EN BANC

[G.R. No. 190793. June 19, 2012.]

MAGDALO PARA SA PAGBABAGO , petitioner, vs . COMMISSION ON

ELECTIONS , respondent.

DECISION

SERENO , J : p

Before this Court is a Petition for Certiorari pursuant to Rule 37, Section 1 of the
Commission of Elections (COMELEC) Rules of Procedure, 1 in relation to Rules 64 and 65
of the Rules of Court, assailing the Resolutions dated 26 October 2009 and 4 January
2010 issued by the COMELEC in SPP Case No. 09-073 (PP). 2
On 2 July 2009, Petitioner Magdalo sa Pagbabago (MAGDALO) led its Petition for
Registration with the COMELEC, seeking its registration and/or accreditation as a regional
political party based in the National Capital Region (NCR) for participation in the 10 May
2010 National and Local Elections. 3 In the Petition, MAGDALO was represented by its
Chairperson, Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, and its Secretary General, Francisco Ashley L.
Acedillo (Acedillo). 4 The Petition was docketed as SPP No. 09-073 (PP) and ra ed to the
Second Division of the COMELEC (COMELEC-Second Division). 5
In its Order dated 24 August 2009, the COMELEC-Second Division directed
MAGDALO to cause the publication of the Petition for Registration and the said Order in
three daily newspapers of general circulation, and set the hearing thereof on 3 September
2009. 6 In compliance therewith, MAGDALO caused the publication of both documents in
HATAW! No. 1 sa Balita, Saksi sa Balita and BOMBA BALITA (Saksi sa Katotohanan). 7
On 3 September 2009, a hearing was conducted in which MAGDALO (a) established
its compliance with the jurisdictional requirements; (b) presented Acedillo as its witness;
and (c) marked its documentary evidence in support of its Petition for Registration. The
following day, MAGDALO filed its Formal Offer of Evidence. 8 DTCAES

On 26 October 2009, the COMELEC—Second Division issued its Resolution denying

the Petition for Registration led by MAGDALO. 9 The relevant portions of the assailed
Resolution read:
Magdalo Para sa Pagbabago should be refused registration in accordance
with Art. IX-C, Section 2(5) of the Constitution. It is common knowledge that the
party's organizer and Chairman, Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, and some
members participated in the take-over of the Oakwood Premier Apartments in
Ayala Center, Makati City on July 27, 2003, wherein several innocent civilian
personnel were held hostage. This and the fact that they were in full battle
gear at the time of the mutiny clearly show their purpose in employing
violence and using unlawful means to achieve their goals in the
process defying the laws of organized societies . . . . .

xxx xxx xxx

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 WHEREFORE, premises considered, this Petition is hereby DENIED.

SO ORDERED. 10 (Emphasis supplied.)

On 3 November 2009, MAGDALO led a Motion for Reconsideration, which was

elevated to the COMELEC En Banc for resolution. 11
Meanwhile, on 27 November 2009, MAGDALO led a Manifestation of Intent to
Participate in the Party-List System of Representation in the 10 May 2010 Elections
(Manifestation of Intent), in which it stated that its membership includes "[f]ormer
members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Anti-Corruption Advocates,
Reform-minded citizens." 12 Thereafter, on 30 November 2009, it led its Amended
Manifestation, which bore the following footnote: 13 EIDATc

With all due respect to the Honorable Commission, the MAGDALO PARA
SA PAGBABAGO ("MAGDALO") manifests that the instant MANIFESTATION
is being led ex abutanti [sic] cautelam (out of the abundance of caution) only
and subject to the outcome of the resolution of the Motion for Reconsideration
led by Magdalo in SPP No. 09-073 (PP) from the Resolution dated 26 October
2009 of the Second Division of the Honorable Commission denying its Petition
for Registration/Accreditation as a Political Party based in the National Capital
Region [NCR], which motion is still pending the [sic] Honorable Commission En
Banc. It is not in any way intended to preempt the ruling of the Honorable
Commission but merely to preserve the possibility of pursuing the Party's
participation in the Party-List System of Representation in the eventuality that
their Petition is approved.

