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VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 363

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

*
G.R. No. 147402. January 14, 2004.

ENGR. RANULFO C. FELICIANO, in his capacity as

General Manager of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District
(LMWD), Tacloban City, petitioner, vs. COMMISSION ON
AUDIT, Chairman CELSO D. GANGAN, Commissioners
RAUL C. FLORES and EMMANUEL M. DALMAN, and
Regional Director of COA Region VIII, respondents.

Commission on Audit; Jurisdiction; The COA’s audit

jurisdiction extends not only to government “agencies or
instrumentalities,” but also to “government­owned and controlled
corporations with original charters as well as “other government­
owned or controlled corporations” without original charters.—The
Constitution and existing laws mandate COA to audit all
government agencies, including government­owned and controlled
corporations (“GOCCs”) with original charters. An LWD is a
GOCC with an original charter. x x x The COA’s audit jurisdiction
extends not only to government “agencies or instrumentalities,”
but also to “government­owned and controlled corporations with
original charters” as well as “other government­owned or
controlled corporations” without original charters.
Same; Same; The determining factor of COA’s audit
jurisdiction is government ownership or control of the corporation.
—The determining factor of COA’s audit jurisdiction is
governmentownership or control of the corporation. In Philippine
Veterans Bank Employees Union­NUBE v. Philippine Veterans
Bank, the Court even ruled that the criterion of ownership and
control is more important than the issue of original charter.

_______________

* EN BANC.

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364 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

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Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

Corporation Law; Congress cannot enact a law creating a

private corporation with a special charter; Since private
corporations cannot have special charters, it follows that Congress
can create corporations with special charters only if such
corporations are government­owned or controlled.—In short,
Congress cannot enact a law creating a private corporation with a
special charter. Such legislation would be unconstitutional.
Private corporations may exist only under a general law. If the
corporation is private, it must necessarily exist under a general
law. Stated differently, only corporations created under a general
law can qualify as private corporations. Under existing laws, that
general law is the Corporation Code, except that the Cooperative
Code governs the incorporation of cooperatives. The Constitution
authorizes Congress to create government­owned or controlled
corporations through special charters. Since private corporations
cannot have special charters, it follows that Congress can create
corporations with special charters only if such corporations are
government­owned or controlled.
Same; Local Water Districts; Local Water Districts (LWDs) are
not private corporations because they are not created under the
Corporation Code.—Obviously, LWDs are not private corporations
because they are not created under the Corporation Code. LWDs
are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Section 14 of the Corporation Code states that “[A]ll corporations
organized under this code shall file with the Securities and
Exchange Commission articles of incorporation x x x.” LWDs have
no articles of incorporation, no incorporators and no stockholders
or members. There are no stockholders or members to elect the
board directors of LWDs as in the case of all corporations
registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The
local mayor or the provincial governor appoints the directors of
LWDs for a fixed term of office.
Same; Same; LWDs can validly exist only if they are
government­owned or controlled.—LWDs exist by virtue of PD
198, which constitutes their special charter. Since under the
Constitution only government­owned or controlled corporations
may have special charters, LWDs can validly exist only if they are
government­owned or controlled. To claim that LWDs are private
corporations with a special charter is to admit that their existence
is constitutionally infirm.
Same; Same; LWDs derive their legal existence and power
from PD 198.—Unlike private corporations, which derive their

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legal existence and power from the Corporation Code, LWDs

derive their legal existence and power from PD 198.
Same; Same; The Sangguniang Bayan may establish a
waterworks system only in accordance with the provisions of PD
198.—The Sangguniang Bayan may establish a waterworks
system only in accordance with

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VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 365

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

the provisions of PD 198. The Sangguniang Bayan has no power

to create a corporate entity that will operate its waterworks
system. However, the Sangguniang Bayan may avail of existing
enabling laws, like PD 198, to form and incorporate a water
district, Besides, even assuming for the sake of argument that the
Sangguniang Bayan has the power to create corporations, the
LWDs would remain government­owned or controlled
corporations subject to COA’s audit jurisdiction. The resolution of
the Sangguniang Bayan would constitute an LWD’s special
charter, making the LWD a goyernment­owned and controlled
corporation with an original charter.
Same; Same; The board directors and other personnel of
LWDs are government employees subject to civil service laws and
anti­graft laws.—The government owns and controls LWDs. The
government organizes LWDs in accordance with a specific law,
PD 198. There is no private party involved as co­owner in the
creation of an LWD. Just prior to the creation of LWDs, the
national or local government owns and controls all their assets.
The government controls LWDs because under PD 198 the
municipal or city mayor, or the provincial governor, appoints all
the board directors of an LWD for a fixed term of six years. The
board directors of LWDs are not co­owners of the LWDs. LWDs
have no private stockholders or members. The board directors and
other personnel of LWDs are government employees subject to
civil service laws and anti­graft laws.

SPECIAL CIVIL ACTION in the Supreme Court.

Certiorari.

The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.

     Nathanille P. Roa for petitioner.
     The Solicitor General for respondents.

