EN BANC

[ G.R. No. 263590. June 27, 2023 ]

ATTY. ROMULO B. MACALINTAL, PETITIONER, VS. COMMISSION ON
ELECTIONS AND THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, THROUGH EXECUTIVE
SECRETARY LUCAS P. BERSAMIN, RESPONDENTS.

[G.R. No. 263673]

ATTY. ALBERTO N. HIDALGO, ATTY. ALUINO O. ALA, ATTY. AGERICO A. AVILA,

ATTY. TED CASSEY B. CASTELLO, ATTY. JOYCE IVY C. MACASA, AND ATTY.
FRANCES MAY C. REALINO, PETITIONERS, VS. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY LUCAS
P. BERSAMIN, THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES, DULY REPRESENTED BY
ITS SENATE PRESIDENT, JUAN MIGUEL ZUBIRI, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, DULY REPRESENTED BY ITS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE,
FERDINAND MARTIN ROMUALDEZ, AND THE COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS,
DULY REPRESENTED BY ITS CHAIRMAN, GEORGE ERWIN M. GARCIA,
RESPONDENTS.

DECISION
KHO, JR., J.:
The importance of the people's choice must be the paramount consideration in every election,
for the Constitution has vested in them the right to freely select, by secret-ballot in clean
elections, the men and women who shall make laws for them or govern in their name and
behalf. The people have a natural and a constitutional right to participate directly in the form
of government under which they live. Such a right is among the most important and sacred of
the freedoms inherent in a democratic society and one which must be most vigilantly guarded
if a people desires to maintain through self-government for themselves and their posterity a
genuinely functioning democracy in which the individual may, in accordance with law, have a
voice in the form of his government and in the choice of the people who will run that
government for him.

- Geronimo v. Ramos, 221 Phil. 130, 141 (1985)

[Per J. Gutierrez, Jr., En Banc]
Before Us are consolidated Petitions assailing the constitutionality of Republic Act No. (RA)
11935, entitled "An Act Postponing the December 2022 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan
Elections, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 9164, As Amended, Appropriating Funds
therefor, and for Other Purposes."

The Petitions are as follows:

1. Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition with Extremely Urgent Prayer for the Issuance of
Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and/or Writ of Preliminary Mandatory Injunction (WPMI) and
for the Conduct of a Special Raffle of this Case[1] filed by petitioner Atty. Romulo B. Macalintal
(Atty. Macalintal), docketed as G.R. No. 263590; and

2. Petition[2] for certiorari, prohibition, and mandamus with prayer for the issuance of a TRO
and preliminary injunction filed by petitioners Attys. Alberto N. Hidalgo, Aluino O. Ala, Agerico
A. Avila, Ted Cassey B. Castello, Joyce Ivy C. Macasa, and Frances May C. Realino (Atty.
Hidalgo, et al.), docketed as G.R. No. 263673.

THE FACTS
 1. On October 10, 2022, President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. approved RA 11935, the
salient portions of which include:
a. The postponement of the barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections (BSKE)
scheduled on December 5, 2022 to a later date, i.e., last Monday of October 2023; and

b. The authority given to incumbent barangay and sangguniang kabataan (BSK) officials to
remain in office until their successors have been duly elected and qualified, unless sooner
removed or suspended for cause.
2. Pertinently, Sections 1 and 3 of RA 11935 read:
Section 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 9164, as amended, is hereby further amended to read
as follows:
SECTION 1. Date of Election. — There shall be synchronized barangay and sangguniang
kabataan elections, which shall be held on the last Monday of October 2023 and every three
(3) years thereafter.
xxxx

Section 3. Hold-Over. — Until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified, all
incumbent barangay and sangguniang kabataan officials shall remain in office, unless sooner
removed or suspended for cause: Provided, That barangay and sangguniang
kabataan officials who are ex officio members of the sangguniang bayan, sangguniang
panlungsod, or sangguniang panlalawigan, as the case may be, shall continue to serve as
such members in the sanggunian concerned, until the next barangay and sangguniang
kabataan elections unless removed in accordance with their existing rules or for cause.
G.R. No. 263590

On October 17, 2022, Atty. Macalintal filed the Petition subject of G.R. No. 263590.[3] In his
Petition, Atty. Macalintal argues that RA 11935, insofar as the barangay election is concerned,
is unconstitutional, considering that:

First, Congress has no power to postpone or cancel a scheduled election because this power
belongs to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) after it has determined that serious
causes, as provided under Section 5 of Batas Pambansa Blg. 881, otherwise known as the
"Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines" (OEC),[4] warrant such postponement. Thus, by
enacting a law postponing a scheduled barangay election, Congress is in effect executing said
provision of the OEC and has overstepped its constitutional boundaries and assumed a
function that is reserved to the COMELEC.[5]

Second, the assailed law gives Congress the power to appoint barangay officials whose term,
as provided for by RA 11462,[6] will expire on December 31, 2022 in the guise of postponing
the scheduled December 5, 2022 barangay election and allowing the incumbent barangay
officials to continue serving until their successors are duly elected and qualified. What
Congress did is to make a "legislative appointment" of these barangay officials, circumventing
the legal requirement that these barangay officials must be elected and not appointed. [7]

Third, by arrogating unto itself the power to postpone the barangay election, Congress
effectively amended Section 5 of the OEC.[8] This is violative of the rule enshrined in the
Constitution that every bill shall embrace only one subject which shall be expressed in the
title thereof.[9]

Fourth, RA 11935 deprives the electorate of its right of suffrage by extending the term of
incumbent barangay officials whose term of office is set to end on December 31, 2022. [10]

Fifth, while Congress has the power to fix the term of office of barangay officials, it has no
power to extend the same.[11]

Sixth, RA 11935 violates the State's guarantee of equal access to opportunities for public
service by postponing the barangay election and depriving those who seek to be elected of an
opportunity to serve the public.[12]

Finally, RA 11935 violates the principle that barangay officials should not have a term longer
than that of their administrative superiors. Under the assailed law, the term of the incumbent
barangay officials would exceed five years.[13]

In support of his application for TRO/WPMI, Atty. Macalintal alleges that the COMELEC has
already stopped its preparation for the December 5, 2022 BSKE. He argues that the President
is expected to "undertake measures to enforce [the law] by recognizing said barangay
officials in holdover capacity and extending to them all emoluments and financial benefits due
a regular elected barangay official."[14]

Ultimately, the Petition in G.R. No. 263590 prays that RA 11935 be declared unconstitutional;
and that the COMELEC be directed to proceed with the BSKE on December 5, 2022, or on a
date reasonably close to it.[15]

In a Resolution[16] dated October 18, 2022, the Court, inter alia: (a) required the respondents
in G.R. No. 263590[17] to file a comment on the Petition and prayer for TRO/WPMI not later
than 12:00 noon of October 21, 2022; and (b) set oral arguments at 3:00 p.m. of even date.

In its Comment,[18] the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), on behalf of the respondents
in G.R. No. 263590, primarily argues that in order to successfully invoke the Court's
"expanded jurisdiction" under the Constitution, Atty. Macalintal must show that the assailed
action was tainted with grave abuse of discretion. Here, the Petition contains no allegation of
grave abuse of discretion.[19]

Additionally, the OSG argues that the fact that no grave abuse of discretion was alleged in the
Petition should give the Court pause before it exercises its power of judicial review, in view of
the fundamental principle of separation of powers, or the doctrine on "political questions" or
to the "enrolled bill rule"[20] — more so in this case, where the fundamental requisite of grave
abuse of discretion is missing.

Substantively, the OSG maintains that RA 11935 is valid and not unconstitutional. The OSG
contends that:

First, the Congress' power to legislate is plenary in nature, and limitations thereto must be
strictly construed to give due deference to the constitutional grant of legislative power. As
such, it has the authority to pass laws relating to or affecting elections — including the setting
of the dates of the conduct and the postponement of the BSKE — and to do so would not
impinge on the COMELEC's powers emanating either from the Constitution or the OEC. [21]

Second, there is no infringement on the electorate's right of suffrage, considering that the
postponement of the BSKE does not operate to deprive them of such right. Rather, it merely
adjusted the date by which they shall exercise the same.[22]

Third, there is no denial of equal access to opportunities for public service as RA 11935 does
not provide for any restrictions or conditions that would deprive any aspiring individual from
joining the BSKE.[23]

Fourth, the hold-over provision in Section 3 of RA 11935 is not tantamount to a legislative

appointment. In fact, the legality of hold-over provisions has already been upheld by various
case law, explaining that the same is necessary to preserve continuity in the transaction of
official businesses and to prevent a hiatus in government office. [24]

Anent the prayer for TRO/WPMI, the OSG argues that Atty. Macalintal has failed to prove his
entitlement thereto.[25]

On October 21, 2022, the oral arguments for G.R. No. 263590 proceeded as scheduled, and
thereafter, the parties were instructed to submit their respective memoranda within 15 days
from the adjournment of the oral arguments.[26] Both parties were able to submit their
respective Memoranda[27] within such time.

G.R. No. 263673

Meanwhile, a day before the scheduled oral arguments for G.R. No. 263590, or on October 20,
2022, Atty. Hidalgo, et al. filed the Petition subject of G.R. No. 263673. Procedurally, Atty.
Hidalgo, et al. assert that the requisites for the exercise by the Court of its judicial power of
review are met. Particularly:

First, the actual case or controversy consists of the fact that the passage of RA 11935 into
law, with its unconstitutional postponement of the BSKE, is tantamount to grave abuse of
discretion on the part of Congress.

Second, as lawyers, taxpayers, and registered voters, petitioners have legal standing to file
the Petition as RA 11935 renders their right to vote for barangay leaders practically inexistent.

Third, the signing by the President of RA 11935 into law made it constitutionally ripe for
adjudication.

Fourth, they raise the issue of unconstitutionality of RA 11935 at the earliest opportunity, that
is, when the President signed RA 11935 into law.[28]

Finally, citing Arellano v. Gatdula,[29] they argue that a special civil action for certiorari is
the proper remedy to assail actions of any instrumentality or branch of the government on the
ground of grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction. [30]

Substantively, Atty. Hidalgo, et al. posit that while the Constitution vests upon the Congress
the power to fix the term of office for barangay officials, such power does not include the
power to postpone or suspend the BSKE as the same is constitutionally lodged with the
COMELEC. They likewise claim that a postponement of the BSKE is tantamount to a term
extension, which in turn, constitutes a violation of the electorate's right to choose their own
leaders, albeit for a fixed period.[31]

As regards their prayer for the issuance of a TRO and preliminary injunction, Atty. Hidalgo, et
al. argue that the implementation of RA 11935 will cause grave and irreparable injury to them
and to the general public as they will be unduly prevented from casting their votes in the BSKE
which was scheduled on December 5, 2022.[32] Thus, Atty. Hidalgo, et al. pray that RA 11935
be declared null and void for being patently unconstitutional, and that all persons acting on
the basis thereof be ordered to permanently cease and desist from implementing the same. [33]

In a Resolution[34] dated October 21, 2022, the Court directed: (a) the respondents in G.R. No.
263673[35] to comment on the Petition and the prayer for TRO and preliminary injunction; and
(b) the consolidation of G.R. No. 263673 with G.R. No. 263590.
In its Comment,[36] the OSG, on behalf of the respondents in G.R. No. 263673, reiterates that
the remedies of certiorari and prohibition are not available to Atty. Hidalgo, et al. The OSG
adds that the petition for mandamus is improper in this case because the remedy will lie only
to compel the performance of ministerial acts; the act in question, the passage of RA 11935
in this case, is, however, not ministerial.

On the merits, the OSG maintains that RA 11935 is valid and not unconstitutional. Essentially
reiterating its arguments in its Comment in G.R. No. 263590, the OSG asserts that due to the
plenary nature of the Congress' legislative power, it can pass laws relating to or affecting
elections. As such, it has the power to set or schedule, and suspend or postpone the BSKE,
and that such power is separate and distinct from the constitutionally vested power to
determine the term of office of barangay officials.[37]

In addition to the foregoing, the OSG points out case law instructing that the right to vote is
not a natural right but a right created by law; and as such, the State may regulate the same,
subject only to the requirement that any such regulations shall not impose literacy, property,
or any other substantive requirement on the exercise of suffrage. [38]

Finally, the OSG contends in its Comment that while the postponement of the BSKE under RA
11935 has somehow an indirect or incidental effect on the electorate's right of suffrage, there
is a compelling state interest behind the same. In particular, the OSG, citing the Sponsorship
Speech of Senator Imee R. Marcos, points out that the postponement of the BSKE is
principally for the purpose of allowing the Congress more time to review the present BSK
systems, among other practical considerations. Moreover, the ten-month postponement of the
BSKE (i.e., from December 5, 2022 to the last Monday of October 2023) is the least restrictive
means to protect such compelling state interest as it is narrowly tailored to accomplish the
aforesaid purpose.[39] As for the prayer for TRO and preliminary injunction, the OSG similarly
argues that Atty. Hidalgo, et al. failed to show their entitlement thereto.[40]

THE ISSUE BEFORE THE COURT

The primordial issue for the Court's resolution in this case is whether RA 11935 —
which, inter alia, postponed the BSKE scheduled on December 5, 2022 to the last Monday of
October 2023 — is unconstitutional.

THE COURT'S RULING

At the core of the controversy is the apparent clash between two fundamental interests in our
democratic and republican society — one is the people's exercise of their constitutionally
guaranteed right of suffrage, and the other is the Congress' exercise of its plenary legislative
power, which includes the power to regulate elections.

Petitioners claim an undue violation of their right of suffrage by the Congress' act of
postponing the BSKE. Respondents, on the other hand, invoke the Congress' plenary power to
legislate all matters for the good and welfare of the people.

The Court's task therefore is to cast a legally sound and pragmatic balance between these
paramount interests.

Preliminarily, a discussion on the constitutional right of the people to suffrage and the plenary
power of the State to legislate through Congress is in order.
 II

A. Sovereignty and the Right of Suffrage

Sovereignty of the People

The sovereignty of the people is the core foundation of the Constitution. It is for this reason
that the First Principle in Article II, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution on the Declaration of
Principles and State Policies declares that " [t]he Philippines is a democratic and republican
state. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them . "

Thus, by the very nature of our system of government as democratic and republican, supreme
power and authority resides in the body of the people,[41] and for whom such authority is
exercised.

In the 1886 case of Yick Wo v. Hopkins (Yick Wo),[42] the United States (US) Supreme Court
(SCOTUS) declared that "[s]overeignty itself is, of course, not subject to law, for it is the
author and source of law; x x x sovereignty itself remains with the people, by whom and for
whom all government exists and acts x x x."[43] To quote US President James Madison, ours is
a "government which derives all its power directly or indirectly from the great body of people;
and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or
during good behavior."[44] It is a government that derives "its powers from the governed,
always responsive to the will of the people and subject, at all times, to their authority as sole
repositories of state sovereignty."[45]

In our Constitution, there are many provisions that demonstrate the foregoing essential
constitutional postulate as it mandates the Government "to serve and protect the
people"[46] and for public officers to "at all times be accountable to the people."[47] In fact, no
less than the Preamble explicitly recognizes that the Constitution came to be as it is because
it was "ordained and promulgated" by us, the "sovereign people."[48]

Moreover, it is well to recall that the Constitutional Commission likewise enunciated, as did
the First Principle in the Declaration of Principles of State Policies, that the Philippines is not
only a republican, but also a democratic state. As explained during their deliberations, the
addition of the word "democratic," while ostensibly redundant, was precisely to emphasize
people power and the people's rights.[49]

On this score, it is likewise worth mentioning that the Articles of the Constitution were
specifically arranged in such manner because the framers ultimately agreed to emphasize the
primacy of the people over and above the government. In the words of the late eminent
constitutionalist, Father Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J.:
FR. BERNAS: I would like to say a few words in support of the position of Commissioner
Concepcion. I believe that it is true we should arrange the articles in rational order. But there
are perhaps two ways of creating a rational order. One way would be on the basis of
chronological operationalization of the articles. If we base it on chronological
operationalization of the articles then we could begin with the government, because it is only
usually after the government has acted that the Bill of Rights becomes operational as a check
on the government. So in that sense, it would be a rational order.