Thereafter, MAGDALO led a Manifestation and Motion for Early Resolution dated
23 December 2009, in which it clari ed its intention to participate in the 10 May 2010
National and Local Elections as a party-list group. 14
In its assailed Resolution dated 4 January 2010, the COMELEC En Banc denied the
Motion for Reconsideration filed by MAGDALO. 1 5
In the instant Petition, MAGDALO argues that (a) the COMELEC Resolutions were
not based on the record or evidence presented; (b) the Resolutions preempted the
decision of the trial court in Criminal Case No. 03-2784, in which several members of the
military are being tried for their involvement in the siege of the Oakwood Premier
Apartments (Oakwood); and (c) it has expressly renounced the use of force, violence and
other forms of unlawful means to achieve its goals. Thus, MAGDALO prays for this Court
to: (a) reverse and set aside the 26 October 2009 and 4 January 2010 COMELEC
Resolutions; (b) grant its Petition for Registration; and (c) direct the COMELEC to issue a
Certi cate of Registration. 16 The Petition likewise includes a prayer for the issuance of a
Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), Writ of Preliminary Mandatory Injunction and/or
Injunctive Relief to direct the COMELEC to allow MAGDALO to participate in the 10 May
2010 National and Local Elections. 17 However, this Court denied the issuance of a TRO in
its Resolution dated 2 February 2010. 18
To support the grant of reliefs prayed for, MAGDALO puts forward the following
arguments:
The ndings of the assailed resolutions on the basis of which the Petition
was denied are based on pure speculation. The Resolutions speculated as to the
alleged motives and/or intentions of the founders of petitioner Magdalo, which
claims are not based on evidence but on mere conjecture and pure baseless
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 presuppositions;

The assailed Resolutions effectively preempted the court trying the case.
The subject Resolutions unfairly jumped to the conclusion that the founders of
the Magdalo "committed mutiny", "held innocent civilian personnel as hostage",
"employed violence" and "use[d] unlawful means" and "in the process de ed the
laws of organized society" purportedly during the Oakwood incident when even
the court trying their case, [Regional Trial Court, National Capital Judicial Region,
Makati City], Branch 148, has not yet decided the case against them;

- and -

The Resolution violates the constitutional presumption of innocence in

favor of founders of the Magdalo and their basic right of to [sic] due process of
law. 19 caADSE

On the other hand, the COMELEC asserts that it had the power to ascertain the
eligibility of MAGDALO for registration and accreditation as a political party. 20 It contends
that this determination, as well as that of assessing whether MAGDALO advocates the use
of force, would entail the evaluation of evidence, which cannot be reviewed by this Court in
a petition for certiorari. 21
However, MAGDALO maintains that although it concedes that the COMELEC has the
authority to assess whether parties applying for registration possess all the quali cations
and none of the disquali cations under the applicable law, the latter nevertheless
committed grave abuse of discretion in basing its determination on pure conjectures
instead of on the evidence on record. 22
Preliminary to the examination of the substantive issues, it must be discussed
whether this case has been rendered moot and academic by the conduct of the 10 May
2010 National and Local Elections. Although the subject Petition for Registration led by
MAGDALO was intended for the elections on even date, it speci cally asked for
accreditation as a regional political party for purposes of subsequent elections . 23
Moreover, even assuming that the registration was only for the 10 May 2010
National and Local Elections, this case nevertheless comes under the exceptions to the
rules on mootness, as explained in David v. Macapagal-Arroyo: 24
A moot and academic case is one that ceases to present a justiciable
controversy by virtue of supervening events, so that a declaration thereon would
be of no practical use or value. Generally, courts decline jurisdiction over such
case or dismiss it on ground of mootness. DIcTEC

xxx xxx xxx

The "moot and academic" principle is not a magical formula that can
automatically dissuade the courts in resolving a case. Courts will decide cases,
otherwise moot and academic, if: rst, 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 . 25 (Emphasis supplied.)

The second and fourth exceptions are clearly present in the case at bar. The instant
action brings to the fore matters of public concern, as it challenges the very notion of the
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 use of violence or unlawful means as a ground for disquali cation from party registration.
Moreover, considering the expressed intention of MAGDALO to join subsequent elections,
as well as the occurrence of supervening events pertinent to the case at bar, it remains
prudent to examine the issues raised and resolve the arising legal questions once and for
all.
Having established that this Court can exercise its power of judicial review, the issue
for resolution is whether the COMELEC gravely abused its discretion when it denied the
Petition for Registration led by MAGDALO on the ground that the latter seeks to achieve
its goals through violent or unlawful means. This Court rules in the negative, but without
prejudice to MAGDALO's filing anew of a Petition for Registration .
The COMELEC has a constitutional and statutory mandate to ascertain the
eligibility of parties and organizations to participate in electoral contests. The
relevant portions of the 1987 Constitution read:
ARTICLE VI — LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
xxx xxx xxx
Section 5. (1) The House of Representatives shall be composed of not
more than two hundred and fty members, unless otherwise xed by law, who
shall be elected from legislative districts apportioned among the provinces, cities,
and the Metropolitan Manila area in accordance with the number of their
respective inhabitants, and on the basis of a uniform and progressive ratio, and
those who, as provided by law, shall be elected through a party-list system
of registered national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations .
ECcDAH

