ELECTION LAW SYLLABUS

I. Introduction: Suffrage
 Scope of suffrage
 1987 Constitution, Article V (Suffrage)
a. Qualifications of voters/disqualifications
b. Literacy requirement/property requirement
 Related statute: The Voter’s Registration Act of 1996
1. Who May Register (Sec. 9)
2. System of continuing registration of voters (Sec. 8)
3. Disqualification (Sec. 11)
4. Change of residence to another city or municipality (Sec. 12)
5. Change of address in the same city or municipality (Sec. 13)
6. Illiterate or disabled applicants (Sec. 14)
7. Election Registration Board (Sec. 15)
8. Challenges to Right to Register (Sec. 18)
9. Power to administer oath and issue summons (Sec. 19)
10. Approval and disapproval of application (Sec. 20)
11. Publication of action on application for registration (Sec. 21)
12. Deactivation of registration (Sec. 27)
13. Reactivation of registration (Sec. 28(
14. Cancellation of registration (Sec. 29)
15. Jurisdiction in inclusion and exclusion case (Sec. 33) in relation to Sec. 2 (3), Art. IX-C, 1987
Constitution
16. Petition for inclusion of voters in the list (Sec. 34)
17. Petition for exclusion of voters from the list (Sec. 35)
18. Voter excluded through inadvertence or registered with an erroneous or misspelled name (Sec. 37
19. Election offenses (Sec. 45)
20. Penalties (Sec. 46)
21. Double registration (Sec. 261, Omnibus Election Code)
22. Prescription (Section 267, Omnibus Election Code)
23. Bar questions

Local Absentee Voting – Comelec Resolution NO.1043 – Rules and Regulations on Local Absentee Voting in
connection with the May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections
Sec. 1. – Local absentee voting definition
Sec. 2 – Who are entitled to avail of local absentee voting

Overseas Absentee Voting – R.A. 10590 amending R.A. 9189, entitled “An Act Approving for a System of
Overseas Absentee Voting by Qualified Citizens of the Philippines Abroad

Sec. 3 – Coverage
Sec. –Disqualifications
Sec. 36.8 – Declared unconstitutional
Case: Loida Nicolas-Lewis v. Comelec, G.R. NO. 223705, August 14, 2019

 Cases:
1. Pungutan v. Abubakar, G.R. No. L-33541. January 20, 1972
2. Maquera v. Borra, G.R. No. L-24761, September 7, 1965
3. Marquez v. Comelec, G.R. No. 244274, September 3, 2019
4. Akbayan Youth v. Comelec, G.R. 147066, March 26, 2001
5. Faypon v. Quirino, G.R. No. L-7068, December 22, 1954
6. Baytan v. Comelec, G.R. No. 153945, February 4, 2003

II. Commission on Elections

 Safeguards to insure independence

 Sec. 1. Par. (2), Art. IX-C, 1987 Constitution
 Sec. 1, Art. IX-A, 1987 Constitution
 Sec. 3, Art. IX-A, 1987 Constitution
 Sec. 4, Art. IX-A, 1987 Constitution
 Sec. 5, Art. IX-A; Sec. 11, Art. IX-C, 1987 Constitution

o Case: O’hara v. Comelec, G.R. Nos. 148941-42, March 12, 2002

 o Bar questions

 Rotational scheme
o Case: Gaminde v. Comelec, G.R. No. 140335, December 13, 2000
o Bar questions

 No temporary appointment for members of the Commission

o Cases: Brilliantes v. Yorac, G.R. NO. 93867, December 18, 1990

Matibag v. Benipayo, G.R. NO. 149036, April 2, 2002
Funa v. Villar,G.R. No, 192791, April 24, 2012

 Powers and functions of Comelec

o Administrative
o Quasi-legislative
o Quasi-judicial or adjudicatory

 Jurisdiction of the Comelec over Political parties

o Registration and accreditation

o Sec. 2 (5), Art. IX-C, 1987 Constitution
o Intra-party dispute
o Cases: 1. Liberal Party v. Comelec, G.R. No. 191771, May 6, 2020
2. Lokin, Jr. v. Comelec, G.R. No. 193808, June 26, 2012
3. Atienza, Jr. v. Comelec, G.R. No. 188920, February 16, 2010

o Related statute: Party-List System Act – RA 7941

Allocation of seats - Section 5 (1), Art. VI, 1987 Constitution; Sec. 11, RA 7941
Party-list registration -Sec. 5, RA 7941
Removal/Cancellation of registration-Sec. 6, RA 7941
Party-list Nominee – Sec. 8, RA 7941
Qualifications of nominees – Sec. 9, R.A. 7941
Term of office – Sec. 14, RA 7941
Vacancy – Sec. 16, RA 7941
o Cases: 1. Atong Paglaum, Inc. v. Comelec, G.R. No. G.R. No. 203766, April 2, 2013
2. Lico v. Comelec, G.R. No. 205505, September 29, 2015
3. Abang Lingkod Party-list v. Comelec, G.R. NO. 206952, October 22, 2013
o Bar questions

III. Candidacy

 Qualifications of candidates
o Citizenship
 Who are Filipino citizens (Section 1, Article IV, 1987 Constitution)
 Modes of acquiring citizenship
 Naturalization and denaturalization
 Dual citizenship and dual allegiance
 Loss and re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship
 Natural-born citizens and public office
o Related statute: RA 9225
o Cases: Tecson v. Comelec, G.R. No. 161434, March 3, 2004
Mercado v. Manzano, G.R. 135083, May 26, 1999
Poe-Llamanzares v. Comelec, G.R. NO. 221697, March 8, 2016
Maquiling v. Comelec, G.R. No. 195649, April 16, 2013
Tan v. Crisologo, G.R. No. 193993, November 8, 2017
o Bar questions