CASE TITLE: Bagabuyo vs. Commission on Elections Digester: Jasper Allen B.

Barrientos
Date of Case: December !""
DOCTRINE: Section 10, Article X of the 1987 Constitution n! the "ocl #o$ern%ent Co!e e&'ressl( re)uire 'le*iscite to crr( out n( cretion,
!i$ision, %er+er, *olition or ltertion of *oun!r( of locl +o$ern%ent unit, In contrst, no 'le*iscite re)uire%ent e&ists un!er the ''ortion%ent
or re''ortion%ent 'ro$ision in Section -, Article .I of the 1987 Constitution,
#etitioner: $ogelio %. Bagabuyo &no bac'groun( in t)e case*
$espon(ent: T)e Commission on Elections &C+,ELEC*
-ACTS:
$epublic Act &$.A.* .o. /012 3as enacte(4 increasing Cagayan (e +ro5s legislative (istrict from one to t3o.
+n ,arc) 204 !""14 t)e C+,ELEC en banc promulgate( $esolution .o. 101 implementing $.A. .o. /0124 provi(ing for a((itional Sangguniang #anglunso(
seats to be vote( for along t)e lines of t)e ne3 congressional (istrict.
+n !1 ,arc) !""14 $ogelio Bagabuyo file( t)e present petition against t)e C+,ELEC4 assailing t)e constitutionality of $.A. .o. /012 an( $esolution .o. 101.
ISS/E 0ETITIONER1S CONTENTION RES0ONDENT1S CONTENTION T2E S/0RE3E CO/RT4S R/"IN#
6)et)er or not t)e principle of
)ierarc)y of courts 3as violate(.
In the Re'l(: #ursuant to t)e case of
Del Mar vs. PAGCOR4 t)e Supreme
Court may ta'e cogni7ance of t)e
case if compelling reasons4 or t)e
nature an( importance of t)e issues
raise(4 3arrant t)e imme(iate
e8ercise of its 9uris(iction.
In the Co%%ent: Bagabuyo (i( not
respect t)e )ierarc)y of courts4 as t)e
$egional Trial Court &$TC* is veste(
3it) concurrent 9uris(iction over cases
assailing t)e constitutionality of a
statute.
T)e principle of )ierarc)y of courts
states t)at recourse must first be
ma(e to t)e lo3er:ran'e( court
e8ercising concurrent 9uris(iction 3it)
a )ig)er court. Among t)e cases
consi(ere( sufficiently special an(
important to be e8ceptions to t)e rule4
are petitions for certiorari4 prohibition4
mandamus an( quo warranto against
involving t)e vali(ity of statutes. T)e
present petition is of t)is nature
6)et)er or not a plebiscite is re;uire(
$.A. .o. /012 an( C+,ELEC
$esolution .o. 101 are
unconstitutional.
In the 0etition: $.A. .o. /012 an(
$esolution .o. 101 are
unconstitutional because t)e
C+,ELEC cannot implement $.A.
.o. /012 3it)out provi(ing for t)e
rules4 regulations an( gui(elines for
t)e con(uct of a plebiscite 3)ic) is
in(ispensable for t)e (ivision or
conversion of a local government unit.
In the Re'l(:
C+(n !e Oro Cit(5s
re''ortion%ent un!er R,A, No,
9671 flls 7ithin the %enin+ of
cretion, !i$ision, %er+er,
*olition or su*stntil ltertion
of *oun!ries of cities un!er
Section 10, Article X of the
Constitution8
T)e creation4 (ivision4 merger4
abolition or substantial alteration of
boun(aries of local government
units involve a common
(enominator< t)e material c)ange
in t)e political an( economic rig)ts
of t)e local government units
(irectly affecte(4 as 3ell as of t)e
people t)erein=
A voter5s sovereign po3er to (eci(e
on 3)o s)oul( be electe( as t)e
entire city5s Congressman 3as
arbitrarily re(uce( by at least one
)alf because t)e ;uestione( la3
an( resolution only allo3e( )im to
vote an( be vote( for in t)e (istrict
(esignate( by t)e C+,ELEC=
A voter 3as also arbitrarily (enie(
)is rig)t to elect t)e Congressman
an( t)e members of t)e city council
for t)e ot)er legislative (istrict= an(
In the Co%%ent:
$.A. .o. /012 merely increase( t)e
representation of Cagayan (e +ro
City in t)e >ouse of
$epresentatives an( Sangguniang
#anglungso( pursuant to Section ?4
Article @I of t)e 2/1 Constitution=
T)e criteria establis)e( un(er
Section 2"4 Article A of t)e 2/1
Constitution only apply 3)en t)ere
is a creation4 (ivision4 merger4
abolition or substantial alteration of
boun(aries of a province4 city4
municipality4 or barangay= in t)is
case4 no suc) creation4 (ivision4
merger4 abolition or alteration of
boun(aries of a local government
unit too' place= an(
$.A. .o. /012 (i( not bring about
any c)ange in Cagayan (e +ro5s
territory4 population an( income
classification= )ence4 no plebiscite is
re;uire(.