xxx xxx xxx

ARTICLE IX — CONSTITUTIONAL COMMISSIONS

C.The Commission on Elections

xxx xxx xxx

Section 2. The Commission on Elections shall exercise the following

powers and functions:

xxx xxx xxx

(5) Register, after su cient 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 . . . . . (Emphasis
supplied.) cHAIES

Echoing these constitutional provisions, Batas Pambansa Bilang 881 (B.P. 881),
otherwise known as the Omnibus Election Code, states:
Sec. 60. Political party. — "Political party" or "party," when used in this
Act, means an organized group of persons pursuing the same ideology, political
ideals or platforms of government and includes its branches and divisions. To
acquire juridical personality, qualify it for subsequent accreditation,
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 and to entitle it to the rights and privileges herein granted to political
parties, a political party shall rst be duly registered with the
Commission. Any registered political party that, singly or in coalition with others,
fails to obtain at least ten percent of the votes cast in the constituency in which it
nominated and supported a candidate or candidates in the election next following
its registration shall, after notice and hearing, be deemed to have forfeited such
status as a registered political party in such constituency.

Sec. 61. Registration. — Any organized group of persons seeking

registration as a national or regional political party may le with the Commission
a veri ed petition attaching thereto its constitution and by-laws, platforms or
program of government and such other relevant information as may be required
by the Commission. The Commission shall after due notice and hearing, resolve
the petition within ten days from the date it is submitted for decision. No religious
sect shall be registered as a political party and no political party which seeks
to achieve its goal through violence shall be entitled to accreditation .
(Emphasis supplied.)

On the other hand, Republic Act No. 7941, otherwise known as the Party-List System
Act, reads in part: CIDTcH

Section 2. Declaration of policy. — The State shall promote

proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of
Representatives through a party-list system of registered national, regional
and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions thereof, which will
enable Filipino citizens belonging to marginalized and under-represented sectors,
organizations and parties, and who lack well-de ned political constituencies but
who could contribute to the formulation and enactment of appropriate legislation
that will bene t the nation as a whole, to become members of the House of
Representatives. Towards this end, the State shall develop and guarantee a full,
free and open party system in order to attain the broadcast possible
representation of party, sectoral or group interests in the House of
Representatives by enhancing their chances to compete for and win seats in the
legislature, and shall provide the simplest scheme possible.
Section 3. De nition of Terms. — (a) The party-list system is a
mechanism of proportional representation in the election of representatives to the
House of Representatives from national, regional and sectoral parties or
organizations or coalitions thereof registered with the Commission on
Elections (COMELEC) . Component parties or organizations of a coalition may
participate independently provided the coalition of which they form part does not
participate in the party-list system. (Emphasis supplied.)

Thus, to join electoral contests, a party or organization must undergo the two-step
process of registration and accreditation, as this Court explained in Liberal Party v.
COMELEC: 26
. . . Registration is the act that bestows juridical personality for purposes
of our election laws; accreditation , on the other hand, relates to the privileged
participation that our election laws grant to qualified registered parties.
xxx xxx xxx

. . . Accreditation can only be granted to a registered political party,

organization or coalition; stated otherwise, a registration must rst take
place before a request for accreditation can be made . Once registration
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 has been carried out, accreditation is the next natural step to follow. 27 (Emphasis
supplied.) cEaCTS

