ATENEOSTUDENTJUDICIALCOURT

AteneodeManilaUniversityLoyolaSchools
BarangayLoyolaHeights,QuezonCity

InthematteroftheextensionoftheSanggunianGeneralElections

Petitioner:AteneoDebateSociety(ADS),
Representedby:PaulinaBlancaRobles(ADSPresident)

Versus

Respondent:AteneoCOMELEC

To:TheHonorableMagistratesoftheStudentJudicialCourt

PETITIONFORINJUNCTION

Asastudentorganizationspeakingonbehalfofitsmembersandfellowstudents,andwith
ouradvocacyofpublicdiscourseinmind,wefilethispetitionforinjunctionregardingtherecent
decisionmadebytheATENEOCOMELECregardinganextensionofthevotingperiodofthe
currentSanggunianElections.Wejustifythismotionwiththefollowingstatements:

1. TheextensionisagainsttheCOMELECelectoralcode.
2. Theinitialvotingperiod,datedFebruary17,18,20,and23,wasalreadysufficienttimeto
attainthequotaof3,255students.Theextensionperiodisunnecessary.
3. Theextensionperiod,datedFebruary24,isarbitraryandisaflagrantdisregardof
democracy.
4. Thisdecisionmadeisanirresponsibleandimpulsiveuseofpower.

ARGUMENTS

1.TheextensionviolatestheElectoralCode.

ArticleVIII,Section1boftheElectoralCodestatesthattheATENEOCOMELECcan
onlyextendvotinghoursforamaximumoffour(4)hourspastthetimestatedintheresolution.
TheaboveprovisioncontemplatestheoriginalresolutioninwhichtheCOMELECdeclaresthe
periodofelections.Hence,Section1bholdsthatanextensioncannotlastanylongerthanfourhours
pasttheoriginalperiod.Forexample,iftheCOMELECweretodeclaretheendofelectionstobeat
4:30pmofFebruary20,itcannotextendtheelectionspast8:30pmofthesaiddate.

Inthecaseatbar,theAteneoCOMELECextendedelectionsforafulldayafterthedatein
theoriginalresolution.ThisisclearlyaviolationoftheElectoralCode,andassuchmustbe
declarednullandvoid.

WhileArticleXIV,Section3aofthe2005ConstitutionimbuestheCOMELECwiththe
powertoexercisecontrol,supervisionandoriginaljurisdictionoverallmatterspertainingto
Sangguniancandidacy,campaign,elections,plebiscites,andorreferenda,suchdoesnotmeanthe
unfetteredabilitytodeclarerules.ThispowermustbetemperedwiththeElectoralCode,which

providesthelimitsofCOMELECsdiscretion.Inthisscenario,theCOMELECactedarbitrarilyby
extendingelectionswithouthavingthepowertodoso.

2.Theinitialvotingperiod,datedFebruary17,18,20,and23,wasalreadysufficienttimetoattain
thequotaof3,255students.Theextensionperiodisunnecessary.

Theinitialvotingperiodwasmorethanenoughtimetobeabletomeetquota.Itlasteda
totaloffivedays.Uponobservationalresearchconductedbyourmembers,AllanCabrera(MS
AppliedMathematics)andInahRobles(IVBSLegalManagement),wefoundthataveragevoting
timeforstudentsis1.76minutes(1:46).COMELECallottedsevenandahalf(7.5)hoursaday,
fourdays,andsixvotingboothsforthedurationoftheelectionperiod.Thismeans,theyhadatotal
of180hours(10,800minutes)toaccommodatestudentvotes.Theoretically,amaximumof6,113
studentswouldhavebeenabletovote,anumberwellabovetheoverallquotaof3,255voters.
Mathematically,itwouldhaveonlytakes2.13daystoreachquota,anamountoftimejustaround
halfofwhatCOMELECprovided.
RegardingCOMELECsargumentontheabsenceofindividualsinthevotingstations,that
isstillaccountedforgiventhatthetimeneededtoreachquotaisjustabouthalftimeallotted.More
thanthat,basedonthedataobtained,therewouldbeuptonine(9)minuteswherenoonewas
voting.Thevotingstationswerealsoneverfilledtocapacityduringthetimeofobservation.Wecan
thendeducethatitwasnotthelackoftimethatdisenfranchisedvotersfromvoting.
TheorganizationrequesteddatafromtheCOMELECregardingthenumberofboothsleft
unmanned,andtheamountoftimethattheseboothswereleftunmannedinordertogiveamore
accuratecalculation.However,thisdatahasyettohavebeengiven.