But there is also another way of rationalizing the order; namely, on the basis of the importance
of the subjects of the article.

The two subjects are really people and government. We have repeatedly said here that this
Constitution will be people-oriented. As far as we are concerned, people are more important,
and the Bill of Rights speaks of protection for the people. So on the basis of that order, it
should really go ahead of government.[50] (Emphasis supplied)
But while sovereignty resides in the people, it should not be forgotten that our people ordained
a republican government under which representatives are freely chosen by the people and
who, for the time being, exercise some of the people's sovereignties and act on their behalf.
As Associate Justice Isagani A. Cruz explained:
A republic is a representative government, a government run by and for the people. It is not a
pure democracy where the people govern themselves directly. The essence of republicanism
is representation and renovation, the selection by the citizenry of a corps of public
functionaries who derive their mandate from the people and act on their behalf, serving for a
limited period only, after which they are replaced or retained, at the option of their principal.
Obviously, a republican government is a responsible government whose officials hold and
discharge their position as a public trust and shall, according to the Constitution, 'at all times
be accountable to the people' they are sworn to serve. The purpose of a republican
government it is almost needless to state, is the promotion of the common welfare according
to the will of the people themselves.[51]
The Right of Suffrage

As a democratic and republican state, our governmental framework has for its cornerstone the
electoral process through which government by consent is secured. [52]

In Geronimo v. Ramos (Geronimo),[53] the Court, through Associate Justice Hugo E. Gutierrez,
Jr., declared that voting plays an important instrumental value in preserving the viability of
constitutional democracy. Indeed, not only is the right to vote or the right of suffrage an
important political right; the very existence of the "right of suffrage is a threshold for the
preservation and enjoyment of all other rights that it ought to be considered as one of the
most sacred parts of the [C]onstitution."[54]

As the SCOTUS recognized in Yick Wo, voting is a "fundamental political right, because [it is]
preservative of all rights."[55] "[N]o right is more precious in a free country than that of having
a voice in the election of those who make the laws, under which, as good citizens, we must
live. Other rights, even the most basic, are illusory if the right to vote is undermined ."[56]

Unquestionably, thus, the right of suffrage is a treasured right in a republican democratic

society: the right to voice one's choice in the election of those who make the laws and those
who implement them is indispensable in a free country that its absence will render illusory
other rights, even the most basic.[57] As the Court, in Geronimo, held:
Such a right is among the most important and sacred of the freedoms inherent in a democratic
society and one which must be most vigilantly guarded if a people desires to maintain through
self-government for themselves and their posterity a genuinely functioning democracy in
which the individual may, in accordance with law, have a voice in the form of his government
and in the choice of the people who will run that government for him. [58]
Verily, by its very nature, the right of suffrage stands on a higher — if not distinct — plane such
that it is accorded its own Article under the Constitution, separate from the other fundamental
rights.

Because of the fundamental and indispensable role that the right of suffrage plays in the
preservation and enjoyment of all other rights, it is protected in various international
instruments.

Foremost of these instruments is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights[59] (UDHR) which,
in Article 21 thereof, declares that "[e]veryone has the right to take part in the government of
his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives." It also stresses that "[t]he will
of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government " which "shall be expressed
in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be
held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures."[60]

Similarly, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), under Article 25
thereof, affirms the "right and the opportunity [of every citizen], without any of the distinctions
mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions" to "take part in the conduct of
public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives."[61] Article 25 likewise
guarantees the right to "vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be
by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free
expression of the will of the electors."[62]

To clarify the coverage and limitations of the rights guaranteed under Article 25 of the ICCPR,
the United Nations Committee on Human Rights adopted General Comment No. 25[63] on July
12, 1996, which pertinently declares to wit:
1. Article 25 of the Covenant recognizes and protects the right of every citizen to take part in
the conduct of public affairs, the right to vote and to be elected and the right to have access
to public service. Whatever form of constitution or government is in force, the Covenant
requires States to adopt such legislative and other measures as may be necessary to ensure
that citizens have an effective opportunity to enjoy the rights it protects.

Article 25 lies at the core of democratic government based on the consent of the people and in
conformity with the principles of the Covenant. (Emphasis supplied)
Additionally, General Comment No. 25 emphasized that any conditions or restrictions to be
imposed in the exercise of the rights protected by Article 25 should be based on " objective
and reasonable criteria," and the suspension or exclusion from the exercise thereof should be
founded "only on grounds which are established by law and which are objective and
reasonable."[64]

As a further measure for the free and meaningful exercise of the right, General Comment No.
25 stressed, under its paragraph 9, that "[g]enuine periodic elections in accordance with
paragraph (b) are essential to ensure the accountability of representatives for the exercise of
the legislative or executive powers vested in them,"[65] and that such genuine periodic
elections "must be held at intervals which are not unduly long and which ensure that the
authority of government continues to be based on the free expression of the will of
electors."[66]

Finally, under paragraph 19 thereof, it reiterated that "[i]n conformity with paragraph
(b), elections must be conducted fairly and freely on a periodic basis within a framework of
laws guaranteeing the effective exercise of voting rights."[67]

Under the 1987 Constitution, international law can become part of the sphere of Philippine law
either by transformation or incorporation.

The transformation method "requires that an international law be transformed into a

domestic law through a constitutional mechanism such as local legislation." [68] In the case of
treaties, they become part of the law of the land through transformation pursuant to Article
VII, Section 21[69] of the Constitution, which requires Senate concurrence thereof. From then,
they have the force and effect of a statute enacted by Congress. [70]

Meanwhile, the incorporation method applies when, by mere constitutional declaration,

international law is deemed to have the force of domestic law. [71] Article II, Section 2[72] of the
Constitution declares that generally accepted principles of international law are adopted as
part of the law of the land. "Generally accepted principles of international law" refer to norms
of general or customary international law that are binding on all states. [73] Examples of these
are renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy, the principle of sovereign
immunity, a person's right to life, liberty and due process, and pacta sunt servanda, among
others.[74]

In Pangilinan v. Cayetano,[75] the Court, speaking through Associate Justice (and eventual
Senior Associate Justice) Marvic M.V.F. Leonen (Justice Leonen), explained that the term
"generally accepted principles of international law" includes both "international custom" and
"general principles of law" — both of which constitute distinct sources of international law
under Article 38[76] of the Statute of the International Court of Justice. They form part of
Philippine laws even if they are not derived from treaty obligations of the Philippines.

In Razon, Jr. v. Tagitis,[77] the Court, speaking through Associate Justice Arturo D. Brion
(Justice Brion), explained that international custom pertains to "customary rules accepted as
binding [and] result from the combination of two elements: the established, widespread, and
consistent practice on the part of States; and a psychological element known as the opinion
juris sive necessitates (opinion as to law or necessity). Implicit in the latter element is a
belief that the practice in question is rendered obligatory by the existence of a rule of law
requiring it."[78]

For these reasons, while the UDHR is not a treaty and may not have been originally intended
to have legal binding force, it nonetheless has been recognized as reflecting customary
international law or has gained binding character as customary law through the subsequent
adoption of treaties and international instruments that reflect its various principles. Indeed,
this Court has recognized the UDHR as part of the generally accepted principles of
international law, and therefore, binding on the State.[79] On the other hand, the Philippines
ratified the ICCPR on October 23, 1986.[80] Thus, following Article VII, Section 21 of the
Constitution, the ICCPR likewise has the force and effect of a statute enacted by Congress.

Accordingly, the recognition by the UDHR and the ICCPR of the people's right to take part in
the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives and participate
in genuine and periodic elections, subject only to such conditions or restrictions established
by law based on objective and reasonable criteria are deemed to be binding on the State and
have the force of domestic law.

On this score, it is well to note that while the Constitution is silent as to the need to hold the
elections periodically, the Constitutional Commission's deliberations reflect this intention.
[81]
Thus, there is an unquestionable imperative that for our government to be truly
representative and democratic, elections must be held periodically and at regular intervals.

Right to Vote and Freedom of

Expression

An important aspect that cannot be detached from any discussion on the exercise of the right
of suffrage is the right to freedom of expression. In its essence, the right to free expression
involves the freedom to disseminate ideas and beliefs, regardless of its subject and tenor.
[82]
It includes the entire range of communication, from vocal or verbal expressions to
expressive conduct or symbolic speech that incorporates both speech and non-speech
elements, including inaction.[83] Freedom of expression is considered as the foundation of a
free, open, and democratic society[84] and plays an indispensable role in assuring the
fulfillment of our democratic and republican ideal of government.

Thus, in Nicolas-Lewis v. COMELEC (Nicolas-Lewis),[85] the Court, through Associate Justice

Jose C. Reyes, Jr., expressly recognized that the right to participate in the electoral process,
which includes not only the right to vote, but also the right to express one's preference for a
candidate is intrinsically linked to the right to freedom of expression. Not only does the
exercise of the freedom to express one's view on political matters assure individual self-
fulfillment to attain the truth; it also secures participation by the people in social and political
decision-making, and in maintaining the balance between stability and change. The Court said:
A fundamental part of this cherished freedom is the right to participate in electoral processes,
which includes not only the right to vote, but also the right to express one's preference for a
candidate or the right to influence others to vote or otherwise not vote for a particular
candidate. This Court has always recognized that these expressions are basic and
fundamental rights in a democratic polity as they are means to assure individual self-
fulfillment, to attain the truth, to secure participation by the people in social and political
decision-making, and to maintain the balance between stability and change.

Rightfully so, since time immemorial, "[i]t has been our constant holding that this preferred
freedom [of expression] calls all the more for the utmost respect when what may be curtailed
is the dissemination of information to make more meaningful the equally vital right of
suffrage." In the recent case of 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-UTAK) v. COMELEC, the
Court En Banc pronounced that any governmental restriction on the right to convince others
to vote for or against a candidate — a protected expression— carries with it a heavy
presumption of invalidity.[86]
Indeed, participation in the electoral process through voting constitutes " an act of pure
expression" and "one of the most consequential expressive acts in a persons' life, when a
voice becomes an action, and those actions dictate how we are governed ."[87] In other words,
the "right to vote is the right to have a 'voice' in the elections,"[88] As Associate Justice
Antonio P. Barredo declared in his Concurring and Dissenting Opinion in Gonzales v.
COMELEC,[89] "suffrage itself would be next to useless if these liberties cannot be
[untrammeled] whether as to degree or time," viz.:
And in it is on this cornerstone that I hold it to be self-evident that when the freedoms of
speech, press and peaceful assembly and redress of grievances are being exercised in
relation to suffrage or as a means to enjoy the inalienable right of the qualified citizen to vote,
they are absolute and timeless. If our democracy and republicanism are to be worthwhile, the
conduct of public affairs by our officials must be allowed to suffer incessant and unabating
scrutiny, favorable or unfavorable, everyday and at all times. Every holder of power in our
government must be ready to undergo exposure any moment of the day or night, from January
to December every year, as it is only in this way that he can rightfully gain the confidence of
the people. I have no patience for those who would regard public dissection of the
establishment as an attribute to be indulged by the people only at certain periods of time. I
consider the freedoms of speech, press and peaceful assembly and redress of grievances,
when exercised in the name of suffrage, as the very means by which the right itself to vote
can only be properly enjoyed. It stands to reason therefore, that suffrage itself would be next
to useless if these liberties cannot be [untrammeled] whether as to degree or time.
[90]
(Emphasis and underscoring supplied)
Right to Vote as an Exercise of the
Right to Liberty

Indispensably, as well, any consideration of the exercise of one's right to vote entails a
consideration of the exercise of the right to liberty — of which one cannot be deprived without
due process and equal protection of the law. Liberty is defined as the right to exercise the
rights enumerated in the Constitution or under natural law.[91] It means " freedom from
arbitrary and unreasonable restraint upon an individual. Freedom from restraint refers to more
than just physical restraint, but also the freedom to act according to one's own will ."[92]

Liberty is generally recognized in two aspects: civil and political liberty.

Civil liberty refers to "the absence of arbitrary restraint and the assurance of a body of rights,
such as those found in bills of rights, in statutes, and in judicial decisions ."[93]

In Rubi v. Provincial Board of Mindoro,[94] the Court, through Associate Justice George A.
Malcolm, explained further:
Civil liberty may be said to mean that measure of freedom which may be enjoyed in a civilized
community, consistently with the peaceful enjoyment of like freedom in others. The right to
liberty guaranteed by the Constitution includes the right to exist and the right to be free from
arbitrary personal restraint or servitude. The term cannot be dwarfed into mere freedom from
physical restraint of the person of the citizen, but is deemed to embrace the right of man to
enjoy the faculties with which he has been endowed by his Creator, subject only to such
restraints as are necessary for the common welfare. As enunciated in a long array of
authorities including epoch-making decisions of the United States Supreme Court, liberty
includes the right of the citizen to be free to use his faculties in all lawful ways; to live and
work where he will; to earn his livelihood by any lawful calling; to pursue any avocation, and
for that purpose, to enter into all contracts which may be proper, necessary, and essential to
his carrying out these purposes to a successful conclusion. The chief [elements] of the
guaranty are the right to contract, the right to choose one's employment, the right to labor,
and the right of locomotion.

In general, it may be said that liberty means the opportunity to do those things which are
ordinarily done by free [persons].[95] (Underscoring supplied)
Political liberty, on the other hand, "consists of the right of individuals to participate in
government by voting and by holding public office."[96] In simpler terms, it refers to the right
and opportunity to choose those who will lead the governed with their consent.[97]

Based on these definitions, the exercise of the right to vote is not an empty, meaningless, rote
ceremony. It is the most fundamental form of political expression and enjoyment of one's
faculties. It signifies the electorate's assent to the myriad ways by which the government may
limit or restrict their freedoms through law. Thus, at its core, it is the act of the people freely
and consciously consenting to surrender a portion of their sacred rights and liberties to those
who will temporarily exercise the powers that inviolably belong to them.

Perceived in these lights, therefore, the exercise of the rights to vote and to liberty is
necessarily reciprocal and complementary. The people's exercise of their right to vote is an
exercise of the freedom to act according to their will, choose their representatives, and
consent to surrender a portion of their sovereignty to their chosen representatives who, for
the time being, have the authority to act for the common good and protection of the people's
rights. At the same time, however, the exercise of the right to vote is the means by which the
people can theoretically safeguard and guarantee to themselves the continued exercise of
their fundamental rights and freedoms.[98]

B. Plenary Power of the State to Legislate

Under our representative and democratic system of government, the totality of the sovereign
power is voluntarily and expressly surrendered by the body politic to their chosen
representatives, except to the extent expressly reserved to them by the Constitution. As a
measure of checks and balances, the sovereign power is then divided and distributed into the
three branches of government: the power to enact laws is lodged with the legislative; the
power to execute the laws is lodged in the executive; and the power to interpret the law lies
with the judiciary.[99]

The power of Congress to enact laws has been described as "broad, general and
comprehensive." Indeed, case law provides that "[t]he legislative body possesses plenary
power for all purposes of civil government. Any power, deemed to be legislative by usage and
tradition, is necessarily possessed by Congress x x x. Except as limited by the Constitution,
either expressly or impliedly, legislative power embraces all subjects and extends to all
matters of general concern or common interest."[100]

Concomitantly, it is settled that the legislature is vested by the Constitution with the power to
"make, ordain, and establish all manner of wholesome and reasonable laws, statutes, and
ordinances, either with penalties or without, not repugnant to the [C]onstitution, as they shall
judge to be for the good and welfare of the commonwealth, and of the subjects of the
same."[101] Broad and plenary, the power of the Congress to legislate embraces the three
inherent powers of the State: police power, eminent domain, and power of taxation. Of these
three, police power has been described as "the most pervasive, the least limitable, and the
most demanding of the three fundamental powers of the State"[102] that it "virtually extends to
all public needs."[103]

In simpler terms, the legislature has the broad and extensive power to regulate all
matters which in its discretion are for the common good of the people — including the
maintenance of peace and order and protection of life and liberty — which the Constitution
deems indispensable for the enjoyment by all the people of the blessing of democracy. [104]

The Power to Legislate in Relation

to Elections vis-à-vis the Power of
the COMELEC to Administer the
Electoral Process

Among the matters that fall within the legislature's broad and extensive discretion pertain
to all aspects affecting the elections and the exercise of the right of suffrage insofar as the
framers had not specifically spelled out the parameters thereof in the Constitution.