Considering the constitutional and statutory authority of the COMELEC to ascertain

the eligibility of parties or organizations seeking registration and accreditation, the
pertinent question now is whether its exercise of this discretion was so capricious or
whimsical as to amount to lack of jurisdiction. In view of the facts available to the
COMELEC at the time it issued its assailed Resolutions , this Court rules that
respondent did not commit grave abuse of discretion.
A. The COMELEC did not commit
grave abuse of discretion in taking
judicial notice of the Oakwood incident.
MAGDALO contends that it was grave abuse of discretion for the COMELEC to have
denied the Petition for Registration not on the basis of facts or evidence on record, but on
mere speculation and conjectures. 28 This argument cannot be given any merit.
Under the Rules of Court, judicial notice may be taken of matters that are of "public
knowledge, or are capable of unquestionable demonstration." 29 Further, Executive Order
No. 292, otherwise known as the Revised Administrative Code, speci cally empowers
administrative agencies to admit and give probative value to evidence commonly
acceptable by reasonably prudent men, and to take notice of judicially cognizable facts. 3 0
Thus, in Saludo v. American Express, 31 this Court explained as follows:
The concept of "facts of common knowledge" in the context of judicial
notice has been explained as those facts that are "so commonly known in the
community as to make it unpro table to require proof, and so certainly known . . .
as to make it indisputable among reasonable men." 32

This Court has, in a string of cases, already taken judicial notice of the factual
circumstances surrounding the Oakwood standoff. 33 The incident involved over 300
heavily armed military o cers and enlisted men — led by the founding members of
MAGDALO — who surreptitiously took over Oakwood in the wee hours of 27 July 2003.
They disarmed the security guards and planted explosive devices around the building and
within its vicinity. They aired their grievances against the administration of former
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (former President Arroyo), withdrew their support
from the government, and called for her resignation, as well as that of her cabinet
members and of the top o cials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed
Forces of the Philippines (AFP). After the ensuing negotiations for these military agents to
lay down their weapons, defuse the explosives and return to the barracks, the debacle
came to a close at 11:00 p.m. on the same day. 34 That the Oakwood incident was widely
known and extensively covered by the media made it a proper subject of judicial notice.
Thus, the COMELEC did not commit grave abuse of discretion when it treated these facts
as public knowledge, 3 5 and took cognizance thereof without requiring the introduction
and reception of evidence thereon. CTAIHc

B. The COMELEC did not commit

grave abuse of discretion in finding
that MAGDALO uses violence or
unlawful means to achieve its goals.
In the instant Petition, MAGDALO claims that it did not resort to violence when it
took over Oakwood because (a) no one, either civilian or military, was held hostage; (b) its
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 members immediately evacuated the guests and staff of the hotel; and (c) not a single
shot was red during the incident. 36 These arguments present a very narrow
interpretation of the concepts of violence and unlawful means, and downplays the threat of
violence displayed by the soldiers during the takeover.
Under Article IX-C, Section 2 (5) of the 1987 Constitution, parties, organizations and
coalitions that "seek to achieve their goals through violence or unlawful means" shall be
denied registration. This disquali cation is reiterated in Section 61 of B.P. 881, which
provides that "no political party which seeks to achieve its goal through violence shall be
entitled to accreditation."
Violence is the unjust or unwarranted exercise of force, usually with the
accompaniment of vehemence, outrage or fury. 37 It also denotes physical force unlawfully
exercised; abuse of force; that force which is employed against common right, against the
laws, and against public liberty. 38 On the other hand, an unlawful act is one that is contrary
to law and need not be a crime, considering that the latter must still unite with evil intent
for it to exist. 39
In the present case, the Oakwood incident was one that was attended with violence.
As publicly announced by the leaders of MAGDALO during the siege, their objectives were
to express their dissatisfaction with the administration of former President Arroyo, and to
divulge the alleged corruption in the military and the supposed sale of arms to enemies of
the state. 40 Ultimately, they wanted the President, her cabinet members, and the top
o cials of the AFP and the PNP to resign. 41 To achieve these goals, MAGDALO opted to
seize a hotel occupied by civilians, march in the premises in full battle gear with
ammunitions, and plant explosives in the building. These brash methods by which
MAGDALO opted to ventilate the grievances of its members and withdraw its support
from the government constituted clear acts of violence. EaDATc

