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Facts: The President suspends Carlos Dizon, Regional Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), an appointive officer in the executive branch who is also a civil service employee, for alleged procurement irregularities. The suspension is issued without prior notice or hearing and lasts 60 days while an administrative investigation proceeds. The Civil Service Commission later holds that due process requires notice and a hearing before suspension and that removal for cause must follow due process. The President defends the action as a permissible exercise of disciplinary power over appointive officers.
Questions: (a) Identify who has the power to suspend or remove such officers and state the constitutional basis. (b) Distinguish suspension from removal and set out the due-process requirements for each. (c) Apply the foregoing to the facts: is the President’s 60-day suspension valid? Explain your answer with reference to the controlling doctrine and authorities.