Lopez V.

Roxas
G.R. No. L-25716 | July 28, 1966
Petitioe!" FERNANDO LOPEZ
Respo#et:
Respo#et : GERARDO ROXAS and PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL

$o%t!ie"
The power of conre!! "o dec#are who$ a%on "he cand&da"e! for Pre!&den" and'or (&ce)
Pre!&den"$ ha! o*"a&ned "he #are!" n+%*er of ,o"e!$ &! en"&re#- d&fferen" &n na"+re fro%
and no" &ncon!&!"en" w&"h "he .+r&!d&c"&on ,e!"ed &n "he Pre!&den"&a# E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na# *-
Rep+*#&c Ac" No/ 0123/ Conre!! %ere#- ac"! a! a na"&ona# *oard of can,a!!er!$
chared w&"h "he %&n&!"er&a# and e4ec+"&,e d+"- "o %a5e !a&d dec#ara"&on$ on "he *a!&! of
"he e#ec"&on re"+rn! d+#- cer"&f&ed *- pro,&nc&a# and c&"- *oard! of can,a!!er!/ Upon "he
o"her hand$ "he Pre!&den"&a# E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na# ha! "he .+d&c&a# power "o de"er%&ne
whe"her or no" !a&d d+#- cer"&f&ed e#ec"&on re"+rn! ha,e *een &rre+#ar#- %ade or
"a%pered w&"h$ or ref#ec" "he "r+e re!+#" of "he e#ec"&on! &n "he area! co,ered *- each$
and$ &f no"$ "o reco+n" "he *a##o"! ca!"$ and$ &nc&den"a##- "here"o$ pa!! +pon "he ,a#&d&"- of
each *a##o" or de"er%&ne whe"her "he !a%e !ha## *e co+n"ed$ and$ &n "he aff&r%a"&,e$ &n
who!e fa,or$ wh&ch Conre!! ha! power "o do/

&a%ts"
Pe"&"&oner Fernando Lope6 and re!ponden" Gerardo Ro4a! were "he %a&n con"ender!
for "he Off&ce of (&ce)Pre!&den" of "he Ph&#&pp&ne! &n "he enera# e#ec"&on! he#d on
No,e%*er 2$ 0278/ B- Re!o#+"&on No/ 9$ appro,ed on Dece%*er 01$ 0278$ "he "wo
o+!e! of Conre!!$ &n .o&n" !e!!&on a!!e%*#ed a! "he *oard chared w&"h "he d+"- "o
can,a!! "he ,o"e! "hen ca!" for Pre!&den" and (&ce Pre!&den" of "he Ph&#&pp&ne!$
proc#a&%ed pe"&"&oner Fernando Lope6 e#ec"ed "o "he #a""er off&ce w&"h 3$830$88; ,o"e!$ or 
a p#+ra#&"- of 97$19< ,o"e! o,er h&! c#o!e!" opponen"$ re!ponden" Gerardo =/ Ro4a!$ &n
who!e fa,or 3$8;<$>97 ,o"e! had *een "a##&ed$ accord&n "o !a&d re!o#+"&on/ On ?an+ar-
8$ 0277$ re!ponden" f&#ed$ w&"h "he Pre!&den"&a# E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na#$ E#ec"&on Pro"e!" No/ 9$
con"e!"&n "he e#ec"&on of pe"&"&oner here&n a! (&ce)Pre!&den" of "he Ph&#&pp&ne!$ +pon "he
ro+nd "ha" &" wa! no" he$ *+" !a&d re!ponden"$ who had o*"a&ned "he #are!" n+%*er of
,o"e! for !a&d off&ce/
Lope6 &n!"&"+"ed &n "he S+pre%e Co+r" "he pre!en" or&&na# ac"&on$ for proh&*&"&on
w&"h pre#&%&nar- &n.+nc"&on$ aa&n!" re!ponden" Ro4a!$ "o pre,en" "he Pre!&den"&a#
E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na# fro% hear&n and dec&d&n "he afore%en"&oned e#ec"&on con"e!"$ +pon
"he ro+nd "ha" Rep+*#&c Ac" No/ 0123$ crea"&n !a&d Tr&*+na#$ &! @+ncon!"&"+"&ona#$@ and
"ha"$ @a## proceed&n! "a5en *- &" are a n+##&"-/@

'ssue"
he"her or no" PET &! +ncon!"&"+"&ona#

P!o(isios"

 Article VIII,
VIII, Section 1, of the Constitution:
Constitution:
 The ?+d&c&a# power !ha## *e ,e!"ed &n one S+pre%e Co+r" and &n !+ch &nfer&or
co+r"! a! %a- *e e!"a*#&!hed *- #aw/

Section 1 of Republic Act No. 1793, which provies th!t:

There !ha## *e an &ndependen" Pre!&den"&a# E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na# /// wh&ch !ha## *e "he !o#e
 .+de of a## con"e!"! re#a"&n "o "he e#ec"&on$ re"+rn!$ and +a#&f&ca"&on! of "he pre!&den")
e#ec" and "he ,&ce)pre!&den")e#ec" of "he Ph&#&pp&ne!/

