CASE DIGEST: Santos v. Yatco

 

          Santos v. Yatco, G.R. No. L-16133, November 6, 1959

DOCTRINE: Disabilities and Inhibitions of Public Officers

FACTS:

Judge Yatco issued an order disallowing the Secretary of National Defense from conducting a house-to-house campaign on behalf of Gov. Tomas Martin. Thus, the Secretary-petitioner filed a complaint for prohibition of the order, enjoining the enforcement thereof, claiming that he is not covered by the 1935 constitutional prohibition stating that, “No officer or employee in the Civil Service shall engage, directly or indirectly, in any electioneering or partisan political campaign.

ISSUE:

Are cabinet members engage in partisan political activity?

RULING:

Officers and employees in civil service are prohibited from taking part in partisan political activities. However, the Secretary of National Defense is not embraced within the terms “officers and employees in the civil service.”

Hence, the Court set aside the injunction on Santos, holding that Cabinet Members, being alter egos of the President, were in fact chosen principally for their political influences. Thus, they were expected to exert for the purpose of ensuring support for the administration.