CARPIO, J.:
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The Case
1
This is a petition for certiorari to annul the Commission on
Audit’s (“COA”) Resolution dated 3 January 2000 and the
Decision dated 30 January 2001 denying the Motion for
Reconsideration. The COA denied petitioner Ranulfo C.
Feliciano’s request for COA to cease all audit services, and
to stop charging auditing fees, to Leyte Metropolitan Water
District (“LMWD”). The COA also de­

_______________

1 Under Rule 64 of the 1997 Revised Rules of Court.

366

366 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

nied petitioner’s request for COA to refund all auditing fees

previously paid by LMWD.

Antecedent Facts

A Special Audit Team from COA Regional Office No. VIII

audited the accounts of LMWD. Subsequently, LMWD
received a letter from COA dated 19 July 1999 requesting
payment of auditing fees. As General Manager of LMWD,
petitioner sent a reply dated 12 October 1999 informing
COA’s Regional Director that the water district could not
pay the auditing fees. Petitioner cited as basis for his
action2 Sections 6 and 20 of Presidential Decree 198 (“PD
198”), as well as Section 18 of Republic Act No. 6758 (“RA
6758”). The Regional Director referred petitioner’s reply to
the COA Chairman on 18 October 1999.
On 19 October 1999, petitioner wrote COA through the
Regional Director asking for refund of all auditing fees
LMWD previously paid to COA.
On 16 March 2000, petitioner received COA Chairman
Celso D. Gangan’s Resolution dated 3 January 2000
denying his requests. Petitioner filed a motion for
reconsideration on 31 March 2000, which COA denied on
30 January 2001.
On 13 March 2001, petitioner filed this instant petition.
Attached to the petition were resolutions of the Visayas
Association of Water Districts (VAWD) and the Philippine
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Association of Water Districts (PAWD) supporting the

petition.

The Ruling of the Commission on Audit

The COA ruled that this Court has already settled COA’s
audit jurisdiction over local water districts in Davao City
Water District
3
v. Civil Service Commission and Commission
on Audit, as follows:

The above­quoted provision [referring to Section 3(b) PD 198]

definitely sets to naught petitioner’s contention that they are
private corporations. It is clear therefrom that the power to
appoint the members who will comprise the members of the Board
of Directors belong to the local executives of the local subdivision
unit where such districts are located. In contrast, the members of
the Board of Directors or the trustees of a private

_______________

2 As amended by Presidential Decrees Nos. 768 and 1479.

3 G.R. Nos. 95237­38, 13 September 1991, 201 SCRA 593.

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VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 367

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

corporation are elected from among members or stockholders

thereof. It would not be amiss at this point to emphasize that a
private corporation is created for the private purpose, benefit, aim
and end of its members or stockholders. Necessarily, said
members or stockholders should be given a free hand to choose
who will compose the governing body of their corporation. But this
is not the case here and this clearly indicates that petitioners are
not private corporations.

The COA also denied petitioner’s request for COA to stop

charging auditing fees as well as petitioner’s request for
COA to refund all auditing fees already paid.

The Issues

Petitioner contends that COA committed grave abuse of

discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction by
auditing LMWD and requiring it to pay auditing fees.
Petitioner raises the following issues for resolution:

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Whether a Local Water District (“LWD”) created

1. under PD 198, as amended, is a government­owned
or controlled corporation subject to the audit
jurisdiction of COA;
2. Whether Section 20 of PD 198, as amended,
prohibits COA’s certified public accountants from
auditing local water districts; and
3. Whether Section 18 of RA 6758 prohibits the COA
from charging government­owned and controlled
corporations auditing fees.

The Ruling of the Court

The petition lacks merit. 4

The Constitution and existing laws mandate COA to
audit all government agencies, including government­
owned and controlled corporations (“GOCCs”) with original
charters. An LWD is a GOCC with an original charter.
Section 2(1), Article IX­D of the Constitution provides for
COA’s audit jurisdiction, as follows:

SECTION 2. (1) The Commission on Audit shall have the power,

authority and duty to examine, audit, and settle all accounts
pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or
uses of funds and property, owned or held in trust by, or
pertaining to, the Government, or any of its subdivisions,
agencies, or instrumentalities, including government­

_______________

4 Section 26, Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.

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368 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

owned and controlled corporations with original charters, and on

a post­audit basis: (a) constitutional bodies, commissions and
offices that have been granted fiscal autonomy under this
Constitution; (b) autonomous state colleges and universities; (c)
other government­owned or controlled corporations and their
subsidiaries; and (d) such non­governmental entities receiving
subsidy or equity, directly or indirectly, from or through the
government, which are required by law or the granting institution
to submit to such audit as a condition of subsidy or equity.
However, where the internal control system of the audited
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agencies is inadequate, the Commission may adopt such

measures, including temporary or special pre­audit, as are
necessary and appropriate to correct the deficiencies. It shall keep
the general accounts of the Government and, for such period as
may be provided by law, preserve the vouchers and other
supporting papers pertaining thereto. (Emphasis supplied)

The COA’s audit jurisdiction extends not only to

government “agencies or instrumentalities,” but also to
“government­owned and controlled corporations with
original charters” as well as “other government­owned or
controlled corporations” without original charters.

