An Waray Party-List v. COMELEC (G.R. No. 268546, August 6, 2024)
SYLLABUS:
The Supreme Court’s decision in this case is a reaffirmation of COMELEC’s authority to regulate and enforce compliance with election laws concerning party-list organizations. The decision clarified the limits of HRET’s jurisdiction, emphasized the need for a timely assertion of the right to speedy disposition of cases, and distinguished between criminal election offenses and administrative proceedings for purposes of prescription.
FACTS:
An Waray Party-List, a registered multi-sectoral party-list organization, participated in the 2013 National and Local Elections (NLE) with Neil Benedict A. Montejo as the first nominee, Jude A. Acidre as the second nominee, and Victoria Isabel Noel as the third nominee. An Waray garnered 541,205 votes, which entitled it to one guaranteed seat in the House of Representatives (HoR). However, due to adjustments in the party-list seat allocations, An Waray was eventually awarded two seats.
After being allocated two seats, Acidre, the second nominee, submitted his resignation on May 29, 2013, citing personal reasons. This resulted in Victoria Isabel Noel assuming the second seat as An Waray’s second nominee.
While Victoria assumed her seat in the HoR, it was later discovered that she took her oath without being properly proclaimed by COMELEC’s National Board of Canvassers (NBOC). Despite the request from An Waray’s counsel for a CoP in favor of Victoria, the NBOC did not issue the certificate, and her assumption of office was made based on the party’s belief that they were entitled to two seats.
On May 10, 2019, Danilo Pomias and Jude Acidre (the latter having moved to another party-list) filed a petition before COMELEC seeking the cancellation of An Waray's registration under Section 6 of Republic Act No. 7941 (Party-List System Act). They argued that Victoria had assumed office illegally, without a valid CoP from the NBOC, and that An Waray, with the knowledge and consent of its officials, allowed her to take office in violation of election laws. They submitted evidence, including a memorandum from COMELEC’s Regional Election Director, certifying that no CoP was issued for Victoria.
COMELEC's Second Division granted the petition on June 2, 2023, canceling An Waray’s registration on the grounds that Victoria assumed office without a valid proclamation, thereby violating election laws. COMELEC’s En Banc affirmed this decision on August 14, 2023, leading to the cancellation of An Waray's registration as a party-list organization. An Waray and Victoria sought relief from the Supreme Court, arguing that the cancellation was too harsh a penalty and that COMELEC exceeded its jurisdiction by ruling on the validity of Victoria’s assumption of office, which they claimed should fall under the jurisdiction of HRET.
The petition for cancellation was filed in May 2019, but COMELEC issued its decision only in June 2023, nearly four years later. During this period, An Waray continued to participate in elections and won seats in both the 2019 and 2022 elections.
An Waray argued that the petition to cancel their registration had prescribed under Section 267 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), which provides a five-year prescriptive period for election offenses. They contended that any violation relating to Victoria's assumption of office occurred in 2013, more than five years before the filing of the petition in 2019.
Grave Abuse of Discretion by COMELEC in Canceling An Waray’s Registration: An Waray contended that COMELEC committed grave abuse of discretion by canceling its registration, arguing that the act of allowing Victoria to assume office without a valid CoP should not result in the cancellation of the entire party-list’s registration. They also argued that there was no conclusive evidence showing that the party itself participated in any election law violation.
Jurisdiction of HRET: An Waray argued that the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) should have jurisdiction over the matter, as the issue concerned the election and qualifications of a member of the HoR, specifically Victoria Noel’s assumption of office. They claimed that HRET had exclusive jurisdiction over contests involving the election, returns, and qualifications of HoR members, and COMELEC overstepped its jurisdiction by ruling on this matter.
Violation of the Right to Speedy Disposition of Cases: An Waray claimed that the four-year delay in COMELEC's resolution of the petition violated their constitutional right to a speedy disposition of cases. They pointed out that this delay resulted in prejudice to their party, as the case lingered without resolution while they continued to participate in elections.
Prescription of the Petition: An Waray argued that the petition for cancellation of their registration was filed beyond the five-year prescriptive period for election offenses under Section 267 of the Omnibus Election Code. They contended that any alleged offense occurred in 2013, and the filing of the petition in 2019 was time-barred.
ISSUES:
1. Whether COMELEC committed grave abuse of discretion in canceling An Waray's registration as a party-list.
2. Whether the jurisdiction to resolve the validity of Victoria's proclamation and An Waray's party-list registration falls under the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET).
3. Whether the right to the speedy disposition of cases was violated by COMELEC’s delay in resolving the case.
4. Whether the petition to cancel An Waray’s registration had already prescribed.
HELD:
1. Whether COMELEC Committed Grave Abuse of Discretion in Canceling An Waray’s Registration as a Party-List: The power to register and cancel party-list organizations is explicitly vested in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) under Republic Act No. 7941, also known as the Party-List System Act. Section 6 of the Act empowers COMELEC to cancel a party-list's registration if it violates election laws, including cases where party-lists or their nominees fail to comply with legal requirements for assumption into office.
The Court ruled that COMELEC did not commit grave abuse of discretion in canceling An Waray's registration. COMELEC acted within its authority under Republic Act No. 7941 by determining that An Waray violated election laws when its nominee, Victoria Noel, assumed office in the House of Representatives without a valid Certificate of Proclamation (CoP). The Court emphasized that COMELEC's decision was based on clear violations of the election process, particularly regarding the unauthorized assumption of office by Noel. The cancellation of the party-list’s registration was within COMELEC’s legal mandate, and no grave abuse of discretion was found because the decision followed the proper application of the law and election rules.
