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/0$%$%'#0123 Niiiam Befensoi Santiago, Alexanuei Pauilla
4025'#60#$23 C0NELEC, Atty. }esus S. Belfin, Albeito anu Caimen Peuiosa
/0$%$%'#0178#$01)0#'123 Sen. Raul S. Roco, BIK, IBP, LABAN
/'#0#$03 }ustice Baviue }i.

9":$23

;0:0<=01 >? @AA> - Atty. Belfin fileu with C0NELEC a !"#$%$%&' $& )*#'+ $,#
-&'.$%$/$%&' $& 0%1$ 2#3* 0%*%$. &1 45#6$%7# 811%6%95.: ;< "#&=5#>. ?'%$%9$%7#@ wheiein
Atty. Belfin askeu the C0NELEC foi an oiuei.
1. Fixing the time anu uates foi signatuie gatheiing all ovei the countiy
2. Causing necessaiy publications of the saiu 0iuei anu petition in
newspapeis of geneial anu local ciiculation
S. Instiucting Nunicipal Election Registiais to assist petitioneis anu
volunteeis in establishing stations at the time anu on the uates
uesignateu foi the puipose

/1')%2%'#2 2'B&C$ $' =0 "<0#6063
Sections 4 anu 7 of Aiticle vI, section 4 of Aiticle vII, Section 8 of Aiticle X of
the Constitution

0pon filing of the Belfin Petition 0NB 96-uS7 (INITIATIvE), C0NELEC thiough its
Chaiiman issueu an oiuei
1. Biiecting Belfin "to cause the publication of the petition, togethei with
the attacheu Petition foi Initiative on 1987 Constitution anu the notice
of heaiing in thiee (S) newspapeis of geneial ciiculation at his own
expense not latei than Becembei 9, 1996
2. Setting the case foi heaiing on Becembei 12, 1996 at 1u:uu am.

;0:0<=01 @D? @AA> - Atty. Belfin, Atty. Quauia, iepiesentative of PIRNA , anu the
Petitionei-Inteivenois appeaieu at the heaiing. 0n the same uay, Sen. Roco fileu a
A&$%&' $& B%.*%.. $,# B#51%' "#$%$%&' on the giounu that it is not the initiatoiy
petition piopeily cognizable by the C0NELEC

;0:0<=01 @E? @AA> - Petitioneis Sen. Niiiam Befensoi Santiago, Alexanuei Pauilla
anu Naiia Isabel 0ngpin fileu .=#6%95 6%7%5 96$%&' 1&3 =3&,%;%$%&' with aiguments:
1. The constitutional piovision on people's initiative to amenu the
Constitution can only be implementeu by law to be passeu by
Congiess. But no such law has been passeu yet anu Senate Bill No.
129u, )' )6$ "3#.63%;%'C 9'+ D#C/59$%'C -&'.$%$/$%&'95 )*#'+*#'$. ;<
"#&=5#>. ?'%$%9$%7# is still penuing.
2. R.A No. 67SS faileu to pioviue any subtitle on initiative on the
Constitution, unlike in othei moues of initiative, which aie specifically
pioviueu foi in Subtitle II anu Subtitle III. This uelibeiate omission
inuicates the mattei of people's initiative to amenu the Constitution
was left to some futuie law.
S. R.A. No. 67SS will take effect aftei publication in piint meuia, an
inuication that the act coveis only laws anu not constitutional
amenuments.
4. C0NELEC has no powei to pioviue iules anu iegulations foi the
exeicise of the iight of initiative to amenu the Constitution. C0NELEC
Resolution No. 2Suu is /5$39 7%3#. insofai as initiative on amenuments
is conceineu.
S. Lifting of teim limits constitute a ievision, not amenument anu
people's initiative is limiteu to amenument only.
6. Congiess has not yet appiopiiateu funus foi the people's initiative.

;0:0<=01 @A? @AA> - Couit issueu a TR0 enjoining C0NELEC fiom pioceeuing
with the Belfin Petition anu Peuiosas fiom conuucting a signatuie uiive.

F"#B"1G D? @AAH - Atty. Quauia fileu a comment on the petition:
1. In contiaiy to the petitioneis' aigument ie buuget, National Tieasuiy
foi ueneial Registiation of voteis will not amount to 18u,uuu,uuu.uu
pesos.
2. All expenses in the signatuie gatheiing aie all foi the account of Belfin
anu his volunteeis.
S. The couit in Subic Bay Netiopolitan Authoiity v C0NELEC case
uphelu iesolution No. 2Suu puisuant to R.A. 67SS. The couit saiu:
"The C0NELEC can uo no less by seasonably anu juuiciously
piomulgating guiuelines anu iules foi both national anu local use, in
implementing of these laws."
4. Lifting of teim limits is not a ievision, but an amenument.

