Akbayanouth v CCMLLLC

March 26 2001
8uena I
Iacts eLlLloners soughL Lo dlrecL CCMLLLC Lo conducL a speclal reglsLraLlon before Lhe May 14 2001 Ceneral
LlecLlons of voLers ages 1821 Accdg Lo peLlLloners around 4m youLh falled Lo reglsLer on or before Lhe uec 27
2000 deadllne seL by respondenLs
Sen 8aul 8oco (Chalrman of Lhe CommlLLee on LlecLoral 8eforms Suffrage and eople's arLlclpaLlon) lnvlLed
CCMLLLC Lo a publlc hearlng for Lhe purpose of dlscusslng Lhe lssue
Cn !an 29 2001 Memorandum no 200127 on Lhe 8eporL on Lhe 8equesL for a 1wouay AddlLlonal 8eglsLraLlon
of new voLers Cnly was released sLaLlng LhaL Lhe Commlsslon en banc has Lo dlscus all aspecLs regardlng Lhe
requesL
Commlssloner 8orra LogeLher wlLh Lhe reglonal heads and represenLaLlves eLc held a consulLaLlon meeLlng and
Lhey dlsapproved Lhe requesL on Lhe ground LhaL Sec 8 of kA 8189 expllclLly provldes LhaL no reglsLraLlon shall be
conducLed durlng Lhe perlod sLarLlng 120 days before a regular elecLlon and LhaL Lhe Commlsslon has no more
Llme lefL Lo accompllsh all preelecLlon acLlvlLles
CCMLLLC lssued keso|ut|on No 3S84 denylng Lhe requesL
eLlLloners flled Lhe lnsLanL peLlLlon Lo nulllfy Lhe CCMLLLC resoluLlon and/or Lo declare Sec 8 of 8A 8189
unconsLlLuLlonal lnsofar as sald provlslon effecLlvely causes Lhe dlsenfranchlsemenL of peLlLloners and oLher
slmllarly slLuaLed 1hey also pray for a wrlL of mandamus dlrecLlng respondenLs Lo conducL Lhe speclal reglsLraLlon
of new voLers
Issues
1) JheLher or noL respondenL CCMLLLC commlLLed grave abuse of dlscreLlon ln lssulng 8esoluLlon no
3384 NC
2) JheLher or noL Lhls CourL can compel Lhe respondenL Lhrough a wrlL of mandamus Lo conducL a speclal
reglsLraLlon of new voLers durlng Lhe perlod beLween Lhe CCMLLLC's lmposed uec 27 2000 deadllne and
Lhe May 14 2001 Ceneral LlecLlons NC
ku||ng eLlLlon denled nC on boLh lssues
keason|ng
1) 1he rlghL Lo suffrage ls sub[ecL Lo exlsLlng subsLanLlve and procedural requlremenLs embodled ln our
ConsLlLuLlon 1he subsLanLlve aspecL ls found ln Sec 1 Art V As Lo Lhe procedural llmlLaLlon Lhe rlghL ls
condlLloned upon cerLaln requlremenLs one musL undergo among oLhers Lhe process of reglsLraLlon
A clLlzen ln order Lo be quallfled Lo exerclse hls rlghL Lo voLe ln addlLlon Lo Lhe mlnlmum requlremenLs ln
Lhe ConsLlLuLlon ls obllged by law Lo reglsLer under Lhe provlslons of 8A 8189 (voLer's 8eglsLraLlon AcL of
1996) 8eglsLraLlon ls an lndlspenslble precondlLlon Lo Lhe rlghL of suffrage

ConLrary Lo peLlLloner's argumenL reglsLraLlon cannoL and should noL be denlgraLed Lo Lhe lowly sLaLure
of a mere sLaLuLory requlremenL 1he SLaLe may Lhen enacL laws Lo safeguard and regulaLe Lhe acL of
voLer's reglsLraLlon for Lhe ulLlmaLe purpose of conducLlng honesL orderly and peaceful elecLlon

Sec 8 of kA 8189 ls expllclL ln sLaLlng LhaL
xxx no reglsLraLlon shall however be conducLed durlng Lhe perlod sLarLlng one
hundred LwenLy (120) days before a regular elecLlon and nlneLy (90 days before a
speclal elecLlon"

Sec 33 of 8A 8189 also Lalks abouL a prohlblLlve perlod wlLhln whlch Lo flle a sworn peLlLlon for Lhe
excluslon of voLers from Lhe permanenL voLer's llsL 1he peLlLlon for excluslon ls necessary slnce lL ls a