The assertions of MAGDALO that no one was held hostage or that no shot was red
42 do not mask its use of impelling force to take over and sustain the occupation of
Oakwood. Neither does its express renunciation of the use of force, violence and other
unlawful means in its Petition for Registration and Program of Government 43 obscure the
actual circumstances surrounding the encounter. The deliberate brandishing of military
power, which included the show of force, use of full battle gear, display of ammunitions,
and use of explosive devices, engendered an alarming security risk to the public. At the
very least, the totality of these brazen acts fomented a threat of violence that preyed on
the vulnerability of civilians. The COMELEC did not, therefore, commit grave abuse of
discretion when it treated the Oakwood standoff as a manifestation of the predilection of
MAGDALO for resorting to violence or threats thereof in order to achieve its objectives.
C. The finding that MAGDALO seeks
to achieve its goals through violence or
unlawful means did not operate as a
prejudgment of Criminal Case No. 03-2784.
MAGDALO contends that the nding of the COMELEC that the former pursues its
goals through violence or unlawful means was tantamount to an unwarranted verdict of
guilt for several crimes, which in effect, preempted the proceedings in Criminal Case No.
03-2784 and violated the right to presumption of innocence. 44 This argument cannot be
sustained.
The power vested by Article IX-C, Section 2 (5) of the Constitution and Section 61 of
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 BP 881 in the COMELEC to register political parties and ascertain the eligibility of groups
to participate in the elections is purely administrative in character. 45 In exercising this
authority, the COMELEC only has to assess whether the party or organization seeking
registration or accreditation pursues its goals by employing acts considered as violent or
unlawful, and not necessarily criminal in nature. Although this process does not entail any
determination of administrative liability, as it is only limited to the evaluation of
qualifications for registration, the ruling of this Court in Quarto v. Marcelo 46 is nonetheless
analogously applicable: ECcDAH

An administrative case is altogether different from a criminal

case, such that the disposition in the former does not necessarily result
in the same disposition for the latter, although both may arise from the
same set of facts. The most that we can read from the nding of liability is
that the respondents have been found to be administratively guilty by substantial
evidence — the quantum of proof required in an administrative proceeding. The
requirement of the Revised Rules of Criminal Procedure . . . that the proposed
witness should not appear to be the "most guilty" is obviously in line with the
character and purpose of a criminal proceeding, and the much stricter standards
observed in these cases. They are standards entirely different from those
applicable in administrative proceedings. 47 (Emphasis supplied.)

Further, there is a well-established distinction between the quantum of proof

required for administrative proceedings and that for criminal actions, to wit:
As an administrative proceeding, the evidentiary bar against which the
evidence at hand is measured is not the highest quantum of proof beyond
reasonable doubt, requiring moral certainty to support a rmative ndings.
Instead, the lowest standard of substantial evidence, that is, such relevant
evidence as a reasonable mind will accept as adequate to support a conclusion,
applies. . . . . 48 (Emphasis omitted.)

In the case at bar, the challenged COMELEC Resolutions were issued pursuant to its
administrative power to evaluate the eligibility of groups to join the elections as political
parties, for which the evidentiary threshold of substantial evidence is applicable. In nding
that MAGDALO resorts to violence or unlawful acts to ful l its organizational objectives,
the COMELEC did not render an assessment as to whether the members of petitioner
committed crimes, as respondent was not required to make that determination in the rst
place. Its evaluation was limited only to examining whether MAGDALO possessed all the
necessary quali cations and none of disquali cations for registration as a political party.
In arriving at its assailed ruling, the COMELEC only had to assess whether there was
substantial evidence adequate to support this conclusion. DcITaC

On the other hand, Criminal Case No. 03-2784 is a criminal action charging members
of MAGDALO with coup d'état following the events that took place during the Oakwood
siege. As it is a criminal case, proof beyond reasonable doubt is necessary. Therefore,
although the registration case before the COMELEC and the criminal case before the trial
court may nd bases in the same factual circumstances, they nevertheless involve entirely
separate and distinct issues requiring different evidentiary thresholds. The COMELEC
correctly ruled thus:
It is at once apparent that that [sic] the proceedings in and the consequent
ndings of the Commission (Second Division) in the subject resolution did not
pre-empt the trial and decision of the court hearing the cases of the Magdalo
members. These are two different processes. The proceedings in the Commission
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 i s [sic] a petition for registration of Magdalo as a political party and the
Commission is empowered to ascertain facts and circumstances relative to this
case. It is not criminal in nature unlike the court case of the Magdalo founders.
Thus, the Second Division did not violate the right of the Magdalo founders to be
presumed innocent until proven guilty when it promulgated the questioned
resolution. There is likewise no violation of due process. Accreditation as a
political party is not a right but only a privilege given to groups who have qualified
and met the requirements provided by law. 4 9

It is unmistakable from the above reasons that the ruling of the COMELEC denying
the Petition for Registration led by MAGDALO has not, as respondent could not have,
preempted Criminal Case No. 03-2784 or violated the right of petitioner's members to a
presumption of innocence. SDIaCT

