AGUINALDO VS.

SANTOS

Facts: Aguinaldo was the duly elected Governor of the province of Cagayan. After the December
1989 coup d’état was crushed, DILG Secretary Santos sent a telegram & letter to Governor
Aguinaldo requiring him to show cause why he should not be suspended or removed from office
for disloyalty to the Republic. A sworn complaint was also filed by Mayors of several
municipalities in Cagayan against Aguinaldo for acts committed during the coup. Aguinaldo
denied being privy to the planning of the coup or actively participating in its execution, though he
admitted that he was sympathetic to the cause of the rebel soldiers.

The Secretary suspended petitioner from office for 60 days from notice, pending the outcome of
the formal investigation. Later, the Secretary rendered a decision finding petition guilty as charged
and ordering his removal from office. Vice-Governor Vargas was installed as Governor.
Aguinaldo appealed.

Aguinaldo filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition with preliminary mandatory injunction
and/or restraining order with the SC, assailing the decision of respondent Secretary of Local
Government. While the case was pending before the SC, Aguinaldo filed his certificate of
candidacy for the position of Governor of Cagayan. Three petitions for disqualification were filed
against him on the ground that he had been removed from office.

The Comelec granted the petition. Later, this was reversed on the ground that the decision of the
Secretary has not yet attained finality and is still pending review with the Court. As Aguinaldo
won by a landslide margin in the elections, the resolution paved the way for his eventual
proclamation as Governor of Cagayan.

Issue: WON petitioner's re-election to the position of Governor of Cagayan has rendered the
administration case moot and academic

Held: Yes. Aguinaldo’s re-election to the position of Governor of Cagayan has rendered the
administrative case pending moot and academic. It appears that after the canvassing of votes,
petitioner garnered the most number of votes among the candidates for governor of Cagayan
province. The rule is that a public official cannot be removed for administrative misconduct
committed during a prior term, since his re-election to office operates as a condonation of
the officer's previous misconduct to the extent of cutting off the right to remove him
therefor. The foregoing rule, however, finds no application to criminal cases pending against
petitioner for acts he may have committed during the failed coup.