safeLy mechanlsm agalnsL flylng voLers eLc 1he prohlblLlve perlod serves Lo secure Lhe voLer's
subsLanLlve rlghL Lo be lncluded ln Lhe llsL of voLers lf a speclal reglsLraLlon ls conducLed Lhen Lhe
prohlblLlve perlod musL llkewlse be ad[usLed Lo a laLer daLe so as noL open Lhe reglsLraLlon process Lo
abuse JlLhouL Lhe prohlblLlve perlods Lhe CCMLLLC would be deprlved of any Llme Lo evaluaLe Lhe
evldence on Lhe appllcaLlon

eLlLloners lnvoke Lhe sLandby" or resldual" powers of Lhe CCMLLLC as provlded under Sec 29
8A6646 and adopLed verbaLlm ln Sec 28 of kA8436 sLaLlng LhaL
lf lL should no longer be posslble Lo observe Lhe perlods and daLes prescrlbed by law
for cerLaln preelecLlon acLs Lhe Commlsslon shall flx oLher perlod and daLes ln order Lo
ensure accompllshmenLs of Lhe acLlvlLles so voLers shall noL be deprlved of Lhelr rlghL Lo
suffrage"
SecLlon 29 of 8A 8436 lnvoked by peLlLloners and Sec 8 of 8A8189 lnvoked by respondenL acLually share
common ground and are necessar||y capab|e of be|ng harmon|zed and reconc||ed Changes made by the
|eg|s|ature |n the form of amendments to a statute shou|d be g|ven effect together w|th the other parts
of the amended act Lvery new statute shou|d be construed |n connect|on w|th those a|ready ex|st|ng |n
re|at|on to the same sub[ect matter and a|| shou|d be made to harmon|ze and stand together |f they
can be done by any fa|r and reasonab|e |nterpretat|on Courts shou|d endeavour to reconc||e them
|nstead of dec|ar|ng outr|ght the |nva||d|ty of one aga|nst the other Courts shou|d harmon|ze them
because they are equa||y the work of the same |eg|s|ature
ln llghL of Lhe foregolng docLrlne CourLs holds LhaL Sec 8 of kA8189 app||es to the present case for Lhe
purpose of upholdlng Lhe assalled CCMLLLC 8esoluLlon and denylng peLlLloner's peLlLlons conslderlng
LhaL lL provldes expllclLly LhaL no reglsLraLlon shall be conducLed durlng Lhe perlod sLarLlng 120 days
before Lhe elecLlon
Sec 28 of 8A 8436 only comes lnLo play ln cases where Lhe preelecLlon acLs are suscepLlble of
performance wlLhln Lhe avallable perlod prlor Lo Lhe elecLlons
CCMLLLC also palnsLaklngly and Lhoroughly emphaslzed Lhe operaLlonal lmposslblllLy" of conducLlng a
speclal reglsLraLlon whlch could no longer be accompllshed wlLhln Lhe Llme lefL Lo Lhe Commlsslon 1helr
deLermlnaLlon as Lo Lhe operaLlon lmplemenLaLlon and appllcaLlon of a law should be accorded greaL
welghL conslderlng LhaL speclallzed governmenL bodles are by Lhelr naLure and funcLlons ln Lhe besL
poslLlon Lo know whaL Lhey can posslbly do or noL under prevalllng clrcumsLances 1he law also does noL
requlre LhaL Lhe lmposslble be done Pence a sLaLuLe may noL be so consLrued as Lo requlre compllance
wlLh whaL lL prescrlbes cannoL aL Lhe Llme be legally accompllshed
lL musL be presumed LhaL leglslaLors dld noL lnLend an lnLerpreLaLlon whlch ls far removed from Lhe realm
of Lhe posslble Laws musL be lnLerpreLed ln accordance wlLh loglcal common sense reasonableness and
pracLlcallLy 1hus Lhe sLandby power" of Lhe CCMLLLC under Sec 28 of 8A8436 presupposes Lhe
posslblllLy of lLs belng exerclsed or avalled of
1here ls also no showlng LhaL Lhe peLlLloners were dlsenfranchlsed when respondenL CCMLLLC seL Lhe