Whether LWDs are Private or Government­Owned

and Controlled Corporations with Original Charters
Petitioner seeks to revive a well­settled issue. Petitioner
asks for a re­examination of a doctrine backed by a long
line of cases culminating 5 in Davao City Water District v.
Civil Service Commission and just 6 recently reiterated in
De Jesus v. Commission on Audit. Petitioner maintains
that LWDs are not government­owned and controlled
corporations with original charters. Petitioner even argues
that LWDs are private corporations. Petitioner asks the
Court to consider certain interpretations of the applicable
laws, which would give a “new perspective
7
to the issue of
the true character of water districts.”
Petitioner theorizes that what PD 198 created was the
Local Waters Utilities Administration (“LWUA”) and not
the LWDs. Petitioner claims that LWDs are created
“pursuant to” and not created directly by PD 198. Thus,
petitioner concludes that PD 198 is not an “original
charter” that would place LWDs within the

_______________

5Supranote 3.
6 G.R. No. 149154, 10 June 2003, 403 SCRA 666.
7 Rollo, p. 7.

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VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 369

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

audit jurisdiction of COA as defined in Section 2(1), Article

IX­D of the Constitution. Petitioner elaborates that PD 198
does not create LWDs since it does not expressly direct the
creation of such entities, but only provides for their
8
formation on an optional or voluntary
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8
formation on an optional or voluntary basis. Petitioner
adds that the operative act that creates an LWD is the
approval of the Sanggunian Resolution as specified in PD
198.
Petitioner’s contention deserves scant consideration.
We begin by explaining the general framework under
the fundamental law. The Constitution recognizes two
classes of corporations. The first refers to private
corporations created under a general law. The second refers
to government­owned or controlled corporations created by
special charters. Section 16, Article XII of the Constitution
provides:

Sec. 16. The Congress shall not, except by general law, provide for
the formation, organization, or regulation of private corporations.
Government­owned or controlled corporations may be created or
established by special charters in the interest of the common good
and subject to the test of economic viability.

The Constitution emphatically prohibits the creation of

private corporations
9
except by a general law applicable to
all citizens. The purpose of this constitutional provision is
to ban private corporations created by special charters,
which historically gave certain individuals, families
10
or
groups special privileges denied to other citizens.
In short, Congress cannot enact a law creating a private
corporation with a special charter. Such legislation would
be unconstitutional. Private corporations may exist only
under a general law. If the corporation is private, it must
necessarily exist under a general law. Stated differently,
only corporations created under a general law can qualify
as private corporations. Under existing laws, that

_______________

8Ibid., p. 29.
9 See National Development Company v. Philippine Veterans Bank,
G.R. Nos. 84132­33, 10 December 1990, 192 SCRA 257.
10 BERNAS, THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF
THE PHILIPPINES: A COMMENTARY 1181 (2003).

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Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

11
general law is the Corporation Code, except that the
Cooperative Code governs the incorporation of
12
cooperatives.
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12
cooperatives.
The Constitution authorizes Congress to create
government­owned or controlled corporations through
special charters. Since private corporations cannot have
special charters, it follows that Congress can create
corporations with special charters only if such corporations
are government­owned or controlled.
Obviously, LWDs are not private corporations because
they are not created under the Corporation Code. LWDs
are not registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Section 14 of the Corporation Code states that
“[A]ll corporations organized under this code shall file with
the Securities and Exchange Commission articles of
incorporation x x x.” LWDs have no articles of
incorporation, no incorporators and no stockholders or
members. There are no stockholders or members to elect
the board directors of LWDs as in the case of all
corporations registered with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The local mayor or the provincial governor
appoints the directors of LWDs for a fixed term of office.
This Court has ruled that LWDs are not created under the
Corporation Code, thus:

From the foregoing pronouncement, it is clear that what has been

excluded from the coverage of the CSC are those corporations
created pursuant to the Corporation Code. Significantly,
petitioners are not created under the said code, but on the contrary,
they were created pursuant 13
to a special law and are governed
primarily by its provision. (Emphasis supplied)

LWDs exist by virtue of PD 198, which constitutes their

special charter. Since under the Constitution only
government­owned or controlled corporations may have
special charters, LWDs can validly exist only if they are
government­owned or controlled. To claim that LWDs are
private corporations with a special charter is to admit that
their existence is constitutionally infirm.
Unlike private corporations, which derive their legal
existence and power from the Corporation Code, LWDs
derive their legal

_______________

11 Batas Pambansa Blg. 68.

12 Republic Act. No. 6938. Seealso Republic Act No. 6939 or the
Cooperative Development Authority Law.
13Supranote 3.

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existence
14
and power from PD 198. Sections 6 and 25 of PD
198 provide:

Section 6. Formation of District.—This Act is the source of

authorization and power to form and maintain a district.
For purposes of this Act, a district shall be considered as a
quasi­public corporation performing public service and
supplying public wants. As such, a district shall exercise
the powers, rights and privileges given to private
corporations under existing laws, in addition to the
powers granted in, and subject to such restrictions
imposed, under this Act.

(a) The name of the local water district, which shall include
the name of the city, municipality, or province, or region
thereof, served by said system, followed by the words
“Water District.”
(b) A description of the boundary of the district. In the case of
a city or municipality, such boundary may include all
lands within the city or municipality. A district may
include one or more municipalities, cities or provinces, or
portions thereof.
(c) A statement completely transferring any and all
waterworks and/or sewerage facilities managed, operated
by or under the control of such city, municipality or
province to such district upon the filing of resolution
forming the district.
(d) A statement identifying the purpose for which the district
is formed, which shall include those purposes outlined in
Section 5 above.
(e) The names of the initial directors of the district with the
date of expiration of term of office for each.
(f) A statement that the district may only be dissolved on the
grounds and under the conditions set forth in Section 44 of
this Title.
(g) A statement acknowledging the powers, rights and
obligations as set forth in Section 36 of this Title.