Indeed, the Constitution is replete with such provisions that it can be logically inferred that
the power of the Congress to legislate embraces, as well, the exercise of fundamental
rights, such as suffrage. Foremost of these provisions is found under Article V on "Suffrage,"
Section 1 of which grants Congress with the authority to provide, by law, grounds to disqualify
citizens from exercising the right of suffrage. Section 2, on the other hand, mandates the
Congress to provide for "a system for securing the secrecy and sanctity of the ballot,"
"absentee voting by qualified Filipinos abroad," as well as a "procedure for the disabled and
the illiterates to vote without the assistance of other persons."[105]

Under Article VI of the Constitution, the Congress is tasked to provide, by law, for the election
at large by the qualified voters of the Philippines, of Senators, and change the commencement
of the term of office thereof.[106] Article VI likewise authorizes the Congress to fix the number
of members of the House of Representatives, provide for a party-list system of registered
national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations, as well as change the
commencement of the term of office of such members.[107] Further, Article VI authorizes
Congress to provide for a different date for the regular election of Senators and Members of
the House of Representatives, as well as for the holding of special elections in case of
vacancy in either house of Congress.[108] Finally, Article VI mandates Congress to provide for a
system of initiative and referendum, including the exceptions, whereby the people can directly
propose and enact laws or approve or reject any act or law or part thereof. [109]

Article VII of the Constitution governing the Executive Department, on the other hand,
authorizes Congress to provide for a different date for the regular election of, and for the
determination of the authenticity and due execution of the certificates of canvass for
President and Vice-President.[110] It also provides for "the manner in which one who is to act
as President shall be selected until a President or a Vice-President shall have qualified, in
case of death, permanent disability, or inability of the officials " specifically enumerated in the
Constitution to act as such, as well as those "who shall serve as President in case of death,
permanent disability, or resignation of the Acting President."[111]

Under, Article IX-C of the Constitution, the Congress is authorized to provide for the manner of
appointment of poll watchers by political parties, organizations, or coalitions registered in the
party-list system.[112] While Article X of the Constitution tasks Congress with the duty to enact
a local government code that shall provide for, among others, the qualifications and election
of local officials, including the mechanisms of recall, initiative, and referendum, as well as the
term of office of barangay officials.[113]

In contrast with the Congress' broad and plenary powers with respect to aspects affecting the
elections and the exercise of the right of suffrage, the COMELEC is specifically charged by the
Constitution with the administration, enforcement, and regulation of all laws and
regulations relative not only to the conduct of elections, but also to the conduct of plebiscite,
initiative, referendum, and recall.[114] The power includes, among others, adjudicating all
contests relating to "the elections, returns, and qualifications of all elective regional,
provincial, and city officials, and appellate jurisdiction over all contests involving elective
municipal officials decided by trial courts of general jurisdiction, or involving elective
barangay officials decided by trial courts of limited jurisdiction ," deciding "all questions
affecting elections," as well as registering "political parties, organizations, or
coalitions."[115] It also includes the limited authority to fix the election period in special cases,
and to supervise or regulate the enjoyment or utilization of all franchises or permits for the
operation of public utilities during the election period.[116]

To the Court's mind, the foregoing comparison demonstrates, in clear terms, the expanse in
scope and character of the power of Congress, vis-a-vis those of the COMELEC with respect
to matters affecting the elections and the exercise of the right of suffrage. While the latter is
specifically created as the independent constitutional body charged with the administration
and enforcement of elections and election laws — and whose very existence perforce is
intricately and inseparably related to elections, the broad and plenary power of the Congress
with respect to election matters is not automatically limited thereby.

On plainer perspective, matters that solely and distinctly pertain to election administration
can be said to fall primarily within the power of the COMELEC. On the other hand, matters that
intersect and transcend numerous constitutional interests and rights — beyond the strict
confines of election matters and the right of suffrage — must generally be viewed as falling
primarily within the broad and plenary power of the Congress.

The Power of Congress vis-à-vis

the Power of the COMELEC to
Postpone Elections

Given the broad and plenary power of the Congress that encompasses, as well, matters
affecting the elections and the exercise of the right of suffrage, it logically follows that its
power extends to the postponement of elections, including at the barangay level.

As earlier intimated, the power and duty to determine the term of office of barangay officials is
expressly vested in the Congress under Article X, Section 8 of the Constitution, viz.:
SECTION 8. The term of office of elective local officials, except barangay officials, which
shall be determined by law, shall be three years and no such official shall serve for more than
three consecutive terms. Voluntary renunciation of the office for any length of time shall not
be considered as an interruption in the continuity of his service for the full term for which he
was elected. (Emphasis supplied)
Further, Article X, Section 3 of the Constitution mandates the Congress to enact a local
government code which shall, among others, provide for the election of local officials, thus:
SECTION 3. The Congress shall enact a local government code which shall provide for a more
responsive and accountable local government structure instituted through a system of
decentralization with effective mechanisms of recall, initiative, and referendum, allocate
among the different local government units their powers, responsibilities, and resources,
and provide for the qualifications, election, appointment and removal, term, salaries, powers
and functions and duties of local officials, and all other matters relating to the organization
and operation of the local units. (Emphasis and underscoring supplied)
On the other hand, the Constitution specified that the administration of the electoral
process is lodged with the COMELEC. For this purpose, the COMELEC has been vested with
executive, quasi-judicial, and quasi-legislative powers. Article IX-C, Section 2 of the
Constitution reads:
ARTICLE IX
Constitutional Commissions
xxxx
C. The Commission on Elections
xxxx
SECTION 2. The Commission on Elections shall exercise the following powers and functions:
(1) Enforce and administer all laws and regulations relative to the conduct of an election,
plebiscite, initiative, referendum, and recall.

(2) Exercise exclusive original jurisdiction over all contests relating to the elections, returns,
and qualifications of all elective regional, provincial, and city officials, and appellate
jurisdiction over all contests involving elective municipal officials decided by trial courts
of general jurisdiction, or involving elective barangay officials decided by trial courts of
limited jurisdiction.

Decisions, final orders, or rulings of the Commission on Elections contests involving

elective municipal and barangay offices shall be final, executory, and not appealable.

(3) Decide, except those involving the right to vote , all questions affecting elections,
including determination of the number and location of polling places, appointment of
election officials and inspectors, and registration of voters.

(4) Deputize, with the concurrence of the President, law enforcement agencies and
instrumentalities of the Government, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines, for the
exclusive purpose of ensuring free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.

(5) Register, after sufficient publication, political parties, organizations, or coalitions which, in
addition to other requirements, must present their platform or program of government; and
accredit citizens' arms of the Commission on Elections. Religious denominations and sects
shall not be registered. Those which seek to achieve their goals through violence or
unlawful means, or refuse to uphold and adhere to this Constitution, or which are supported
by any foreign government shall likewise be refused registration.
 Financial contributions from foreign governments and their agencies to political parties,
organizations, coalitions, or candidates related to elections constitute interference in national
affairs, and, when accepted, shall be an additional ground for the cancellation of their
registration with the Commission, in addition to other penalties that may be prescribed by
law.

(6) File, upon a verified complaint, or on its own initiative, petitions in court for inclusion or
exclusion of voters; investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute cases of violations of
election laws, including acts or omissions constituting election frauds, offenses, and
malpractices.

(7) Recommend to the Congress effective measures to minimize election spending, including
limitation of places where propaganda materials shall be posted, and to prevent and penalize
all forms of election frauds, offenses, malpractices, and nuisance candidacies.

(8) Recommend to the President the removal of any officer or employee it has deputized, or the
imposition of any other disciplinary action, for violation or disregard of or disobedience to
its directive, order, or decision.

(9) Submit to the President and the Congress a comprehensive report on the conduct of each
election, plebiscite, initiative, referendum, or recall. (Emphasis, italics, and underscoring
supplied)
Together, these powers were granted to the COMELEC with the intention to give it all the
necessary and incidental powers for it to achieve its primary mandate to ensure the holding of
free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections.[117] In turn, these constitutional powers
of the COMELEC are refined and implemented by legislation through, among others, the
powers expressly provided under the OEC, which the Congress enacted.

Specifically, the OEC authorizes the COMELEC, motu proprio or upon a verified petition, to
postpone elections for such causes that would effectively render impossible the holding of a
free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections in any political subdivision, thus:
SECTION 5. Postponement of election. — When for any serious cause such as violence,
terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure , and other
analogous causes of such a nature that the holding of a free, orderly and honest election
should become impossible in any political subdivision, the Commission, motu proprio or upon
a verified petition by any interested party, and after due notice and hearing, whereby all
interested parties are afforded equal opportunity to be heard, shall postpone the election
therein to a date which should be reasonably close to the date of the election not held,
suspended or which resulted in a failure to elect but not later than thirty days after the
cessation of the cause for such postponement or suspension of the election or failure to elect.
(Sec. 6, 1978 EC)

xxxx

SECTION 45. Postponement or failure of election. — When for any serious cause such as
violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure ,
and other analogous causes of such nature that the holding of a free, orderly and honest
election should become impossible in any barangay, the Commission, upon a verified petition
of an interested party and after due notice and hearing at which the interested parties are
given equal opportunity to be heard, shall postpone the election therein for such time as it
may deem necessary.

If, on account of force majeure, violence, terrorism, fraud or other analogous causes, the
election in any barangay has not been held on the date herein fixed or has been suspended
before the hour fixed by law for the closing of the voting therein and such failure or
suspension of election would affect the result of the election, the Commission, on the basis of
a verified petition of an interested party, and after due notice and hearing, at which the
interested parties are given equal opportunity to be heard shall call for the holding or
continuation of the election within thirty days after it shall have verified and found that the
cause or causes for which the election has been postponed or suspended have ceased to exist
or upon petition of at least thirty percent of the registered voters in the barangay concerned.

When the conditions in these areas warrant, upon verification by the Commission, or upon
petition of at least thirty percent of the registered voters in the barangay concerned, it shall
order the holding of the barangay election which was postponed or suspended. (Emphasis,
italics, and underscoring supplied)
As discussed, "[a]ny power, deemed to be legislative by usage and tradition, is necessarily
possessed by Congress" and unless limited by the Constitution, either expressly or impliedly,
"legislative power embraces all subjects and extends to all matters of general concern or
common interest."[118] Thus, while the power to postpone elections has not been expressly
granted to the legislature, neither has it been expressly nor impliedly withheld therefrom.

Consequently, the power to postpone barangay election must be deemed to be inherently

included, generally, in the Congress' broad and plenary power to legislate and specifically, in
the Congress' constitutionally granted power to determine the term of office of barangay
officials. For these reasons, the Court cannot subscribe to the claim of petitioners that the
powers granted to the COMELEC under Sections 2 (1), (2), and (3), Article IX-C of the
Constitution vest in it the sole authority to postpone elections and that the power vested in
the legislature under Section 8, Article X of the Constitution is limited to setting the term of
office of barangay officials.

On this point, it must be underscored that while the COMELEC is an independent

constitutional body vested with such powers and functions to ensure the holding of free,
orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections, it still is an administrative agency [119] vested
with powers that are intentionally and inherently administrative, quasi-judicial, and quasi-
legislative. It bears emphasizing that under our system of government, the power to enact
laws is lodged with the legislature, the power to execute the laws with the executive, and the
power to interpret laws with the judiciary. Thus, when legislative or judicial power is
exercised by a body or agency other than the legislature or judiciary, that power is
essentially partial, having some but not all of the features of legislative or judicial power.

Case law defines quasi-legislative power as "the power to make rules and regulations that
results in delegated, legislation that is within the confines of the granting statute and the
doctrine of non-delegability and separability of powers."[120] Quasi-judicial power, on the other
hand, refers to "the power to hear and determine questions of fact to which the legislative
policy is to apply and to decide in accordance with the standards laid down by the law itself in
enforcing and administering the same law."[121] Meanwhile, administrative power pertains to
"administration, especially management, as by managing or conducting, directing or
superintending, the execution, application, or conduct of persons or things ."[122]
In Francisco v. COMELEC,[123] the Court, through Associate Justice Presbitero J. Velasco, Jr.,
clarified that the powers vested in the COMELEC under Article IX-C, Section 2(1) and (3) of the
Constitution are administrative in nature, while the power vested in it under Article IX-C,
Section 2 (2) of the Constitution is quasi-judicial. Moreover, with respect to the latter, the
Court explicated that the "COMELEC's adjudicative function over election contests is quasi-
judicial in character since [it] is a governmental body, other than a court, that is vested with
jurisdiction to decide the specific class of controversies it is charged with resolving ."[124]

In Javier v. COMELEC,[125] decided under the 1973 Constitution, the Court, through Associate
Justice Isagani A. Cruz, defined "contests" as "any matter involving the title or claim of title to
an elective office, made before or after the proclamation of the winner, whether or not the
contestant is claiming the office in dispute." Therefore, postponement of barangay election
does not constitute "contests" over which the COMELEC exercises its quasi-judicial powers
under Article IX-C, Section 2 (2) of the Constitution.

As regards the power of the COMELEC to "decide questions affecting elections found in
Section 2 (3), Article IX-C of the Constitution, the Court, speaking through Justice Leonen
in The Diocese of Bacolod v. COMELEC,[126] explained that the phrase "affecting elections"
does not imply that the COMELEC is empowered to decide any and all questions affecting
elections. Indeed, a reading of Article IX-C, Section 2 (3) shows that the matters falling within
the COMELEC's power to decide involves the logistical details in the facilitation of the
electoral process, i.e., the "determination of the number and location of polling places,
appointment of election officials and inspectors, and registration of voters ."[127] Thus, to
interpret otherwise will not only unduly interfere with the ordered system of our government
where the powers are divided among the three great branches; but moreover, it can render
ineffective the system of checks and balances.

A further point that bears mentioning is that under the 1935 [128] and 1973[129] Constitutions,
the power of the COMELEC to decide questions was explicitly limited to "administrative
questions effecting elections" While the term "administrative" was deleted from its current
iteration, the constitutional intent to retain the administrative character of the COMELEC's
power to decide questions affecting elections is all too evident such that the propriety of
postponing the barangay election, including the reasons therefor, cannot justifiably be argued
to fall under the COMELEC's administrative power to decide under Article IX-C, Section 2 (3) of
the Constitution.

Finally, it is well to highlight that the OEC is a creation of Congress through its exercise of
legislative power. As such, the COMELEC's power to postpone elections under Sections 5 and
45 of the OEC must be deemed to be delegated and subordinate in character. In fact, it is all
too apparent that its power to postpone elections under Sections 5 and 45 of the OEC
is expressly limited in terms of (i) geographical scope and (ii) the gravity and the
unforeseeable nature of the causes.

As Sections 5 and 45 of the OEC explicitly state, the COMELEC may postpone the elections
only for "serious causes such as violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election
paraphernalia or records, force majeure, and other analogous causes of such a nature " that
would render impossible the holding of a free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible
elections. Case law settles that the term "analogous causes" under Section 5, as reiterated in
Section 45, of the OEC, shall be "restricted to those unforeseen or unexpected events that
prevent the holding of the scheduled elections."[130] Outside of these enumerated causes, the
COMELEC is without any basis to postpone an election.

Sections 5 and 45 of the OEC further limit the power of the COMELEC to postpone an election
to "political subdivisions" only. "Political subdivisions," as defined under Article X, Section 1 of
the Constitution, refer to "the provinces, cities, municipalities, and barangays." Accordingly,
the Court cannot accept the argument of petitioners that the COMELEC is empowered to
postpone an election on a nationwide basis, especially when the legislature explicitly limited
the exercise thereof by the COMELEC to political subdivisions, as defined in the Constitution.