deadllne on uec 27 2000 lnsLead of !an 13 2001 Lhe day before Lhe prohlblLlve 120 day perlod before
May 14 2001
8ecords are berefL of any showlng LhaL peLlLloners flled appllcaLlons whlch were denled nor flled a
complalnL alleglng LhaL he or she was dlsallowed or barred from flllng hls appllcaLlon eLlLloners were noL
denled Lhe opporLunlLy Lo avall of Lhe conLlnulng reglsLraLlon under 8A8189 1hey admlL Lhemselves LhaL
Lhey falled Lo reglsLer for whaLever reason wlLhln Lhe perlod of reglsLraLlon
1he CourL Lhen sLaLes Lhe prlnclple LhaL no one should Lo courL wlLh unclean hands and LhaL Lhe law alds
Lhe vlgllanL and noL Lhose who slumber on Lhelr rlghLs
1hus CCMLLLC d|d not comm|t an abuse of d|scret|on |n |ssu|ng keso|ut|on No 3S84 deny|ng the
request for the spec|a| reg|strat|on lL acLed wlLhln Lhe bounds of Lhe appllcable law and lL slmply
performed lLs consLlLuLlonal Lask Lo enforce and admlnlsLer all laws and regulaLlons relaLlve Lo Lhe
conducL of an elecLlon JhaLever acLlon lL Lakes ln Lhe exerclse of lLs dlscreLlon speclflcally on maLLers
lnvolvlng voLers' reglsLraLlon perLalns Lo Lhe wlsdom raLher Lhan Lhe legallLy of Lhe acL 1he CourL may
noL valldly conducL an lncurslon and meddle wlLh affalrs excluslvely wlLhln Lhe provlnce of Lhe CCMLLLC
2) 1he Court then cannot a|so |ssue the wr|t of mandamus wlLhouL Lransgresslng Lhe Llmehonored
prlnclples ln Lhls [urlsdlcLlon 1he peLlLloners falled Lo esLabllsh LhaL Lhey are enLlLled Lo Lhe lssuance of
Lhls exLraordlnary wrlL so as Lo effecLlvely compel CCMLLLC Lo conducL a speclal reglsLraLlon of voLers
lor Lhe deLermlnaLlon of wheLher or noL Lhe conducL of a speclal reglsLraLlon ls feaslble posslble or
pracLlcal wlLhln Lhe remalnlng perlod before Lhe acLual daLe of elecLlon lnvolves Lhe exerclse of dlscreLlon
and Lhus cannoL be conLrolled by mandamus
3) ALSC resldenL had lssued roclamaLlon no 13 calllng Congress Lo a Speclal Sesslon Lo allow Lhe conducL
of Lhe Speclal 8eglsLraLlon of new voLers Pouse 8lll no 12930 seeklng Lo amend 8A8189 as Lo Lhe 120
day prohlblLlve perlod had been flled SenaLe 8lll no 2276 had also been flled before Lhe SenaLe wlLh
Lhe same lnLenLlon Lo amend sald law ln effecL allowlng a speclal reglsLraLlon before Lhe May 14
elecLlons 1hese show LhaL boLh Lhe execuLlve and leglslaLlve deparLmenLs knew LhaL Lhere was lndeed a
legal obsLacle Lo holdlng a speclal reglsLraLlon




|ssent by Iust|ce ardo
8eglsLraLlon of voLers ls a preelecLlon acLlvlLy necessary and essenLlal Lo deLermlne who Lhe quallfled voLers are
nonreglsLraLlon wlll render nugaLory Lhe consLlLuLlonal rlghL Lo suffrage granLed Lo every quallfled llllplno clLlzen
Slnce Lhe ConsLlLuLlonal provlslon on suffrage ls noL selfexecuLlng Congress enacLed several laws lmplemenLlng lL
8aslc elecLlon law ls 8 881 (Cmnlbus LlecLlon Code of 1983) along wlLh 8A 6646 (LlecLoral 8eforms Law of 1981)
Sec 29 of 8A6646 (quoLed above) and 8881 Sec 32 m musL be consldered ln relaLlon Lo Sec 8 8A8189 whlch
prohlblLs reglsLraLlon 120 days before a regular elecLlon and 90 days before a speclal elecLlon 1here ls no
lnconslsLency beLween Lhe conLlnulng reglsLraLlon under 8A8189 and perlodlc reglsLraLlon of voLers under 8881
8A6646 Sec 29 whlch ls reproduced verbaLlm ln 8A8436 should be consLrued as a Congresslonal lnLenLlon Lo
