedly converted to a
private corporation" simply because its charter was amended to vest in it
the authority to secure loans, be exempted from payment of all duties,
taxes, fees and other charges of all kinds on all importations and
purchases for its exclusive use, on donations for its disaster relief work
and other services and in its benefits and fund raising drives, and be
allotted one lottery draw a year by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes
Office for the support of its disaster relief operation in addition to its
existing lottery draws for blood program."dctai

Clearly then, public respondent has jurisdiction over the matter, pursuant to
Section 13, of Republic Act No. 6770, otherwise known as "The Ombudsman Act
of 1989", to wit:
"SECTION 13. Mandate. — The Ombudsman and his Deputies, as
protectors of the people, shall act promptly on complaints filed in any
form or manner against officers or employees of the Government, or of
any subdivision, agency or instrumentality
thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations, and
enforce their administrative, civil and criminal liability in every case
where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the
Government to the people." 11
WHEREFORE, the petition for certiorari is hereby DISMISSED. Costs against
petitioner.
SO ORDERED.
Quisumbing and Buena, JJ., concur.
Bellosillo and Mendoza, JJ., took no part due to relation to a party.
||| (Baluyot v. Holganza, G.R. No. 136374, [February 9, 2000], 382 PHIL 131-137)