Verily, these express limitations reveal the legislative intention to grant the COMELEC only
with the limited power to postpone, and retaining for itself the broad and general power to
postpone elections under any other circumstances, serious or otherwise, and regardless of the
geographical scope beyond the boundaries of any political subdivision.

On this note, it bears mentioning that, when asked by Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo
(Chief Justice Gesmundo) during the oral arguments on this case, COMELEC Chairperson
George Erwin M. Garcia (Chairperson Garcia) appeared to share the Court's understanding of
the dynamics between the powers of the Congress and the COMELEC with respect to the
postponement of elections, viz.:
CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

Thank you.

The petitioner harps on Section 5 of the [OEC] saying that the power to postpone [an] election
is exclusively lodged with the COMELEC. Did you hear his arguments?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

Yes, Your Honor.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

Do you agree with that?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

I strongly disagree, Your Honor.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

Why do you disagree?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

Because the provision of Section 5 Batas Pambansa Bilang 881 is a delegated authority
coming from Congress. Being a delegated authority, it can be taken, [modified] or even
[reviewed] by Congress. Meaning to say that when Congress deemed it necessary to give us
the power to postpone the election, the Congress limited such exercise of power to the
causes as mentioned therein. Meaning, there is an urgency for the Commission to act on these
matters. And that's why the limitation as given in Section 5 pertains to the causes mentioned
therein and likewise pertaining to the subdivisions as mentioned likewise in the last part of
the Batas Pambansa Bilang 881. And so therefore, Your Honor, when Congress said
COMELEC can postpone the election based on these causes, Congress can likewise postpone
the election based on any other causes other than those mentioned.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

Okay. I had an opportunity to work with the COMELEC and tell me if this is the situation
contemplated in Section 5. Congress sets the date of the election whatever, local or national.
So, on that date, COMELEC should conduct the election, right?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

Right, Your Honor.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

You cannot deviate from that?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

That's right. Your Honor.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

But, on the day of the election the circumstances enumerated in Section 5 of the [OEC]
happens, right?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

That's right, Your Honor.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

Terrorism, what have you... That is the time you have given the power to postpone the
election, is that not correct?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

That's right, Your Honor.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

To address that contingency that will prevent the conduct of a fair and honest election,
COMELEC can unilaterally postpone the election, correct?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

Yes, Your Honor, motu proprio, yes.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

And this is different from the postponement, postponement under the law. Is that not correct?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

That's right, Your Honor, under Article X, Section 8 of the Constitution.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

So that Section 5 of the [OEC] simply tells you that when these happens, you are authorized to
postpone?
CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

Yes, Your Honor.

CHIEF JUSTICE GESMUNDO:

It does not cover the postponement which simply means that Congress resets the date?

CHAIRPERSON GARCIA:

Yes, Your Honor, only on the causes as mentioned.[131] (Emphasis and underscoring supplied)
C. The State's Plenary Power to Legislate
is Subject to Limitations

Despite the broad, plenary, and ostensibly illimitable power of the State, however, the same is
not without limitations. Case law is clear that the power of the State to legislate is subject to
express and implied constitutional limitations.

It has been held that "the primacy of the Constitution as the supreme law of the land dictates
that where the Constitution has itself made a determination or given its mandate, then the
matters so determined or mandated should be respected until the Constitution itself is
changed by amendment or repeal through the applicable constitutional process. A necessary
corollary [to this principle] is that none of the three branches of government can deviate from
the constitutional mandate except only as the Constitution itself may allow. If at all, Congress
may only pass legislation filing in details to fully operationalize the constitutional command or
to implement it by legislation if it is non-self-executing; this Court, on the other hand, may only
interpret the mandate if an interpretation is appropriate and called for ."[132]

The express constitutional limitations can be generally found in the Declaration of Principles
and State Policies (Article II) and in the Bill of Rights (Article III). Other constitutional
provisions, such as the initiative and referendum clauses of Article VI, Sections 1 and 32 and
the local autonomy provisions of Article X, provide their own express limitations.
[133]
Meanwhile the implied limitations on Congress" power are said to be found " in the evident
purpose which was in view and the circumstances and historical events which led to the
enactment of the particular provision as a part of organic law."[134]

Due Process Clause as the

Principal Yardstick in
Determining the Validity of Any
Government Regulation

The primordial and vital role the right of suffrage plays in our democracy ineluctably
necessitates some form of State regulation to ensure the free, fair, credible, and honest
exercise of this right and the safeguarding of the will of the people. " To preserve the purity of
elections, comprehensive and sometimes complex election codes are enacted, each provision
of which — whether it governs the registration and qualifications of voters, the selection and
eligibility of candidates, or the voting process itself — inevitably affects the individual's right
to vote."[135]

Nonetheless, the Court has consistently made it clear that any interpretation of the law or the
rules that would have the effect of hindering, in any way, not only the free and intelligent
casting of the votes in an election but also the correct ascertainment of the results is
frowned upon. As the right to vote in a free and unimpaired manner is preservative of other
basic civil and political rights, "any alleged infringement of the right of citizens to vote must
be carefully and meticulously scrutinized."[136]

One of the principal yardsticks against which the power of the State to regulate the right of
suffrage is measured is the due process clause found under Article III, Section 1 of the
Constitution, which guarantees the right of the people against deprivation of "life, liberty, or
property without due process of law." It includes two related but distinct restrictions on
government, namely: "procedural due process" — or the method or manner by which the law is
enforced; and "substantive due process" — which requires that the law itself, not merely the
procedures by which the law would be enforced, is fair, reasonable, and just, [137] and free from
any arbitrariness and unreasonableness.[138]

With respect to substantive due process, it requires the concurrence of two requisites,
namely:
1. the interests of the public generally, as distinguished from those of a particular class,
require the interference of the State, referred to as the lawful subject; and

2. the means employed are reasonably necessary for the attainment of the object sought to
be accomplished and not unduly arbitrary or oppressive upon individuals, referred to as
the lawful method.[139]
In the determination of whether the two requisites of substantial due process exist, case law
has developed three levels of scrutiny depending on the rights affected, including the level of
constitutional protection accorded thereby and the degree of the law's interference with said
rights, and the gravity of the governmental objective sought through the law. [140] These are
the strict scrutiny, the intermediate scrutiny, and rational basis tests.

Notably pervading these levels of scrutiny are the basic requirements of legitimate
government interest or purpose and reasonable necessity of the means employed to attain the
government interest. These requisites correspond to the lawful subject and lawful means
requisites of the substantive aspect of the due process clause and therefore form the core of
any valid legislative enactment. Regardless of the level of scrutiny employed, the absence of
either or both of these requisites renders a statute unconstitutional for violation of the due
process clause.

III

A. Power of the Court to Review the Constitutionality of RA 11935

Power of the Court to Review the

Constitutionality of RA 11935; the
Requisites and its Exceptions

Judicial power, which the Constitution vests in the Supreme Court and all other courts
established by law,[141] has been described as the "totality of powers a court exercises when it
assumes jurisdiction and hears and decides a case."[142] Under Article VIII, Section 1, of the
Constitution, it includes "the duty of the courts of justice to settle actual controversies
involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or
not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on
the part of any branch or instrumentality of the Government."[143]

The definition of judicial power under the Constitution embodies two basic conceptions
— (i) the traditional mode, which has been expressed in our organic laws since the time of
the American occupation,[144] and (ii) the expanded mode, which arose from the use and
abuse of the political question doctrine during the martial law era under former President
Ferdinand E. Marcos.[145]

Under traditional judicial power, the judiciary involves itself with controversies brought
about by rights, whether public or private, which are demandable and enforceable against
another.[146]

On the other hand, expanded judicial power does not address the rights that a private party
may demand of another party, whether public or private. It solely addresses the relationships
of parties to any branch or instrumentality of the government, and the rights that a party may
have against the latter in its exercise of discretion to the petitioning party's prejudice. It is
a direct but limited remedy against the government on the sole ground that a grave abuse of
discretion on the part of government is alleged to have been committed. Thus, the scope of
this judicial power is very narrow, but its focus also gives it strength as it is a unique remedy
specifically fashioned to actualize an active means of redress against an all-powerful
government.[147]

There are two distinct situations where the exercise of both modes of judicial power may be
sought. Each situation carries requirements distinct to the nature of each situation, which
should be recognized in the specific remedy to be used under each situation.

The first is the constitutional situation where the constitutionality of acts is questioned. In
the constitutional situation, the exercise of either the expanded or traditional mode of judicial
power involves the exercise of the power of judicial review, or the power of the courts to test
the validity of executive and legislative acts, including those of constitutional bodies and
administrative agencies, for their conformity with the Constitution and through which the
judiciary enforces and upholds the supremacy of the Constitution. [148] The second is
the non-constitutional situation where no constitutional questions or violations are raised,
but which may include challenges against acts amounting to grave abuse of discretion. [149]

Under the traditional mode, plaintiffs question the constitutionality of a governmental action
through the cases they file before the lower courts or when the defendants interpose the
defense of unconstitutionality of the law under which they are being sued. [150] A petition
for certiorari (or prohibition) based solely under Rule 65 of the Rules of Court (in contrast to
a certiorari petition filed to invoke the Court's expanded judicial power) may be raised
against quasi-judicial actions (and ministerial in the case of a petition for prohibition) since
acts or exercise of functions that violate, and therefore go beyond the contemplation of, the
Constitution are necessarily committed with grave abuse of discretion. [151]

In contrast, Court rulings on the exercise of the expanded mode have allowed the filing of
petitions for certiorari and prohibition — using Rule 65 of the Rules of Court as the
procedural vehicle[152] — to question, for grave abuse of discretion, actions, or the exercise of
a function on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the government that violate the
Constitution. The governmental action may be questioned regardless of whether it is quasi-
judicial, legislative, quasi-legislative, or administrative in nature. [153]

In the exercise of either modes of judicial power (i.e., traditional or expanded modes) and
regardless of the situation covered (i.e., constitutional or non-constitutional situation), a
fundamental and indispensable requisite is the presence of a case or controversy.
[154]
Whether a case or controversy actually exists, on the other hand, depends on the party's
allegations, following our basic procedural requisites, as influenced by the elements of
standing and ripeness — including the related concepts of prematurity and the moot and
academic principle.[155]
i. Case or Controversy
Case or controversy is a fundamental and indispensable requirement before judicial power
may be exercised in view of the express constitutional command to only settle actual
controversies and determine grave abuse of discretion.

This requirement proceeds too from the fundamental constitutional principle of having
separate, but balanced, powers of the three branches of the government, [156] which therefore
precludes courts from resolving hypothetical questions[157] that will effectively render them an
advisory body to the political branches of the government (i.e., the executive and legislative),
or any other instrumentality, or agency of the government. This preclusion from rendering
advisory opinions is particularly relevant to the Court which rulings form part of the legal
system. In other words, the requirement pertains to conflicts susceptible of judicial resolution.
[158]

Under the traditional mode, a case or controversy exists "when the case presents conflicting
or opposite legal rights that may be resolved by the court in a judicial proceeding ."[159]

In contrast thereto, the case or controversy requirement is simplified by the Court

in constitutional cases handled under the expanded mode by merely requiring a prima
facie showing of grave abuse of discretion in the exercise of the governmental act.[160] The
grave abuse of discretion the Constitution contemplates must amount to lack or excess of
jurisdiction on the part of the official whose action is being questioned or such capricious or
whimsical exercise of judgment that is so patent and gross as to amount to an evasion of
positive duty or a virtual refusal to perform a duty enjoined by law, or to act at all in
contemplation of law, as where the power is exercised in an arbitrary and despotic manner by
reason of passion or hostility.[161] Case law provides that a prima facie showing of grave
abuse of discretion exists when the assailed act is seriously alleged to have infringed the
Constitution.[162]
ii. Standing
Corollary to the element of case or controversy, the element of standing must likewise be
present.

Broadly speaking, standing means "a right of appearance in a court of justice on a given
question."[163] Specifically, it requires the party to have "in its favor, the demandable and
enforceable right or interest giving rise to a justiciable controversy after the right is violated
by the offending party."[164] This element proceeds from the definition of judicial power that
requires "actual controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable"
or "grave abuse of discretion."[165] It is translated in civil actions into "real party in interest,"
"offended party" in criminal actions, and "interested party" in special proceedings. [166]

Under the traditional mode, the standing requirement is satisfied when a party alleges "a
personal and substantial interest in the case such that [they have] sustained or will sustain
direct injury as a result"[167] or "such personal stake in the outcome of the controversy as to
assure that concrete adverseness which sharpens the presentation of issues upon which the
court depends for illumination of difficult constitutional questions ."[168] It is based on the
possession of rights that are demandable and enforceable or which have been violated, giving
rise to damage or injury and to actual disputes or controversies between or among the
contending parties.[169] Thus, under the traditional mode, standing requires the party to allege
and sufficiently show an actual and direct injury or violation of rights, or imminent or
credible threat[170] thereof.

There are, of course, recognized exceptions to the requirement of actual or threatened injury
to satisfy the standing element under the traditional mode. Among these exceptions to
standing is in the area of constitutional cases involving issues of "transcendental
importance." In these cases, the Court justified the necessity for relaxation of procedural
niceties in view of the perceived "imminence and clarity of the threat to fundamental
constitutional rights"[171] which therefore warrants invocation of relief from the Court. Despite
this characterization, it can be observed that the "transcendental importance" exception has
not been clearly defined in case law, such that it has been used to relax not only the standing
requirement, but also the case or controversy requirement, including the hierarchy of courts
principle that led to petitions being filed before the Court at the first instance.

For example, in Chavez v. Public Estates Authority,[172] a petition for mandamus was filed by
petitioner Francisco I. Chavez directly before the Court, asserting the citizen's constitutional
right to information on matters of public concern which the Public Estates Authority allegedly
violated by failing to disclose the sale of the reclaimed lands along Manila Bay to Amari
Coastal Bay and Development Corporation. Notwithstanding the apparent lack of "actual or
threatened injury" to petitioner himself, the Court, speaking through Associate Justice (and
eventual Senior Associate Justice) Antonio T. Carpio (Justice Carpio), accepted the case
declaring that the enforcement of constitutional rights to information and the equitable
diffusion of natural resources are "matters of transcendental public importance" which clothe
therein petitioner with "locus standi."

Case law has also recognized actual or threatened injury exceptions in constitutional cases
through the allegation of "citizen," "taxpayer," "voter," and "legislator" standing, subject to
satisfaction of certain requisites.[173] These requisites include: (i) for taxpayers, there must
be a claim of illegal disbursement of public funds or that the tax measure is
unconstitutional; (ii) for voters, there must be a showing of obvious interest in the validity of
the election law in question; (iii) for concerned citizens, there must be a showing that the
issues raised are of transcendental importance which must be settled early; and (iv) for
legislators, there must be a claim that the official action complained of infringes upon their
prerogatives as legislators.[174]

A related but distinct concept which case law has considered as an exception to the actual or
threatened injury requirement is third-party standing.[175] Generally, a person may assert only
his/her rights or interest in the litigation, and not challenge the constitutionality of a statute or
governmental act based on its alleged infringement of the protected right of other or others.
However, under the third-party standing, a person is permitted to bring actions on behalf of
another or third parties not before the court.[176] To be permitted, a party asserting third-party
standing must satisfy the following requisites: (i) the litigant must have suffered an "injury-in-
fact," thus giving him or her a "sufficiently concrete interest" in the outcome of the issue in
dispute; (ii) the litigant must have a close relation to the third party; and (iii) there must
exist some hindrance to the third party's ability to protect his or her own interests. [177]

Based on these requisites, it is clear that the litigants or petitioners invoking third-party
standing must show actual or threatened injury to themselves before they can raise any
alleged violation to the rights of others who are not before the court. In other words, the third-
party standing does not really dispense with the requirement of an actual or threatened injury
on the part of the litigants or petitioning parties who must still sufficiently allege the same
before they may properly invoke the exercise of judicial power. Thus, conceptually, third-party
standing does not accurately constitute as an exception to the standing requirement.

