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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider SC reverses Comelec; affirms removal of Soliman Villamin Jr. as national chairperson of Magsasaka Party-List

SC reverses Comelec; affirms removal of Soliman Villamin Jr. as national chairperson of Magsasaka Party-List

Published Aug 15, 2024 02:32 pm

The Supreme Court (SC) has reversed the rulings of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which recognized Soliman Villamin Jr. as the national chairperson of the Magkakasama sa Sakahan, Kaunlaran (MAGSASAKA) Party-List despite his removal from the party.

The SC granted the petition filed by MAGSASAKA Party-List represented by its Secretary General Atty. General D. Du against the Comelec and Villamin. 

In a full court decision written by Associate Justice Jose Midas P. Marquez, the SC declared: “While the Comelec has jurisdiction over intra-party leadership disputes, it cannot arrogate unto itself the interpretation of party rules contrary to the party's established practices and confer party leadership to someone whom the party has already expelled.”

With its decision, the SC ordered the Comelec “to give due course to the nominations of MAGSASAKA and issue a Certificate of Proclamation to the rightful nominee as the MAGSASAKA Party-List representative in the 19th Congress.”

The SC’s decision, promulgated last May 21, was tackled during a press briefing on Thursday, August 15, conducted by SC’s Spokesperson Atty. Camille Sue Mae L. Ting.

Quoting from the SC decision, Atty. Ting said that “Villamin is the former National Chairperson of MAGSASAKA who was voted out of its Council of Leaders and expelled from the organization due to anomalous activities.”

“The Court ruled that the Comelec gravely abused its discretion when it focused on determining whether MAGSASAKA complied with due process in removing Villamin as National Chairperson but disregarded the reason behind Villamin’s removal – his alleged illegal activities and its effects on the party as a whole,” 

Ting said: “Since Villamin was validly removed by MAGSASAKA as National Chairperson, he no longer had the authority to file before the Comelec the Manifestation of Intent to Participate (MIP) in the 2022 Elections. Thus, his nominee, Roberto Gerard L. Nazal, Jr. could not have been validly proclaimed as the MAGSASAKA Party-List Representative in the House of Representatives.”

With its ruling, Ting said “the Court lifted the Status Quo Ante Order it issued on Oct. 18, 2022, and ordered the Comelec to issue a Certificate of Proclamation to the rightful nominee as the MAGSASAKA Party-List Representative in the 19th Congress.”

The dispositive portion of the SC decision:

“Accordingly, the Petition is granted. The Comelec First Division Resolution dated Nov. 25, 2021 and the Comelec En Banc Resolution dated Sept. 9, 2022 in the consolidated cases of SPP No. 21-002 (MIP) and SPP No. 21-003 (MIP), finding Soliman Villamin Jr. as the duly authorized representative to file the Manifestation of Intent to Participate (MIP) in the Party-List System of Representation for the 2022 National and Local Elections, and denying Magkakasama sa Sakahan, Kaunlaran (MAGSASAKA) Party-List's petition to deny due course to the said MIP are reversed and set aside.

“The Status Quo Ante Order issued by this Court on Oct.18, 2022 is lifted.

“The Comelec is ordered to give due course to the nominations of MAGSASAKA and issue a Certificate of Proclamation to the rightful nominee as the MAGSASAKA Party-List representative in the 19th Congress, pursuant to the tenor of this Decision. So ordered.”

 

 

 

 

 

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