003- Saura v.

Sindico
107 Phil 336/ G.R. No. L-13403 | March 23, 1960
Plaintif-appellant: Ramon E. Saura
Deendanct-appellee: E!"la P. Sin#ico
Doctrine: $mon% !ho" !ha! ma& no! '" !h" u'("c! ma!!"r )o'("c!* o+ con!rac! ar" c"r!ain
ri%h! o+ in#ii#ual, hich !h" la an# u'lic olic& ha" #""m"# i" !o "clu#" +rom !h"
comm"rc" o+ man. $mon% !h"m ar" !h" oli!ical ri%h! con+"rr"# uon ci!i"n, inclu#in%, 'u!
no! limi!"# !o, on" ri%h! !o o!", !h" ri%h! !o r""n! on" can#i#ac& !o !h" "ol" an# !o '"
o!"# !o u'lic oc", roi#"#, ho""r, !ha! all !h" ualica!ion r"cri'"# '& la o'!ain.
Such ri%h!
ri%h! ma& no!, !h"r"+or
!h"r"+or",
", '" 'ar%ain
'ar%ain"#"# aa& cur!ail"#
cur!ail"# i!h imuni!&
imuni!&,, +or !h"& ar"
con+"rr
con+"rr"#
"# no! +or in#ii#
in#ii#ual
ual or ria!"
ria!" '"n"! or a#an!a%
a#an!a%" " 'u! +or !h" u'lic %oo# an#
in!"r"!. 5on!i!u!ional an# !a!u!or& roiion  !h" ualica!ion o+ "ron ho ma& '"
"li%i'l"
"li%i'l" +or c"r!ain
c"r!ain "l"c!i"
"l"c!i" u'lic
u'lic oc".
oc". Sai#
Sai# r"uir
r"uir"m"n
"m"n! ! ma& n"i!h"r
n"i!h"r '" "nlar%"
"nlar%"#
# nor
r"#uc"# '& m"r" a%r""m"n! '"!""n ria!" ar!i"
Summary: Plain!i Saura an# #"+"n#an! Sin#ico ar" m"m'"r o+ !h" Nacionali!a Par!&. h"
Nacionali!a ar!& a a'ou! !o nomina!" i! ocial can#i#a!" !o run a r"r""n!a!i" o+ !h"
4!h #i!ric!
#i!ric! o+ Pan%ai
Pan%ainan
nan.. 8"+or"
8"+or" !h" ar!&
ar!& nomina!i
nomina!ion,
on, !h" ar!i"
ar!i" "n!"r"#
"n!"r"# in!o a ri!!"n
ri!!"n
a%r""m
a%r""m"n!"n!,, con!ai
con!aini
nin%
n% a l"#%
l"#%"" a&in%
a&in% "ach
"ach air
airan!
an! hall
hall r"
r""c!
"c! !h" r"u
r"ul!
l! o+ !h"
)Nacionali!a* con"n!ion, an# !ha! no on" hall run a r"'"l or in#""n#"n! can#i#a!" a+!"r
loin%
loin% in !h" ai# con"n!i
con"n!ion.
on. h" ar!&
ar!& h"l# i! con"n!i
con"n!ion on an# Saura
Saura a "l"c!"# an#
roclaim"# a !h" NP ocial con%r"ional can#i#a!". :n #ir"%ar# o+ h"r co"nan!, Sin#ico
l"# h"r c"r!ica!" o+ can#i#ac& i!h !h" 5;MELE5 an# ac!i"l& camai%n"# +or h"r "l"c!ion.
Saura
Saura l"# a ui! +or r"co"r&
r"co"r& o+ #ama%".
#ama%". ISSUE:
ISSUE: </N !h" ri!!"n a%r""m"n! con!ainin% a
l"#%" !ha! m"m'"r o+ !h" ar!& hall r""c! !h" r"ul! o+ !h" con"n!ion, an# hall no! run
a a r"'"l or in#""n#"n! can#i#a!" a+!"r no! '"in% cho"n a !h" ar!& r"r""n!a!i", i
null an# oi# +or '"in% con!rar&
con!rar& !o la an# u'lic
u'lic olic&.  YES !eld: "e a#ree $it% t%e
lo$er court in ad&ud#in
ad&ud#in# # t%e contract
contract or a#reement
a#reement in 'ue(tion
'ue(tion a nullity
nullity.. )mon#
)mon#
t%o(e t%at may not *e t%e (u*&ect matter +o*&ect, o contract( are certain ri#%t( o 
individual( $%ic% t%e la$ and pu*lic policy %ave deemed $i(e to eclude rom t%e
commerce o man. )mon# t%em are t%e political ri#%t( conerred upon citi/en(
incl
includ
udin
in#
# *ut
*ut not
not limi
limite
ted
d to
to one
one( ( ri#%
ri#%tt to vote
vote t%e
t%e ri#%
ri#%tt to pre(
pre(enentt one
one((
candidacy to t%e people and to *e voted to pu*lic o1ce provided %o$ever %o$ever t%at all
t%e 'uali2cation
'uali2cation( ( pre(cri*e
pre(cri*ed d *y la$ o*tain. Suc% ri#%t( may not t%ereore t%ereore *e
*ar#ained a$ay curtailed $it% impunity or t%ey are conerred not or individual or
private *ene2t or advanta#e *ut or t%e pu*lic #ood and intere(t. on(titutional
and (tatutory provi(ion( 2 t%e 'uali2cation( o per(on( $%o may *e eli#i*le or
certain
certain elective
elective pu*lic o1ce(. Said re'uirem re'uirement(
ent( may neit%er
neit%er *e enlar#ed
enlar#ed nor
reduced
reduced *y mere a#reemen
a#reement( t( *et$een
*et$een private partie(. <" c"r!ainl& canno! "n!"r!ain
lain!i ac!ion, hich oul# r"ul!
r"ul! in limi!in% !h" choic" o+ !h" "l"c!or !o onl& !ho" "ron
"l"c!"# '& a mall %rou or '& ar!& 'o".

