Kilosbayan vs COMELEC GR No. 128054 October 16 1!!" #acts$ %&ecial 'rovision no. 1 o( t)e Co*ntry+i,e -evelo&.

.ent #*n, /C-#0 *n,er R1 "180 /General 1&&ro&riations 1ct o( 1!!20 allocates a s&eci(ic a.o*nt o( 2overn.ent (*n,s (or in(rastr*ct*re an, ot)er &riority &ro3ects an, activities. 4n or,er to be vali, t)e *se an, release o( sai, a.o*nt +o*l, )ave to &rocee, *&on strict co.&liance +it) t)e (ollo+in2 .an,atory re5*ire.ents$ /10 a&&roval by t)e 'resi,ent o( t)e ')ili&&ines6 /20 release o( t)e a.o*nt ,irectly to t)e a&&ro&riate i.&le.entin2 a2ency6 an, /70 list o( &ro3ects an, activities. %arino t)en %ec. o( -4LG re5*este, a*t)ority to ne2otiate enter into an, si2n MO1s +it) NGOs in or,er to *tili8e t)e. to &ro3ects o( t)e C-#. -rilon t)en E9ec. %ec. 2rante, %arino:s re5*est. %*c) a*t)ority +as 2rante, to all t)e Re2ional -irectors o( t)e -4LG. Rel*cio Re2ional -irector o( -4LG;NCR entere, into a MO1 +it) an accre,ite, NGO ')ili&&ine <o*t) =ealt) an, %&orts -evelo&.ent #o*n,ation 4nc. /'<=%-#40. '"0M +as release, as (inancial assistance to '<=%-#4. Kilosbayan sent a letter to COMELEC in(or.in2 t)e. o( 2 serio*s violations o( election la+s$ 10 t)at t)e a.o*nt +as release, to a &rivate entity +)ic) +as le, be '*no +)o +as a >ey .e.ber o( t)e %*l* =otel O&erations /%=O0 +)ic) )a, re&orte,bly en2a2e, in ,irty election tric>s an, &ractices6 an, 20 an ille2al ,iversion o( (*n,s (ro. C-# to -4LG. Kilosbayan re5*este, t)at t)ese o((enses an, .al&ractices be investi2ate, &ro.&tly. ?)e evi,ence &resente, by Kilosbayan to s*&&orts its alle2ations incl*,e &*blis)e, +ritin2s in t)e ')ili&&ine %tar ne+s&a&er an, transcri&ts o( recor,s o( testi.ony o( %ec. Enri5*e8 be(ore t)e Co..ission on 1&&oint.ents t)at )e over)ears -rilon an, ,e @es*s ,isc*ssin2 &arty &lans to *se t)e (*n,s. COMELEC ,is.isse, t)e case ,*e to ins*((iciency o( evi,ence to establis) a &robable ca*se an, instea, )el, in abeyance t)e case a2ainst '*no et al. note$ t)e election o((ense )ere /i t)in>0 is t)e &ro)ibition a2ainst release an, *se o( &*blic (*n,s0 4ss*e$ A)et)er t)e co.&laint s)o*l, be ,is.isse, ,*e to ins*((iciency o( evi,ence R*lin2$ ?)e COMELEC ,i, not co..it any act constit*tin2 2rave ab*se o( ,iscretion in ,is.issin2 Kilosbayan:s letter;co.&laint.