Atty. Belfin also fileu a comment on the petition:
1. What he fileu on Becembei 6, 1996 is an Initiatoiy Pleauing oi
Initiatoiy Petition
2. The absence of a subtitle on initiative on the Constitution in RA 67SS
uoes not affect the valiuity oi sufficiency of the law.
S. The claim that C0NELEC Resolution 2Suu is /5$39 7%3#. is contiauicteu
by Section 2, Aiticle IX-C of the Constitution anu Section 2u of RA
67SS.
4. Lifting of teim limits is not a ievision, but an amenument foi it alteis
only a few specific piovisions of the Constitution.

0ffice of the Solicitoi ueneial fileu a comment:
1. RA 67SS ueals with, %'$#3 95%9, people's initiative to amenu the
Constitution.
2. A sepaiate subtitle on initiative in RA 67SS is not necessaiy because
of it being national in scope.
S. Lifting of teim limits constitutes an amenument, not ievision.
4. C0NELEC Resolution No. 2Suu is valiu.

F"#B"1G @I? @AAH J The couit confiimeu '/'6 =3& $/'6 the TR0 anu gianteu the
Notion foi Inteivention by Sen. Roco

F"#B"1G @H? @AAH - BIK anu NABINI fileu a Notion foi Inteivention with the
following aiguments:
1. Belfin pioposal is a ievision, not an amenument, of the Constitution
foi it woulu involve a change in political philosophy.
2. Removal of teim limits will negate the philosophy of goveinance
which piomotes effective piopei empoweiment foi paiticipation in
policy anu uecision-making foi the common goou.
S. Belfin pioposal in in contiast with the puipose of an initiative. An
initiative may be availeu of by the people if they aie uissatisfieu with
the peifoimance of electeu officials, not if they want to iewaiu electeu
officials foi goou peifoimance.
4. RA 67SS is ueficient anu inauequate, anu is not an enabling law. Anu
theie being no enabling law, C0NELEC has no juiisuiction to heai
Belfin's petition.
S. C0NELEC Resolution No. 2Suu cannot iemeuy the ueficiency of RA
67SS

F"#B"1G DK? @AAH - Sen. Roco affiims RA No. 67SS is the enabling law that
implements the people's iight to initiate constitutional amenuments, anu it is a
consoliuation of Senate Bill No. 17 anu Bouse Bill No. 21SuS. Be also submits that
C0NELEC was empoweieu unuei Section 2u of RA 67SS to piomulgate C0NELEC
Resolution 2Suu. But, Sen Roco contenus that C0NELEC has no juiisuiction to take
cognizance the Belfin Petition because it is not the initiatoiy pleauing contemplateu
unuei RA 67SS

F"#B"1G D@? @AAH - IBP fileu foi a Notion foi Inteivention
1. Congiess has faileu to pass an enabling law manuateu in
Section 2, Aiticle XvII of the Constitution.
2. C0NELEC Resolution No. 2Suu cannot substitute foi the
iequiieu implementing law on the initiative to amenu the
Constitution
S. Petition foi Initiative uoes not have the iequiieu numbei of
signatuies
4. The petition seeks a ievision which can be pioposeu only by
the Congiess oi a Con-Con.

F"#B"1G DL? @AAH - Beaiing of the Case

822B023

@M W0N it is piopei foi the SC to take cognizance on the petition when
theie is a penuing case befoie the C0NELEC
DM W0N R.A. 67SS intenueu to incluue initiative on amenuments of the
Constitution
LM W0N C0NELEC Resolution No. 2Suu is valiu
IM W0N C0NELEC has juiisuiction ovei the oiuei askeu by the
iesponuents
NM W the lifting of teims limits of elective officials constitutes an
amenument oi a iesolution of the Constitution

O-.;P4QR8+3

@M S-!. The C0NELEC has no juiisuiction to take cognizance of the
Belfin Petition anu that it becomes impeiative foi SC to stop the
C0NELEC fiom pioceeuing any fuithei.
DM S-!M RA 67SS intenus to incluue initiative on amenuments of the
Constitution but it is ueficient anu inauequate in teims of how to caiiy
it out. Since the legislatuie has not yet pass an implementing law,
initiative on amenuments of the Constitution cannot opeiate.
LM T+. C0NELEC cannot piesciibe iules anu iegulations on the conuuct
of initiative on amenuments of the Constitution. It uoes not have that
powei unuei RA 67SS.
IM T+. Since the Belfin Petition uoes not have the iequiieu signatuies, it
cannot be ueemeu valiuly initiateu. Is not the initiatoiy petition unuei
RA 67SS anu it shoulu not have been given cognizance by C0NELEC.
NM The Couit ienueieu the 6%2:B22%'# on the issue of whethei Belfin's
Petition constitutes an amenument oi ievision, B##0:022"1G since it
is not consiueieu an initiatoiy petition.