Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy vs COMELEC GR No. 2069! "0 #e$tem%er& 20"'
(AC)#* On 7 November November 2012, the COMELEC En Banc promulgated promulgated a Resoluton Resoluton cancellng cancellng pettoner! pettoner!ss Cert"c Cert"cate ate o" Regstraton and#or $ccredtaton on three grounds% a& $N$' $N$' does not belong to the margnal(ed and underrepresented sectors enumerated n )ecton * o" R$ 7+1 b& -here s no proo" sho.ng that nomnees $rthur /& -arman and /ulus '& Labandra are actuall nomnated b $N$' tsel"& -he Cert"cate o" Nomnaton sho.s that $N$' submtted onl the names o" astor Montero $lcover, /r&, Baltare & Balangauan and $tt& edro Lesle B& )alva& 3t necessarl "ollo.s, that havng onl three 456 nomnees, $N$' $N$' "aled to compl .th the procedural reurements set "orth n )ec , Rule 5 o" Resoluton No& +588& c& $N$' "aled to submt ts )tatement o" Contrbutons and E9pendtures "or the 2007 Natonal and Local Electons as reured b )ec 1 o" R&$& No& 7188& E-3-3ONER!) $R:;MEN-% $N$' .ent to the )upreme Court challengng the above
+##,E* >ON the COMELEC gravel gravel abused abused ts dscreton dscreton n promulgatng promulgatng the assaled assaled Resoluton Resoluton .thout .thout the bene"t o" a summar evdentar hearng mandated b the due process clause&
-ELD* NO& -he onl ueston that ma be rased n a petton "or certorar under )ecton 2, Rule 8 o" the Rules o" Court s .hether or not the COMELEC acted .th grave abuse o" dscreton amountng to lac= or e9cess o" ?ursdcton& @or a petton "or certorar to prosper, prosper, there there must be a clear so/in of ca$rice and ar%itrariness i n te e1ercise
of discretion. A:rave abuse o" dscreton,A under Rule 8* s the arbtrar or despotc e9ercse o" po.er due to passon, pre?udce or personal hostlt or the .hmscal, arbtrar, arbtrar, or caprcous e9ercse o" po.er that amounts to an evason or a re"usal to per"orm a postve dut en?oned b la. or to act at all n contemplaton o" la.& @or an act to be struc= do.n as havng been done .th grave abuse abuse o" dscreton, the abuse abuse o" dscreton must be patent and gross& $s to the "rst clam o" $N$', t s to be noted, ho.ever, that $N$' .as alread a""orded a summar hearng durng .hch .hch Mr& Mr& 'omngo 'omngo M& Balang, Balang, $N$'! $N$'!s presdent, presdent, authentcated authentcated documents and ans.ered ans.ered uestons "rom the members o" the COMELEC pertnent to $N$'!s ual"catons& $s to the second clam o" $N$', the court held that such .as a super"lut& $N$' .as alread gven the opportunt to prove ts ual"catons durng the summar hearng, durng .hch $N$' submtted documents and other peces o" evdence to establsh sad ual"catons& 3n re
Comelec could, as n "act t dd, readl resort to documents and other peces o" evdence prevousl submtted b pettoners n re
%e distr%ed %y te corts of 4stice e1ce$t /en tere is a%soltely no evidence or no s%stantial evidence in s$$ort of sc 3ndins sold %e a$$lied /it reater force /en it concerns te COMELEC, created and e9plctl made ndependent b the Consttuton tsel" D on a level hgher than statutor admnstratve organs& -he COMELEC has broad po.ers to ascertan the true results o" the electon b means avalable to t& @or the attanment o" that end, t s not strctl bound b the rules o" evdence& $s empo.ered b la., te COMELEC may mot $ro$rio cancel& after de notice and earin& te
reistration of any $arty5list oraniation if it violates or fails to com$ly /it la/s& rles or relations relatin to elections. -hus, .e "nd no grave abuse o" dscreton on the part o" the COMELEC .hen t ssued the assaled Resoluton& 3n an event, the o""cal tall results o" the COMELEC sho. that $N$' garnered 200,+72 votes& $s such, even " pettoner s declared ual"ed and the votes cast "or t are canvassed, statstcs sho. that t .ll stll "al to ual" "or a seat n the ouse o" Representatves&