Ruli)"
No/ P+r!+an" "o "he Con!"&"+"&on$ @"he ?+d&c&a# power !ha## *e ,e!"ed &n one S+pre%e
Co+r" and &n !+ch &nfer&or co+r"! a! %a- *e e!"a*#&!hed *- #aw/
Th&! pro,&!&on ,e!"! &n "he .+d&c&a# *ranch of "he o,ern%en"$ no" %ere#- !o%e
!pec&f&ed or #&%&"ed .+d&c&a# power$ *+" @"he@ .+d&c&a# power +nder o+r po#&"&ca# !-!"e%$
and$ accord&n#-$ "he en"&re"- or @a##@ of !a&d power$ e4cep"$ on#-$ !o %+ch a! "he
Con!"&"+"&on confer! +pon !o%e o"her aenc-$ !+ch a! "he power "o @.+de a## con"e!"!
re#a"&n "o "he e#ec"&on$ re"+rn! and +a#&f&ca"&on!@ of %e%*er! of "he Sena"e and "ho!e
of "he o+!e of Repre!en"a"&,e! wh&ch &! ,e!"ed *- "he f+nda%en"a# #aw !o#e#- &n "he
Sena"e E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na# and "he o+!e E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na#$ re!pec"&,e#-/
 And *- pro,&d&n$ f+r"her$ "ha" "he Pre!&den"&a# E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na# @!ha## *e co%po!ed of
"he Ch&ef ?+!"&ce and "he o"her "en =e%*er! of "he S+pre%e Co+r"$@ !a&d #e&!#a"&on ha!
conferred +pon !+ch Co+r" an add&"&ona# or&&na# .+r&!d&c"&on of an e4c#+!&,e charac"er/
Rep+*#&c Ac" No/ 0123 ha! no" crea"ed a new or !epara"e co+r"/ I" ha! %ere#-
conferred +pon "he S+pre%e Co+r" "he f+nc"&on! of a Pre!&den"&a# E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na#/ The
re!+#" of "he enac"%en" %a- *e #&5ened "o "he fac" "ha" co+r"! of f&r!" &n!"ance perfor% "he
f+nc"&on! of !+ch ord&nar- co+r"! of f&r!" &n!"ance$ "ho!e of co+r" of #and re&!"ra"&on$
"ho!e of pro*a"e co+r"!$ and "ho!e of co+r"! of .+,en&#e and do%e!"&c re#a"&on!/ I" &!$ a#!o$
co%para*#e "o "he !&"+a"&on o*"a&n&n when "he %+n&c&pa# co+r" of a pro,&nc&a# cap&"a#
e4erc&!e! &"! a+"hor&"-$ p+r!+an" "o #aw$ o,er a #&%&"ed n+%*er of ca!e! wh&ch were
pre,&o+!#- w&"h&n "he e4c#+!&,e .+r&!d&c"&on of co+r"! of f&r!" &n!"ance/
=oreo,er$ "he power "o *e "he @.+de /// of /// con"e!"! re#a"&n "o "he e#ec"&on$ re"+rn!$
and +a#&f&ca"&on!@ of an- p+*#&c off&cer &! e!!en"&a##- .+d&c&a#/ A! !+ch  +nder "he ,er-
pr&nc&p#e of !epara"&on of power! &n,o5ed *- pe"&"&oner here&n  &" *e#on! e4c#+!&,e#- "o
"he .+d&c&a# depar"%en"$ e4cep" on#- &n!ofar a! "he Con!"&"+"&on pro,&de! o"herw&!e/ Th&!
&! prec&!e#- "he rea!on wh- !a&d oran&c #aw orda&n! "ha" @"he Sena"e and "he o+!e of
Repre!en"a"&,e! !ha## each ha,e an E#ec"ora# Tr&*+na# wh&ch !ha## *e "he !o#e .+de of
a## con"e!"! re#a"&n "o "he e#ec"&on$ re"+rn!$ and +a#&f&ca"&on! of "he&r re!pec"&,e
=e%*er!@ Ar"&c#e (I$ Sec"&on 00$ of "he Con!"&"+"&on/ In o"her word!$ "he p+rpo!e of "h&!
pro,&!&on wa! "o e4c#+de "he power "o dec&de !+ch con"e!"! re#a"&n "o =e%*er! of
Conre!!  wh&ch *- na"+re &! .+d&c&a#  fro% "he opera"&on of "he enera# ran" of
 .+d&c&a# power "o @"he S+pre%e Co+r" and !+ch &nfer&or co+r"! a! %a- *e e!"a*#&!hed *-
#aw/

$ispositio"
herefore$ "he pe"&"&on here&n &! here*- d&!%&!!ed and "he wr&"! "here&n pra-ed for
den&ed accord&n#-/ The afore!a&d %o"&on &!$ %oreo,er$ den&ed/ &"h co!"! aa&n!" "he
pe"&"&oner/ I" &! !o ordered/