%ection 2 /"0 o( 1rticle 4B;C o( t)e 1!8" Constit*tion &rovi,es t)at t)e Co.elec s)all e9ercise t)e &o+er to Cinvesti2ate an, +)ere a&&ro&riate &rosec*te cases o( violations o( election la+s incl*,in2 acts or o.issions constit*tin2 election (ra*,s o((enses an, .al&racticesD. 4nso(ar as t)e &rosec*tion o( election o((enses is concerne, t)ere(ore t)e Co.elec is t)e C&*blic &rosec*tor +it) t)e e9cl*sive a*t)ority to con,*ct t)e &reli.inary investi2ation an, t)e &rosec*tion o( election o((enses &*nis)able *n,er t)e EO.nib*s ElectionF Co,e be(ore t)e co.&etent co*rt.D ?)is constit*tional an, stat*tory .an,ate (or Co.elec to investi2ate an, &rosec*te cases o( violation o( election la+ translates in e((ect to t)e e9cl*sive &o+er to con,*ct &reli.inary investi2ations in cases involvin2 election o((enses (or t)e t+in &*r&ose o( (ilin2 an in(or.ation in co*rt an, )el&in2 t)e @*,2e ,eter.ine in t)e co*rse o( &reli.inary in5*iry +)et)er or not a +arrant o( arrest s)o*l, be iss*e,. COMELEC )as t)e a*t)ority to &rosec*te election o((enses an, to ,ele2ate s*c) a*t)ority to ot)er ar.s o( 2overn.ent. ?)e Co.elec +)enever any election o((ense c)ar2e is (ile, be(ore it .*st )ave (irst be(ore ,is.issin2 t)e sa.e or (ilin2 t)e corres&on,in2 in(or.ation con,*cte, t)e &reli.inary investi2ation &ro&er o( t)e case. 1t t)is initial sta2e o( cri.inal &rosec*tion t)e &ri.or,ial tas> o( t)e Co.elec is t)e ,eter.ination o( &robable ca*se i.e. +)et)er or not t)ere is reason to believe t)at t)e acc*se, is 2*ilty o( t)e o((ense c)ar2e, an, t)ere(ore +)et)er or not )e s)o*l, be s*b3ecte, to t)e e9&ense ri2ors an, e.barrass.ent o( trial or as t)e Co.elec R*les o( t)e 'roce,*re &)rase it +)et)er or not Ct)ere is reasonable 2ro*n, to believe t)at a cri.e )as been co..itte,.G ?)e ,eter.ination o( &robable ca*se in any cri.inal &rosec*tion is .a,e in,is&ensable by t)e Hill o( Ri2)ts +)ic) ens)rines every citi8enIs ri2)t to ,*e &rocess t)e &res*.&tion t)at )e is &res*.e, innocent an, t)e ina,.issibility a2ainst )i. o( any ,a.a2in2 evi,ence obtaine, in violation o( )is ri2)t a2ainst sel(;incri.ination. Kilosbayan .*st )ave necessarily ten,ere, evi,ence in,e&en,ent o( an, in s*&&ort o( t)e alle2ations in its letter;co.&laint o( s*c) 5*ality as to en2en,er belie( in an or,inarily &r*,ent an, ca*tio*s .an t)at t)e o((ense c)ar2e, t)erein )as been co..itte, by )erein res&on,ents. 4n,ee, &robable ca*se nee, not be base, on clear an, convincin2 evi,ence o( 2*ilt neit)er on evi,ence establis)in2 2*ilt beyon, reasonable ,o*bt an, ,e(initely not on evi,ence establis)in2 absol*te certainty o( 2*ilt b*t it certainly ,e.an,s .ore t)an Cbare s*s&icionD an, can never be Cle(t to &res*&&osition con3*nct*re or even convincin2 lo2icD. ?)e e((ort o( &etitioner Kilosbayan t)*s in or,er to s*ccess(*lly lea, to t)e 3*,icial in,ict.ent o( res&on,ents s)o*l, )ave 2one beyon, a lar2ely

,ecla.atory con,e.nation o( res&on,ents an, ,ili2ently (oc*se, on its t+o;(ol, obli2ation o( not only s*bstantiatin2 its c)ar2es a2ainst res&on,ents b*t also &ro((erin2 be(ore t)e Co.elec s*bstantial evi,ence o( res&on,entsI *tili8ation t)ro*2) cons&iratorial coo&erative an,Jor interrelate, acts o( %eventy Million 'esos (ro. C-# (or electioneerin2 activities in violation o( its &ertinent &rovision on election o((enses as en*.erate, in t)e O.nib*s Election Co,e. ?)e contention o( &etitioner Kilosbayan K t)at it is t)e Co.elec t)at is ,*ty;bo*n, to searc) (or evi,ence to &rove its letter;co.&laint K is ,o+nri2)t erroneo*s. ?)e tas> o( t)e Co.elec as investi2ator an, &rosec*tor actin2 *&on any election o((enses co.&laint is not t)e &)ysical searc)in2 an, 2at)erin2 o( &roo( in s*&&ort o( a co.&laint (or an alle2e, co..ission o( an election o((ense. 1 co.&lainant +)o in e((ect acc*ses anot)er &erson o( )avin2 co..itte, an act constit*tin2 an election o((ense )as t)e b*r,en as it is )is res&onsibility to (ollo+ t)ro*2) )is acc*sation an, &rove )is co.&laint. 4( t)e co.&lainant (ails to &ro((er t)e necessary evi,ence to s)o+ &robable ca*se not+it)stan,in2 t)e lac> o( ,enial or any evi,ence in controversion o( t)e acc*sation t)e co.&laint .*st be ,is.isse, since any &erson acc*se, o( a cri.e is &res*.e, innocent an, ,oes not at all )ave to .a>e a res&onse or reaction to c)ar2es a2ainst )i.. ?)ere is no &roo( o( t)e electioneerin2 activities alle2e, by &etitioner Kilosbayan to )ave been &er&etrate, by '<=%-#4 ,*rin2 t)e May 11 1!!2 elections.