8/9/2019 Case Digest of SBMA vs COMELEC
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SBMA vs. COMELEC
G.R. No. 125416 September 26, 1996
FACTS: Republic Act No. 7227 entitled, T!e B"ses Conve#sion "nd
$evelop%ent Act
o& '((2) *"s en"cted on M"#c! '+, '((2, *!ic! "lso c#e"ted
t!e Subic Speci"lEcono%ic one -SSE. Section '2 o& t!is l"*
#e/ui#ed t!e conti0uous to*ns, "nd cities
o& Subic to concu# *it! t!e s"id RA. 1ence, in Ap#il '((+
t!e Municip"l Council o&
Mo#on0, B"t""n p"ssed Resolution No. ' to 3oin t!e SSE. And t!en
on M"4 25,
'((+, t!e p#iv"te #espondents, 6"#ci" C"li%b"s &iled "
petition *"ntin0 to "nnul
Resolution No. '. T!e Municip"l Council #esponded b4
p#o%ul0"tin0 Resolution No.
'8, #e/uestin0 Con0#ess to "%end ce#t"in p#ovisions o& RA
7227 "nd t!"t t!e B"ses
Conve#sion $evelop%ent Aut!o#it4 "nd t!e O&&ice o&
t!e 9#esident *"s "l#e"d4 "ctin0
&"vo#"bl4 to t!ei# petition. Not s"tis&ied *it! t!ese
#esponses, t!e p#iv"te #espondents
#eso#ted to t!ei# po*e# initi"tive unde# t!e Loc"l 6ove#n%ent
Code. On ul4 ;, '((+,
COMELEC denied t!e petition &o# loc"l initi"tive on t!e
0#ound t!"t t!e sub3ect t!e#eo& is3ust " #esolution "nd not "n
o#din"nce. Fu#t!e#%o#e, COMELEC "lso di#ected t!e
9#ovinci"l Election Supe#viso# to !old t!e "ction on t!e
"ut!entic"tion o& si0n"tu#es
bein0 solicited b4 t!e p#iv"te #espondents. On Au0ust 't "lso
p#o%ul0"ted 0uidelines in conductin0 " loc"l #e&e#endu%
p#oposin0
to "nnul Resolution No. '. T!is is *!4 t!e SBMA &iled "
petition &o# ce#tio#"#i "nd
p#o!ibition "0"inst COMELEC contestin0 Resolution No. 2858 "nd
"lle0in0 t!"t
COMELEC is intent on "%endin0 " n"tion"l l"*.
>SS?E: @!et!e# o# not COMELEC co%%itted 0#"ve "buse o&
disc#etion in p#o%ul0"tin0
"nd i%ple%entin0 its Resolution No. 2858 *!ic! 0ove#n-s t!e
conduct o& t!e
#e&e#endu% p#oposin0 to "nnul o# Municip"l Resolution No. ',
Se#ies o& '((+o& t!e
Municip"lit4 o& Mo#on0, B"t""n conside#in0 t!"t t!e sub3ect
o& t!e petition *"s "n
initi"tive "nd not " #e&e#endu%
1EL$: es, COMELEC co%%itted 0#"ve "buse o& disc#etion in
p#o%ul0"tin0 "nd
i%ple%entin0 its Resolution No. 2858.
?nde# t!e >niti"tive "nd Re&e#endu% Act o& '(8(
-Republic Act ;7+n t!is c"se, COMELEC %ist"Denl4 c"lend"#ed "
#e&e#endu% inste"d o& "n initi"tive,*!ic! *"s bein0 invoDed
b4 t!e p#iv"te #espondents bec"use t!e4 !"ve t!e po*e# to do
so "cco#din0 to A#ticle >, Section +2 o& t!e '(87
9!ilippine Constitution *!ic! st"tes
t!"t, T!e Con0#ess s!"ll "s e"#l4 "s possible, p#ovide &o# "
s4ste% o& initi"tive "nd
#e&e#endu%, "nd t!e eceptions t!e#eo%, *!e#eb4 t!e people
c"n di#ectl4 p#opose
"nd en"ct l"*s o# "pp#ove o# #e3ect "n4 "ct o# l"* o# p"#
t!e#eo& p"ssed b4 t!e
Con0#ess o# loc"l le0isl"tive bod4 "&te# t!e #e0ist#"tion
o& " petition t!e#e&o# si0ned b4 "t
le"st tenper centumo& t!e tot"l nu%be# o& #e0iste#ed
vote#s, o& *!ic! eve#4 le0isl"tive
dist#ict %ust be #ep#esented b4 "t le"st t!#ee per centum o&
t!e #e0iste#ed vote#s
t!e#eo&.