Nothing in the resolution of formation shall state or infer that

the local legislative body has the power to dissolve, alter or affect
the district beyond that specifically provided for in this Act.
If two or more cities, municipalities or provinces, or any
combination thereof, desire to form a single district, a similar

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resolution shall be adopted in each city, municipality and

province.
xxx

Sec. 25. Authorization.—The district may exercise all the

powers which are expressly granted by this Title or which
are necessarily implied from or incidental to the powers
and purposes

_______________

14 As amended by PD 1479.

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372 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

herein stated. For the purpose of carrying out the objectives of

this Act, a district is hereby granted the power of eminent
domain, the exercise thereof shall, however, be subject to review
by the Administration. (Emphasis supplied)

Clearly, LWDs exist as corporations; only by virtue of PD

198, which expressly confers on LWDs corporate powers.
Section 6 of PD 198 provides that LWDs “shall exercise the
powers, rights and privileges given to private corporations
under existing laws.” Without PD 198, LWDs would have
no corporate powers. Thus, PD 198 constitutes the special
enabling charter of LWDs. The ineluctable conclusion is
that LWDs are government­owned and controlled
corporations with a special charter.
The phrase “government­owned and controlled
corporations with original charters” means GOCCs created
under special laws and not under the general incorporation
law. There is no difference between the term “original
charters” and “special charters.” The Court15clarified this in
National Service Corporation v. NLRC by citing the
deliberations in the Constitutional Commission, as follows:

THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Trenas). The session is

resumed. Commissioner Romulo is recognized.
MR. ROMULO. Mr. Presiding Officer, I am amending my
original proposed amendment to now read as follows:
“including government­owned or controlled corporations
WITH ORIGINAL CHARTERS.” The purpose of this
amendment is to indicate that government corporations
such as the GSIS and SSS, which have original charters,
fall within the ambit of the civil service. However,
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corporations which are subsidiaries of these chartered

agencies such as the Philippine Airlines; Manila Hotel
and Hyatt are excluded from the coverage of the civil
service.
THE PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Trenas). What does the
Committee say?
MR FOZ. Just one question, Mr. Presiding Officer, By the
term “original charters,” what exactly do we mean?
MR. ROMULO. We mean that they were created by law, by
an act of Congress, or by special law.

_______________

15 G.R. No. L­69870, 29 November 1988, 168 SCRA 122.

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VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 373

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

MR. FOZ. And not under the general corporation law.

MR. ROMULO. That is correct. Mr. Presiding Officer.
MR. FOZ. With that understanding and clarification, the
Committee accepts the amendment.
MR. NATIVIDAD. Mr. Presiding Officer, so those created
by the general corporation law are out.
MR. ROMULO. That is correct. (Emphasis supplied)

Again, in Davao
16
City Water District v. Civil Service
Commission, the Court reiterated the meaning of the
phrase “government­owned and controlled corporations
with original charters” in this wise:

By “government­owned or controlled corporation with original

charter,” We mean government owned or controlled corporation
created by a special law and not under the Corporation Code of the
Philippines. Thus, in the case of Lumanta v. NLRC (G.R. No.
82819, February 8, 1989, 170 SCRA 79, 82), We held:
“The Court, in National Service Corporation (NASECO) v.
National Labor Relations Commission, G.R. No. 69870,
promulgated on 29 November 1988, quoting extensively from the
deliberations of the 1986 Constitutional Commission in respect of
the intent and meaning of the new phrase ‘with original charter,’
in effect held that government­owned and controlled corporations
with original charter refer to corporations chartered by special law
as distinguished from corporations organized under our general
incorporation statute—the Corporation Code. In NASECO, the
company involved had been organized under the general

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incorporation statute and was a subsidiary of the National

Investment Development Corporation (NEDC) which in turn was
a subsidiary of the Philippine National Bank, a bank chartered by
a special statute. Thus, government­owned or controlled
corporations like NASECO are effectively, excluded from the
scope of the Civil Service.” (Emphasis supplied)

Petitioner’s contention that the Sangguniang Bayan

resolution creates the LWDs assumes that the
Sangguniang Bayan has the power to create corporations.
This is a patently17
baseless assumption. The Local
Government Code does not vest in 18 the Sangguniang
Bayan the power to create corporations. What the Local
Gov­

_______________

16Supranote 3.
17 Republic Act No. 7160.
18 SeeSection 447 of the Local Government Code on the powers of the
Sangguniang Bayan.

