Temporary Vacancy in the Office of Governor, City or Municipal Mayor, or Punong Barangay.
Section 52
SEC. 52. Temporary Vacancy in the Office of Governor, City or Municipal Mayor, or Punong Barangay.— (1) In case of temporary incapacity of the governor, city or municipal mayor, or punong barangay to perform his duties on account of physical or legal causes, or when he is on official leave of absence or on travel outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines, the vice-governor, city or municipal vice-mayor, or the sangguniang barangay member who obtained the highest number of votes in the election immediately preceding, as the case may be, shall exercise the powers, duties and functions of the governor, city or municipal mayor, or punong barangay, as the case may be, except the power to appoint, suspend or dismiss employees for a period corresponding to the temporary incapacity of the incumbent, or corresponding to the incumbent's official leave of absence or travel abroad, or for a period of not more than three months. (2) Upon the expiration of three months, should the temporary incapacity, official leave of absence, or travel abroad subsist, the vice-governor, city or municipal vice-mayor, or sangguniang barangay member concerned as the case may be, may exercise the power to appoint, suspend or dismiss employees for a period corresponding to the temporary incapacity, official leave of absence, or travel abroad of the incumbent. (3) Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean automatic assumption of powers, duties and functions on the part of the vice-governor, city or municipal vice-mayor, or sangguniang barangay member concerned, as the case may be, when the incumbent local executive is on official travel in connection with the discharge of the duties and functions of his office.