T)e creation4 (ivision4 merger4
abolis)ment4 or substantial alteration
of bor(ers of local government units
2
governe( by Section 2"4 Article A of
t)e 2/1 Constitution s)oul( be
(istinguis)e( from t)e concepts of
legislative apportionment
!
an(
reapportionment
0
. Legislative
reapportionment is governe( by
Section ?4 Article @I of t)e 2/1
Constitution.
Bn(er bot) Article @I4 Section ?4 an(
Article A4 Section 2" of t)e
Constitution4 t)e aut)ority to act )as
been veste( in t)e Legislature. +t)er
t)an t)is4 not muc) commonality
e8ists bet3een t)e t3o provisions
since t)ey are in)erently (ifferent
alt)oug) t)ey interface an( relate 3it)
one anot)er.
T)e aim of legislative apportionment
un(er Section ?4 Article @I is to
e;uali7e population an( voting po3er
among (istricts. In contrast4 Section
2"4 Article A4 of t)e 2/1 Constitution
is concerne( 3it) )o3 a local
government unit may be create(4
(ivi(e(4 merge(4 abolis)e(4 or its
boun(ary substantially altere(. It
spea's of t3o specific stan(ar(s t)at
must be observe( in implementing
t)is concern4 namely4 t)e criteria
establis)e( in t)e local government
co(e an( t)e approval by a ma9ority of
t)e votes cast in a plebiscite in t)e
political units (irectly affecte(. Bn(er
t)e Local Covernment Co(e &$.A. .o.
12D"* passe( in 2//24 t)e criteria of
income4 population an( lan( area are
specifie( as verifiable in(icators of
2
A municipality )as been (efine( as Ea bo(y politic an( corporate constitute( by t)e incorporation of t)e in)abitants of a city or to3n for t)e purpose of local
government t)ereofF &,artin4 #ublic Corporations4 $evise( 2/0 E(ition4 p. ?.*.
!
T)e (etermination of t)e number of representatives 3)ic) a State4 county or ot)er sub(ivision may sen( to a legislative bo(y &Blac'Gs La3 Dictionary*.
0
T)e realignment or c)ange in legislative (istricts broug)t about by c)anges in population an( man(ate( by t)e constitutional re;uirement of e;uality of
representation &Blac'Gs La3 Dictionary*.
Covernment fun(s 3ere illegally
(isburse( 3it)out prior approval by
t)e sovereign electorate of Cagayan
De +ro City.
viability an( capacity to provi(e
services. T)e (ivision or merger of
e8isting units must comply 3it) t)e
same re;uirements4 provi(e( t)at a
(ivision s)all not re(uce t)e income4
population4 or lan( area of t)e unit
affecte( to less t)an t)e minimum
re;uirement prescribe( in t)e Co(e.
A pronounce( (istinction bet3een
Article @I4 Section ? an(4 Article A4
Section 2" is on t)e re;uirement of a
plebiscite. T)e Constitution an( t)e
Local Covernment Co(e e8pressly
re;uire a plebiscite to carry out any
creation4 (ivision4 merger4 abolition or
alteration of boun(ary of a local
government unit. In contrast4 no
plebiscite re;uirement e8ists un(er
t)e apportionment or reapportionment
provision.
$.A. .o. /012 is4 on its face4 purely
an( simply a reapportionment
legislation passe( in accor(ance 3it)
t)e aut)ority grante( to Congress
un(er Article @I4 Section ?&H* of t)e
Constitution.
Bn(er Section 2 of t)e sai( la34 no
(ivision of Cagayan (e +ro City as a
political an( corporate entity ta'es
place or is man(ate(. A(mitte(ly4 t)e
legislative reapportionment carries
effects beyon( t)e creation of anot)er
congressional (istrict in t)e city by
provi(ing4 as reflecte( in C+,ELEC
$esolution .o. 1014 for a((itional
Sangguniang #anglunso( seats to be
vote( for along t)e lines of t)e
congressional apportionment ma(e.
T)e effect on t)e Sangguniang
#anglunso(4 )o3ever4 is not (irectly
traceable to $.A. .o. /0124 but to
anot)er la3 $.A. .o. DD0D. >o3ever4
neit)er (oes t)is la3 )ave t)e effect
of (ivi(ing t)e City of Cagayan (e +ro
into t3o political an( corporate units
an( territories. $at)er t)an (ivi(e t)e
city eit)er territorially or as a
corporate entity4 t)e effect is merely to
en)ance voter representation by
giving eac) city voter more an(
greater say4 bot) in Congress an( in
t)e Sangguniang #anglunso(.
Dispositive #ortion: 6>E$E-+$E4 3e )ereby DIS,ISS t)e petition for lac' of merit. Costs against t)e petitioner.