TITLE OF THE CASE: Sanders vs.

Veridiano

G.R. No. L-46930, June 10, 1988

PETITIONERS: DALE SANDERS, AND A.S. MOREAU, JR.

RESPONDENTS: HON. REGINO T. VERIDIANO II, as Presiding Judge, Branch I, Court of

First Instance of Zambales, Olongapo City, ANTHONY M. ROSSI and RALPH L. WYERS

PONENTE: CRUZ, J.

FACTS:

Petitioner Sanders was then the special services director of the U.S. Naval Station (NAVSTA) in
Olongapo City. Petitioner Moreau was the commanding officer of the Subic Naval Base, which
includes the said station. Private respondents were American citizens with permanent address in
the Phil and were both game room attendants of the NAVSTA.

Herein respondents were then advised that there employment was changed from permanent full
time to permanent part-time. They filed a case of the US Dept. of Defense then was gave a
recommendation for their reinstatement. The controversy of the case was when Sanders sent a
letter to Moreau that he disagrees with the recommendation. Because of the letters private
respondents filed a case with CFI of Zambales, the plaintiffs claim that the letters contains
libelous content and has caused them the prejudgment of the grievance proceedings.

The lower court ruled that the defendants acted maliciously and in bad faith. Motion to lift the
default order and motion for reconsideration of the denial on the motion to dismiss which was
subsequently denied by the respondent court.

ISSUE:

1. Were the petitioners acting officially or only in their private capacities when they did
the acts for which the private respondents sued them for damages?
2. Does the court have jurisdiction over the case?

RULING:

It is abundantly clear in the present case that the acts for which the petitioner are being called to
account were performed by them in the discharge of their official duties. Given the official
character of the letters, the petitioners were, legally speaking, being sued as officers of the
United States government. As such, the complaint cannot prosper unless the government sought
to be held ultimately liable has given its consent to be sued. The private respondents must pursue
their claim against the petitioners in accordance with the laws of the United States of which they
are all citizens and under whose jurisdiction the alleged offenses were committed for the
Philippine courts have no jurisdiction over the case.