Subsequent Grant of Amnesty to the

Military Personnel involved in
the Oakwood standoff
It must be clarified that the foregoing discussion finding the absence of grave abuse
of discretion on the part of the COMELEC is based on the facts available to it at the time it
issued the assailed 26 October 2009 and 4 January 2010 Resolutions. It is crucial to make
this quali cation, as this Court recognizes the occurrence of supervening events that could
have altered the COMELEC's evaluation of the Petition for Registration led by MAGDALO.
The assessment of the COMELEC could have changed, had these incidents taken place
before the opportunity to deny the Petition arose. In the same manner that this Court takes
cognizance of the facts surrounding the Oakwood incident, it also takes judicial notice of
the grant of amnesty in favor of the soldiers who figured in this standoff.
This Court, in People v. Patriarca, 50 explained the concept of amnesty, to wit:
Amnesty commonly denotes a general pardon to rebels for their treason or
other high political offenses, or the forgiveness which one sovereign grants to the
subjects of another, who have offended, by some breach, the law of nations.
Amnesty looks backward, and abolishes and puts into oblivion, the
offense itself; it so overlooks and obliterates the offense with which he
is charged, that the person released by amnesty stands before the law
precisely as though he had committed no offense.

xxx xxx xxx

In the case of People vs. Casido, the difference between pardon and
amnesty is given:
"Pardon is granted by the Chief Executive and as such it is a private
act which must be pleaded and proved by the person pardoned, because
the courts take no notice thereof; while amnesty by Proclamation of
the Chief Executive with the concurrence of Congress, is a public
act of which the courts should take judicial notice . . . ." 51
(Emphasis supplied.)

Pursuant to Article VII, Section 19 of the Constitution, 52 President Benigno S.

Aquino III issued on 24 November 2010 Proclamation No. 75, 53 which reads in part: CScTED

GRANTING AMNESTY TO ACTIVE AND FORMER PERSONNEL OF THE

ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE AND
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 THEIR SUPPORTERS WHO MAY HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES PUNISHABLE
UNDER THE REVISED PENAL CODE, THE ARTICLES OF WAR AND OTHER LAWS
IN CONNECTION WITH THE OAKWOOD MUTINY, THE MARINES STAND-OFF AND
THE PENINSULA MANILA HOTEL INCIDENT
WHEREAS, it is recognized that certain active and former personnel of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and
their supporters have or may have committed crimes punishable under the
Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War and other laws in connection with, in
relation or incident to the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006
Marines Stand-Off and the November 29, 2007 Manila Pen Incident; EHSADa

WHEREAS, there is a clamor from certain sectors of society urging the

President to extend amnesty to said AFP personnel and their supporters;
WHEREAS, Section 19, Article VII of the Constitution expressly vests the
President the power to grant amnesty;
WHEREAS, the grant of amnesty in favor of the said active and former
personnel of the AFP and PNP and their supporters will promote an
atmosphere conducive to the attainment of a just, comprehensive and
enduring peace and is in line with the Government's peace and
reconciliation initiatives ;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, President of the Philippines,
by virtue of the powers vested in me by Section 19, Article VII of the Philippine
Constitution, do hereby DECLARE and PROCLAIM:

SECTION 1. Grant of Amnesty. — Amnesty is hereby granted to all

active and former personnel of the AFP and PNP as well as their
supporters who have or may have committed crimes punishable under
the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War or other laws in connection
with, in relation or incident to the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny , the
February 2006 Marines Stand-Off and the November 29, 2007 Peninsula Manila
Hotel Incident who shall apply therefor; Provided that amnesty shall not cover
rape, acts of torture, crimes against chastity and other crimes committed for
personal ends.

xxx xxx xxx

SECTION 4. Effects. — (a) Amnesty pursuant to this proclamation
shall extinguish any criminal liability for acts committed in connection,
incident or related to the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny , the February
2006 Marines Stand-Off and the November 29, 2007 Peninsula Manila Hotel
Incident without prejudice to the grantee's civil liability for injuries or damages
caused to private persons.

(b) Except as provided below, the grant of amnesty shall effect

the restoration of civil and political rights or entitlement of grantees
that may have been suspended, lost or adversely affected by virtue of
any executive, administrative or criminal action or proceedings against
the grantee in connection with the subject incidents, including criminal
conviction or [sic] any form, if any .
(c) All enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines with
the rank of up to Technical Sergeant and personnel of the PNP with the rank of up
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 to Senior Police O cer 3, whose applications for amnesty will be approved shall
be entitled to reintegration or reinstatement, subject to existing laws and
regulations. However, they shall not be entitled to back pay during the time they
have been discharged or suspended from service or unable to perform their
military or police duties.

