ATONG PAGLAUM, INC. v.

COMELEC,
Topic: The Branches of Government Con!ress
Atong Paglaum, Inc. petitioner vs. COMELEC, respondent
Ponente: J. Carpio
Legal Action:
Facts:
Te cases constitute !" petitions #or certiorari and petitions #or certiorari and proi$ition
$% !& part%'list groups(organi)ations
Te% are assailing multiple resolutions issued $% te COMELEC dis*uali#%ing tem #rom
participating in te Ma% +,, &-+, part%'list elections
Te% .ere dis*uali#ied eiter $% denial o# teir petitions #or registration, or $%
cancellation o# teir registration and accreditation as part%'list organi)ations
Most o# te dis*uali#ications stated tat te groups do not represent /marginali)ed and
underrepresented0 sectors, or tat te nominees do not $elong to suc sectors te%
purport to represent
One petitioner .as previousl% granted 1in &-+&2 registration and accreditation $ut .as
denied participation on te &-+, elections $ecause o# #ailure to represent an%
/marginali)ed and underrepresented0 sector3 t.elve petitioners .ere not a$le to secure
mandator% in4unction and are tere#ore removed #rom te $allots3 .ile ,5 .ere a$le to
secure suc mandator% in4unction and are still included in te printed $allots
Te petitioners also pra%ed #or te issuance o# a T6O and(or .rit o# preliminar%
in4unction. 7C issued 7tatus 8uo Ante Orders in all petitions 1!" consolidated petitions
tat are su$4ect o# tis decision2
I779E7: :EL; 1<es
or =o2
6ATIO
>eter or not te COMELEC
committed grave a$use o#
discretion amounting to lac? or
e@cess o# 4urisdiction in
dis*uali#%ing petitioners #rom
participating in te Ma% &-+,
part%'list elections
=o Tere is no grave a$use o# discretion on te part
o# te COMELEC in #ollo.ing prevailing
4urisprudence.
>eter te criteria #or
participating in te part%'list
s%stem laid do.n in te case
Ang Aagong Aa%ani and
Aaranga% Association #or
=ational Advancement and
Transparenc% 1AA=AT2 v.
COMELEC sould $e applied
=o Te Court laid do.n ne. parameters in *uali#%ing
national, regional, and sectoral parties under te
part%'list s%stem, a$andoning all previous rulings.
Te part%'list s%stem aims to democrati)e political
po.er $% giving political parties tat cannot .in
legislative districts a cance to .in seats in te
:ouse o# 6epresentatives.
According to te proceedings o# te Constitutional
Commission 1discussions $et.een Comm.
Cristian Monsod and Comm. Billacorta2, it .as
stressed tat te part%'list s%stem is not
s%non%mous .it sectoral representation. It does
not reserve Congressional seats #or speci#ic
sectors, .ic .ill necessaril% create pro$lems in
de#ining .ic sectors sould $e represented and
.ill discriminate $% giving undue advantage to
tose sectors. Te part%'list see?s to open te
s%stem, to allo. groups .o cannot .in legislative
districts to participate in te legislative process.
Te intent o# te #ramers is to include not onl%
sectoral parties $ut also non'sectoral parties. Te
provision tat tere .ill $e reserved seats #or
sectoral parties .as onl% e@pressl% provided #or
te #irst tree consecutive terms o# Congress a#ter
te rati#ication o# te +5CD Constitution.
Tis means tat a#ter suc terms, te s%stem is
no. open to $ecome /a part%'list o# s%stem o#
registered national, regional, and sectoral0 parties
1as stated in te te@t o# te Constitution: 7ec !1+2
Art BI2.
6A D5"+ 1Part%'List 7%stem Act2 ecoes tese
provisions. In 7ec ,1a2, it is de#ined tat a /part%0
is /eiter a political part% or a sectoral part% or a
coalition o# parties.0 In 7ec ,1c2, a /political part%0
re#ers to an organi)ed group advocating an
ideolog% or plat#orm, principles, and policies #or
te general conduct o# government. Mean.ile, a
/sectoral part%0 is de#ined in 7ec !, .ose
principal advocac% pertains to te special interest
and concerns o# teir sector.
It is tus clear tat te la. intended to accept $ot
sectoral and non'sectoral parties into te s%stem.
Te common denominator in $ot classi#ication o#
parties is tat te% cannot .in a legislative district,
$ut te% can garner in nation.ide elections at
least te same amount o# votes to .in a seat.