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374 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

ernment Code empowers the Sangguniang Bayan to do is to

provide for the establishment of a waterworks system
“subject to existing laws.” Thus, Section 447(5)(vii) of the
Local Government Code provides:

SECTION 447. Powers, Duties, Functions and Compensation.—

(a) The sangguniang bayan, as the legislative body of the
municipality, shall enact ordinances, approve resolutions and
appropriate funds for the general welfare of the municipality and
its inhabitants pursuant to Section 16 of this Code and in the
proper exercise of the corporate powers of the municipality as
provided for under Section 22 of this Code, and shall:
xxx

(vii) Subject to existing laws, provide for the establishment, operation,

maintenance, and repair of an efficient waterworks system to supply
water for the inhabitants; regulate the construction, maintenance, repair
and use of hydrants, pumps, cisterns and reservoirs; protect the purity
and quantity of the water supply of the municipality and, for this
purpose, extend the coverage of appropriate ordinances over all territory
within the drainage area of said water supply and within one hundred
(100) meters of the reservoir, conduit, canal, aqueduct pumping station,
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or watershed used in connection with the water service; and regulate the
consumption, use or wastage of water;

x x x. (Emphasis supplied)

The Sangguniang Bayan may establish a waterworks

system only in accordance with the provisions of PD 198.
The Sangguniang Bayan has no power to create a corporate
entity that will operate its waterworks system. However,
the Sangguniang Bayan may avail of existing enabling
laws, like PD 198, to form and incorporate a water district,
Besides, even assuming for the sake of argument that the
Sangguniang Bayan has the power to create corporations,
the LWDs would remain government­owned or controlled
corporations subject to COA’s audit jurisdiction. The
resolution of the Sangguniang Bayan would constitute an
LWD’s special charter, making the LWD a goyernment­
owned and controlled corporation with an original charter.
In any event, the Court 19has already ruled in Baguio Water
District v. Trajano that the Sangguniang Bayan
resolution is not the special charter of LWDs, thus:

_______________

19 212 Phil. 674; 127 SCRA 730 (1984).

375

VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 375

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

While it is true that a resolution of a local sanggunian is still

necessary for the final creation of a district, this Court is of the
opinion that said resolution cannot be considered as its charter,
the same being intended only to implement the provisions of said
decree.

Petitioner further contends that a law must create directly

and explicitly a GOCC in order that it may have an original
charter. In short, petitioner argues that one special law
cannot serve as enabling law for several GOCCs but only
for one GOCC. Section 16, Article XII of the Constitution
mandates
20
that “Congress shall not, except by general
law,” provide for the creation, of private corporations.
Thus, the Constitution prohibits one special law to create
one private corporation, requiring instead a “general law”
to create private corporations. In contrast, the same
Section 16 states that “Government­owned or controlled,
corporations may be created or established by special
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charters.” Thus, the Constitution permits Congress to

create a GOCC with a special charter. There is, however,
no prohibition on Congress to create several GOCCs of the
same class under one special enabling charter.
The rationale behind the prohibition on private
corporations having special charters does not apply to
GOCCs. There is no danger of creating special privileges to
certain individuals, families or groups if there is one
special law creating each GOCC. Certainly, such danger
will not exist whether one special law creates one GOCC, or
one special enabling law creates several GOCCs. Thus,
Congress may create GOCCs either by special charters
specific to each GOCC, or by one special enabling charter
applicable to a class of GOCCs, like PD 198 which applies
only to LWDs.
Petitioner also contends that LWDs21 are private
corporations because Section 6 of PD 198 declares that
LWDs “shall be considered quasi­public” in nature.
Petitioner’s rationale is that only private corporations may
be deemed “quasi­public” and not public corporations. Put
differently, petitioner rationalizes that a public­corporation
cannot be deemed “quasi­public” because such corporation
is already public. Petitioner concludes that the term “quasi­
public” can only apply to private corporations. Petitioner’s
argument is inconsequential.

_______________

20 Emphasis supplied.
21 As amended by PD 1479.

376

376 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

Petitioner forgets that the constitutional criterion on the

exercise of COA’s audit jurisdiction depends on the
government’s ownership or control of a corporation. The
nature of the corporation, whether it is private, quasi­
public, or public is immaterial.
The Constitution vests in the COA audit jurisdiction
over “government­owned and controlled corporations with
original charters,” as well as “government­owned or
controlled corporations” without original charters. GOCCs
with original charters are subject to COA pre­audit, while
GOCCs without original charters are subject to COA post­
audit. GOCCs without original charters refer to
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corporations created under the Corporation Code but are

owned or controlled by the government. The nature or
purpose of the corporation is not material in determining
COA’s audit jurisdiction. Neither is the manner of creation
of a corporation, whether under a general or special law.
The determining factor of COA’s audit jurisdiction is
government ownership or control of the corporation. In
Philippine Veterans Bank 22
Employees Union­NUBE v.
Philippine Veterans Bank, the Court even ruled that the
criterion of ownership and control is more important than
the issue of original charter, thus:

This point is important because the Constitution provides in its

Article IX­B, Section 2(1) that “the Civil Service embraces all
branches, subdivisions, instrumentalities, and agencies of the
Government, including government­owned or controlled
corporations with original charters.” As the Bank is not owned or
controlled by the Government although it does have an original
charter in the form of R.A. No. 3518,23 it clearly does not fall under
the Civil Service and should be regarded as an ordinary
commercial corporation. Section 28 of the said law so provides.
The consequence is that the relations of the Bank with its
employees should be governed by the labor laws, under which in
fact they have already been paid some of their claims. (Emphasis
supplied)

_______________

22 G.R. No. 67125, 24 August 1990, 189 SCRA 14.

23 Under Section 3 of Republic Act No. 7169 which took effect on 2
January 1992, the “operations and changes in the capital structure of the
Veterans Bank, as well as other amendments to its articles of
incorporation and by­laws as prescribed under Republic Act No. 3518,
shall be in accordance with the Corporation Code, the General Banking
Act, and other related laws.”