In contrast with the traditional mode, the Court has relaxed the standing requirement
in constitutional cases under the expanded mode by simply requiring a prima
facie showing that the questioned governmental act violated the Constitution. Under our
democratic and republican system of government, it is the sovereign Filipino nation who
approved the Constitution and endowed it with authority. As such, any act that violates the
Constitution effectively disputably shows an injury to the sovereign Filipino nation, who,
collectively or individually, may therefore question the same before the courts. [178]
iii. Ripeness
A third corollary element that is pertinent to both constitutional and non-constitutional
situations, regardless of whether the case reaches the Court through the traditional mode or
expanded mode, is ripeness. In cases involving administrative acts, ripeness is affected by
the doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies, which requires the exhaustion of
remedies within an agency's administrative process before external remedies can be applied.
[179]
Separately from ripeness, but intrinsically connected thereto, is the related concept of
the moot and academic principle.[180] Both these concepts relate to the timing of the
presentation of a controversy before the Court: ripeness — as affected by the exhaustion of
remedies principle in administrative cases — relates to its prematurity, while mootness
relates to a belated or unnecessary judgment on the issues.[181]

The importance of timing in the exercise of judicial power highlights and reinforces the need
for an actual case or controversy or an act that may violate a party's right. Without any
completed action or a concrete threat of injury to the petitioning party, which the petitioner
must sufficiently allege, the act is not yet ripe for adjudication. Thus, the question of ripeness
asks whether: (i) an act had already been accomplished or performed by either branch of the
government; and (ii) there is an immediate and actual or threatened injury to the petitioner as
a result thereof[182] or the act was attended with grave abuse of discretion.

Conversely, an issue that was once ripe for resolution but which resolution, since then, has
been rendered unnecessary because of some supervening event, needs no resolution from the
Court, as it presents no actual case or controversy. In either situation, the case is vulnerable
to dismissal as the issue presented is merely a hypothetical problem which, as discussed
above, the Court is without power to resolve.[183]
iv. Lis Mota
A fourth requisite, essential only in constitutional situation (whether under the traditional or
expanded modes), is the element of lis mota, which prevents the courts from passing upon
the constitutionality of a governmental act unless the resolution of the question is unavoidably
necessary to the decision of the case itself.[184] This means that "the Court will not pass upon
a question of unconstitutionality, although properly presented, if the case can be disposed of
on some other ground, such as the application of the statute or the general law ."[185] It
proceeds from the rule that "every law has in its favor the presumption of constitutionality; to
justify its nullification, there must be a clear and unequivocal breach of the Constitution, and
not one that is doubtful, speculative, or argumentative."[186]

Political Question Doctrine

The foregoing requisites for the Court's exercise of its judicial review power, particularly the
requirement of "an actual case or controversy," carry the assurance that "courts will not
intrude into areas committed to the other branches of government," pursuant to the principle
of separation of powers.

The requirement of an actual case or controversy, in essence, involves the legality of a

particular measure or an allocation of constitutional boundaries. Thus, questions which, under
the Constitution, are to be decided by the people in their sovereign capacity, or with regard to
which full discretionary authority has been delegated to the legislature or executive branch of
Government, are beyond the pale of judicial review power. These are political questions, the
resolution of which is dependent on the wisdom, not the legality, of a particular measure and
therefore do not present an actual case or controversy.

As originally formulated in the US case of Baker v. Carr,[187] "the [political question] doctrine
applies when there is found among others, 'a textually demonstrable constitutional
commitment of the issue to a coordinate political department,' 'a lack of judicially
discoverable and manageable standards for resolving it' or 'the impossibility of deciding
without an initial policy determination of a kind clearly for non-judicial discretion.'" [188]

The foregoing notwithstanding, the Court, speaking through Associate Justice (and eventual
Senior Associate Justice) Estela M. Perlas-Bernabe (Justice Perlas-Bernabe) in Belgica v.
Ochoa, Jr. (Belgica),[189] explicated that the constraining reach of the doctrine on the power
of the Court has been greatly reduced under the 1987 Constitution by expanding the Court's
power of judicial review to not only settle actual controversies involving rights which are
legally demandable and enforceable, but also to determine whether there has been grave
abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on any branch or
instrumentality of the government. The Court said:
Suffice it to state that the issues raised before the Court do not present political but legal
questions which are within its province to resolve. A political question refers to "those
questions which, under the Constitution, are to be decided by the people in their sovereign
capacity, or in regard to which full discretionary authority has been delegated to the
Legislature or executive branch of the Government. It is concerned with issues dependent
upon the wisdom, not legality, of a particular measure." The intrinsic constitutionality of the
"Pork Barrel System" is not an issue dependent upon the wisdom of the political branches of
government but rather a legal one which the Constitution itself has commanded the Court to
act upon. Scrutinizing the contours of the system along constitutional lines is a task that the
political branches of government are incapable of rendering precisely because it is an
exercise of judicial power. More importantly, the present Constitution has not only vested the
Judiciary the right to exercise judicial power but essentially makes it a duty to proceed
therewith. Section 1, Article VIII of the 1987 Constitution cannot be any clearer: "The judicial
power shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be established
by law. [It] includes the duty of the courts of justice to settle actual controversies involving
rights which arc legally demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or not there
has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of
any branch or instrumentality of the Government." In Estrada v. Desierto, the expanded
concept of judicial power under the 1987 Constitution and its effect on the political question
doctrine was explained as follows:
To a great degree, the 1987 Constitution has narrowed the reach of the political question
doctrine when it expanded the power of judicial review of this court not only to settle actual
controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable but also to
determine whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or
excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of government. Heretofore,
the judiciary has focused on the "thou shalt not’s" of the Constitution directed against the
exercise of its jurisdiction. With the new provision, however, courts are given a greater
prerogative to determine what it can do to prevent grave abuse of discretion amounting to
lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of government.
Clearly, the new provision did not just grant the Court power of doing nothing. [190] x x x
(Emphasis supplied)
Belgica clarified that "'when the judiciary mediates to allocate constitutional boundaries, it
does not assert any superiority over the other departments; does not in reality nullify or
invalidate an act of the legislature for the executive], but only asserts the solemn and sacred
obligation assigned to it by the Constitution.' To a great extent, the Court is laudably
cognizant of the reforms undertaken by its co-equal branches of government. But it is by
constitutional force that the Court must faithfully perform its duty. x x x After all, it is in the
best interest of the people that each great branch of government, within its own sphere,
contributes its share towards achieving a holistic and genuine solution to the problems of
society."[191]

Jurisdiction
Inextricably linked to the exercise of judicial power is jurisdiction. It is defined as the
authority to hear and determine cases or the right to act in cases of the general class to
which the proceedings in question belong.[192] In order for a court or an adjudicative body to
have authority to dispose of a case on its merits and thus, exercise judicial power, it must
have jurisdiction over the subject matter. As case law settles, jurisdiction over the subject
matter is conferred only by the Constitution or by law.[193]

The Supreme Court is the only court established by the Constitution whose powers and
jurisdiction are likewise explicitly provided by it. By express constitutional mandate, such
jurisdiction cannot be removed or withdrawn by Congress. All other lower courts are
established by laws passed by the legislature;[194] their jurisdiction is defined, prescribed, and
circumscribed by the laws that respectively created them.[195] However, by constitutional fiat,
[196]
the other lower courts established by law likewise become repositories of judicial power
— that includes both the traditional and expanded modes — which they may fully exercise
within the confines of their statutorily defined jurisdictions. Without such jurisdiction, any
exercise by a court of judicial power is null and void. Thus, judicial power is the extent and
totality of the powers courts exercise when they assume jurisdiction and rule on a case.
Jurisdiction, on the other hand, is the prerequisite authority which permits courts to exercise
judicial power in a specific case.

Hierarchy of Courts Principle

Another fundamental and distinctively correlated concept affecting the exercise of judicial
power — that applies regardless of the mode and the situation under which the power is
exercised — is the principle of hierarchy of courts. The principle recognizes the jurisdiction
and the various levels of courts in the country as they are established under the Constitution
and by law, and their relationship with one another.[197] It recognizes, too, the practical need
to restrain parties from directly resorting to the Court when relief may be obtained before the
lower courts in order to prevent "inordinate demands upon the Court's time and attention
which are better devoted to those matters within its exclusive jurisdiction, as well as to
prevent the congestion of the Court's dockets."[198]

Under the Constitution, the Supreme Court is designated as the highest court with irreducible
powers,[199] whose rulings serve as precedent that other courts must follow because they form
part of the law of the land. All other courts are established and given their defined
jurisdictions by law. As a rule, the Supreme Court is not a trier of facts and generally rules
only on questions of law;[200] in contrast to the Court of Appeals and other intermediate courts
which rule on both questions of law and of fact. At the lowest level of courts are the municipal
and the regional trial courts which also handle questions of fact and law at the first instance
according to the jurisdiction granted to them by law.[201]

Pursuant to the foregoing structure and by its very essence, the hierarchy
principle commands that cases must first be brought before the lowest court with
jurisdiction, and not before the higher courts. These cases may ultimately reach the Supreme
Court through the medium of an appeal or certiorari.[202] Considering that jurisdiction and the
leveling of the courts are defined by law, the hierarchy should leave very little opening for
flexibility (and potential legal questions), except for the fact that laws have conferred
concurrent jurisdictions for certain cases or remedies to courts at different and defined levels.
Petitions for certiorari and prohibition fall under the concurrent jurisdiction of the regional
trial courts and the higher courts, including the Supreme Court. [203] Nonetheless, it should be
borne in mind that under the Constitution, the Court's power to revise, reverse, or modify final
judgments on certiorari is subject to what "the law or the Rules of Court may
provide."[204] Thus, despite the fact that the power to promulgate rules is constitutionally
lodged in the Court, it is equally constitutionally precluded from arbitrarily assuming
jurisdiction over certiorari (including prohibition) petitions at the first instance in violation of
the constitutional command.

Certainly, there are recognized exceptions to the general rule found in jurisprudence,
particularly in constitutional situations invoking the Court's expanded judicial power. In these
recognized exceptions, the Court allows direct filing of the cases before it based on its
authority to relax the application of its own rules.[205] Among the recognized exceptions
developed by case law include: (a) genuine issues of constitutionality that must be addressed
at the most immediate time;[206] (b) transcendental importance;[207] (c) cases of first
impression;[208] (d) constitutional issues which are better decided by the Supreme Court;
[209]
(e) time element or exigency in certain situations;[210] (f) a review an act of a
constitutional organ;[211] (g) situations wherein there is no other plain, speedy, and adequate
remedy in the ordinary course of law;[212] and (h) questions that are dictated by public welfare
and the advancement of public policy, or demanded by the broader interest of justice, or the
orders complained of were found to be patent nullities, or the appeal was considered as
clearly an inappropriate remedy.[213]

B. Petitioners have Satisfied the Requisites

for the Exercise by the Court of its Judicial Review Power
under Both Traditional and Expanded Modes

Applying the foregoing parameters, the Court finds the exercise of its judicial review power
proper in the case.

Firstly, the present consolidated Petitions have sufficiently established a contrariety of legal
rights that can be interpreted and enforced on the basis of existing law and
jurisprudence, i.e., the inherent power and duty of the legislature to enact laws regulating the
elections in order to ensure the credible, honest, and peaceful conduct thereof vis-à-vis the
fundamental right of the people to participate in the elections. Moreover, the consolidated
Petitions have sufficiently presented prima facie showing of grave abuse of discretion when
the assailed act is seriously alleged to have infringed the Constitution.

Secondly, petitioners, as voters, taxpayers, and citizens, have sufficiently alleged a personal
and substantial interest in the case and such personal stake in the outcome of the
controversy as to assure that concrete adverseness which sharpens the presentation of
issues upon which the Court depends for illumination of difficult constitutional questions.
Indeed, the postponement of the December 2022 BSKE constitutes an actual and direct
violation of petitioners' right to participate in the BSKE, or at the very least, poses an
imminent or credible threat of violation of their right of suffrage. Moreover, petitioners'
arguments sufficiently presented a prima facie grave violation of the Constitution by the
assailed governmental act.

Thirdly, the constitutional challenge against RA 11935 was raised at the earliest
opportunity, i.e., seven days (or on October 17, 2022) after its enactment on October 10,
2022, and the continued efficacy of the law constitutes an immediate and actual or threatened
injury to petitioners as a result thereof. As the subsequent discussions will show, the
unconstitutionality of RA 11935 is rooted in its violation of the fundamental right of the people
to vote. While the date of the December 2022 BSKE has already lapsed, the evident
transgression on the people's right of suffrage continues until the BSKE is finally held. What is
more, as likewise will be discussed in detail below, the enactment of RA 11935 was blatantly
attended with grave abuse of discretion amounting to a patent failure to act in contemplation
of the law.

On this score, the Court stresses that despite the lapse of the originally scheduled date of the
BSKE, i.e., December 5, 2022, the case has not been rendered moot as to preclude the
exercise by this Court of its judicial review power. To reiterate and emphasize, the law's
transgression on the people's right of suffrage is continuing and did not cease upon the
passing of the December 5, 2022 BSKE schedule. Thus, despite the intervening expiration of
the previous election date, the case undoubtedly presents an actual case or controversy that
justifies the continued exercise by this Court of its judicial review power.

Even on the assumption of mootness, case law expresses that "the moot and academic
principle is not a magical formula that can automatically dissuade the Court in resolving a
case."[214] The Court will decide cases, otherwise moot, first, there is a grave violation of the
Constitution; second, the exceptional character of the situation and the paramount public
interest is involved; third, when the constitutional issue raised requires formulation of
controlling principles to guide the bench, the bar, and the public; and fourth, the case is
capable of repetition yet evading review.[215]

All these exceptional situations that would justify the Court in deciding a case otherwise
rendered moot are blatantly evident in the present consolidated Petitions.

First, as will be explained later on, a grave violation of the Constitution attended the
enactment of RA 11935.

Second, the case calls for the resolution of a novel and unprecedented issue that affects the
people's right of suffrage at the grassroots level.

Third, the constitutional issue raised under the circumstances surrounding this case is
capable of repetition yet evading review; and thus, demands formulation of controlling
principles to guide the bench, the bar, and the public.

Fourth, the resolution of the question involving the constitutionality of RA 11935 is

unavoidably necessary to the decision of the present consolidated petitions.

Lastly, the consolidated Petitions assail the constitutionality of an act of a co-equal branch of
government — the legislature. It involves a determination of the proper allocation and
delineation between the Congress, on the one hand, and the COMELEC, on the other hand, of
the power to postpone the BSKE. These matters undoubtedly require scrutiny of the "contours
of the system along constitutional lines"[216] which precisely call for the exercise of judicial
power by the Court.

C. Constitutionality of RA 11935

RA 11935 Does Not

Unconstitutionally Encroach on
the Power of the COMELEC to
Administer the Elections

Applying the foregoing principles, the Court finds that RA 11935 does not unconstitutionally
encroach on the power and functions of the COMELEC to administer the elections.

To recall, the Congress has the plenary power to regulate all matters which, in its discretion,
are for the common good of the people and which the Constitution deems indispensable for
the enjoyment by all the people of the blessings of democracy.

Consequently, while the COMELEC is specifically created as the independent constitutional

body charged with the administration and enforcement of elections and election laws – and
whose very existence perforce is intricately and inseparably related to elections, the broad
and plenary power of the Congress with respect to election matters is not automatically
limited thereby. Indeed, "[a]ny power, deemed to be legislative by usage and tradition, is
necessarily possessed by Congress" and unless limited by the Constitution, either expressly or
impliedly, "legislative power embraces all subjects and extends to all matters of general
concern or common interest."[217] Thus, while the power to postpone elections has not been
expressly granted to the legislature, neither has it been expressly nor impliedly withheld
therefrom.

