Jurisprudence On Finality of Administrative Action Philippine American Life Insurance Co. vs. Social Security System GR No. L-20383 May 24, 1967

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JURISPRUDENCE ON FINALITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION

Philippine American Life Insurance Co. vs. Social Security System


GR No. L-20383
May 24, 1967

FACTS: On November 6, 1960, the Social Security System — hereinafter referred to as the System — issued, with the approval of
the Chairman of the Social Security Commission — hereinafter referred to as the Commission — Circular No. 34 (Exhibit A),
requiring all insurance firms to submit immediately the names of their agents, solicitors or underwriters, who, pursuant to the Social
Security Act 1 — hereinafter referred to as the Act — are deemed employees of said firms which are then subject to compulsory
coverage of the System. They are instructed to pay the corresponding premiums, based on the actual commissions received by
each agent during each month.

The System sent to the Philippine American Life Insurance Company the communication dated February 11, 1961, enclosing the
SSS Form R-1-A.1 and advising PhilAm, that based on Circular No. 34, the insurance agents are considered its employees and are
subject to compulsory coverage under said Act, thereby urging them to accomplish said SSS Form (for the purpose of supplying the
necessary data concerning said agents, solicitors and underwriters). Such document was to submitted within ten (10) days, to avoid
the penalties provided for by law.

Instead of complying with this request, on May 30, 1961, PhilAm commenced, in the Court of First Instance of Manila, the present
action, for prohibition with preliminary injunction against the Commission — to restrain the latter from compelling them to remit
contributions to the administrative branch of the System, as an incident of the alleged inclusion of PhilAm’s agents, solicitors or
underwriters in the compulsory coverage of the System, and from prosecuting them and its officers for their refusal to make the
aforementioned contributions — upon the theory that said agents of the PhilAm are not employees.

The trial court ruled that holding that Philam’s agents, solicitors or under writers are not employees said insurance agents, solicitors
or underwriters do not fall under the compulsory coverage of the Social Security System; The court commanded the defendant
Social Security Commission to desist absolutely from taking criminal action against PhilAm Life’s key officers.

ISSUES :

1) Whether or not the trial court had jurisdiction to hear and decide this case; and
2) Whether plaintiff has a cause of action against the Commission.

RULING :

1. No. The appeal taken by the Commission is well-founded for the present action is one for a writ of prohibition, which may be
issued only by a superior court to an inferior court, corporation, board or person, to prevent the latter from usurping or
exercising a jurisdiction or power it does not have (3 Moran on Rules of Court, 1963 ed., p. 157). Section 5 (a) of the Act
acknowledges in the Commission the power to determine and settle claims, which partakes of a quasi-judicial function, in the
exercise of which, the Commission is not inferior to courts of first instance, in much the same way as the Public Service
Commission, as a board performing quasi-judicial functions, is not inferior to said courts. The quasi-judicial nature of the
functions of the Commission is emphasized by its authority, expressly granted by said Section 5 (a), to promulgate rules and
regulations governing "the filing, determination and settlement of claims." Hence, the lower court had no jurisdiction to issue
the writ of prohibition prayed for.

2. NO. pursuant to Section 5 (b) of said Act, the judicial review of "any decision of the Commission . . . shall be permitted only
after any party claiming to be aggrieved thereby has exhausted his remedies before the Commission." PhilAm Life has not
exhausted its remedies before the Commission. The Commission has not even been given a chance to render a decision on
the issue raised by Philam because the latter has not appealed to the Commission from the action taken by the System in
insisting upon the enforcement of Circular No. 34.

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