Furter, noting in 7ec E o# 6A D5"+ 1.ic
provides #or te grounds $% .ic COMELEC ma%
re#use(cancel a part%Fs registration2 states tat
non'representation o# /marginali)ed and
underrepresented0 is a ground #or re#usal o#
registration.
Te declaration o# polic% in 7ec & o# 6A D+"+
1see?ing to promote proportional representation in
te election o# representatives to te :ouse o#
6epresentatives troug te part%'list s%stem to
ena$le Filipinos $elonging to te marginalized and
underrepresented sectors and who lack well-
defined political constituencies to $ecome
mem$ers o# Congress.2 seems to contradict te
speci#ic provisions o# te Constitution. In tis, it
.as stated tat /marginali)ed and
underrepresented0 sould onl% pertain to 7ec !
.ic clearl% delineates suc sectors. For tese, a
ma4orit% o# te mem$ers o# suc sectoral part%
must eiter $elong to te sector, or ave a trac?
record o# advocac% #or suc sector.
In Ang Bagong Bayani, it .as ruled tat .ile
even ma4or political parties are e@pressl% allo.ed
$% 6A D5"+ and te Constitution to participate in
te part%'list s%stem, te% must compl% .it te
statutor% polic% o# ena$ling te /marginali)ed and
underrepresented0 to $ecome mem$ers o#
Congress. Tis e##ectivel% dis*uali#ied ma4or
political parties #rom participating in te s%stem.
Te guidelines .ere:
+. Te political part%, sector, organi)ation, or
coalition must represent te marginali)ed
and underrepresented groups identi#ied in
6A D5"+ 7ec !
&. >ile even ma4or political parties are
e@pressl% allo.ed $% te Constitution and
6A D5"+ to participate, te% must compl%
.it te statutor% polic% to ena$le Filipinos
$elonging to marginali)ed and
underrepresented sectors to $e elected in
Congress
,. 6eligious sectors ma% not $e represented
". Part% must not $e dis*uali#ied under 7ec E
6A D5"+
!. Part% must not $e an ad4unct o#, or pro4ect
organi)ed or entit% #unded or assisted $%
te government
E. Part% A=; nominees must compl% .it
re*uirements o# te la. 17ec 5 6A D5"+ on
nominees2
D. =ot onl% te candidate part% or
organi)ation must represent marginali)ed
or underrepresented sectors, so also must
its nominees
C. =ominee must $e a$le to contri$ute to te
#ormulation and enactment o# appropriate
legislation tat .ill $ene#it te nation as a
.ole
In BANAT, te ma4or political parties .ere o##iciall%
e@cluded #rom participating, even teir sectoral
.ings. 1C'D vote2
Te Court #inds tese rulings contrar% to la., in
tat 6A D5"+ 7ec ++ proi$its suc ma4or political
parties 1#irst #ive2 #rom participating O=L< in te
Ma% +5CC elections and not perpetuall%. A#ter
.ic, te% can alread% participate troug teir
/sectoral .ings,0 an independent sectoral part%
tat is lin?ed to te ma4or political part% troug a
coalition. Te Court promulgates ne.
guidelines(parameters in te determination o# te
*uali#ication o# a part%'list group:
+. Tree di##erent groups ma% participate: +.
national parties or organi)ations, &.
regional parties or organi)ations, ,.
sectoral parties or organi)ations
&. =ational parties G regional parties do not
need to organi)e along sectoral lines and
do not need to represent marginali)ed and
underrepresented sectors
,. Political parties can participate, provided
te% register under te part%'list s%stem
and not #ield candidates in legislative
district elections. I# te% do 1ma4or part% or
not2, te% ma% participate in te part%'list
s%stem onl% troug teir sectoral .ings
". 7ectoral parties ma% eiter $e
/marginali)ed and underrepresented0 or
lac?ing in /.ell'de#ined political
constituencies.0 It is enoug tat teir
principal advocac% pertains to te special
interest and concerns o# teir sector
!. Te ma4orit% mem$ers o# sectoral parties
must $elong to suc sector. =ominees
must eiter $elong to suc sector or ave
a trac? record o# advocac% #or te sector.
E. Parties sall not $e dis*uali#ied i# some o#
teir nominees are dis*uali#ied, provided at
least one nominee remains *uali#ied
;ECI7IO=:
Te petitions are remanded to te COMELEC to determine .eter te petitioners can $e
*uali#ied to register and run as part%'list, given te ne. parameters prescri$ed in te decision.