4eye( 5.6.7.  J.:

=$5S>
•  hi i an a"al +rom an or#"r o+ !h" 5=: o+ Pan%ainan
Pan%ainan #imiin%
#imiin% lain!i Saura
comlain! +or #ama%".
• Plain!i Saura an# #"+"n#an! Sin#ico "r" con!"!in% +or nomina!ion a !h" ocial
can#
can#i#i#a!
a!"
" o+ !h"
!h" Naci
Nacion
onal
ali
i!a
!a ar!
ar!& !h" 4 !h ?i!
& in !h" ?i!ri
ric!
c! o+ Pan%a
an%ai
ina
nann in !h"
!h"
5on%r"ional "l"c!ion o+ No"m'"r 19@7.
• Prior
Prior !o !ha!,
!ha!, on $u%u! 23, 19@7,
19@7, !h" ar!i"
ar!i" "n!"r"#
"n!"r"# in!o a ri!!"n
ri!!"n a%r""m"n!,
a%r""m"n!,
con!ainin% a l"#%" !ha!>
o Each airan! hall r""c! !h" r"ul! o+ !h" a+or"ai# con"n!ion, i."., no on"
o+ u hall "i!h"r run a a r"'"l or in#""n#"n! can#i#a!" a+!"r loin% in ai#
con"n!ion.
•  h" Nacionali!a
Nacionali!a ar!& h"l# i! roincial
roincial con"n!ion,
con"n!ion, an# Saura a "l"c!"# an#
roclaim"# a !h" Par!& ocial con%r"ional can#i#a!" +or !h" 4 !h #i!ric!.
• Non"!h"l", Sin#ico, in #ir"%ar# o+ !h" co"nan! )an# h"r l"#%" !h"r"in*, l"# h"r
c"r!ica!" o+ can#i#ac& +or !h" am" oc" i!h !h" 5ommiion on El"c!ion, an# h"
o"nl& an# ac!i"l& camai%n"# +or h"r "l"c!ion.
•  hu, Saura
Saura comm"nc"# !hi
!hi ui! +or r"co"r&
r"co"r& o+ #ama%".
#ama%".
 • 8I> #imi"# !h" comlain! a&in% !ha! !h" a%r""m"n! u"# uon i null an# oi#
'"cau" )1* !h" u'("c! ma!!"r o+ !h" con!rac!, '"in% a u'lic oc", i no! i!hin !h"
comm"rc" o+ manA an# )2* !h" Bl"#%"B a in cur!ailm"n! o+ !h" +r"" ""rci" o+ 
"l"c!i" +ranchi" an# !h"r"+or" a%ain! u'lic olic&. C"nc", !hi a"al.

