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RepublicofthePhilippines
SUPREMECOURT
Manila

ENBANC

G.R.No.L5379August22,1952

MARIANOM.CASTAEDA,petitionerappellee,
vs.
JOSEV.YAP,respondentappellant.

SedfreyA.Ordoezforappellant.
DioknoandDioknoforappellee.

TUASON,J.:

ThisisanappealfromthedecisionoftheCourtofFirstInstanceofTarlacintheaboveentitledcase,"declaringthat
therespondentJoseV.YapwasineligibletobevotedasmunicipalmayorforthemunicipalityofVictoria,Tarlac,on
November13,1951,"andenjoininghimfromassumingoffice.ThecourtfoundthatYapwasbornonJanuary16,
1929,hencewaslessthan23yearsofagewhenproclaimedelected.(Art.2174,RevisedAdministrativeCode.)

Theappellantinhisbriefhasmadefiveassignmentsoferror,towit:

Thetrialcourterredinholdingthatthepetitionerappelleeisnotestoppedfromquestioningtheeligibilityof
the respondentappellant. Notwithstanding petitioner's knowledge of such alleged ineligibility and failure to
questiontheeligibilityofthepetitionerbeforeorduringtheelection.

Assuming that the evidenceonrecordisnotsufficienttoestopthepetitionerappellee from questioning the

eligibility of the respondentappellant, then the trial erred in refusing the presentation of further evidence to
establishthedefenseofestoppel.

The lower court erred in declaring the respondentappellant ineligible for the office of the municipal mayor
notwithstandingthefactthatneitherpublicnorprivateinterestwillbeservedthereby.

The lower court erred in admitting Exhibit "E", a private document, notwithstanding the fact that it was not
properlyidentified.

Thelowercourterredindenyingtherightoftherespondentappellanttopresentevidenceinsupportofthe
conterclaim.

Firstassignmentoferror:"Whereitisnecessaryspeciallytopleadestoppel,iffactsconstitutinganestoppelarenot
pleaded,afindingthatanestoppelexistsisunauthorized."(31C.J.S.466.)Estoppelwasnotsetupasadefensein
theanswertothecomplaintinthiscase.

Evenifappellanthadpleadedestoppel,thepleawouldnotholdfortherighttoanelectiveprovincialormunicipal
office can be contested, under existing legislation, only after proclamation. There is no authorized proceeding by
which an ineligible candidate could be estopped from running for office. (Sec. 173 of the Revised Election Code
Caesarvs.Garrido,52Phil.97.)

Goodfaithonthepartoftherespondentisalleged.

Good faith however, does not cure a candidate's ineligibility although it might be a good defense in a criminal
prosecution.Asamatteroffactdefendantdidknowhisage,forinhisapplicationforadmissiontotheFarEastern
University(ExhibitE)hegaveJanuary16,1929,asthedateofhisbirth.

Thesecondassignmentoferroralsohavetodowithestoppel.Thetrialcourt,forthereasonsabovestated,ruled,
correctly,asirrelevantevidencedesignedtoshowthatplaintiffwasawareofdefendant'sineligibility.
Thirdassignmentoferror.Therequirementthatacandidateforpublicofficepossesscertainageisbasedonpublic
policy.Nospecificdamageorharmneedbeshown.Andastoplaintiff'srighttoquestiondefendant'squalificationto
be voted, it suffices to point to Section 173 of the Revised Election Code (Republic Act No. 180), which provides
that,"Whenapersonwhoisnoteligibleiselectedtoaprovincialormunicipaloffice,hisrighttotheofficemaybe
contestedbyanyregisteredcandidateforthesameofficebeforetheCourtofFirstInstanceoftheprovince,within
oneweekaftertheproclamationofhiselection,byfilingapetitionforquowarranto."

Fourth assignment of error. Proofs of defendant's age were, among others, these documents: Exhibit A and B, a
certificateoftheChiefoftheDivisionofArchives,statingthatRegisterNo.68referringtoentriesofbirthintheCivil
RegisteroftheMunicipalityofVictoria,ProvinceofTarlac,forthequarterendingMarch,1929ExhibitC,acertificate
ofbaptismbytheparishpriestoftheIndependentChurchofVictoria,Tarlac,testifyingthatthedateofJoseV.A.
Yap's baptism was August 9, 1931, and the date of his birth January 16, 1929 Exhibit D, a certificate by the
municipaltreasurerandlocalcivilregistrarstating"thataccordingtoourrecordsfiledinthisofficeonenamedJose
V.A.Yapwasbornintheyear1929...that(although)intheregistrarofbirthsYap'snamedoesnotappear...
(yet)accordingtothelistsubmittedtotheMunicipalSecretaryforMilitaryTraining,Yapappearsthereinashaving
beenbornJanuary16,1929"ExhibitE,acertificatebytheRegistraroftheFarEasternUniversity,statingthaton
the certificate of matriculation filed on October 7, 1947, when Jose V. Yap enrolled in the Institute of Arts and
Sciences,theapplicant'sdateofbirthwasstatedasJanuary16,1929.

GrantingthatExhibitEshouldnothavebeenadmitted,theerrorcouldnotchangetheresult,withExhibitsAtoD
attesting to the same fact sought to be proved by Exhibit E. However the latter certificate was properly allowed if
onlyaspartofdefendant'stestimonyforthedefendant,onthewitnessstand,admittedthathehadfurnishedthe
informationsetforthinthatpaper.SpecificallyheadmittedthathewasbornonJanuary16,1929.

Thequestionwhetherdamagesarepropersubjectofcounterclaiminaquowarranto proceeding of this nature is

immaterialinviewoftheresultofthecasewhichfullyjustifiedplaintiff'saction.

Paras,C.J.,Pablo,Padilla,Montemayor,BautistaAngeloandLabrador,JJ.,concur.

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