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PINEDA
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Pineda (LDP) vs. Bondoc (Nationalista). They are rival candidates in the 4
district of Pampanga. Pineda won by 3,300 votes and was proclaimed winner.
Bondoc filed a protest before the HRET. The HRET ruled that
Bondoc won by a margin of 23 votes.
The following day, a letter was sent to the HRET Chair Justice
Melencio-Herrera informing them that Camasura’s nomination for the
HRET has been withdrawn by LDP, hence they are rescinding
Camasura’s election for the HRET.
ISSUE: Whether Camasura may be taken out of the HRET, when he was
expelled from the LDP?
May the
house request the dominant party to change the party’s
representation in the HRET? Can the house reorganize representation in
the HRET of the majority party?
SC: The ET was created to function as a NONPARTISAN court even if 2/3 of its
members are politicians. It is a non- political body in the sea of politicians. It was
to be an independent and impartial tribunal for the determination of election
contests. To be able to exercise this exclusive jurisdiction, the ET must be
independent. Its jurisdiction to hear and decide congressional election contests is
not to be share with the Legislature nor the Courts.
The House Resolution removing Camasura from the HRET because he cast a
vote against his party-mate is a clear IMPAIRMENT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL
PREPRROGATIVE OF THE HRET TO BE THE SOLE JUGE OF THE
ELECTION CONTEST between Pineda and Bondoc.
The House INTERFERED in the work of the HRET, and in doing so reduced the
HRET into a mere tool for the AGGRANDIZEMENT OF THE PARTY IN POWER
(LDP), which the 3 justices and the lone Nationalista member would be
powerless to stop.
SECTION 18