Pimentel v. HRET (2002) Petitioners: Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. Respondents: House of Representatives Electoral Triunal Topic: Electoral Triunals SUMMARY: SUMMARY: T!e House of Representatives !as t!e po"er un#er t!e $onstitution to c!oose from amon% its #istrict an# part&'list representatives t!ose "!o ma& occup& t!e seats allotte# to t!e House in t!e HRET an# t!e $A. f part&'list representatives #esire to e represente# in t!ese o#ies, t!e primar& recourse is t!e House, not t!e $ourt. FACTS: • •
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n * +arc! --, t!e Part&'/ist S&stem Act too effect. n +a& --1, in accor#ance "it! t!e Part&'/ist S&stem Act, national elections "ere !el# "!ic! inclu#e#, for t!e first time, t!e election t!rou%! popular vote of part&'list %roups an# or%aniations "!ose nominees "oul# ecome memers of t!e House. Suse Susequ quen entl& tl&,, t!e House House const constitu itute# te# its HRET HRET an# an# $A contin contin%en %entt & elect electin% in% its representatives to t!ese t"o constitutional o#ies. n practice, t!e proce#ure involves t!e nomination & t!e political parties of House memers "!o are to occup& seats in t!e Hous House e of Repr Repres esen enta tati tive ves s Elec Electo tora rall Tri Triun unal al (HRE (HRET) T) an# an# t!e t!e $omm $ommis issi sion on on Appointments Appointments ($A). 3rom availale recor#s, it #oes not appear t!at after t!e +a& --1 elections t!e part&'list %roups in t!e House nominate# an& of t!eir r epresentatives epresentatives to t!e HRET or t!e $A. As of t!e #ate of filin% of t!e present petitions for pro!iition pro!iition an# man#amus "it! pra&er pra&er for "rit of preliminar& in4unction, t!e House contin%ents to t!e HRET an# t!e $A "ere compose# solel& of #istrict representatives elon%in% to t!e #ifferent political parties. n 1 Januar& 2000, Senator Aquilino 5. Pimentel, Jr. "rote t"o letters to Senate Presi#ent ple an# Justice +elo, requestin% t!em to cause t!e restructurin% of t!e $A an# t!e HRET, respectivel&, to inclu#e part&'list representatives to conform to Sections 6 an# 1, Article 7 of t!e -16 $onstitution. n its meetin% of 20 Januar& 2000, t!e HRET resolve# to #irect t!e Secretar& of t!e Triunal to refer Senator Pimentel8s letter to t!e Secretar Secretar&'9e &'9enera nerall of t!e House House of Represe Representat ntatives ives.. n t!e same #a&, HRET Secretar& :ais& ;. Pan%a'7e%a, in an n#orsement of even #ate, referre# t!e letter to House of Representatives Secretar& 9eneral Roerto P.
ISSUE/S:
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>o< t!e present composition of t!e House Electoral Triunal violates t!e constitutional requirement of proportional representation ecause t!ere are no part&'list representatives in t!e HRET o <. T!e $onstitution e?pressl& %rants to t!e House of Representatives t!e prero%ative, "it!in constitutionall& #efine# limits, to c!oose from amon% its #istrict an# part&'list representatives t!ose "!o ma& occup& t!e seats allotte# to t!e House in t!e HRET an# t!e $A. Ho"ever, un#er t!e #octrine of separation of po"ers, t!e $ourt ma& not interfere "it! t!e e?ercise & t!e House of t!is constitutionall& man#ate# #ut&, asent a clear violation of t!e $onstitution or %rave ause of #iscretion amountin% to lac or e?cess of 4uris#iction. o T!e petitions are ereft of an& alle%ation t!at respon#ents prevente# t!e part&' list %roups in t!e House from participatin% in t!e election of memers of t!e HRET an# t!e $A. o< t!e refusal of t!e HRET an# t!e $A to reconstitute t!emselves to inclu#e part&'list representatives constitutes %rave ause of #iscretion o <. T!ere is no %rave ause in t!e action or lac of action & t!e HRET an# t!e $A in response to t!e letters of Senator Pimentel. @n#er Sections 6 an# 1 of Article 7 of t!e -16 $onstitution an# t!eir internal rules, t!e HRET an# t!e $A are ereft of an& po"er to reconstitute t!emselves.
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