(d) Commissioned and Non-commissioned officers of the AFP with the

rank of Master Sergeant and personnel of the PNP with the rank of at least Senior
Police O cer 4 whose application for amnesty will be approved shall not be
entitled to remain in the service, reintegration or reinstatement into the service nor
back pay. AICEDc

[(e)] All AFP and PNP personnel granted amnesty who are not
reintegrated or reinstated shall be entitled to retirement and separation bene ts, if
quali ed under existing laws and regulation, as of the time of separation, unless
they have forfeited such retirement bene ts for reasons other than the acts
covered by this Proclamation. Those reintegrated or reinstated shall be entitled to
their retirement and separation bene t upon their actual retirement. (Emphasis
supplied.)

Thereafter, the House of Representatives and the Senate adopted Concurrent

Resolution No. 4 on 13 and 14 December 2010, respectively. 5 4 Relevant portions of the
Resolution partly read: ICAcaH

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION CONCURRING WITH PROCLAMATION NO. 75 OF

THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES DATED 24 NOVEMBER
2010 ENTITLED "GRANTING AMNESTY TO ACTIVE AND FORMER PERSONNEL
OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES, PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE
AND THEIR SUPPORTERS WHO MAY HAVE COMMITTED CRIMES PUNISHABLE
UNDER THE REVISED PENAL CODE, THE ARTICLES OF WAR AND OTHER LAWS
IN CONNECTION WITH THE OAKWOOD MUTINY, THE MARINES STAND-OFF AND
THE PENINSULA MANILA HOTEL INCIDENT
WHEREAS, Section 19, Article VII of the Constitution provides that the
President shall have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a
majority of all the Members of Congress;
xxx xxx xxx

WHEREAS , both Houses of Congress share the view of the

President that in order to promote an atmosphere conducive to the
attainment of a just, comprehensive and enduing peace and in line with
the Government's peace and reconciliation initiatives, there is a need to
declare amnesty in favor of the said active and former personnel of the AFP
and PNP and their supporters;

WHEREAS, it is the sense of both House of Congress that it is imperative

that an amnesty partaking the nature proclaimed by His Excellency, the President
of the Philippines, is necessary for the general interest of the Philippines ; .
. . (Emphasis supplied.)

In light of the foregoing, to still sustain the nding, based on the participation of its
members in the Oakwood incident, that MAGDALO employs violence or other harmful
means would be inconsistent with the legal effects of amnesty. Likewise, it would not be in
accord with the express intention of both the Executive and the Legislative branches, in
granting the said amnesty, to promote an atmosphere conducive to attaining peace in line
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 with the government's peace and reconciliation initiatives.
Nevertheless, this Court is not unmindful of the apprehensions of the COMELEC as
regards the use of violence. Thus, should MAGDALO decide to le another Petition for
Registration, its o cers must individually execute a davits renouncing the use of
violence or other harmful means to achieve the objectives of their organization. Further, it
must also be underscored that the membership of MAGDALO cannot include
military o cers and/or enlisted personnel in active service , as this act would run
counter to the express provisions of the Constitution: HESCcA

ARTICLE XVI — GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 5. (1) All members of the armed forces shall take an oath or
affirmation to uphold and defend this Constitution.

xxx xxx xxx

(3) Professionalism in the armed forces and adequate remuneration
and bene ts of its members shall be a prime concern of the State. The armed
forces shall be insulated from partisan politics.

No member of the military shall engage directly or indirectly in

any partisan political activity, except to vote.
(4) No member of the armed forces in the active service shall, at any
time, be appointed or designated in any capacity to a civilian position in the
Government including government-owned or controlled corporations or any of
their subsidiaries. (Emphasis supplied.) EAcTDH

This Court nds that the COMELEC did not commit grave abuse of discretion in
denying the Petition for Registration led by MAGDALO. However, in view of the
subsequent amnesty granted in favor of the members of MAGDALO, the events that
transpired during the Oakwood incident can no longer be interpreted as acts of violence in
the context of the disqualifications from party registration.
WHEREFORE , the instant Petition is DISMISSED . The 26 October 2009 and 4
January 2010 Resolutions of the Commission on Elections are hereby AFFIRMED , without
prejudice to the filing anew of a Petition for Registration by MAGDALO. CacTSI

SO ORDERED.
Carpio, Leonardo-de Castro , Brion, Peralta, Bersamin, Del Castillo, Abad, Villarama,
Jr., Perez, Reyes and Perlas-Bernabe, JJ., concur.
Velasco, Jr., J., is on official leave.
Mendoza, J., is on leave.

