China Banking Corporation v. Members of the Board of Trustees, Home Development Mutual Fund | Gonzaga-Reyes, J.

(1999) FACTS China Banking Corp. (CBC) and CBC Properties and Comp ter Center, !n". (CBC-PCC!) #ere granted "erti$i"ates o$ #ai%er d e to their &s perior retirement p'an( nder )e". 19 o$ P* 1+,-, as amended .y R/ ++0- (1ome *e%e'opment 2 t a' 3 nd 4a#), #hi"h stated that5 o &6mp'oyers #ho ha%e their o#n e7isting pro%ident and8or emp'oyees-ho sing p'an may register $or ann a' "erti$i"ation $or #ai%er or s spension $rom "o%erage or parti"ipation in the 1ome *e%e'opment 2 t a' 3 nd9( :he 1*23 Board iss ed an /mendment to the R 'es and Reg 'ations !mp'ementing R/ ++0- and Re%ised G ide'ines $or $i'ing app'i"ation $or ;ai%er or ) spension o$ 3 nd Co%erage, #hi"h stated that5 o / "ompany m st ha%e a pro%ident8retirement /<* ho sing p'an s perior to that pro%ided .y the Pag-!B!G 3 nd to .e entit'ed to the e7emption or #ai%er. CBC and CBC-PCC! $i'ed a petition $or "ertiorari and prohi.ition in the R:C seeking to ann ' and de"'are %oid the /mendment and G ide'ines $or ha%ing .een iss ed in e7"ess o$ = risdi"tion and #ith gra%e a. se o$ dis"retion amo nting to 'a"k o$ = risdi"tion, in re> iring .oth a retirement8pro%ident p'an and an emp'oyee ho sing p'an to .e entit'ed to a #ai%er, $or ha%ing e7"eeded its r 'e making po#er. R:C?*ismissed. o *enia' or grant o$ #ai%er #as #ithin the po#er and a thority o$ the 1*23 Board. o CBC and CBC-PCC! 'ost their right to appea' $or their $ai' re to e7ha st a'' a%ai'a.'e administrati%e remedies.

CBC and CBC-PCC! "ontend5 o :he ena.'ing 'a# "onditions e7"eption pon the e7isten"e o$ a pro%ident8retirement $ nd and8or ho sing p'an, not .oth. 1*23 Board "ontends5 o :he se o$ &and8or( "an on'y .e sed inter"hangea.'y nad not together and that the option o$ making o$ making it either .oth (app'ying &and() or any one (app'ying &or() .e'ongs to the .oard o$ tr stees.

1AT 2 %&ro'edural ssue( &ropriet, of Certiorari Certiorari is an appropriate remedy to > estion the %a'idity o$ the "ha''enged iss an"es, #hi"h #ere a''eged to ha%e .een iss ed in e7"ess o$ = risdi"tion and #ith gra%e a. se o$ dis"retion amo nting to 'a"k o$ = risdi"tion. /mong the e7"eptions to the do"trine o$ e7ha stion o$ administrati%e remedies5 o ;here the > estion is p re'y 'ega', and o ;here the "ontro%erted a"t is patent'y i''ega' or per$ormed #itho t = risdi"tion or in e7"ess o$ = risdi"tion. %Substantive ssue( :he se o$ &and8or( sho 'd .e taken in its origina' signi$i"ation, i.e. &either and or(@ e.g. an emp'oyer #ith a pro%ident p'an AR an emp'oyee ho sing p'an AR .oth may > a'i$y $or the e7"eption o :he intention o$ the 'egis'at re in sing &and8or( is that the #ords &and( and &or( are to .e sed inter"hangea.'y. o !$ the 'a# intended that the emp'oyee sho 'd ha%e on'y .oth, then it #o 'd ha%e sed the #ords &and( instead o$ &and8or.( :he r 'es and reg 'ations, #hi"h are the prod "t o$ a delegated po+er to 'reate ne+ or additional legal provisions that ha%e the po#er and e$$e"t o$ 'a#, should be +ithin the s'ope of the statutor, authorit, granted b, the legislature to the administrati%e agen"y. o /dministrati%e reg 'ations adopted nder 'egis'ati%e a thority m st .e on harmony #ith the pro%isions o$ the 'a#, and sho 'd .e $or the so'e p rpose o$ "arrying into e$$e"t its genera' pro%isions. o :he r 'e making po#er m st .e "on$ined to detai's $or reg 'ating the mode or pro"eeding and "annot .e e7tended to amending or e7panding the stat tory re> irements or em.ra"e matters not "o%ered .y the stat te.

SS!"#H"$D %&ro'edural ssue( )o* 'ertiorari +as the proper remed,. YES. There was no need for CBC and CBC-PCCI to exhaust all available administrative remedies. %Substantive ssue( )o* the Amendment and -uidelines issued b, the HDMF Board, in so far as it re.uired that both a provident#retirement fund and an emplo,ee housing plan that is superior in order to be e/empted from the fund, +ere in e/'ess of its rule making po+er.0YES. Amendment and uidelines were issued in ex!ess of "urisdi!tion and with #rave abuse of dis!retion for bein# in ex!ess of the $%&' Board(s rule ma)in# *ower.

D S&2S T 3" :he /mendment and G ide'ines inso$ar as they re> ire that an emp'oyer sho 'd ha%e .oth a pro%ident8retirement p'an s perior to the .ene$its o$$ered .y the 3 nd, and a ho sing p'an s perior to the Pag-!B!G ho sing 'oan program in order to > a'i$y $or #ai%er or s spension or $ nd "o%erage are n '' and %oid.