CENTER FOR PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT IN GOVERNANCE (CenPEG), Petitioner, vs. COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS (COMELEC), Respondent.
Nature of the case: Tis !"se !on!erns !on!erns te te d#t$ o% te Co&&ission Co&&ission on E'e!tions E'e!tions (COMELEC) (COMELEC) to dis!'ose dis!'ose te so#r!e !ode %or te A#to&"ted E'e!tion S$ste& (AES) te!no'oies it #sed in te *+* n"tion"' "nd 'o!"' e'e!tions Petitioner: On M"$ , **- petitioner Center %or Peop'e E&poer&ent E&poer&ent in Govern"n!e (CenPEG), " non/overn&ent or"ni0"tion,+ rote respondent COMELEC, re1#estin " !op$ o% te so#r!e !ode o% te Pre!in!t Co#nt Opti!"' S!"n (PCOS) pror"&s, te 2o"rd o% C"nv"ssers Conso'id"tion3C"nv"ssin S$ste& (2OC CCS) pror"&s %or te ni!ip"', provin!i"', n"tion"', "nd !onression"' !"nv"ss, te COMELEC server pror"&s, "nd te so#r!e !ode o% te in/o#se COMELEC pror"&s !"''ed te 4"t" C"pt#rin S$ste& (4CS) #ti'ities. CenPEG invo5ed te %o''oin pertinent portion o% Se!tion + o% Rep#6'i! A!t (R.A.) -7-, i! provides8 9On!e "n AES te!no'o$ is se'e!ted %or i&p'e&ent"tion, te Co&&ission s"'' pro&pt'$ &"5e &"5e te so#r!e !ode o% t"t te!no'o$ "v"i'"6'e "nd open to "n$ interested po'iti!"' p"rt$ or ro#ps i! &"$ !ond#!t teir on revie tereo%.: COMELEC !'"i&ed, reiter"tin reiter"tin "t it s"id in its A##st , **- 'etter to CenPEG, t"t it o#'d &"5e te so#r!e !ode "v"i'"6'e %or revie 6$ te end o% Fe6r#"r$ *+* ;#nder " !ontro''ed environ&ent.; 9App"rent'$, tis revie "d not t"5en p'"!e "nd "s overt"5en 6$ te M"$ +*, *+* e'e!tions.: Co&e'e! %"i'ed to provide p rovide p'"intiist %or te %o''oin re"sons8 +) t"t it "d not $et re!eived te 6"se'ine so#r!e so#r!e !ode o% te provider, provider, S&"rt&"ti!, sin!e p"$&ent to it "d 6een ite'd "s " res#'t o% " pendin s#it?
) its !#sto&i0"tion o% te 6"se'ine so#r!e !ode "s t"reted %or !o&p'etion in Nove&6er **- $et? 7) #nder Se!tion ++ o% R.A. -7-, te !#sto&i0ed so#r!e !ode sti'' "d to 6e revieed 6$ ;"n est"6'ised intern"tion"' !erti=!"tion entit$,; i! revie "s e>pe!ted to 6e !o&p'eted 6$ te end o% Fe6r#"r$ *+*? "nd @) on'$ ten o#'d te AES 6e &"de "v"i'"6'e %or revie #nder " !ontro''ed environ&ent. COMELEC !'"i&ed in its !o&&ent t"t CenPEG did not "ve " !'e"r, !ert"in, "nd e''/de=ned rit t"t "s en%or!e"6'e 6$ &"nd"s 6e!"#se COMELECs d#t$ to &"5e te so#r!e !ode "v"i'"6'e pres#pposed t"t it "'re"d$ "d te s"&e.
Court: Te Co#rt =nds te petition "nd tis '"st &"ni%est"tion &eritorio#s. Te pertinent portion o% Se!tion + o% R.A. -7- is !'e"r in t"t ;on!e "n AES te!no'o$ is se'e!ted %or i&p'e&ent"tion, te Co&&ission s"'' pro&pt'$ &"5e te so#r!e !ode o% t"t te!no'o$ "v"i'"6'e "nd open to "n$ interested po'iti!"' p"rt$ or ro#ps i! &"$ !ond#!t teir on revie tereo%.; Te COMELEC "s o!#se %or not dis!'osin te so#r!e !ode "s t"t it "s not $et "v"i'"6'e en CenPEG "s5ed %or it "nd, s#6se1#ent'$, t"t te revie "d to 6e done, "pp"rent'$ %or se!#rit$ re"son, ;#nder " !ontro''ed environ&ent.; Te e'e!tions "d p"ssed "nd t"t re"son is "'re"d$ st"'e. WHEREFORE, the Court GRANTS the petition for mandamus and DIRECTS the COMEEC to ma!e the sour"e "odes for the AES te"hno#o$ies it se#e"ted for imp#ementation pursuant to R%A% &'(& immediate#) a*ai#a+#e to CenEG and a## other interested po#iti"a# parties or $roups for independent re*ie-%