Cas e: OLI VI ADA DASI LAVACERAFI CAv .COMMI SSI ON ON ELECTI ONS G. R.No.205136 December2,2014 Nat ur eoft hePr oceedi ng: Spe c i alCi v i lAc t i o nf o rCe r t i o r a r iunde rRul e64o ft heRe v i s e dRul e sofCo ur t Facts: Ki mber l yfil edherCOC f orcounci l orofCi t yofTagui gf ort he2013el ect i on andi ndi cat edheraget her ei nt hatshewi l lbet went y( 20)yearsofageont heday oft heel ect i ons,i n cont r avent i on oft herequi r eme mentt hatonemu mustbeatl east t we nt y t hr e e( 23)y e ar sofag eon t heda yo ft hee l e c t i o nsass e to uti n Se c .9( c ) ofRepubl i cAct( R. A. )No.8487. Shewi t hdr ew hercandi dacyandOl i vi a,oft hesamepol i t i calpart y ,fil eda subst i t ut i on f orKi mber l y’ sspotpur suantt oSect i on 77oft heOmni busEl ect i on Code ( B. P.Bl g.881) . Howev er , Di r ec t or Amor aLadr a of t he Come mel ec Law Depart mentr ec om mm mendedt hecance l l at i on ofKi mber l y’ sCOC anddeni aloft he subst i t ut i onofKi mber l ybyOl i vi at hr oughaCom me el ecResol ut i onNo.9551. TheSpeci alEnBancMee t i ngoft heComel ecadopt e dt her ecomme ndat i on oft heDi Di r ect orAmor Ladr a.
Issues: 1.
Whet herornott heComel ecac t e dwi t hGA GAD am mo ount i ngt ol ac kor excessofj uri sdi ct i on and cont r aryt ol aw and j ur i sprudencei n i ss ui ng t he ass ai l ed mi nut e r es ol ut i on r es ul t i ng i n t he cancel l at i on ofKi mber l y’ sCOC andt hedeni aloft hesubst i t ut i on ofKi mber l yDa DaSi l vaCer aficaby Ol i vi aDaSi l vaCer ai ficaasan effectoft hecancel l at i onoft heCOC ofKi mber l y .
2.
Whet herornott heComel ecac t e dwi t hGA GAD am mo ount i ngt ol ac kor exc ess of j ur i sdi ct i on and cont r ary t ol aw and j ur i sprudence when i tr ul ed t hatt her ewasnov al i ds ubs t i t ut i on bype t i t i oner f or Ki mber l y r es ul t i ng i n t he mot u pr opri o deni al of t he pe t i t i o ne r ’ sCOC.
3.
Whet herornott heComel ecac t e dwi t hGA GAD am mo ount i ngt ol ac kor excessofj uri sdi ct i on and cont r aryt ol aw and j ur i sprudencei n i s s ui ng t he as s ai l e dr e s ol ut i o n wi t ho utg i v i ng t he pe t i t i o ne ran opport uni t yt obeheard.
Hel d:
WHEREFORE,pr emi ses c onsi der ed,wi t ht he caut i onar yc ounselt hat cancel l at i on of cer t i ficat e of candi dacy i s a quasi j udi ci al pr ocess , and accor di ngl yi shear d byt heCommi ss i on on El ec t i onsi n Di vi si on and En Banc onappeal ,weDI SMI SSt hepre sentpet i t i onf orbei ngmootandacademi c.
Rat i oDeci dendi : pr i ano v.Comel ec, i 1.YES.I n Ci t was hel dt hat t he Comel ec has no di scr et i ont ogi veornott ogi veduecouset oCOCs.I twasemphasi zedt hat t hedut yoft heComel ect ogi veduecour set oCOCsfil edi n duef or mi s mi ni st er i ali n charact er ,andt hatwhi l et heComel ecmayl ook i nt opat ent def ect si nt heCOCs,i tmay notgo i nt o mat t er snotappeari ng on t hei r T t i on ofel i gi bi l i t y ori nel i gi bi l i t y ofa candi dat ei st hus f a c e . he ques beyondt heusualandpr opercogni zanceoft heComel ec. .77 ofB.P.Bl g.881,no Undert he expr es s pr ovi si on ofSec tj ustany an offi ci alcandi dat e ofa r egi st er ed or accredi t ed per son,butonl y" pol i t i calpart y"maybesubsti t ut ed.I nt hecaseatbar ,Ki mber l ywasan offici alnomi neeoft heLi ber alPart y;t hus,shecanbeval i dl ysubst i t ut ed.
I n Luna v ,wher et he c andi dat e,who was al so under age , .Comel ec wi t hdr e w hi sCOC bef or ee l e ct i on dayand wassubs t i t ut ed byaqual i fied candi dat e,wedecl ar edt hatsuchsubst i t ut i onwasval i d. 2.YES.TheComel ecmaynot ,byi t sel f ,wi t houtt hepr operpr oceedi ngs,deny duecour set oorcancelacert i ficat eofcandi dacyfil edi nduef orm. I n Sanc heCour tr ul e dt hatt heque s t i on ofe l i g i bi l i t y he zv s .De lRo s ar i o,t ori nel i gi bi l i t yofacandi dat ef ornonagei sbeyond t heusualand pr oper cogni zanceoft heComel ec.
3.YES,t her ewasl ack ofduepr ocessbecauset hepet i t i onerwasnotgi ve n t he oppor t uni t yt o be hear d. Under Sec t i on 3, Rul e 23 oft he 1993 COMELEC Rul esofPr ocedur e,apet i t i onf ort hedeni alorcancel l at i onofa tbehear dsummar i l yaf t erduenot i ce. c e r t i fic at eofc andi dac ymus I nt hee x er c i s eo fi tadj udi c at or yo rquas i j udi c i alpo we r s ,t heCo ns t i t ut i o n mandat esi tt ohearand dec i decasesfir stbyDi vi si on and,upon mot i on f orrec onsi der at i on,byt heEn Banc.Ascancel l at i on pr oceedi ngsi nvol ve eci n t heexer ci seofquasi j udi ci alf unct i onsoft heComel ec,t heComel Di vi si on shoul dhavefir stdeci dedt hi scase.
i s t av .Co me l e c,e I n Baut tal . ,whe r et he Come l ecLaw Depar t me nt r ecommended t he cance l l at i on of a candi dat e’ s COC f or l ac k of qual i ficat i on,andwhi c hr ec omme ndat i onwasaffir medbyt heComel e cEn ecEn Banccannotshortcutt he Banc,t heCour thel dt hatt heComel pr oceedi ngsbyacti ngon t hecasewi t houtapr i oracti on byadi vi si on becausei tdeni esduepr ocesst ot hecandi dat e.