reLaln Lhe sLandby" power of Lhe Commlsslon Lo flx perlods for preelecLlon 1hls ls lndlcaLlve of Congresslonal
deslre Lo granL Lhe Commlsslon adequaLe dlscreLlonary power and operaLlonal flexlblllLy ln exLraordlnary cases so
as noL Lo render Lhe Commlsslon lnuLlle and hapless ln Lhe performance of lLs funcLlons
PlsLorlcally Congress gave CCMLLLC broad powers Lo enforce elecLlons laws 1he flrsL elecLlon law
CommonwealLh AcL no 337 enacLed on AugusL 1938 empowered Lhe SecreLary of Lhe lnLerlor on accounL of
lnsurmounLable dlfflculLles wlLh Lhe approval of Lhe resldenL flx anoLher daLe so LhaL Lhe omlsslon may be
remedled and Lhe voLers may noL be deprlved of Lhelr rlghL Lo suffrage
8oLh 8A6646 and 8A8436 granL Lhe Commlsslon Lhe power Lo flx oLher perlods and daLes for preelecLlon acLlvlLles
when Lhe same cannoL be held reasonably wlLhln Lhe perlod provlded by law
under Lhe clrcumsLances Lhe prohlblLlon prevenLlng reglsLraLlon 120 days before a regular elecLlon ls noL
absoluLe lL ls dlrecLory noL mandaLory and CCMLLLC ls vesLed wlLh resldual power Lo conducL preelecLlon
acLlvlLles lncludlng reglsLraLlon of voLers beyond Lhe deadllne prescrlbed by law
ueprlvaLlon of Lhe rlghL Lo reglsLer ls LanLamounL Lo denlal of Lhe rlghL Lo voLe Lhus CCMLLLC has responslblllLy Lo
ensure LhaL Lhls rlghL ls respecLed and upheld
CCMLLLC mlsled Lhe publlc by lLs erroneous resoluLlon LhaL Lhe deadllne was on uec 27 2000 because 120 days
counLlng back from May 14 2001 ls acLually !an 14 2001 1he resoluLlon preLermlnaLlng Lhe deadllne of
reglsLraLlon under Lhe sysLem of conLlnulng reglsLraLlon deprlved Lhe llllplno voLers noL only of Lhelr rlghL Lo
reglsLer buL also Lo Lransfer Lhelr reglsLraLlon Lo Lhelr presenL resldence
1he legal and operaLlonal problems CCMLLLC clalms Lhey would encounLer are maLLer LhaL can be solved wlLh
proper plannlng coordlnaLlon and cooperaLlon LxLraordlnary efforLs may be needed buL Lhe work can sLlll be
done
CCMLLLC has vasL powers and Sec 2(1) of ArL lx (C) of Lhe ConsLlLuLlon undoubLedly glves lL all Lhe necessary and
lncldenLal powers for lL Lo achleve Lhe ob[ecLlve of holdlng free orderly honesL peaceful and credlble elecLlons
Among Lhese powers and funcLlons are admlnlsLraLlve (enforcemenL and admlnlsLraLlon of elecLlon laws) quasl
leglslaLlve (lssuance of rules and regulaLlons Lo lmplemenL Lhe elecLlons laws and Lo exerclse such leglslaLlve
funcLlons glven lL by Congress) quasl[udlclal (power Lo resolve conLroversles arlslng ln Lhe enforcemenL of
elecLlon laws) and ln some cases [udlclal
!usLlce ardo voLes Lo annul Lhe CCMLLLC 8esoluLlon no 3384 and 8esoluLlon no 3238 lnsofar as lL flxed Lhe
deadllne for reglsLraLlon on uec 27 2000 CCMLLLC has adequaLe power and auLhorlLy Lo deslgnaLe a daLe noL
laLer Lhan Lhe 7
Lh
and 6
Lh
SaLurdays (March 31 2001 and Aprll 7 2001) or oLher convenlenL daLes before Lhe
regular elecLlons on May 14 2001 and consLlLuLe a board of elecLlon lnspecLors of preclncLs ln each munlclpallLy or
barangay Lo conducL speclal reglsLraLlon Lo all quallfled voLers who falled Lo reglsLer hereLofore Lo enable Lhem Lo
exerclse Lhe rlghL of suffrage ln Lhe May 14 2001 naLlonal and local elecLlons wlLhouL havlng Lo posLpone such
elecLlons