ALBANIA v. COMELEC

SOFRONIO B. ALBANIA, Petitioner vs. COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS and EDGARDO A. TALLADO, Respondent 

G.R. No. 226792

June 6, 2017

FACTS:

In the May 14, 2007 National and Local Elections, respondent Edgardo A. Tallado and Jesus O. Typoco were both candidates for the position of Governor in Camarines Norte. After the counting and canvassing of votes, Typoco was proclaimed as the winner. Respondent questioned Typoco's proclamation by filing with the COMELEC, a petition for correction of a manifest error. The Petition was decided in respondent's favor on March 5, 2010 and the latter assumed the position of Governor of Camarines Norte from March 22, 2010 to June 30, 2010, the end of the 2007-2010 term.

Respondent ran again in the 2010 and 2013 National and Local Elections where he won and served as Governor of Camarines Norte, respectively. On October 16, 2015, respondent filed his Certificate of Candidacy as Governor of Camarines Norte in the May 9, 2016 National and Local elections. On November 13, 2015, petitioner, a registered voter of Poblacion Sta. Elena, Camarines Norte, filed a petition for respondent's disqualification from running as Governor based on Rule 25 of COMELEC Resolution No. 9523 on two grounds: (1) he violated the three term limit rule under Section 43 of RA No 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991 (LGC); and (2) respondent's suspension froni office for one year without pay, together with its accessory penalties, after he was found guilty of oppression and grave abuse of authority in the Ombudsman's Order9 dated October 2, 2015.

Respondent argued that since the petition was primarily based on his alleged violation of the three-term limit rule, the same should have been filed as a petition to deny due course to or cancel certificate of candidacy under Rule 23 of COMELEC Resolution 9523, in relation to Section 78 of the Omnibus Election Code, as the ground cited affected a candidate's eligibility; that based on Section 23, the petition should had been filed on November 10, 2015, but the petition was filed only on November 13, 2015, hence, the same had already prescribed and must be dismissed. His suspension from office is also not a ground for a petition for disqualification. On the substantive issues, he denied violating the three-term limit rule as he did not fully serve three consecutive terms since he only served as Governor for the 2007 elections from March 22, 2010 to June 30, 2010.

On April 22, 2016, the COMELEC Second Division dismissed the petition for being filed out of time. It ruled that a violation of the three-term limit rule and suspension from office as a result of an administrative case are not grounds for disqualification of a candidate under the law.

Petitioner filed a motion for reconsideration with the COMELEC En Banc, which dismissed the same in a Resolution dated August 24, 2016. The COMELEC En Banc echoed the Division's findings that the grounds relied upon by petitioner are not proper for a petition for disqualification but one for denial of due course to or cancellation of respondent's COC, which was filed out of time. It then continued to rule on the merits finding that respondent did not serve the full 2007-2010 term as Governor of Camarines Norte, thus, cannot be considered as one term for purposes of counting the three-term threshold.

ISSUE: 

Whether or not respondent Edgardo A. Tallado violated the three term limit rule under Section 43 of RA No 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991.

RULING: 

No, the respondent Edgardo A. Tallado did not violate the three term limit rule under Section 43 of RA No 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991 .The Court noted the grounds for disqualification of a candidate are found under Sections 12 and 68 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, as amended, otherwise known as the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines, as well as Section 40 of the Local Government Code, which respectively provide: SEC. 12. Disqualifications. Any person who has been declared by competent authority insane or incompetent, or has been sentenced by final judgment for subversion, insurrection, rebellion, or for any offense for which he has been sentenced to a penalty of more than eighteen months or for a crime involving moral turpitude, shall be disqualified to be a candidate and to hold any office, unless he has been given plenary pardon or granted amnesty. x x x x SEC. 68. Disqualifications. Any candidate who, in an action or protest in which he is a party is declared by final decision of a competent court guilty of, or found by the Commission of having (a) given money or other material consideration to influence, induce or corrupt the voters or public officials performing electoral functions; (b) committed acts of terrorism to enhance his candidacy; (c) spent in his election campaign an amount in excess of that allowed by this Code; (d) solicited, received or made any contribution prohibited under Sections 89, 95, 96, 97 and 104;

x x x x SECTION 40. Disqualifications - The following persons are disqualified from running for any elective local position:

(a) Those sentence by final judgment for an offense involving moral turpitude or for an offense punishable by one (1) year or more of imprisonment, within two (2) years after serving sentence;

(b) Those removed from office as a result of an administrative case;

(c) Those convicted by final judgment for violating the oath of allegiance to the Republic;

(d) Those with dual citizenship;

(e) Fugitive from justice in criminal or nonpolitical cases here or abroad;

(f) Permanent residents in a foreign country or those who have acquired the right to reside abroad and continue to avail of the same right after the effectivity of this Code; and

(g) The insane or feeble-minded.

A reading of the grounds enumerated under the above-quoted provisions for a candidate's disqualification does not include the two grounds relied upon by petitioner. Hence, the petition is DENIED. The Resolution dated August 24, 2016 of the Commission on Elections En Banc is AFFIRMED.