Pamatong v Comelec-

7/24/2019 Pamatong v Comelec-

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EN BANC

G. R. No. 161872 - April 13, 2004

REV. ELLY CHAVEZ PAMA!NG, E"#$%RE,Petitioner, vs.C!MM%""%!N !N ELEC%!N",Respondent.

RESOLUTION

%NGA, J.:

Petitioner Rev. Elly Velez Pamatong fled his Certifcate oCandidacy or President on !e"em#er $%, &''(. Res)ondent*ommission on Ele"tions +*OELE*- resed to give de "orseto )etitioners Certifcate o Candidacyin its Resolution No. 6558dated /anary $%, &''0. The de"ision, ho1ever, 1as notnanimos sin"e *ommissioners Lzviminda 2. Tan"ang"o andehol 3. Sadain voted to in"lde )etitioner as they #elieved hehad )arties or movements to #a"4 ) his "andida"y.

On /anary $5, &''0, )etitioner moved or re"onsideration oResolution No. 6558. Petitioners Motion or Reconsideration 1asdo"4eted as SPP +P- No. '06''$. The *OELE*, a"ting on

)etitioners Motion or Reconsideration and on similar motionsfled #y other as)irants or national ele"tive )ositions, denied thesame nder the aegis o Omnibus Resolution No. 6604 dated7e#rary $$, &''0. The *OELE* de"lared )etitioner and thirty6fve +(5- others nisan"e "andidates 1ho "old not 1age anation1ide "am)aign and8or are not nominated #y a )oliti"al)arty or are not s))orted #y a registered )oliti"al )arty 1ith anational "onstiten"y. *ommissioner Sadain maintained his voteor )etitioner. 9y then, *ommissioner Tan"ang"o had retired.

In this Petition or !rit o Certiorari, )etitioner see4s to reversethe resoltions 1hi"h 1ere allegedly rendered in violation o hisright to :e;al a""ess to o))ortnities or )#li" servi"e: nderSe"tion &


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are nominated #y )oliti"al )arties. In so doing, )etitioner argesthat the *OELE* indire"tly amended the "onstittional)rovisions on the ele"toral )ro"ess and limited the )o1er o thesovereign )eo)le to "hoose their leaders. The *OELE*

s))osedly erred in dis;aliying him sin"e he is the most;alifed among all the )residential "andidates, i.e., he )ossessesall the "onstittional and legal ;alif"ations or the oA"e o the)resident, he is "a)a#le o 1aging a national "am)aign sin"e hehas nmeros national organizations nder his leadershi), he alsohas the "a)a"ity to 1age an international "am)aign sin"e he has)ra"ti"ed la1 in other "ontries, and he has a )latorm ogovernment. Petitioner li4e1ise atta"4s the validity o the orm orthe Certifcate o Candidacy)re)ared #y the *OELE*. Petitioner"laims that the orm does not )rovide "lear and reasona#le

gidelines or determining the ;alif"ations o "andidates sin"e itdoes not as4 or the "andidates #io6data and his )rogram ogovernment.

7irst, the "onstittional and legal dimensions involved.

Im)li"it in the )etitioners invo"ation o the "onstittional )rovisionensring :e;al a""ess to o))ortnities or )#li" oA"e: is the"laim that there is a "onstittional right to rn or or hold )#li"oA"e and, )arti"larly in his "ase, to see4 the )residen"y. There isnone. Bhat is re"ognized is merely a )rivilege s#Ce"t tolimitations im)osed #y la1. Se"tion &


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or eDe"tive a"tion.(The disregard o the )rovision does not giverise to any "ase o a"tion #eore the "orts.0

=n in;iry into the intent o the ramers5 )rod"es the samedetermination that the )rovision is not sel6eDe"tory. The original1ording o the )resent Se"tion &


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ss"e)ti#le to "ontless inter)retations o1ing to their inherentim)re"iseness. *ertainly, it 1as not the intention o the ramers toinHi"t on the )eo)le an o)erative #t amor)hos ondation rom1hi"h innately nenor"ea#le rights may #e sor"ed.

=s earlier noted, the )rivilege o e;al a""ess to o))ortnities to)#li" oA"e may #e s#Ce"ted to limitations. Some validlimitations s)e"if"ally on the )rivilege to see4 ele"tive oA"e areond in the )rovisions> o the Omni#s Ele"tion *ode on:Nisan"e *andidates: and *OELE* Resoltion No.