377

VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 377

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

Certainly, the government owns and controls LWDs. The

government organizes LWDs in accordance with a specific
law, PD 198. There is no private party involved as co­owner
in the creation of an LWD. Just prior to the creation of
LWDs, the national or local government owns and controls
all their assets. The government controls LWDs because
under PD 198 the municipal or city mayor, or the
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provincial governor, appoints all the24

board directors of an
LWD for a fixed term of six years. The board directors of
LWDs are not co­owners of the LWDs. LWDs have no
private stockholders or members. The board directors and
other personnel of LWDs 25
are government 26employees
subject to civil service laws and anti­graft laws.
While Section 8 of PD 198 states that “[N]o public
official shall serve as director” of an LWD, it only means
that the appointees to the board of directors of LWDs shall
come from the private sector. Once such private sector
representatives assume office as directors, they become
public officials governed by the civil service law and anti­
graft laws. Otherwise, Section 8 of PD 198 would contra­

_______________

24 Section 3 (b) of PD 198 provides:

“(b) Appointing Authority.—The person empowered to appoint the members of the

Board of Directors of a local water district depending upon the geographic
coverage and population make­up of the particular district. In the event that more
than seventy­five percent of the total active water service connections of local
water districts are within the boundary of any city of municipality, the appointing
authority shall be the mayor of the city or municipality, as the case may be;
otherwise, the appointing authority shall be the governor of the province within
which the district is located: Provided, That if the existing waterworks system in
the city or municipality established as a water district under this Decree is
operated and managed by the province, initial appointment shall be extended by
the governor of the province. Subsequent appointments shall be as specified as
herein.
If portions of more than one province are included within the boundary of the
district, and the appointing authority isto be the governor, then the power to
appoint shall rotate between the governors involved with the initial appointments
made by the governor in whose province the greatest number of service
connections exists.”

25 Baguio Water District v. Trajano,supranote 20; Davao City Water

District v. Civil Service Commission,supranote 3.
26 Morales v. People, G.R. No. 144047, 26 July 2002, 385 SCRA 259.

378

378 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

vene Section 2(1), Article IX­B of the Constitution declaring

that the civil service includes “government­owned or
controlled corporations with original charters.”

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If LWDs are neither GOCCs with original charters nor

GOCCs without original charters, then they would fall
under the term “agencies or instrumentalities” of the
government and thus still subject to COA’s audit
jurisdiction. However, the stark and undeniable27
fact is that
the government owns LWDs. Section 45 of PD 198
recognizes government ownership of LWDs when Section
45 states that the board of directors may dissolve an LWD
only on the condition that “another public entity has
acquired the assets of the district and has assumed all
obligations and liabilities attached thereto.” The
implication is clear that an LWD is a public and not a
private entity.
Petitioner does not allege that some entity other than
the government owns or controls LWDs. Instead, petitioner
advances the theory
28
that the “Water District’s owner is the
District itself.” Assuming
29
for the sake of argument that an
LWD is “self­owned,” as petitioner describes an LWD, the
government in any event controls all LWDs. First,
government officials appoint all LWD directors to a fixed
term of office. Second, any per diem of LWD directors in
excess of P50 is subject to the approval of the Local Water
Utilities Administration, and directors can receive
30
no other
compensation for their services to the LWD. Third, the
Local Water Utilities Administration can require LWDs 31
to
merge or consolidate their facilities or operations. This
element of government control subjects LWDs to COA’s
audit jurisdiction.
Petitioner argues that upon the enactment of PD 198,
LWDs became private entities through the transfer of
ownership of water facilities from local government units to
their respective water districts as mandated by PD 198.
Petitioner is grasping at straws. Privatization involves the
transfer of government assets to a private entity. Petitioner
concedes that the owner of the assets transferred under
Section 6 (c) of PD 198 is no other than the LWD

_______________

27 As amended by PD 768.
28 Rollo, p. 16.
29Ibid.

30 Section 13, PD 198.

31 Section 43, PD 198.

379

VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 379

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Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

32
itself. The transfer of assets mandated by PD 198 is a
transfer of the water systems facilities “managed, operated
by or under the control of such 33
city, municipality or
province to such (water) district.” In short, the transfer is
from one government entity to another government entity.
PD 198 is bereft of any indication that the transfer is to
privatize the operation and control of water systems.
Finally, petitioner claims that even on the 34assumption
that the government owns and controls LWDs, Section 20
of PD 198 prevents COA from auditing LWDs.—Section 20
of PD 198 provides:

Sec. 20. System of Business Administration.—The Board shall, as

soon as practicable, prescribe and define by resolution a system of
business administration and accounting for the district, which
shall be patterned upon and conform to the standards established
by the Administration. Auditing shall be performed by a certified
public accountant not in the government service. The
Administration may, however, conduct annual audits of the fiscal
operations of the district to be performed by an auditor retained
by the Administration. Expenses incurred in connection therewith
shall be borne 35
equally by the water district concerned and the
Administration. (Emphasis supplied)

