Bantay Republic Act. Vs. COMELEC FACTS:
Before the Court are two consolidated petitions for certiorari and mandamus to nullify and set aside certain issuances of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) respecting party-list groups which have manifested manifested their intention to participate participate in the party-list elections on May 14, !!"# $ num%er of organi&ed groups filed the necessary manifestations and su%se'uently were accredited %y the Comelec to participate in the !!" elections# Bantay epu%lic $ct (B$-$ "41) and the *r%an +oor for egal eforms (*+-) filed with the Comelec an *rgent +etition seeing to dis'ualify the nominees of certain party-list organi&ations# Meanwhile petitioner Rosales, in G.R. No. 1!1", a##resse# $ letters to the %irector o& the Co'elec(s Law %epart'ent re)uestin* a list o& that *roups( no'inees. E+i#ently unbenownst then to Ms. Rosales, et al., was the issuance o& Co'el Co'elec ec en banc banc Resolut esolutio ion n -- --$" $" un#er un#er #ate #ate April April !, $-- $-- +irtu +irtuall ally y #ecla #eclarin rin* * the no'inees( na'es con/#ential an# in net e0ect #enyin* petitioner Rosales( basic #isclosure re)uest. re)uest. Accor#in* to COMELEC, there is nothin* in R.A. "1 that re)uires the Co'elec to #isclose the na'es o& no'inees, an# that party list elections 'ust not be personality oriente# accor#in* to Chair'an Abalos. 2n the /rst petition 3G.R. No. 1$14, BARA "1 an# 56LR assail the Co'elec resolutions accre#itin* pri+ate respon#ents Biyahen* 6inoy et al., to participate in the &orthco'in* party list elections without si'ultaneously #eter'inin* whether or not their respecti+e no'inees possess the re)uisite )uali/cations #e/ne# in R.A. No. "1, or the 76artyList 8yste' Act7 an# belon* to the 'ar*inali9e# an# un#errepresente# sector each sees to. 2n the secon# secon# petition petition 3G.R. 3G.R. No. 1!1"4 1!1"4,, petition petitioners ers Loreta Loreta Ann 6. 6. Rosale Rosales, s, :ilosbay :ilosbayan an ;oun# ;oun#atio ation n an# Bantay Bantay :atarun :atarun*an *an ;oun# ;oun#ation ation i'pu*n i'pu*n Co'elec Co'elec Resolution esolution #ate# April April !, $--. as un)uali/e# to participate in the partylist elections an# that the Co'elec be en?oine# &ro' allowin* respon#ent *roups &ro' participatin* in the elections.
2885E@ 1. Can the Court cancel the accre#itation accor#e# by the Co'elec to the respon#ent partylist *roups *roups na'e# in their petition on the *roun# that these *roups an# their respecti+e no'inees #o not appear to be )uali/e#. $.
$. 8ection , Article 222 o& the Constitution, +i9@ Sec.7. The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to ocial records, and to documents, and papers pertaining to ocial acts, transactions, or decisions, as well to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be aorded the citizen, subect to such limitations as may be provided by law. 8ection $, Article 22 o& the Constitution rea#in*@ Sec. !". Subect to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest. As 'ay be note#, no national security or lie concerns is in+ol+e# in the #isclosure o& the na'es o& the no'inees o& the partylist *roups in )uestion. %oubtless, the Co'elec co''itte# *ra+e abuse o& #iscretion in re&usin* the le*iti'ate #e'an#s o& the petitioners &or a list o& the no'inees o& the partylist *roups sub?ect o& their respecti+e petitions. Man#a'us, there&ore, lies. he last sentence o& 8ection o& R.A. "1 rea#in*@ 7=>he na'es o& the partylist no'inees shall not be shown on the certi/e# list7 is certainly not a ?usti&yin* car# &or the Co'elec to #eny the re)ueste# #isclosure. o us, the prohibition i'pose# on the Co'elec un#er sai# 8ection is li'ite# in scope an# #uration, 'eanin*, that it eten#s only to the certi/e# list which the sa'e pro+ision re)uires to be poste# in the pollin* places on election #ay. o stretch the co+era*e o& the prohibition to the absolute is to rea# into the law so'ethin* that is not inten#e#. As it were, there is absolutely nothin* in R.A. No. "1 that prohibits the Co'elec &ro' #isclosin* or e+en publishin* throu*h 'e#iu's other than the 7Certi/e# List7 the na'es o& the partylist no'inees. he Co'elec ob+iously 'isrea# the li'ite# non#isclosure aspect o& the pro+ision as an absolute bar to public #isclosure be&ore the May $-- elections. he interpretation thus *i+en by the Co'elec +irtually tacs an unconstitutional #i'ension on the last sentence o& 8ection o& R.A. No. "1.
