E. Suppletory Application of the Rules of Court in Administrative Bodies

D. Suppletory Application of the Rules of Court in Administrative Bodies

The Rules of Court shall not apply to election cases, land registration, cadastral, naturalization and insolvency proceedings, and other cases not herein provided for, except by analogy or in a suppletory character and whenever practicable and convenient (Section 4, Rule 1 of the Rules of Court). x x x The rules can nonetheless be applied in a "suppletory character." Suppletory is defined as "supplying deficiencies" (Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 10th Edition, p. 1184). It means that the provisions in the Rules of Court will be made to apply only where there is an insufficiency in the applicable rule (GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE SYSTEM (GSIS) VS. DINNAH VILLAVIZA ET. AL., G.R. NO. 180291, JULY 27, 2010, MENDOZA, J.).

Actions or Proceedings Not Governed by the Rules of Court

• Election cases
• Land registration cases
• Cadastral cases
• Naturalization cases
• Insolvency proceedings

However, the Rules may still apply to the cases above by analogy or in suppletory character and whenever practicable and convenient. [Sec. 4, Rule 1]

Meaning of a Court

It is an organ of the government belonging to the judicial department, the function of which is the application of the laws to controversies brought before it as well as the public administration of justice.

It is noted that where an administrative tribunal’s function partakes of the judicial functions, its exercise is styled “quasi-judicial” but such administrative agencies are not considered courts; they are neither part of the judicial system nor are they deemed judicial tribunals.