Petitioner argues that PD 198 expressly prohibits COA

auditors, or any government auditor for that matter, from
auditing LWDs. Petitioner asserts that this is the import of
the second sentence of Section 20 of PD 198 when it states
that “[A]uditing shall be performed by a36 certified public
accountant not in the government service.”
PD 198 cannot prevail over the Constitution. No amount
of clever legislation can exclude GOCCs like LWDs from
COA’s audit jurisdiction. Section 3, Article IX­C of the
Constitution outlaws any scheme or devise to escape COA’s
audit jurisdiction, thus:

Sec. 3. No law shall be passed exempting any entity of the

Government or its subsidiary in any guise whatever, or any
investment of public funds, from the jurisdiction of the
Commission on Audit. (Emphasis supplied)

_______________

32 Rollo, p. 644.
33 Section 6(c) of PD 198, as amended by PD 768.
34Supra, note 2.
35 Section 20 of PD 198, as amended by PD 768.

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36 Rollo, p. 9.

380

380 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

The framers of the Constitution added Section 3, Article

IX­D of the Constitution precisely to annul provisions of
Presidential Decrees, like that of Section 20 of PD 198, that
exempt GOCCs from COA audit. The following exchange in
the deliberations of the Constitutional Commission
elucidates this intent of the framers:

MR. OPLE: I propose to add a new section on line 9, page 2 of the

amended committee report which reads: NO LAW SHALL BE
PASSED EXEMPTING ANY ENTITY OF THE GOVERNMENT
OR ITS SUBSIDIARY IN ANY GUISE WHATEVER, OR ANY
INVESTMENTS OF PUBLIC FUNDS, FROM THE
JURISDICTION, OF THE COMMISSION ON AUDIT.
May I explain my reasons on record.
We know that a number of entities of the government took
advantage of the absence of a legislature in the past to obtain
presidential decrees exempting themselves from the jurisdiction of
the Commission on Audit, one notable example of which is the
Philippine National Oil Company which is really an empty shell.
It is a holding corporation by itself, and strictly on its own
account. Its funds were not very impressive in quantity but
underneath that shell there were billions of pesos in a multiplicity
of companies. The PNOC—the empty shell—under a presidential
decree was covered by the jurisdiction of the Commission on
Audit, but the billions of pesos invested in different corporations
underneath it were exempted from the coverage of the
Commission on Audit.
Another example is the United Coconut Planters Bank. The
Commission on Audit has determined that the coconut levy is a
form of taxation; and that, therefore, these funds attributed to the
shares of 1,400,000 coconut farmers are, in effect, public funds.
And that was, I think, the basis of the PCGG in undertaking that
last major sequestration of up to 94 percent of all the shares in
the United Coconut Planters Bank. The charter of the UCPB,
through a presidential decree, exempted it from the jurisdiction of
the Commission on Audit, it being a private organization.
So these are the fetuses of future abuse that we are slaying
right here with this additional section.
May I repeat the amendment, Madam President: NO LAW
SHALL BE PASSED EXEMPTING ANY ENTITY OF THE
GOVERNMENT OR ITS SUBSIDIARY IN ANY GUISE

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WHATEVER, OR ANY INVESTMENTS’ OF PUBLIC FUNDS,

FROM THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMISSION ON
AUDIT.
THE PRESIDENT: May we know the position of the
Committee on the proposed amendment of Commissioner Ople?
MR. JAMIR: If the honorable Commissioner will change the
number of the section to 4, we will accept the amendment.

381

VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 381

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

MR. OPLE: Gladly, Madam President. Thank you.

MR. DE CASTRO: Madam President, point of inquiry on the
new amendment.
THE PRESIDENT: Commissioner de Castro is recognized.
MR. DE CASTRO: Thank you. May I just ask a few questions
of Commissioner Ople.
Is that not included in Section 2 (1) where it states: “(c)
government­owned or controlled corporations and their
subsidiaries”? So that if these government­owned and controlled
corporations and their subsidiaries are subjected to the audit of
the COA, any law exempting certain government corporations or
subsidiaries will be already unconstitutional.
So I believe, Madam President, that the proposed amendment
is unnecessary.
MR. MONSOD: Madam President, since this has been
accepted, we would like to reply to the point raised by
Commissioner de Castro.
THE PRESIDENT: Commissioner Monsod will please proceed.
MR. MONSOD: I think the Commissioner is trying to avoid the
situation that happened in the past, because the same provision
was in the 1973 Constitution and yet somehow a law or a decree
was passed where certain institutions were exempted from audit.
We are just reaffirming, emphasizing, the role of the Commission
37
on Audit so that this problem will never arise in the future.

There is an irreconcilable conflict between the second

sentence of Section 20 of PD 198 prohibiting COA auditors
from auditing LWDs and Sections 2(1) and 3, Article IX­D
of the Constitution vesting in COA the power to audit all
GOCCs. We rule that the second sentence of Section 20 of
PD 198 is unconstitutional since it violates Sections 2(1)
and 3, Article IX­D of the Constitution.