2. Whether the Jurisdiction to Resolve the Validity of Victoria's Proclamation and An Waray's Registration Falls Under the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET): Article VI, Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution provides that the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) has the exclusive jurisdiction over contests relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of members of the House of Representatives. However, the jurisdiction of the HRET applies only to individual members of the HoR and does not extend to the registration or cancellation of a party-list organization.
The Supreme Court held that HRET does not have jurisdiction over the cancellation of An Waray's registration. It affirmed COMELEC’s authority to regulate party-list organizations and emphasized that disputes concerning the legal standing of party-list groups, as distinct from their individual nominees, are matters for COMELEC, not HRET.
The Court provided a clear delineation between the jurisdiction of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) and that of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in relation to the registration and regulation of party-list organizations.
Scope of HRET’s Jurisdiction
The Court began by outlining the jurisdiction of the HRET as stated in Article VI, Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution. This provision grants HRET exclusive authority over contests involving the election, returns, and qualifications of individual members of the House of Representatives (HoR). The Court made it clear that this jurisdiction is limited to individual members, meaning it applies to specific challenges to the qualifications or election of persons who have been elected to serve as members of the House.
COMELEC’s Jurisdiction Over Party-List Organizations
In contrast, the Court emphasized that COMELEC holds jurisdiction over party-list registration, including the authority to cancel the registration of party-list organizations under Republic Act No. 7941 (Party-List System Act). Section 6 of this Act vests in COMELEC the power to cancel a party-list’s registration for failure to comply with election laws or for committing election law violations. The main issue in the An Waray case concerned the party-list's compliance with these laws, particularly in relation to the assumption of office by Victoria Noel without a valid Certificate of Proclamation (CoP).
The core dispute did not pertain to Victoria Noel’s qualifications or her election as an individual member of the HoR, but rather whether An Waray, as an organization, complied with the election laws governing party-list groups. Therefore, COMELEC had jurisdiction over the matter, as it related to the organizational compliance of An Waray with the law, not the individual election or qualifications of Victoria Noel.
Distinction Between the Party-List and the Nominee
The Court further clarified that while voters elect a party-list organization, it is the party’s nominee who sits in the HoR as a member. Thus, when a dispute concerns the party-list organization’s registration, as in this case, the jurisdiction remains with COMELEC. In contrast, if the case involved a dispute about the qualifications or election of an individual nominee (like Victoria Noel), then HRET would have jurisdiction.
In An Waray, the central issue was not whether Victoria Noel was qualified or properly elected, but whether An Waray was entitled to retain its party-list registration given the procedural issues related to her assumption of office without a proper proclamation. Since this was a matter of the party-list’s compliance with legal rules, it fell squarely within COMELEC’s jurisdiction.
The Involvement of a Sitting Member Does Not Alter the Nature of the Case
The Court rejected the argument that Victoria Noel’s status as a sitting member of the HoR would shift jurisdiction to HRET. The Court held that the mere fact that a nominee had assumed office did not change the nature of the action from an organizational matter (An Waray’s compliance with election laws) to an individual one (the qualifications or election of Victoria Noel). The focus of the case remained on whether the party-list organization itself violated election laws, thus keeping the case within COMELEC’s jurisdiction.
The Court further emphasized that HRET’s jurisdiction arises only when a dispute directly affects the validity of an individual’s election, qualifications, or returns. Since the question in An Waray was about the registration status of the party-list, rather than the personal qualifications or election of Victoria Noel, the case did not fall under HRET’s authority.
3. Whether the Right to Speedy Disposition of Cases Was Violated by COMELEC’s Delay in Resolving the Case: Article III, Section 16 of the 1987 Constitution guarantees the right to a speedy disposition of cases before all judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative bodies. However, this right is not absolute and must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, considering factors such as the complexity of the case, the length of the delay, the reasons for the delay, and the prejudice caused to the parties.
The Court ruled that An Waray’s right to a speedy disposition of cases was not violated. Although there was a nearly four-year delay in the resolution of the case, the Court emphasized that An Waray did not assert its right to a speedy resolution during this period. The delay was not attended by malice or oppressive conduct on the part of COMELEC, and there was no indication that An Waray suffered any actual prejudice due to the delay. In fact, An Waray continued to participate in the 2019 and 2022 elections, securing seats in the House of Representatives during that time.
The Court relied on jurisprudence, such as Cagang v. Sandiganbayan and Abella v. Commission on Audit Proper, to explain that a violation of the right to speedy disposition requires actual, specific, and real injury caused by the delay. In the absence of such injury, mere delay alone does not constitute a violation. An Waray's failure to raise the issue of delay earlier in the proceedings also indicated that it had acquiesced to the delay.
4. Whether the Petition to Cancel An Waray’s Registration Had Already Prescribed: Section 267 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) provides that election offenses prescribe after five years from the date of their commission. However, this prescription period applies specifically to criminal offenses under election laws and does not extend to administrative actions such as the cancellation of party-list registrations.
The Court held that the petition to cancel An Waray’s registration had not prescribed because the five-year prescriptive period under Section 267 of the OEC applies only to election offenses, which are criminal in nature. The action to cancel An Waray’s registration was an administrative proceeding, not a criminal offense, and thus, the prescriptive period for election offenses did not apply.
The Court emphasized that the action involved determining whether An Waray had violated election laws in relation to its party-list registration, not the prosecution of an election offense that would fall under the criminal jurisdiction of the courts. As such, there was no time-bar on the administrative proceeding to cancel the registration of a party-list under Republic Act No. 7941.