With this delineation, matters that solely and distinctly pertain to election administration fall
primarily within the power of the COMELEC, while those that intersect and transcend
numerous constitutional interests and rights must generally be viewed as falling primarily
within the broad and plenary power of Congress. Concomitantly, therefore, the power to
postpone barangay election must be deemed to be inherently included, generally, in the
Congress' broad and plenary power to legislate and specifically, in the Congress'
constitutionally granted power to determine the term of office of barangay officials.

For these reasons, the Court cannot subscribe to the claim of petitioners that by enacting RA
11935, Congress has unconstitutionally encroached on the power of the COMELEC to postpone
elections. Accordingly, the challenge against the validity of RA 11935 on this ground must
necessarily fail.

Nonetheless, RA 11935
Unconstitutionally Violates the
Freedom of Suffrage for Failing to
Satisfy the Due Process Requisites.

The foregoing notwithstanding, a judicious examination of the law and the records convinces
the Court that RA 11935 unconstitutionally violates the freedom of suffrage for failing to
satisfy the requisites of the substantive aspect of the due process clause of the Constitution.

Firstly, the legislative measure is not supported by a legitimate government interest or

objective. It also unconstitutionally exceeds the bounds of the power of Congress to legislate.

Principally, the law, as worded, does not provide any supporting reasons or justifications for
the postponement of the elections. It is for this reason that the parties offer varying
justifications for the postponement of the December 2022 BSKE that, while rationally
plausible, raise serious doubts on the law's fairness and reasonableness.

In defending the law, the OSG points out that the postponement of the BSKE under RA 11935
is principally for the purpose of allowing Congress more time to review the present BSK
systems, including the term of barangay officials, among other practical considerations.
[218]
Relatedly, the OSG made similar remarks during the oral arguments in G.R. No. 263590:
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE RICARDO R. ROSARIO:

Yes, good afternoon, Sir. One of the reasons cited for the postponement is election fatigue.
Now, what is your basis for saying that the electorate is suffering from election fatigue? And is
election fatigue a sufficient reason to postpone election, Sir?

SOLICITOR GENERAL MENARDO I. GUEVARRA:

Your Honor, my only reference material with respect to the purpose of the postponement of
the barangay elections consists of the official records and journal of both Chambers of
Congress. And as far as the journal of the House of Representatives would show, apparently
issues pertaining to the budget, as well as proposed increases in the allowances for poll
workers were among those that needed to be discussed. With respect to the records of the
Senate, it would appear that the principal reason given by Congress, by the Senate in their
desire also to postpone the barangay elections was to have enough or some more time to
discuss electoral reforms that would also affect the forthcoming barangay elections. And we
are made to understand that because of their current engagement about the General
Appropriations Act, they are very busy with the GAA, they would need more time to consider
possible electoral reforms that would also affect the barangay elections. So, as far as the
records would concern... are concerned, Your Honors, this would appear to be the reasons. x x
x[219]
Yet, COMELEC Chairperson Garcia disclosed during the oral arguments that, when he
appeared before the House of Representatives, the reasons primarily given point to the
realignment of the funds earmarked for the December 2022 BSKE towards funding other
government projects, programs, or activities.[220]

For his part, Atty. Macalintal asserts that the enactment of RA 11935, and even the earlier
BSKE postponement laws for that matter, have no valid reasons, and — because of the law's
silence — even insinuates that "the reason for postponing the barangay election is but to fulfill
a 'promise' by some candidates to get the support of incumbent barangay leaders to whom
they make the promise to extend their (barangay leaders') term after the elections." [221] To
Atty. Macalintal, this underlying reason constitutes the election offense of "vote-buying" under
Section 261 (a) (1) of the OEC.

Meanwhile, Atty. Hidalgo, et al. did not explicitly offer any reason behind the postponement
under RA 11935. Nonetheless, it may be implied from their Petition that the same had no valid
reason/s and/or justification/s when they argued that "[b]y enacting [RA] 11935, the Congress,
based on their own whims and caprices, effectively decides when the Filipino people can vote
and be voted upon in the [BSKE], thereby manipulating at will the constitutionally guaranteed
right of the Filipino people to suffrage."[222]

In line with the requirement that there must be a legitimate government interest or purpose
for the legislative act as a requisite for substantive due process, an explicit statement thereof
would have helped dispel any doubt as to the legislature's intent and the law's purpose.
Consequently, in view of the conflicting accounts and explanations given by the parties in this
case, the Court is compelled to consider the history and records of RA 11935 to determine
whether the law's objective is free from arbitrariness and unfairness.

Corollary thereto, the Court notes that House Bill No. (HB) 4673 (which, together with its
Senate counterpart, became RA 11935) is equally silent as to its reasons which, in view of its
legislative history, appears to have been purposely formulated so to portray a sense of
legislative consensus. Interestingly, varying reasons were given in the Explanatory Notes of
the various HBs[223] (43 in total) filed before the Congress which sought for the postponement
of the December 2022 BSKE. These include: realignment of the COMELEC's budget allocation
for the December 2022 BSKE towards the government's COVID-19 response programs and to
stimulate the country's economic recovery;[224] continuity of government service at the
barangay level;[225] thwarting further divisiveness among the Filipino people;[226] providing a
respite for the electorate, considering the recently concluded May 2022 national and local
elections;[227] allowing the newly-elected national and local officials to benefit from the
experience of the officials at the barangay level in implementing COVID-19 programs and
policies;[228] preventing the further spread of COVID-19;[229] and aligning the BSKE schedule
with the schedule originally provided under the Local Government Code. [230]

Despite these varied reasons, however, it is clear from a reading of the Committee
Report[231] for HB 4673 and the various Explanatory Notes that the Congress essentially
intended to realign the COMELEC's PHP 8.4 billion budget allocation for the December 2022
BSKE towards the government's COVID-19 response programs and to stimulate the country's
economic recovery.

The same observations can be gleaned from the Explanatory Notes of the bills filed before the
Senate that equally sought to postpone the December 2022 BSKE, namely: Senate Bill No. (SB)
288, filed by Senator (Sen.) Francis G. Escudero; SB 453 filed by Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada;
and SB 684, filed by Sen. Win Gatchalian, thus:
SB 288 Explanatory Note

This proposed measure seeks to bolster the stability and consistency of public service at the
barangay level by postponing the [BSKE] from the fifth day of December 2022 to the second
Monday of May 2024.

This senate bill provides several distinct advantages. First, the postponement of the barangay
and [sangguniang kabataan (SK)] elections affords continuity in government operations at the
barangay level, particularly in providing basic social services and implementing national and
local programs and projects. Second, the proposed measure gives ready access to the
institutional memories of grassroots leaders, which could be used in formulating plans,
programs and other interventions to adapt to the new normal and to return to the pre-
pandemic growth trajectory of the Philippines. Third, the postponement of the barangay and
SK elections allows both the national government agencies and local government units to
focus on interventions needed to recover from the pandemic and address the ongoing
concerns over oil prices, inflation and poverty. Finally, the bill enables the government to
realign a portion of the [PHP) 8.44 billion appropriations for the barangay and SK elections
towards interventions aimed at sustaining the current momentum in addressing the
coronavirus pandemic and achieving our collective socioeconomic objectives. (Emphasis
supplied)

----------------------------
SB 453 Explanatory Note

The recently concluded national election, albeit successful, had caused much divisiveness
among the Filipino electorate. The political atmosphere is very polarized that plunging Filipino
voters to another situation of political toxicity in a close interval would not be beneficial to
our national well-being.

Furthermore, our country is still in the midst of pandemic brought about by COV1D-19. Our
country has not yet fully recovered from the havoc brought about by the pandemic. The
budget in the amount of eight billion for the conduct of the said election can be used to fund
economic programs and health services to ease the effects of pandemic to all Filipinos,
particularly to those who were greatly affected. (Emphasis supplied)

----------------------------
SB 684 Explanatory Note

Given this continuing and current fiscal situation, the incoming administration must be
provided with enough leeway to start things in a better light. Comelec Commissioner George
Garcia related in a May 24, 2022 briefing that by June 2022, COMELEC will start preparing for
the barangay election. He also said that registration of voters will start in July 2022, and that
COMELEC will moreover start looking for equipment that will be used, especially in ballot
printing, as the [BSKE] are conducted manually. He further said that they have not received
the budget for the December 2022 barangay and SK polls.
As there is a need to conserve our already constrained financial resources, the postponement
of the December 5, 2022 Barangay and SK elections for just a year, or to December 4, 2023, is
a prudent exercise to keep afloat amidst our country's dire budgetary limitations.(Emphasis
supplied)
Thus, while Committee Report No. 4[232] dated September 12, 2022 on SB 1306 (the Senate
counterpart of HB 4673) is manifestly silent, it is evident that one of the primary, if not
animating, reasons for the postponement was to realign the COMELEC's budget allocation for
the 2022 BSKE towards the government's other projects and programs. This is an
unconstitutional consideration that therefore taints the law with arbitrariness and
unreasonableness.

Notably, Article VI, Section 25 (5) of the Constitution explicitly proscribes any transfer of
appropriations except only in the situations and under the conditions specifically provided
therein, viz.:
(5) No law shall be passed authorizing any transfer of appropriations; however, the President,
the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice
of the Supreme Court, and the heads of Constitutional Commissions may, by law, be
authorized to augment any item in the general appropriations law for their respective
offices from savings in other items of their respective appropriations. (Emphasis and
underscoring supplied)
In Sanchez v. Commission on Audit (Sanchez),[233] the Court, speaking through Justice Dante
O. Tinga, emphasized that the prohibition against the transfer of appropriation is explicit in the
Constitution. While the Constitution affords certain flexibility in the use of public funds and
resources, the leeway granted is limited and subject to such categorical restrictions and only
by the persons specifically provided therein. The Court said:
Construing this provision, the Court ruled in the pre-eminent ease of Demetria v. Alba:
The prohibition to transfer an appropriation for one item to another was explicit and
categorical under the 1973 Constitution. However, to afford the heads of the different
branches of the government and those of the constitutional commissions considerable
flexibility in the use of public funds and resources, the constitution allowed the enactment of
a law authorizing the transfer of funds for the purpose of augmenting an item from savings in
another item in the appropriation concerned. The leeway granted was thus limited. The
purpose and conditions for which funds may be transferred were specified, i.e. transfer may be
allowed for the purpose of augmenting an item and such transfer may be made only if there
are savings from another item in the appropriation of the government branch or constitutional
body.

xxxx
Clearly, there are two essential requisites in order that a transfer of appropriation with the
corresponding funds may legally be effected. First, there must be savings in the programmed
appropriation of the transferring agency. Second, there must be an existing item, project or
activity with an appropriation in the receiving agency to which the savings will be transferred.

Actual savings is a sine qua non to a valid transfer of funds from one government agency to
another. The word 'actual' denotes that something is real or substantial, or exists presently in
fact as opposed to something which is merely theoretical, possible, potential or hypothetical.

xxxx

The thesis that savings may and should be presumed from the mere transfer of funds is plainly
anathema to the doctrine laid down in Demetria v. Alba as it makes the prohibition against
transfer of appropriations the general rule rather than the stringent exception the
constitutional framers clearly intended it to be. It makes a mockery of Demetria v. Alba as it
would have the Court allow the mere expectancy of savings to be transferred. [234] (Emphasis
supplied)
Thus, under Article VI, Section 25 (5) of the Constitution, the transfer of appropriations or
realignment is prohibited. However, the Constitution authorizes the transfer only if made by
the President, with respect to the Executive branch, the Senate President for the Senate, the
Speaker for the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice for the Judiciary, and the Heads
of the constitutional bodies, and only with respect to their respective entities.

Consequently, the savings from one branch or constitutional body cannot be transferred to
another branch or body.[235] Moreover, as the Court stressed in Sanchez, a valid realignment
requires: (1) the existence of savings in the programmed appropriation of the transferring
agency; and (2) the existence of an item, project, or activity with an appropriation in the
receiving agency to which the savings will be transferred.[236]

Pursuant to the strict constitutional limitations, the postponement of the December 2022
BSKE in order to realign the COMELEC's budget allocation for the same under the 2022
General Appropriations Act to the executive's COVID-19 and economic recovery programs
constitutes as an impermissible transfer of appropriations. As explicitly provided under
Article VI, Section 25 (5) of the Constitution, this COMELEC allocation can only be
constitutionally transferred by the COMELEC's chairperson, and only with respect to the
COMELEC's "item, project, or activity with an appropriation." It cannot be transferred to
another branch or constitutional body. Verily, this intended transfer by the legislature — no
matter how well-intentioned it might have been — constitutes an arbitrary and
unconstitutional consideration that renders RA 11935 unconstitutional.

Secondly, the means employed are unreasonably unnecessary for the attainment of the
government interest or purpose sought to be accomplished and are unduly arbitrary or
oppressive to the electorate's exercise of their right of suffrage.

To reiterate, the transfer or realignment of the COMELEC's budget allocation for the December
2022 BSKE to the Executive for its use in its programs or projects cannot validly be
accomplished without violating the explicit constitutional prohibition against the transfer of
appropriations. Accordingly, the postponement of the December 2022 BSKE to augment the
Executive's funds for its programs and projects is not only an unlawful means to attain the
legislative object of augmenting the government's budget for economic and social programs, it
also arbitrarily overreaches the exercise of the right of suffrage.

All told, in failing to satisfy the substantive due process requisites of the Constitution, RA
11935 is unconstitutional as it unreasonably and arbitrarily infringed on the people's right of
suffrage.

Grave Abuse of Discretion

Attended the Enactment of RA
11935

Finally, the enactment of RA 11935 by the Congress was attended with grave abuse of
discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.

As had been thoroughly discussed in this Decision, while the Congress is granted by the
Constitution with the plenary power to "make, ordain, and establish all manner of wholesome
and reasonable laws, statutes, and ordinances, either with penalties or without, as they shall
judge to be for the good and welfare of the commonwealth, and of the subjects of the same ,"
this power is not without limitations. Plenary as it is, however, the power of the Congress to
legislate is subject to express and implied constitutional limitations.
As case law settles, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and the powers of the
three great branches of the government are only derived therefrom, except to the extent as
the Constitution itself may allow. Indeed, "the primacy of the Constitution as the supreme law
of the land dictates that where the Constitution has itself made a determination or given its
mandate, then the matters so determined or mandated should be respected until the
Constitution itself is changed by amendment or repeal through the applicable constitutional
process." "[N]one of the three branches of government can deviate from the constitutional
mandate except only as the Constitution itself may allow."[237]

In determining the existence of grave abuse of discretion, the Court looks at whether the
exercise of discretion by the official or body amounts to such a capricious or whimsical
exercise of judgment that is so patent and gross as to amount to an evasion of positive duty or
a virtual refusal to perform a duty enjoined by law, or to act at all in contemplation of law, as
where the power is exercised in an arbitrary and despotic manner by reason of passion or
hostility.[238] Grave abuse of discretion also exists when the assailed act is manifestly shown
to have infringed the Constitution.

Here, as the Court has extensively discussed, the Constitution expressly protects the right of
suffrage of all citizens of the Philippines who are not otherwise disqualified by law; and
guarantees the right of every person against the deprivation of their life, liberty, or property
without due process of law, and of their freedom of expression. Additionally, Article VI,
Section 25 (5) of the Constitution explicitly proscribes any transfer of appropriations except
only in the situations and under the conditions specifically provided therein.

For these reasons, the postponement of the 2022 BSKE by RA 11935 to augment the
Executive's funds for its programs and projects violates the Constitution because (i) it
unconstitutionally transgresses the constitutional prohibition against any transfer of
appropriations, and (ii) it unconstitutionally and arbitrarily overreaches the exercise of the
rights of suffrage, liberty, and expression.

As such, the Court is convinced that the Congress, in enacting RA 11935, gravely abused its
discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction. In acting as it did, the Congress
exercised its constitutionally granted authority and judgment in a patently gross manner as to
amount to an evasion of positive duty or a virtual refusal to perform a duty enjoined by law, or
to act at all in contemplation of law.