Footnotes
1.Section 1. Petition for Certiorari; and Time to File. — Unless otherwise provided by law, or by
any specific provisions in these Rules, any decision, order or ruling of the Commission
may be brought to the Supreme Court on certiorari by the aggrieved party within thirty
(30) days from its promulgation.

2.Rollo, pp. 31-44.

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 3.Petition for Certiorari ("Petition"), rollo, p. 5; Petition for Registration, rollo, pp. 45-51.
4.Petition for Registration, p.1; rollo, p. 45.

5.Petition, rollo, p. 5.
6.Id.

7.Id. at 6.

8.Id.
9.Id.

10.Resolution dated 26 October 2009 ("First Resolution") , rollo, pp. 33-36.

11.Petition, rollo, p. 6.

12.Annex "H" of the Petition, rollo, pp. 183-184.

13.Annexes "H-1" and "H-2" of the Petition, rollo, pp. 185-187.

14.Annex "I" of the Petition, rollo, pp. 188-189.

15.Rollo, pp. 37-44.

16.Petition, rollo, pp. 3-30.

17.Id. at 23-27.

18.Rollo, p. 190.
19.Petition, rollo, p. 9.

20.Comment dated 24 February 2010, rollo, pp. 199-211.

21.Id.
22.Reply to Comment dated 14 March 2010, rollo, pp. 213-234.

23.Petition for Registration, rollo, p. 49.

24.522 Phil. 705 (2006).

25.Id. at 753-754.

26.G.R. No. 191771, 6 May 2010, 620 SCRA 393.

27.Id. at 424-425.

28.Petition, rollo, pp. 11-13.

29.Rule 129, Sec. 2.

30.Section 12. Rules of Evidence. — In a contested case:

(1) The agency may admit and give probative value to evidence commonly accepted by
reasonably prudent men in the conduct of their affairs.

(2) Documentary evidence may be received in the form of copies or excerpts, if the
original is not readily available. Upon request, the parties shall be given opportunity to
compare the copy with the original. If the original is in the official custody of a public
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 officer, a certified copy thereof may be accepted.

(3) Every party shall have the right to cross-examine witnesses presented against him
and to submit rebuttal evidence.

(4) The agency may take notice of judicially cognizable facts and of generally
cognizable technical or scientific facts within its specialized knowledge. The parties
shall be notified and afforded an opportunity to contest the facts so noticed.
31.521 Phil. 585 (2006).

32.Id. at 604.

33.See Pimentel v. Romulo, 466 Phil. 482 (2004); Navales v. Abaya, 484 Phil. 367 (2004);
Gonzales v. Abaya, 530 Phil. 189 (2006).
34.Id.

35.Resolution dated 4 January 2010, p. 5; rollo, p. 41.

36.Petition, rollo, pp. 19-20.

37.Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Ed., p. 1570.

38.Id.

39.Id. at 1536; Bahilidad v. People, G.R. No. 185195, 17 March 2010, 615 SCRA 597.

40.Supra note at 33.

41.Id.

42.Petition, rollo, pp. 19-20.

43.Id. at 15-18.
44.Id. at 12-15.

45.Cipriano v. COMELEC, 479 Phil. 677 (2004).

46.G.R. No. 169042, 5 October 2011, 658 SCRA 580.

47.Id. at 611-612.

48.Miro v. Dosono, G.R. No. 170697, 30 April 2010, 619 SCRA 653, 660.
49.Resolution dated 4 January 2010, pp. 4-5; rollo, pp. 40-41.

50.395 Phil. 690 (2000), citing People v. Casido, 336 Phil. 344 (1997).
51.Id. at 699.

52.Except in cases of impeachment, or as otherwise provided in this Constitution, the President

may grant reprieves, commutations, and pardons, and remit fines and forfeitures, after
conviction by final judgment.
He shall also have the power to grant amnesty with the concurrence of a majority of all
the Members of the Congress.

53.106 O.G. 7016 (Dec., 2010).

54.107 O.G. 95 (Jan., 2011).
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