On the Legality of COA’s

Practice of Charging Auditing Fees
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Petitioner claims that the auditing fees COA charges

LWDs for audit38
services violate the prohibition in Section
18 of RA 6758, which states:

Sec. 18. Additional Compensation of Commission on Audit

Personnel and of other Agencies.—In order to preserve the
independence and

_______________

37 Record of the Constitutional Commission, Vol. I, pp. 606­607.

38 Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989.

382

382 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

integrity of the Commission on Audit (COA), its officials and

employees are prohibited from receiving salaries, honoraria,
bonuses, allowances or other emoluments from any government
entity, local government unit, government­owned or controlled
corporations, and government financial institutions, except those
compensation paid directly by COA out of its appropriations and
contributions.
Government entities, including government­owned or
controlled corporations including financial institutions and local
government units are hereby prohibited from assessing or billing
other government entities, including government­owned or
controlled corporations including financial institutions or local
government units for services rendered by its officials and
employees as part of their regular functions for purposes of paying
additional compensation to said officials and employees.
(Emphasis supplied)

Claiming
39
that Section 18 is “absolute and leaves no
doubt,” petitioner asks COA to discontinue its practice of
charging auditing fees to LWDs since such practice
allegedly violates the law.
Petitioner’s claim has no basis.
Section 18 of RA 6758 prohibits COA personnel from
receiving any kind of compensation from any government
entity except “compensation paid directly by COA out of its
appropriations and contributions.” Thus, RA 6758 itself
recognizes an exception to the statutory ban on COA
personnel receiving
40
compensation from GOCCs. In Tejada
v. Domingo, the Court declared:

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There can be no question that Section 18 of Republic Act No. 6758

is designed to strengthen further the policy x x x to preserve the
independence and integrity of the COA, by explicitly
PROHIBITING: (1) COA officials and employees from receiving
salaries, honoraria, bonuses, allowances or other emoluments
from any government entity, local government unit, GOCCs and
government financial institutions, except such compensation paid
directly by the COA out of its appropriations and contributions,
and (2) government entities, including GOCCs, government
financial institutions and local government units from assessing
or billing other government entities, GOCCs, government
financial institutions or local government units for services
rendered by the latter’s officials and employees as part of their
regular functions for purposes of paying additional compensation
to said officials and employees.
xxx

_______________

39 Rollo, p. 11.
40 G.R. No. 91860, 13 January 1992, 205 SCRA 138.

383

VOL. 419, JANUARY 14, 2004 383

Feliciano vs. Commission on Audit

The first aspect of the strategy is directed to the COA itself, while
the second aspect is addressed directly against the GOCCs and
government financial institutions. Under the first, COA personnel
assigned to auditing units of GOCCs or government financial
institutions can receive only such salaries, allowances or fringe
benefits paid directly by the COA out of its appropriations and
contributions. The contributions referred to are the cost of audit
services earlier mentioned which cannot include the extra
emoluments or benefits now claimed by petitioners. The COA is
further barred from assessing or billing GOCCs and government
financial institutions for services rendered by its personnel as
part of their regular audit functions for purposes of paying
additional compensation to such personnel, x x x. (Emphasis
supplied)

InTejada,the Court explained the meaning of the word

“contributions” in Section 18 of RA 6758, which allows COA
to charge GOCCs the cost of its audit services:

x x x the contributions from the GOCCs are limited to the cost of

audit services which are based on the actual cost of the audit

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function in the corporation concerned plus a reasonable rate to

cover overhead expenses. The actual audit cost shall include
personnel services, maintenance and other operating expenses,
depreciation on capital and equipment and out­of­pocket
expenses. In respect to the allowances and fringe benefits granted
by the GOCCs to the COA personnel assigned to the former’s
auditing units, the same shall be directly defrayed by COA from
41
its own appropriations x x x.

COA may charge GOCCs “actual audit cost” but GOCCs

must pay the same directly to COA and not to COA
auditors. Petitioner has not alleged that COA charges
LWDs auditing fees in excess of COA’s “actual audit cost.”
Neither has petitioner alleged that the auditing fees are
paid by LWDs directly to individual COA auditors. Thus,
petitioner’s contention must fail.
WHEREFORE, the Resolution of the Commission on
Audit dated 3 January 2000 and the Decision dated 30
January 2001 denying petitioner’s Motion for
Reconsideration are AFFIRMED. The second sentence of
Section 20 of Presidential Decree No. 198 is declared VOID
for being inconsistent with Sections 2 (1) and 3, Article IX­
D of the Constitution. No costs.

_______________

41Ibid.

384

384 SUPREME COURT REPORTS ANNOTATED

Zamora vs. Caballero

SO ORDERED.

          Davide, Jr. (C.J.), Puno, Vitug, Panganiban,

Quisumbing, Ynares­Santiago, Sandoval­Gutierrez,
Austria­Martinez, Corona, Carpio­Morales, Callejo, Sr.,
Azcuna and Tinga, JJ., concur.

Judgment and resolution affirmed, second sentence of

Sec. 20, PD 198 void for being inconsistent with Secs. 2(i)
and 3, Art, IX­D of the Constitution.

Note.—The exercise of the power of respondent Court of

Appeals, to decide administrative cases invoking
expenditure of public funds involves the quasi­judicial
aspect of government audit. (Uy vs. Commission on Audit,
328 SCRA 607 [2000])
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