985. LORETTA P. DELA LLANA, petitioner, vs . COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS and RIZALINO F. PABLO, JR., respondents. - G.R. No. 1528. No!"#$"% 28, 2&
FACTS: In the May 14, 2001 election elections, s, petition petitioner er Loretta Loretta Dela Llana Llana and respond respondent ent Rialin Rialino o !a"lo, !a"lo, #r$ #r$ %ere %ere a&on' a&on' the candida candidates tes (or !ro)inci !ro)incial al *oard *oard Me&"er, Me&"er, First District District o( +a&"ales +a&"ales$$ The First First Distric District, t, %hich %hich co&pris co&prised ed the &nicip &nicipalit alities ies o( S"ic S"ic,, Castille-os and San Marcelino, is allotted three ./ seats in the !ro)incial *oard$ n May 1, 2001, the !ro)incial *oard o( Can)assers proclai&ed the three ./ %innin' candidates$ Inclded %as herein petitioner, "ein' the third dly elected &e&"er o( the !ro)incial !ro)incial *oard$ Respond Respondent ent ran3ed ran3ed (orth o"taini o"tainin' n' 24 )otes )otes less less than than that o"tai o"tained ned "y petiti petitione oner$ r$ Conte Contesti stin' n' the the elect election ion and and proc procla& la&ati ation on o( petiti petition oner er,, respo respond ndent ent,, on May 2, 2, 2001, 2001, (iled (iled an elect election ion prote protest st %ith %ith the 5lecto 5lectora rall Conte Contest st Ad-dication Ad-dication Depart&ent Depart&ent o( the CM5L5C$ CM5L5C$ Respondent Respondent alle'ed alle'ed that there there %as an error in the the State State&en &entt o( 6otes 6otes cast cast in !reci !recinct nct 7o$ 7o$ 829A91 829A91 at Cast Castill ille-o e-os, s, +a&"a +a&"ale les$ s$ !etitioner, in her ans%er, (iled a conter9protest$ The CM5L5C First Di)ision ca&e p %ith its dated Septe&"er , 2001 %here it a) granted respondents petition for the correction of manifest errors b) directed the Muni Munici cipal pal Board Board of Canv Canvass assers ers of Subi Subic, c, Zamba Zambale les s to recon reconve vene ne and and effe effect ct the the necessary corrections in the Statement of Votes by Precinct to reflect therein the actual number of votes obtained by respondent in Precinct No !"#$#% c ) annulled petitioners proclamation, being based on an erroneous and&or incomplete canvass of election returns and d) ordered petitioner to immediately vacate her post as the third member of the the Provi Provinc ncial ial Boar Board, d, 'irst 'irst (ist (istri rict ct of Zamba Zambale les, s, and and to cease cease and desi desist st from from discharging the duties and functions of that office $ In the sa&e Resoltion, the First Di)ision denied, (or "ein' pre&atre$ !etitioner herein, srprisin'ly (iled a &otion (or contendin' that the First Di)ision has no athority;-risdiction to con)ert motu proprio respondents petition into one (or correction o( &ani(est errors$ She clai&ed that the First Di)ision acted %ith 'ra)e a"se o( discretion$ !etitioner &aintains that the CM5L5C is %ithot athority;-risdiction to treat respondentnder Section 1, Rle 20 o( the CM5L5C Rles o(
!rocedre, a petition (or an election protest &st "e (iled %ithin 10 ten days a(ter the procla&ation o( the reslts o( the election, and nder Section , Rle 2? o( the sa&e Rles, a petition (or correction o( &ani(est errors &st "e (iled not later than (i)e . days (ollo%in' the date o( procla&ation$
ISS>5:
@hether or not the CM5L5C First Di)ision co&&itted 'ra)e a"se o( discretion %hen it entertained respondent
5LD:
7o$ This is clearly allo%ed nder Section 4, Rle 1 o( the CM5L5C Rles o( !rocedre, %hich pro)ides: Section 4$ Suspension of the ules $ In '(" )n'"%"*' o+ *')" and )n o%d"% 'o o$'a)n */""d0 d)*/o*)')on o( all &atters pendin' "e(ore the Co&&ission, '("*" %"* o% an0 /o%')on '("%"o+ #a0 $" **/"nd"d $0 '(" Co##)**)on. Certainly, sch rle o( sspension is in accordance %ith the spirit o( Section B, Article I9A and Section / o( Article I9C o( the Constittion %hich "esto%s pon the CM5L5C the po%er to pro&l'ate its o%n rles concernin' pleadin's and practice "e(ore it or "e(ore any o( its o((ices to attain -stice and the no"le prpose o( deter&inin' the tre %ill o( the electorate$ It is si'ni(icant to note that petitioner does not assail the (actal (indin's o( the CM5L5C that there %as indeed &ani(est error in the copyin' o( the (i'res (ro& the election retrns to the State&ent o( 6otes "y !recinct$ Clearly, the assailed Resoltion o( the CM5L5C orderin' the necessary correction o( the State&ent o( 6otes o( Castille-os, +a&"ales, to re(lect the tre %ill o( the people o( that &nicipality, is in order$