:SSDE>
• </N !h" roiion in !h" con!rac! ar" null an# oi# +or '"in% con!rar& !o la an# u'lic
olic&. YES

R$:;>
• <" a%r"" i!h !h" lo"r cour! in a#(u#%in% !h" con!rac! or a%r""m"n! in u"!ion a
nulli!&.
)mon# t%o(e t%at may not *e t%e (u*&ect matter +o*&ect, o contract( are
certain ri#%t( o individual( $%ic% t%e la$ and pu*lic policy %ave deemed
$i(e to eclude rom t%e commerce o man.
o $mon% !h"m ar" !h" oli!ical ri%h! con+"rr"# uon ci!i"n, inclu#in%, 'u!
no! limi!"# !o, on" ri%h! !o o!", !h" ri%h! !o r""n! on" can#i#ac& !o
!h" "ol" an# !o '" o!"# !o u'lic oc", roi#"#, ho""r, !ha! all !h"
ualica!ion r"cri'"# '& la o'!ain. Such ri%h! ma& no!, !h"r"+or", '"
'ar%ain"# aa& cur!ail"# i!h imuni!&, +or !h"& ar" con+"rr"# no! +or
in#ii#ual or ria!" '"n"! or a#an!a%" 'u! +or !h" u'lic %oo# an#
in!"r"!.
• on(titutional and (tatutory provi(ion( 2 t%e 'uali2cation( o per(on(
$%o may *e eli#i*le or certain elective pu*lic o1ce(. Said re'uirement(
may neit%er *e enlar#ed nor reduced *y mere a#reement( *et$een
private partie(. ) voter po((e((in# all t%e 'uali2cation( re'uired to 2ll an
o1ce may *y %im(el or t%rou#% a political party or #roup pre(ent %i(
candidacy $it%out urt%er limitation( t%an t%o(e provided *y la$.
• E"r& o!"r ha a ri%h! !o '" a can#i#a!" +or u'lic oc" i+ h" o"" !h"
ualica!ion r"uir"# !o ll !h" oc". :! #o" no! n"c"aril& +ollo !ha! h" can '"
!h" can#i#a!" o+ a ar!icular oli!ical ar!&. h" !a!u!" roi#" h"n an# ho
on" ma& '" a can#i#a!" o+ a oli!ical ar!&. :+ h" canno! ll !h" r"uir"m"n! o a
!o '" !h" can#i#a!" o+ !h" oli!ical ar!& o+ hi choic", h" ma& !ill '" a can#i#a!"
a! !h" %"n"ral "l"c!ion '& "!i!ion. h" ri%h! o+ !h" o!"r !o o!" a! !h" %"n"ral
"l"c!ion +or hom h" l"a" canno! '" limi!"#.
• :n !h" ca" a! han#, lain!i comlain on accoun! o+ #"+"n#an! all"%"# iola!ion
o+ !h" Bl"#%"B in u"!ion '& lin% h"r on c"r!ica!" o can#i#ac& +or a "a! in
!h" 5on%r" o+ !h" Philiin" an# in o"nl& an# ac!i"l& camai%nin% +or h"r
"l"c!ion. :n !h" +ac" o+ !h" r"c"#in% coni#"ra!ion, " c"r!ainl& canno! "n!"r!ain
lain!i ac!ion, hich oul# r"ul! in limi!in% !h" choic" o+ !h" "l"c!or !o onl&
!ho" "ron "l"c!"# '& a mall %rou or '& ar!& 'o".