Avelino vs Cuenco

017 AVELINO AVELINO vs. vs . CUENCO CUEN CO [G.R. No. L-2821; March 4, 14 ! "O#IC: Quorum & Attendance #ONEN"E :

AU"$OR :  NOTES: (if applicable) applicable)

%AC"&' On February 21 1!"! Sen# Tanada filed $it% t%e Senate Secretary c%are' aain't Senate re'ident Aelino# Sen# Tanada re*ue'ted to ie a priilee 'peec% durin t%e 'e''ion# Sen# Tanada+' motion' $ere continuou'ly denied of t%e common courte'y and rulin Sen# Sanidad and Tanada Tanada ,out of order-.# Senator Aelino Aelino alon $it% ot%er Senator' $al/ed0 out of t%e 'e''ion %all# Senate re'ident ro0Tempore Arran Arran i''ued e'olution No# 34 and 35 declarin t%e acancy of t%e  po'ition of Senate re'ident and in'tallin 6on# 7uenco a' Actin Senate re'ident# T%e'e re'olution' $ere oted and unanimou'ly approed# T%u' Aelino filed a petition before t%e Supreme 7ourt# 6o$eer t%e Supreme 7ourt $it% a ote of 3 out of t%e 18 9u'tice' pre'ent decided to deny t%e petition 'tatin t%at t%e 7ourt %a' no uri'diction on t%e ca'e# etitioner filed a motion for recon'ideration# T%e S7 $it% a maority ote of 'een ranted t%e motion and too/ coniance oer t%e ca'e# I&&UE(&) : ;ON t%e 12 Senator' $%o in'talled 7uenco a' t%e Actin re'ident of t%e Senate con'tituted a *uorum< $EL*: =ES

RA"IO: =ES# Supreme 7ourt %eld t%at t%ere i' a *uorum t%at t%e 12 'enator' bein t%e maority of 2> Senator'# e'olution No'# 34 and 35 are alid# Sen# 7uenco %a' been leally elected a' Senate re'ident# ET?T?ON @?S?SSE@#

?f t%e rump 'e''ion $a' not a continuation of t%e mornin 'e''ion $a' it alidly con'tituted< ?n ot%er $ord' $a' t%ere t%e maority re*uired by t%e 7on'titution for t%e tran'action of t%e bu'ine'' of t%e Senate< 9u'tice ara' Feria ablo and Benon 'ay t%ere $a' fir'tly becau'e t%e minute 'a y 'o 'econdly becau'e becau'e at t%e beinnin of 'uc% 'e''ion t%ere $ere at lea't fourteen 'enator' includin Senator' endatun and Cope and t%irdly becau'e in ie$ of t%e ab'ence from t%e country of Senator Toma' 7onfe'or t$ele 'enator' con'titute a maority of t%e Senate of t$ele t%ree 'enator'# ;%en t%e 7on'titution declare' t%at a maority of Deac% 6ou'eD '%all con'titute a quorum Dt%e 6ou'e: doe' not mean DallD t%e member'# Een a maority of all t%e member' con'titute Dt%e 6ou'eD# (i''ouri ac# vs. an'a' 3> Ca$ ed# G# S#H p# 2>!)# T%ere i' a difference bet$een a maority of Dt%e 6ou'eD t%e latter re*uirin le'' number t%an t%e fir't# T%erefore an ab'olute maority (12) of all t%e member' of t%e Senate le'' one (2>) con'titute' con'titutional maority of t%e Senate for t%e purpo'e of a quorum# r# 9u'tice ablo beliee' furt%ermore t%an een if t%e t$ele did not con'titute a quorum t%ey could %ae ordered t%e arre't of one at lea't of t%e ab'ent member'I if one %ad been 'o arre'ted t%ere $ould be no doubt Quorum t%en and Senator 7uenco $ould %ae been elected u't t%e 'ame ina'muc% a' t%ere $ould be eleen for 7uenco one aain't and one ab'tained#  NOTE: Quorum %a' been defined a' t%at number of per'on of t%e body $%ic% leally a''embled in t%eir proper place' $ill enable t%e body to tran'act it' la$ful bu'ine'' or in ot%er $ord' t%at number t%at ma/e' t%e la$ful body and ie' it  po$er to pa'' a alid act# Gnle'' ot%er$i'e alidly proided it ordinarily refer' to one0%alf plu' one of t%e entire member'%ip of t%e body# body# (Apalo 288J#) Alt%ou% t%e Supreme 7ourt+' initial findin' t%at t%ere $a' no *uorum oriinally con'tituted t%e Supreme 7ourt find' li%t in t%e di''entin opinion' of t%e 9u'tice' t%at een if a ne$ *uorum $ere to be e'tabli'%ed Sen# 7uenco $ould 'till be elected Senate re'ident becau'e of t%e 12 Senator' 'upportin %im and only 11 Senator' 'upportin Sen# Aelino# Aelino# CA&E LA+ *OC"RINE: %y'ical pre'ence durin 'e''ion i' re*uired# T%e attendance of t%e 'e''ion '%o$ed t%at maority of t%e member' $ere pre'ent t%ereby con'titutin *uorum# T%e ,$al/ out. done did not affect 'uc% *uorum# *I&&EN"INGCONCURRING O#INION(&) :