Verily, the Court will not stand idle. However, in ruling as it does in this case and for
avoidance of any misunderstanding, the Court is not at all asserting its power over Congress.
Far from it. Rather, the Court is simply performing its sacred duty of upholding the supremacy
of the Constitution.

IV

Effect of The Declaration of Unconstitutionality of RA 11935

At this juncture, the Court recognizes that the declaration of unconstitutionality of RA 11935
raises two critical questions that must be addressed in view of the legal and practical
repercussions and consequences that this resulting conclusion entails:

First, what law will now govern the BSKE? In relation thereto, will RA 11462 be deemed
revived?

Second, assuming that RA 11462 will be deemed revived, when will the next BSKE be held,
considering that the date previously set by it, i.e., December 2022, had already lapsed?

Effect of Declaration of
Unconstitutionality of RA 11935:
Rule; Exception.

As a rule, a legislative or executive act that violates the Constitution is null and void. It
produces no rights, imposes no duties, and affords no protection. It has no legal effect. It is, in
legal contemplation, inoperative as if it has not been passed. [239] As such, it cannot justify an
official act taken under it.[240] It is therefore stricken from the statute books and considered
never to have existed at all. Not only the parties but all persons are bound by the declaration
of unconstitutionality, which means that no one may thereafter invoke it, nor may the courts
be permitted to apply it in subsequent cases. It is, in other words, a total nullity. [241]

The rule proceeds from the settled doctrine that the Constitution is supreme and provides the
measure for the validity of legislative or executive acts.[242] It is likewise supported by Article
7 of the Civil Code, which provides:
ART. 7. Laws are repealed only by subsequent ones, and their violation or non-observance
shall not be excused by disuse or custom or practice to the contrary.

When the courts declare a law to be inconsistent with the Constitution, the former shall be
void and the latter shall govern. (Emphasis supplied)
Concomitantly, a law that has been declared unconstitutional is deemed not to exist and
results in the revival of the laws that it has repealed. Stated otherwise, an unconstitutional
law returns us to the status quo ante and this return is beyond the power of the Court to
stay.[243]

By way of exception, the Court has recognized the legal and practical reality that a judicial
declaration of invalidity may not necessarily obliterate all the effects and consequences of a
void act occurring prior to such declaration.[244] Moreover, there may be situations that "may
aptly be described as fait accompli," in that they "may no longer be open for further inquiry,
let alone to be unsettled by a subsequent declaration of nullity of a governing statute." [245]

In these situations, the Court has declared that the "actual existence of a statute, prior to
such a determination [of unconstitutionality], is an operative fact and may have
consequences which cannot justly be ignored. The past cannot always be erased by a new
judicial declaration. The effect of the subsequent ruling as to invalidity may have to be
considered in various aspects, with respect to particular relations, individual and corporate,
and particular conduct, private and official."[246]

The doctrine of operative fact recognizes the possibility that not all the effects and
consequences of a void act prior to judicial declaration of invalidity may be obliterated or
completely ignored. As a matter of equity and fair play, and in recognition of the undeniable
reality that the act existed for the time being, there is an imperative necessity to leave the
effects undisturbed despite the unconstitutionality of the law.

In Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. San Roque Power Corporation ,[247] the Court, speaking
through Justice Carpio, citing de Agbayani v. Philippine National Bank,[248] penned by Justice
Enrique M. Fernando, extensively discussed the operative fact doctrine as follows:
The doctrine of operative fact is an exception to the general rule, such that a judicial
declaration of invalidity may not necessarily obliterate all the effects and consequences of a
void act prior to such declaration. In Serrano de Agbayani v. Philippine National Bank, the
application of the doctrine of operative fact was discussed as follows:
The decision now on appeal reflects the orthodox view that an unconstitutional act, for that
matter an executive order or a municipal ordinance likewise suffering from that infirmity,
cannot be the source of any legal rights or duties. Nor can it justify any official act taken
under it. Its repugnancy to the fundamental law once judicially declared results in its being to
all intents and purposes a mere scrap of paper. As the new Civil Code puts it: 'When the courts
declare a law to be inconsistent with the Constitution, the former shall be void and the latter
shall govern. Administrative or executive acts, orders and regulations shall be valid only when
they are not contrary to the laws of the Constitution.' It is understandable why it should be so,
the Constitution being supreme and paramount. Any legislative or executive act contrary to its
terms cannot survive.

Such a view has support in logic and possesses the merit of simplicity. It may not however be
sufficiently realistic. It does not admit of doubt that prior to the declaration of nullity such
challenged legislative or executive act must have been in force and had to be complied with.
This is so as until after the judiciary, in an appropriate case, declares its invalidity, it is
entitled to obedience and respect. Parties may have acted under it and may have changed
their positions. What could be more fitting than that in a subsequent litigation regard be had to
what has been done while such legislative or executive act was in operation and presumed to
be valid in all respects. It is now accepted as a doctrine that prior to its being nullified, its
existence as a fact must be reckoned with. This is merely to reflect awareness that precisely
because the judiciary is the governmental organ which has the final say on whether or not a
legislative or executive measure is valid, a period of time may have elapsed before it can
exercise the power of judicial review that may lead to a declaration of nullity. It would be to
deprive the law of its quality of fairness and justice then, if there be no recognition of what
had transpired prior to such adjudication.

In the language of an American Supreme Court decision: 'The actual existence of a statute,
prior to such a determination [of unconstitutionality], is an operative fact and may have
consequences which cannot justly be ignored. The past cannot always be erased by a new
judicial declaration. The effect of the subsequent ruling as to invalidity may have to be
considered in various aspects, with respect to particular relations, individual and corporate,
and particular conduct, private and official.'[249]

x x x x (Emphasis supplied)
The Court, through Justice Perlas-Bernabe, reiterated the foregoing exposition in Film
Development Council of the Philippines v. Colon Heritage Realty Corporation ,[250] and further
underscored the "realistic" consequences that the operative fact doctrine recognizes. The
Court also highlighted the equity and "fair play" underpinnings of any discussion involving the
operative fact doctrine, but added the caution that the effects must be carefully examined as
the doctrine applies only to extraordinary circumstances, viz.:
In Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. San Roque Power Corporation , citing Serrano de
Agbayani v. Philippine National Bank, the Court had the opportunity to extensively discuss the
operative fact doctrine, explaining the "realistic" consequences whenever an act of Congress
is declared as unconstitutional by the proper court. Furthermore, the operative fact doctrine
has been discussed within the context of fair play such that "[i]t would be to deprive the law
of its quality of fairness and justice then, if there be no recognition of what had transpired
prior to [its] adjudication [by the Court as unconstitutional]," x x x

xxxx

The operative fact doctrine recognizes the existence and validity of a legal provision prior to
its being declared as unconstitutional and hence, legitimizes otherwise invalid acts done
pursuant thereto because of considerations of practicality and fairness. In this regard, certain
acts done pursuant to a legal provision which was just recently declared as unconstitutional
by the Court cannot be anymore undone because not only would it be highly impractical to do
so, but more so, unfair to those who have relied on the said legal provision prior to the time it
was struck down.

However, in the fairly recent case of Mandanas v. Ochoa, Jr., citing Araullo v. Aquino III, the
Court stated that the doctrine of operative fact "applies only to cases where extraordinary
circumstances exist, and only when the extraordinary circumstances have met the stringent
conditions that will permit its application." The doctrine of operative fact "nullifies the effects
of an unconstitutional law or an executive act by recognizing that the existence of a statute
prior to a determination of unconstitutionality is an operative fact and may have
consequences that cannot always be ignored. It applies when a declaration of
unconstitutionality will impose an undue burden on those who have relied on the invalid law."
To reiterate the Court's pronouncement, "[i]t would be to deprive the law of its quality of
fairness and justice then, if there be no recognition of what had transpired prior to such
adjudication."

Therefore, in applying the doctrine of operative fact, courts ought to examine with
particularity the effects of the already accomplished acts arising from the unconstitutional
statute, and determine, on the basis of equity and fair play, if such effects should be allowed
to stand. It should not operate to give any unwarranted advantage to parties, but merely seeks
to protect those who, in good faith, relied on the invalid law. [251] (Emphasis and underscoring
supplied)
Simply put, the operative fact doctrine operates on reasons of practicality and fairness. It
recognizes the reality that prior to the Court's exercise of its power of judicial review that led
to the declaration of nullity, the combined acts of the legislative and executive branches
carried the presumption of constitutionality and regularity that everyone was obliged to
observe and follow. And, in pursuance thereof, certain actions, private and official, may have
been done which would be unjust and impractical to reverse. Thus, to simply declare RA
11935 as unconstitutional and therefore void from the beginning, without more, cannot be
reasonably and fairly justified.

Nonetheless, in applying the doctrine, the Court is equally bound by justice and equity; and
therefore, must act with prudence and restraint to prevent giving any unwarranted advantage
to parties or unfairly impact the rights of those who relied on the law in good faith. Thus, the
Court must carefully examine the particular relations, individual and corporate, and particular
conduct, private and official, as well as rights claimed to have become vested, of status, of
prior determinations deemed to have finality and acted upon accordingly, and of public policy
in the light of the nature both of the statute and of its previous application. [252]

The Operative Fact Doctrine

Applies in this Case

Proceeding from the foregoing premises, the Court is of the view that the actual existence of
RA 11935, prior to the judicial declaration of its unconstitutionality, is an operative
fact which has consequences and effects that cannot be ignored and reversed as a matter of
equity and practicality.

For one, the declaration of unconstitutionality of RA 11935 results in the revival of RA 11462.
The proviso of Section 1 thereof states that the BSKE "shall be postponed to December 5,
2022" with the subsequent synchronized BSKE to be "held on the first Monday of December
2025 and every three (3) years thereafter." Since December 5, 2022 has already lapsed, it is
evident that the BSKE previously scheduled under RA 11462 can no longer proceed as such.
Following Section 1 of RA 11462, therefore, it is apparent that the BSKE will have to be
conducted "on the first Monday of December 2025" or close to seven years from the date of
the last BSKE — which was held in May 2018.

Significantly, however, RA 11462, as well as RA 11935, explicitly states that the synchronized
BSKE shall be held "every three [3] years" which therefore reflects the legislative intent to
hold the BSKE at a regular and periodic interval, i.e., every three years, consistent with the
mandates of the Constitution. In fact, a survey of the laws that had amended RA 9164 — the
law that first provided for a synchronized BSKE — would readily reveal a similar legislative
mandate that the BSKE "shall be held every three [3] years thereafter," viz.:

SCHEDULED ELECTIONS - LEGAL BASIS TERM OF OFFICE PROVIDED

HELD OR POSTPONED UNDER THE LAW
July 2002 - Synchronized BSKE RA 9164 Provided for a term of office of 3
held years; subsequent BSKE shall be held
on the last Monday of October every
3 years
2005 - Synchronized BSKE RA 9340, amending "Subsequent synchronized [BSKE]
postponed RA 9164 shall be held on the last Monday of
October 2007 and every three (3)
years thereafter"
October 2007 - Synchronized
BSKE held
October 2010 - Synchronized
BSKE held
October 2013 – barangay Postponed sanggunian ""Subsequent synchronized [BSKE]
election held, sangguniang g kabataan election per shall be held on the last Monday of
kabataan election postponed RA 10632 October 2007 and every three (3)
years thereafter;"
2014 – sangguniang Postponed sanggunian "Subsequent synchronized [BSKE]
kabataan election postponed g kabataan per RA shall be held on the last Monday of
10656 October 2007 and every three (3)
years thereafter''
October 2016 – synchronized RA 10923 "Subsequent synchronized (BSKE]
BSKE postponed to October shall be held on the second Monday
2017 of May 2022 and every three (3) years
thereafter"
October 2017 - synchronized RA 10952 "Subsequent synchronized [BSKE]
BSKE postponed to May 2018 shall be held on the second Monday
of May 2022 and every three (3) years
thereafter"
May 2018 - Synchronized BSKE
held
2020 Elections Synchronized RA 11462 "Subsequent synchronized [BSKE]
BSKE postponed to December 5, shall be held on the first Monday of
2022 December 2025 and every three (3)
years thereafter"
December 2022 - Synchronized RA 11935 "and every three years thereafter."
BSKE postponed to October
2023

Moreover, it can be observed that none of these laws had amended the term of office originally
provided under RA 9164 which, under Section 2 thereof, states that the " term of office of all
barangay and sangguniang kabataan officials after the effectivity of this Act shall be three (3)
years." Verily, there can equally be gleaned a legislative intention to set a period of only three
years within which the elected BSK officials shall serve and discharge the functions of their
office. Thus, while it is already established in case law that the word "term" is not
synonymous with "tenure" — the difference of which shall be further addressed in the
subsequent portions of this Decision — it is reasonably arguable that allowing the sitting BSK
officials to serve as such for a period far longer than their term of office provided under the
governing law when they were elected, would effectively defeat the legislative intention: that
the BSK officials shall have a term — and therefore serve as such — of only three years and
that the BSKE shall be held every three years.

Another, December 5, 2022 had already lapsed without the BSKE scheduled under RA 11462
having been held. Moreover, the COMELEC had taken steps towards the preparation for the
BSKE] based on the schedule provided under RA 11935, i.e., in October 2023. Certainly, it
cannot be denied that the consequences of the postponement of the December 2022 BSKE
pursuant to RA 11935 extend beyond the mere change in the date of the said elections. In the
interim, the BSKE officials elected in May 2018 pursuant to RA 11462 continued to discharge
the duties and responsibilities of the office in a hold-over capacity pursuant to the provisions
of RA 11935. In turn, the people have relied on the actions undertaken by them in the
discharge of their functions as such officials, and have dealt with the latter in good faith,
believing in their authority to act.

Based on these circumstances, it is evident that a refusal to recognize the consequences and
effects of the existence of RA 11935 prior to its nullity — and absolutely demand a return to
the status quo as if the law had never existed — will lead to an unnecessary and
unwarranted application of the provisions of RA 11462 beyond the legislative intent.

To restate the obvious, RA 11462 explicitly set the schedule of the BSKE on December 5, 2022
— which date had already lapsed. Therefore, to strictly adhere to the provisions of RA 11462
will lead to an incongruent situation where the next BSKE will have to be held in December
2025 or close to seven years from the date of the last BSKE (held in May 2018) — a period
unnecessarily longer than "every three [3]-year period" intended by the legislature.

More importantly, such refusal will result in an unwarranted infringement on the right of
suffrage. To the Court's mind, a strict adherence to the rule will deprive the electorate of their
right to choose a new representative for an unreasonably longer period beyond the term which
they agreed under RA 11462 that the representative will serve. So also, the electorate's
freedom to choose their representative and to consent to temporarily surrender a portion of
their sovereignty is effectively forcibly wrested in favor of individuals who may no longer truly
represent their interests. Together, these constitute extraordinary circumstances that justify
the application of the operative fact doctrine.

For these reasons, while the Court hereby declares RA 11935 unconstitutional, it recognizes
the legal practicality of proceeding with the holding of the BSKE on the last Monday of
October 2023, as provided under RA 11935. Additionally, the sitting BSK officials shall
continue to hold office until their successors shall have been elected and qualified. But, their
term of office shall be deemed to have ended on December 31, 2022, consistent with the
provisions of RA 11462. Further, the succeeding synchronized BSKE shall be held pursuant to
the provisions of RA 11462, that is, "on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three
years (3) thereafter." Finally, the Congress is not precluded by these pronouncements from
further amending the provisions of RA 9164, but the same shall be subject to the proper
observance of the guidelines provided in the succeeding discussions.

The Continuation in the Office of

the Current BSK Officials in a
Hold-over Capacity Does Not
Amount to a Legislative
Appointment

In relation to the foregoing discussions, the Court finds it imperative to dispel any perceived
notion that allowing the sitting barangay officials to continue serving in a "hold-over" capacity
constitutes as an unconstitutional "legislative appointment."

Inarguably, the "hold-over" principle is not a novel concept and is primarily dictated by the
necessity and interests of continuity in government service.

In Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Employees' Union (CAAP-EU) v. Civil Aviation
Authority of the Philippines,[253] the Court, speaking through Associate Justice Martin S.
Villarama, Jr., recognized that "the principle of [hold-over] is specifically intended to prevent
public convenience from suffering because of a vacancy and to avoid a hiatus in the
performance of government functions."[254] As the Court reasoned, "the law abhors a vacuum
in public offices, and courts generally indulge in the strong presumption against a legislative
intent to create, by statute, a condition which may result in an executive or administrative
office becoming, for any period of time, wholly vacant or unoccupied by one lawfully
authorized to exercise its functions."[255] Thus, in the absence of "an express or implied
constitutional or statutory provision to the contrary, an officer is entitled to stay in office until
his successor is appointed or chosen and has qualified."[256] Indeed, "[t]he legislative intent of
not allowing [hold-over] must be clearly expressed or at least implied in the legislative
enactment, otherwise it is reasonable to assume that the law-making body favors the
same."[257]

Significantly, the Court in Kida v. COMELEC,[258] through Justice Brion, recognized the
permissibility of hold-over for officials whose term of office are not explicitly provided for in
the Constitution, as in the case of barangay officials. Nonetheless, it must be emphasized that
that the rule of hold-over can only apply as an available option where no express or implied
legislative intent to the contrary exists; it cannot apply where such contrary intent is evident.

Verily, therefore, a statute that provides for hold-over capacity of incumbent officials shall be
given respect and full recognition by the Court in the absence of an express or implied
constitutional or statutory provision to the contrary, or a clear and palpable grave abuse of
legislative discretion.

In the same vein, the Court disagrees with the position advanced by Atty. Macalintal that the
"hold-over" principle amounts to an extension of the term in public office of the incumbent
barangay officials.

As the Court, through Justice Brion, explained in Valle Verde Country Club, Inc. v.
Africa (Valle Verde),[259] the word "term" refers to "the time during which the officer may
claim to hold the office as of right, and fixes the interval after which the several incumbents
shall succeed one another."[260] It is fixed by statute and it does not change simply because
the office may have become vacant, nor because the incumbent holds over in office beyond
the end of the term due to the fact that a successor has not been elected and has failed to
qualify.[261] Indeed, it is settled that "a [hold-over] is not technically an extension of the
term of the officer but a recognition of the incumbent as a de facto officer, which is made
imperative by the necessity for a continuous performance of public functions."[262] Thus, the
term of office is not affected by the hold-over.

The official's "term," however, should be contrasted with "tenure" which refers to the period
during which the incumbent actually holds office. Unlike the "term," the tenure may be
shorter (or, in case of hold-over, longer) than the term for reasons within or beyond the power
of the incumbent.[263] In plainer terms, a hold-over essentially extends the tenure, or the actual
holding of office, of the officer, not the term which should be deemed to have concluded at the
appointed date.

For these reasons, the Court cannot reasonably subscribe to the view that a hold-over
provision in a law or rule postponing the barangay election will unjustifiably extend the
previously determined term of office of an incumbent barangay official. As already declared by
the Court in Valle Verde, while the tenure can be affected (and extended) by the holdover,
the term of office is not affected as it is fixed by the statute.

Further, it should not be missed that no express or implied intent to the contrary exists either
in the Constitution or in the laws with respect to the holding of barangay and SK positions in a
hold-over capacity. Rather, what is extant at this point is a clear legislative intent to authorize
incumbent barangay and SK officials to discharge the functions of the office in a hold-over
capacity unless sooner removed or suspended for cause, evidently to preserve the continuity
in the transaction of official business. Since the power to prescribe the term of office of
barangay officials is expressly lodged in Congress by the Constitution, its decision to
prescribe the new term of office of barangay officials, the commencement thereof, as well as
the manner of ensuring the continuity of service in the meantime, such as through hold-over of
incumbents, are policy decisions that the Court will not lightly interfere with.

In this regard, it is well to underscore that the Court had in fact already upheld the validity of a
hold-over provision involving BSK officials in at least three cases. In Adap v. COMELEC,
[264]
the Court, through Associate Justice Alicia Austria-Martinez, citing Sambarani v.
COMELEC,[265] penned by Justice Carpio, held:
Lastly, petitioners' contention that it was grave abuse of discretion for the COMELEC En
Banc to order herein private respondents to continue as Punong Barangays in a hold-over
capacity until the holding of special elections, is likewise devoid of merit. In Sambarani v.
Comelec, the Court already explained, thus:
x x x Section 5 of Republic Act No. 9164 ("RA 9164") provides:

Sec. 5. Hold Over. – All incumbent barangay officials and sangguniang kabataan officials
shall remain in office unless sooner removed or suspended for cause until their successors
shall have been elected and qualified. The provisions of the Omnibus Election Code relative to
failure of elections and special elections are hereby reiterated in this Act.

RA 9164 is now the law that fixes the date of barangay and SK elections, prescribes the term
of office of barangay and SK officials, and provides for the qualifications of candidates and
voters for the SK elections.

As the law now stands, the language of Section 5 of RA 9164 is clear. It is the duty of this
Court to apply the plain meaning of the language of Section 5. Since there was a failure of
elections in the 15 July 2002 regular elections and in the 13 August 2002 special elections,
petitioners can legally remain in office as barangay [chairpersons] of their respective
barangays in a holdover capacity. They shall continue to discharge their powers and duties
as punong barangay, and enjoy the rights and privileges pertaining to the office. True, Section
43(c) of the Local Government Code limits the term of elective barangay officials to three
years. However, Section 5 of RA 9164 explicitly provides that incumbent barangay officials
may continue in office in a hold over capacity until their successors are elected and qualified.

Section 5 of RA 9164 reiterates Section 4 of RA 6679 which provides that "[A]ll incumbent
barangay officials x x x shall remain in office unless sooner removed or suspended for cause x
x x until their successors shall have been elected and qualified." Section 8 of the same RA
6679 also slates that incumbent elective barangay officials running for the same office "shall
continue to hold office until their successors shall have been elected and qualified."

The application of the hold-over principle preserves continuity in the transaction of official
business and prevents a hiatus in government pending the assumption of a successor into
office. As held in Topacio Nueno v. Angeles, cases of extreme necessity justify the
application of the hold-over principle.

Clearly therefrom, the COMELEC En Banc did not commit grave abuse of discretion in
ordering those who have been elected and proclaimed in the barangay elections prior to the
2002 elections to continue as Punong Barangays in a hold-over capacity until the holding of
special barangay elections.[266] (Emphasis supplied)
The Court also upheld the validity of a hold-over provision involving barangay and SK officials
in the earlier case of Montesclaros v. COMELEC,[267] also penned by Justice Carpio.

Considering the discussions and the circumstances of this case, the Court finds no reason to
depart from these rulings.

Guidelines for the Bench, the Bar, and the Public

On this score, the Court finds it relevant to highlight the apparent trend in the actions of the
legislature in postponing the BSKE – separately or concurrently – for varying reasons not
explicitly stated in the law. Certainly, these matters are well-founded and established by
public records which the Court can take judicial notice of.

Accordingly, while this is the first instance wherein the constitutionality of a law postponing
the BSKE has been challenged, the Court finds it imperative to set forth guidelines and
principles respecting the exercise by the Congress of its power to postpone elections. The
guidelines will likewise serve as a standard for future situations wherein the Court is called
upon to intervene against the exercise of the Congress' power to postpone that purportedly
violates the right of suffrage.

To recapitulate and emphasize, the right to vote is among the most important and sacred
freedoms inherent in a democratic society and one which must be most vigilantly guarded if a
people desires to maintain, through self-government, for themselves and their posterity, a
genuinely functioning democracy in which the individual may, in accordance with law, have a
voice in the form of their government and in the choice of the people who will run that
government for them.[268]

Given the indispensable role that the right to vote plays in preserving and guaranteeing the
viability of constitutional democracy, the exercise of this right indubitably creates a sacred
contract between the chosen representatives and the people. Under this contract, the people
consent to surrender a portion of their sovereignty, for a limited period previously fixed and
determined in the statute prevailing at the time of the election, to the chosen representative
in exchange for the latter's promise to serve the people and fulfill the duties and
responsibilities of the office.[269] It is a mutual agreement, a concession of rights and
responsibilities for the time being voluntarily entered into by the people and their
representatives under the circumstances prevailing at the time of the election.

Nonetheless, it must be recognized that the right of suffrage does not exist in a vacuum. A
free, clean, honest, orderly, peaceful, and credible election is an equally primordial
consideration that must be zealously guarded both by the State and the electorate if the
guarantee of protection of fundamental rights which the right of suffrage provides is to be
fulfilled. For these reasons, state measures aimed at preventing fraud in an election is a
necessary and indispensable reason to guarantee a truly democratic and republican system of
government.

Viewed in this light, the postponement of an election may necessarily amount to a restriction
on the right of suffrage as it can effectively operate to restrict the right of the people to
choose a new representative within a preordained period. The postponement may result in the
extension of the exercise by the previously chosen representative of the rights, duties,
privileges, and responsibilities of the office by virtue of a "hold-over" capacity, but which is
shorn of the express consent of the people. In such situation, the postponement — and the
concomitant extension — may ostensibly casts doubt on the legitimacy of the representative's
continued claim to office. Thus, the postponement could foster a government that is not
"democratic and republican" as mandated by the Constitution.

Given these considerations, the postponement must be supported by sufficient government

interest. Examples of sufficient government interest include the need to guarantee the
conduct of free, honest, orderly, and safe elections, the safeguarding of the electorate's right
of suffrage, or of the people's other fundamental rights. Other similar justifications include
being necessitated by public emergency, but only if and to the extent strictly required by the
exigencies of the situation.[270]

In this regard, it is well to note that reasons, such as election fatigue, purported resulting
divisiveness among the people, shortness of the existing term, or other superficial or farcical
reasons, alone, may not serve as sufficient governmental interest to justify the postponement
of an election. To be sufficient, the reason for the postponement must primarily be justified by
the need to safeguard the right of suffrage or other fundamental rights, required by a public
emergency situation, or other similar important justifications.

Additionally, the State must show that the postponement of the barangay election is based on
genuine reasons grounded only on objective and reasonable criteria.[271] While not
comprehensively illustrative, the fact that a localized postponement is not viable and will not
serve the State's interest is a prime example. Necessarily, any reason advanced for the
postponement of the elections that will tend, directly or indirectly, to violate the Constitution
cannot satisfy the genuine reason criteria.

The Court recognizes that in cases involving the determination of the constitutionality of an
act of the legislature, the Court generally exercises restraint in the exercise of its judicial
power and accord due respect to the wisdom of its co-equal branches based on the principle
of separation of powers. Policy decision is wholly within the discretion of Congress to make in
the exercise of its plenary legislative powers and the Court cannot, as a rule, pass upon
questions of wisdom, justice, or expediency of legislation done within the co-equal branches'
sphere of competence and authority. It is only where their actions are attended with
unconstitutionality or grave abuse of discretion that the Court can step in to nullify their
actions as authorized by Article VIII, Section 1 of the Constitution. [272]

It is therefore in this sense that the Court may investigate the constitutionality of any reasons
that the Congress may put forward in postponing elections, not necessarily with respect to the
wisdom thereof, but to make sure that it has acted in consonance with its authorities and
rights as mandated by the Constitution.[273] As the Court articulated in the 1910 case of U.S.
v. Toribio,[274] penned by Justice Adam Clarke Carson, the legislative determination as to
"what is a proper exercise of its [powers] is not final or conclusive, but is subject to the
supervision of the courts." If after said review, the Court finds no constitutional violations of
any sort, then, it has no more authority of proscribing the actions under review. [275]

In addition to genuine reasons, the State must also demonstrate that despite the
postponement, the electorate is still guaranteed an effective opportunity to enjoy their
right[276] to vote without unreasonable restrictions.[277] An important factor that may be
considered in determining the effectiveness of the opportunity to vote and reasonableness of
the restriction is the length of the postponement and periodicity of the elections, despite the
postponement.

Periodic is defined as "happening regularly over a period of time"[278] or something that is

"occurring, appearing, or recurring at regular intervals."[279] Elections that occur at periodic
intervals signifies regularity of the frequency and schedule thereof such that the people can
justifiably expect its next occurrence. To overcome constitutional challenge, therefore, the
state measure must guarantee the holding of elections at regular periodic intervals[280] that
are not unduly long, and which will ensure that the authority of the government continues to
be based on the free expression of the will of the electors.[281]

Finally, any law or rule that purports to defer or postpone the exercise of the right of suffrage
must be deemed as the exception; it must be resorted to only in exceptional circumstances
and upon compliance with the foregoing parameters.

Summary of the Guidelines

To summarize, the following criteria shall serve as guidelines in the determination of the
validity of any future laws or rules postponing elections:
1. The right of suffrage requires the holding of honest, genuine, regular, and periodic
elections. Thus, postponement of the elections is the exception.

2. The postponement of the elections must be justified by reasons sufficiently important,

substantial, or compelling under the circumstances:

a. The postponement must be intended to guarantee the conduct of free, honest, orderly,
and safe elections;

b. The postponement must be intended to safeguard the electorate's right of suffrage;

c. The postponement must be intended to safeguard other fundamental rights of the

electorate; or

d. Such other important, substantial, or compelling reasons that necessitate the

postponement of the elections, i.e., necessitated by public emergency, but only if and
to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation.

i. Reasons such as election fatigue, purported resulting divisiveness, shortness of

existing term, and/or other superficial or farcical reasons, alone, may not serve as
important, substantial, or compelling reasons to justify the postponement of the
elections. To be sufficiently important, the reason for the postponement must
 primarily be justified by the need to safeguard the right of suffrage or other
fundamental rights or required by a public emergency situation.

3. The electorate must still be guaranteed an effective opportunity to enjoy their right of
suffrage without unreasonable restrictions notwithstanding the postponement of the
elections.

4. The postponement of the elections is reasonably appropriate for the purpose of advancing
sufficiently important, substantial, or compelling governmental reasons.

a. The postponement of the elections must be based on genuine reasons and only on
objective and reasonable criteria.

b. The postponement must still guarantee that the elections will be held at regular periodic
intervals that are not unduly long.

i. The intervals must still ensure that the authority of the government continues to be
based on the free expression of the will of the electorate.

ii. Holding the postponed elections at a date so far remote from the original elections
date may serve as badge of the unreasonableness of the interval that may render
questionable the genuineness of the reasons for the postponement.

c. The postponement of the elections is reasonably narrowly tailored only to the extent
necessary to advance the government interest.

5. The postponement must not violate the Constitution or existing laws.

VI

Summary

In sum, the Court hereby declares RA 11935 unconstitutional for (i) violating the right to due
process of law, and accordingly, infringing the constitutional right of the Filipino people to
suffrage, and (ii) having been enacted in patent grave abuse of discretion.

Nonetheless, the Court recognizes the existence of the law as an operative fact which had
consequences and effects that cannot be justifiably reversed, much less ignored. Thus, these
pronouncements shall have the following effects:
1. The declaration of unconstitutionality of RA 11935 shall retroact to the date of its
enactment, subject to the proper recognition of the consequences and effects of the law's
existence prior to this ruling;

2. The BSKE set on the last Monday of October 2023 pursuant to RA 11935 shall proceed as
scheduled;

3. The sitting BSK officials shall continue to hold office until their successor shall have been
elected and qualified;

4. But the term of office of the sitting BSK officials shall be deemed to have ended on
December 31, 2022, consistent with the provisions of RA 11462;

5. The succeeding synchronized BSKE shall be held pursuant to the provisions of RA 11462,
that is, "on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years (3) thereafter "; and
6. The Congress, however, is not precluded from further amending RA 9164, as amended,
subject to the proper observance of the guidelines herein provided.
Finally, for the guidance of the bench, the bar, and the public, any government action that
seeks to postpone any elections must observe the guidelines stated herein.

ACCORDINGLY, the instant consolidated Petitions are GRANTED. Republic Act No. 11935 is
hereby declared UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

SO ORDERED.