3.Theextensionperiod,datedFebruary24,isarbitraryandisaflagrantdisregardofdemocracy.
Evenwiththelackofthepreviouslymentioneddataandassumingtheworstcasescenario,
thedecisionmadeisstilldemocraticallyunfair.Theannouncementwasthatsomepollofficerswere
notabletoattendtheirshifts,butanentiredayisbeinggiventomakeupfortheseabsentofficers.
Anentiredayofvotingisnotcommensuratetomakeupforthefewhoursofunmannedbooths.
Assumingtherewasasignificantamountofshiftsmissed,partofCOMELECsdutiesare
tomakesurethattheyhavepeoplemanningtheboothsatalltimes.Beforetheelectionperiod,they
alreadyunderstoodhowmanyvotingstationstherewouldbeandhowmanypeopletheyneededto
recruitandweregivenenoughtimetoassignshifts.Itisunfairtogivethemthismuchleewayfor
theirinefficiencygiventhatitdoesnotmeetthebasicstandardofwhatisexpectedofCOMELEC
commissioners.Thisavenuealsotakesawaytheimperativetosolvethesaidproblem.
Moreover,theabsenceofpersonnelmanningapollingstationisnotareasonforconcerned
studentstonotvotealtogether.Ifastationwasnotattendedto,allpotentialvotershadtheoptionto
voteinoneoftheotherfiveboothsavailable,orsimplycomeagainatadifferenttime.Infact,ina
surveyconductedbytheADS,only3%ofthetotal194respondents,or5%ofthe95respondents
thatdidntvotecitedNoonewasmanningtheboothasthereasonthattheydidntvote.The
biggerportionofrespondentscitedDidnotcareabouttheupcomingelections(35%)andDid
notknowanyofthecandidates(23%).
Itisalsoquestionablewhytheissueoflackofmanpowerwasonlybroughtupafter
elections.Ifthiswasarepetitiveproblem,itwasCOMELECsdutytofixitduringthegivenvoting
period.ThereisalsoanobviousinconsistencybecauseTheComelecMemoNo.201528was
releasedat11:45PMonFebruary23,2015.Whentheofficerswerepushedfordataregardingthe

memo,theysaidtheydidnothaveconsolidateddataasof6:31PMonFebruary24,2015proving
theirclaimthatthelackofmanpowerseverelydisenfranchisedvoters.
AllthatwasaskedofCOMELECwastobeanobjectivebodythatallowedstudentsto
exercisetherighttovote.Ademocraticelectionallowsvoterstheoptiontoabstain,oreventonot
votealtogether.Forcingagovernmentontostudentswhenthecandidateshavealreadyfailedto
meetquotaisdisregardingtheveryvoiceCOMELECclaimstoprotect.

4.Thisdecisionmadeisanirresponsibleandimpulsiveuseofpower.
TheinitialmemorandumissuedbytheCOMELECannouncingtheextensionofelections
stated:
"Greetings!TheCommissionwillbeextendingthevotingperiodforthe2015Sanggunian
GeneralElectionsuntilFebruary24,2015,Tuesday,9:00AMto4:30PM.Unfortunately,
duetomanpowerconstraint,studentscanonlycasttheirvotesattheGonzagaHallpolling
station.Pleaseberemindedthatyourvotematters.Thankyou"

Whenpressedforanexplanation,COMELECthenrevisedtheirmemorandumtostate:

Greetings!TheCommissiondecidedtoextendthevotingperiodforthe2015Sanggunian
GeneralElectionsduetoproblemsinmanpoweratthepollingstations.Ithascometoour
attentionthatsomepollofficerswerenotabletoattendtheirshiftsatcertaintimesleaving
somestationsunmanned.Wethinkthatthisaffectedthevoterturnout.Restassuredthatwe
aredoingourbesttoservethestudentbodyoftheLoyolaSchools.Thankyou.

Thememostilldoesnotexplainhowtheycametotheconclusionthatitsignificantly
affectedvoterturnout.TheorganizationattemptedtoclarifythesituationwithCOMELECby
asking:
1)Howmanypollofficerswerenotabletoattendtheirshifts?
2)Howmanyhourstotalweretheboothsleftunmanned?
3)Howdidyoucometotheconclusionthatitwasbecausetheboothswereunmanned
whichledtovotersdisenfranchised?

COMELECsresponseAsofnow,wedon'thavethefullattendancereportbecausesomeofthe
pollofficersweretherebuthadtoleaveearlywithoutnotifyingus.
GiventhatCOMELECdoesnothaveanydatatosupporttheirclaim,theextensionofthe
votingperiodisbaseless.It'sthefailuretocarryoutduediligenceandyetstillactingonthebasisof
potentiallyinaccurateinformationthatmakestheextensionanirresponsibleandimpulsiveuseof
power.
Aprecedenceofallowingspeculativejustificationsforadecisionaffectingtheentire
studentbodymustneverbeallowedtotakeroot,especiallywhenitjeopardizesthecredibilityofthe
lifelineofademocracy.

TheorganizationasksthatallvotescastedonFebruary24,2015beinvalidated.

Submittedby:
TheAteneoDebateSociety(ADS)

Representedby:PaulinaRobles(Sgd.)