Justice outside legality: EQUITY

This Court has always held that equity, which has been aptly described as justice outside legality, is applied only in the absence of, and never against, statutory law or judicial rules of procedure. In this case, equity cannot be applied to give validity and effect to Res. 56, which directly contravenes the clear mandate of the provisions of RA 4968. [G.R. No. 116422. November 4, 1996]