November 15, 1928 G.R. No. L-30187 MARCOS YRA, YRA, petitioner-appellant, vs. MAXIMO ABANO, ABANO, respondent-appellee. respondent-appellee.
Tese are pro!eedin"s in te nat#re o$ quo warranto instit#ted b% virt#e o$ te provisions o$ se!tion &08 o$ te 'le!tion La(, as amended, in te )o#rt o$ *irst +nstan!e o$ #la!an b% te petitioner, ar!os ra, te vi!e-president ele!t o$ e%!a#a%an, #la!an, (o !allen"es te ri"t o$ te respondent, a/imo bano, te m#ni!ipal president ele!t o$ e%!a#a%an, to te position to (i! ele!ted on te "ro#nd tat te respondent is ineli"ible. Te de!ision in te lo(er !o#rt, #d"e nastasio R. Teodoro presidin", (as in $avor o$ te respondent and de!lared te !omplaint as (ito#t merit.
Facts: 1.
a/imo bano is a native o$ te m#ni!ipalit% o$ e%!a#a%an, #la!an.
2.
t te proper a"e, e trans$erred to anila to !omplete is ed#!ation. ile temporaril% residin" in anila, bano re"istered as a voter tere.
3.
ortl% ortl% a$ter 4#ali$% 4#ali$%in" in" as a member member o$ te bar bar and a$ter a$ter te deat deat o$ is $ater, $ater, bano ret#rned to e%!a#a%an to live.
&.
*rom a% 10, 1927, 1927, #ntil te present present November November 15, 19286, bano as !onsidered imsel$ a resident o$ e%!a#a%an.
5. en te 1928 1928 ele!tions ele!tions (ere (ere approa! approa!in", in", e made an appli!at appli!ation ion $or !an!ellati !an!ellation on o$ re"istration in anila (i! (as dated pril 3, 1928, b#t tis appli!ation (as ree!ted b% te !it% o$$i!ials $or te reason tat it (as not deposited in te mails on or be$ore pril &, 1928. .
Neverte Neverteless less bano bano presented presented imsel$ imsel$ as a !andidate !andidate $or m#ni!ipal m#ni!ipal president president o$ e%!a#a%a e%!a#a%an n in te 1928 ele!tions and (as ele!ted b% pop#lar vote to tat o$$i!e.
7. en!e is is eli"ibilit% eli"ibilit% (as 4#estio 4#estion n b% te vi!e vi!e preside president nt ele!t. ele!t. +ss#e: ;N bano (as eli"ible to r#n $or p#bli! o$$i!e as e did not appear to be a re"istered voter in te m#ni!ipalit% e is r#nnin" at. eld: 1.
Te 'le!tion La(, as amended, amended, in se!tion se!tion &0& provides tat
2.
Te dministrative )ode in se!tion 217&, in "ivin" te 4#ali$i!ations o$ ele!tive o$$i!ers, also provides tat <n ele!tive m#ni!ipal o$$i!er m#st, at te time o$ te ele!tion, be a 4#ali$ied voter in is m#ni!ipalit% and m#st ave been resident terein $or at least one %ear . . . .>
3.
+n te earl% da%s o$ te ?ilippine ssembl%, te ele!tion o$ onorable *ernando a. G#errero as a member o$ te ssembl% $rom anila (as !ontested on te "ro#nd tat e (as not re"istered in is ele!toral distri!t. Te )ommittee o$ te ?ilippine ssembl% rea!ed te !on!l#sion tat the words “qualified elector” meant a erson who had all of the qualifications ro!ided "# law to "e a !oter and not a erson re$istered in the electoral list
&.
lso te '/e!#tive #rea# as been o$ te opinion tat te term <4#ali$ied> (en applied to a voter does not ne!essaril% mean tat a person m#st be a re"istered voter. enator ose ?. La#rel in is La( o$ 'le!tions o$ te ?ili ppine +slands, pa"es 32, 33, s#mmari@es te la( on te s#be!t in te $ollo(in" lan"#a"e: %
<;ne o$ te 4#ali$i!ations re4#ired b% la( o$ a person (o anno#n!es is !andida!% is tat e m#st be a d#l% 4#ali$ied ele!tor. Te '/e!#tive #rea# as eld tat te term <4#ali$ied> (en applied to a voter does not ne!essaril% mean tat a person m#st be a re"istered voter& 'o "ecome a qualified candidate a erson does not need to re$ister as an elector& It is sufficient that he ossesses all the qualifications rescri"ed in section ()* and none of the disqualifications rescri"ed in section ()+& 'he fact that a candidate failed to re$ister as an elector in the municialit# does not deri!e him of the ri$ht to "ecome a candidate to "e !oted for&”
5.
)itin" oods !ase6 ;ne ood (as ele!ted a !ommissioner o$ te sinAin" $#nd. is eli"ibilit% (as protested #pon te "ro#nd tat e (as not, at te time o$ is ele!tion, a 4#ali$ied voter o$ te !it% o$ Lo#isville sin!e e ad not re"istered as a voter in tat !it%. Te #preme )o#rt o$ Bent#!A%, !onsiderin" te la( and te $a!ts in te !ase o$ e$$ert vs. ro(n C1909D, 132 B%., 2016, speaAin" tro#" its )ie$ #sti!e, eld tat #nder te Bent#!A% stat#tes re4#irin" o$$i!ers in !ertain !ities to be 4#ali$ied voters, oneEs eli"ibilit% is not a$$e!ted b% is $ail#re to re"ister. +t (as said tat <'he act of re$isterin$ is onl# one ste towards !otin$, and it is not one of the elements that ma-es the citi.en a qualified !oter& & & & One ma# "e a qualified !oter without e/ercisin$ the ri$ht to !ote& Re$isterin$ does not confer the ri$ht0 it is "ut a condition recedent to the e/ercise of the ri$ht.>
6.
Re"istration re"#lates te e/er!ise o$ te ri"t o$ s#$$ra"e. +t is not a 4#ali$i!ation $or s#! ri"t.