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State rom the "ond"t o a mandated ele"toral eDer"ise. =t thesame time, remedial a"tions shold #e availa#le to alleviate theselogisti"al hardshi)s, 1henever ne"essary and )ro)er. Ultimately, adisorderly ele"tion is not merely a teDt#oo4 eDam)le o

ineA"ien"y, #t a rot that erodes aith in or demo"rati"instittions. =s the United States S)reme *ort heldF

TJhere is srely an im)ortant state interest in re;iring some)reliminary sho1ing o a signif"ant modi"m o s))ort #eore)rinting the name o a )oliti"al organization and its "andidates onthe #allot the interest, i no other, in avoiding "onsion,de"e)tion and even rstration o the demo"rati" )ro"essJ.$$

The *OELE* itsel re"ognized these )ra"ti"al "onsiderations

1hen it )romlgated Resolution No. 6558 on $% /anary &''0,ado)ting the stdy emorandm o its La1 !e)artment dated $$

/anary &''0. =s o#served in the *OELE*s CommentF

There is a need to limit the nm#er o "andidates es)e"ially in the"ase o "andidates or national )ositions #e"ase the ele"tion)ro"ess #e"omes a mo"4ery even i those 1ho "annot "learly1age a national "am)aign are allo1ed to rn. Their names 1oldhave to #e )rinted in the *ertifed List o *andidates, VotersInormation Sheet and the OA"ial 9allots. These 1old entailadditional "osts to the government. 7or the oA"ial #allots inatomated "onting and "anvassing o votes, an additional )age1old amont to more or less 7OUR UN!RE! 7I7TK ILLIONPESOS +P05',''','''.''-.

DDDIJt serves no )ra"ti"al )r)ose to allo1 those "andidates to"ontine i they "annot 1age a de"ent "am)aign enogh to)roCe"t the )ros)e"t o 1inning, no matter ho1 slim.$&

The )re)aration o #allots is #t one as)e"t that 1old #ea@e"ted #y allo1an"e o :nisan"e "andidates: to rn in theele"tions. Or ele"tion la1s )rovide varios entitlements or"andidates or )#li" oA"e, s"h as 1at"hers in every )olling)la"e,$(1at"hers in the #oard o "anvassers,$0or even the re"ei)to ele"toral "ontri#tions.$5oreover, there are ele"tion rles and


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reglations the ormlations o 1hi"h are de)endent on thenm#er o "andidates in a given ele"tion.

2iven these "onsiderations, the ignominios natre o a nisan"e"andida"y #e"omes even more galling. The organization o anele"tion 1ith bona fde"andidates standing is oneros enogh. Toadd into the miD "andidates 1ith no serios intentions or"a)a#ilities to rn a via#le "am)aign 1old a"tally im)air theele"toral )ro"ess. This is not to mention the "andida"ies 1hi"h are)al)a#ly ridi"los so as to "onstitte a one6note Co4e. The )oll#ody 1old #e #ogged #y irrelevant mintiae "overing every ste)o the ele"toral )ro"ess, most )ro#a#ly )osed at the instan"e othese nisan"e "andidates. It 1old #e a senseless sa"rif"e onthe )art o the State.

O1ing to the s)erior interest in ensring a "redi#le and orderlyele"tion, the State "old eD"lde nisan"e "andidates and neednot indlge in, as the song goes, :their tri)s to the moon ongossamer 1ings.:

The Omni#s Ele"tion *ode and *OELE* Resoltion No.


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the *ort to the eviden"e 1hi"h it "onsidered in determining that)etitioner 1as a nisan"e "andidate. This )re"ldes the *ortrom revie1ing at this instan"e 1hether the *OELE* "ommittedgrave a#se o dis"retion in dis;aliying )etitioner, sin"e s"h a

revie1 1old ne"essarily ta4e into a""ont the matters 1hi"h the*OELE* "onsidered in arriving at its de"isions.

Petitioner has s#mitted to this *ort mere )hoto"o)ies o variosdo"ments )r)ortedly evin"ing his "redentials as an eligi#le"andidate or the )residen"y. Ket this *ort, not #eing a trier oa"ts, "an not )ro)erly )ass )on the re)rod"tions as eviden"eat this level. Neither the *OELE* nor the Soli"itor 2enerala))ended any do"ment to their res)e"tive Comments.

The ;estion o 1hether a "andidate is a nisan"e "andidate ornot is #oth legal and a"tal. The #asis o the a"taldetermination is not #eore this *ort. Ths, the remand o this"ase or the re"e)tion o rther eviden"e is in order.

= 1ord o "ation is in order. Bhat is at sta4e is )etitionersas)iration and o@er to serve in the government. It deserves not a"rsory treatment #t a hearing 1hi"h "onorms to there;irements o de )ro"ess.

=s to )etitioners atta"4s on the validity o the orm or the"ertif"ate o "andida"y, sA"e it to say that the orm stri"tly"om)lies 1ith Se"tion %0 o the Omni#s Ele"tion *ode.This)rovision s)e"if"ally enmerates 1hat a "ertif"ate o "andida"yshold "ontain, 1ith the re;ired inormation tending to sho1 thatthe "andidate )ossesses the minimm ;alif"ations or the)osition as)ired or as esta#lished #y the *onstittion and otherele"tion la1s.

IN VIEB O7 TE 7ORE2OIN2, *OELE* *ase No. SPP +P- No. '06''$ is here#y remanded to the *OELE* or the re"e)tion orther eviden"e, to determine the ;estion on 1hether )etitionerElly Velez Lao Pamatong is a nisan"e "andidate as "ontem)latedin Se"tion o the Omni#s Ele"tion *ode.


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The *OELE* is dire"ted to hold and "om)lete the re"e)tion oeviden"e and re)ort its fndings to this *ort 1ith deli#eratedis)at"h.

SO OR!ERE!.

"a#ide$ %r.$ Puno$ &itu'($ Pan'aniban$ )uisumbin'$ *nares+,antia'o$ ,ando#al+-utierre$ Carpio$ /ustria+Martine$ Corona$Carpio+Morales$ Calleo$ ,r.$ and /cuna$ %%.$ concur.

Endnotes:

(On O1cial 2ea#e.

3,ec. 6. e ,tate sall 'uarantee e7ual access to opportunitiesor public ser#ice$ and proibit political dynasties as may bedefned by la.

,ee 9asco #. P/-COR$ -.R. No. :364:$ May 34$ 3::3$ 3:; ,CR/5$ 68< =ilosbayan$ >nc. #. Morato$ -.R. No. 338:30$ 46 ,CR/540$ 564. ?/ pro#ision ic lays don a 'eneral principle$ sucas tose ound in /rt. >> o te 3:8; Constitution$ is usually not

sel+e@ecutin'.? Manila Prince Aotel #. -,>,$ -.R. No. 3356$ Bebruary 3::;$ 6; ,CR/ 408$ 4B3. ?/ccordin'ly$ te Court asDeld tat te pro#isions in /rticle >> o our Constitution entitled?"eclaration o Principles and ,tate Policies? sould 'enerally beconstrued as mere statements o principles o te ,tate.? %usticePuno$ dissentin'$ Manila Prince Aotel #. -,>,$ >d. at 4;4.

B,ee =ilosbayan >nc. #. Morato$ -.R. No. 338:30$ 36 No#ember3::5$ 50 ,CR/ 3B0$ 3B8. Manila Prince Aotel #. -,>,$ supra note at 4B6.

4=ilosbayan$ >nc. #. Morato$ supra note .

5?/ searcin' in7uiry sould be made to fnd out i te pro#isionis intended as a present enactment$ complete in itsel as adefniti#e la$ or i it needs uture le'islation or completion andenorcement. e in7uiry demands a micro+analysis and te


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conte@t o te pro#ision in 7uestion.? %. Puno$ dissentin'$ ManilaPrince Aotel #. -,>,$ supra note .

6%. 9ernas$ e >ntent o te 3:86 Constitution !riters E3::5F$ p.348.

; >& Records o Proceedin's and "ebates$ 3:86 ConstitutionalCommission :45.

8 ,ee %. eliciano$ concurrin'$ Oposa #. actoran$ %r.$ -.R. No.30308B$ B0 %uly 3::B$ 4 ,CR/ ;:$ 835.

:,ection 6:. Nuisance Candidates. e Commission may$ motuproprio or upon a #erifed petition o an interested party$ reuse to

'i#e due course or cancel a certifcate o candidacy i it is sontat said certifcate as been fled to put te election process inmocGery or disrepute or to cause conusion amon' te #oters byte similarity o te names o te re'istered candidates or byoter circumstances or acts ic clearly demonstrate tat tecandidate as no bona fde intention to run or te o1ce oric te certifcate o candidacy as been fled and tus pre#enta aitul determination o te true ill o te electorate.

30,HC. 6. Motu Proprio Cases. e Commission may$ at any time

beore te election$ motu proprio reuse to 'i#e due course to orcancel a certifcate o candidacy o any candidate or te

positions o President$ &ice+President$ ,enator and Party+listI

>. e 'roundsI

a. Candidates o$ on te ace o teir certifcate o candidacy$do not possess te constitutional and le'al 7ualifcations o teo1ce to ic tey aspire to be electedK$ Constitution.

3;,ance #. COMH2HC$ 3:: Pil. 63; E3:8;F$ citin' Cauton #.COMH2HC$ 2+546;$ ; /pril 3:6;$ 3: ,CR/ :33.

38,ee ,ection :$ /rticle >K$ Constitution.

Documents

Pamatong v Comelec-