Ang Bagong Bayani-OFW Labor Party vs Ang Bagong Bayani- OFW Labor

Party GO! GO Philippines, et al

[G.R. No. !"#$%. G.R. No. !"&'. ()ne *&, *++,
Fa-ts.
On the registration period, the COMELEC approved the accreditation of 154
parties and organizations but denied those of several others in its assailed
Omnibus Resolution o! "#$5!
Moreover, %&ba'an Citizens %ction (art' )led before the COMELEC a petition to
delete from the Certi)ed List of (olitical (arties* +ectoral (arties* Organizations*
Coalitions and that said certi)ed list be accordingl' amended! ,a'an Muna and
,a'an Muna- .outh also )led a petition for cancellation of Registration and
omination against some herein respondents!
%ng ,agong ,a'ani- O/0 Labor (art' )led a petition assailing the COMELEC
Omnibus Resolution o! "#$5! %lso, ,a'an Muna )led a petition challenging the
said resolution!
/ss)es.
1! 0hether or not the COMELEC committed grave abuse of discretion in
promulgating Omnibus Resolution o! "#$5
1! 0hether or not political parties ma' participate in the part'-list elections
"! 0hether or not part'-list s'stem is e2clusive to marginalized sectors!
R)ling.
1! /rom its assailed Omnibus Resolution, COMELEC failed to appreciate full' the
clear polic' of the la3 and the Constitution in connection 3ith the due process
clause! ,asic rudiments of due process re4uire that the organizations or parties
should )rst be given an opportunit' to sho3 that the' 4ualif' under the
guidelines promulgated before the' can be deprived of their right to participate
in and be elected under the part'-list s'stem!
1! .es, political parties ma' participate in the part'-list elections!
+ection 5, %rticle 56 of the Constitution provides that members of the 7ouse of
Representatives ma' 8be elected through a part'-list s'stem of registered
national, regional, and sectoral parties or organizations!8/urthermore, under
+ections # and $, %rticle 69 :C; of the Constitution, political parties ma' be
registered under the part'-list s'stem!
/or its part, +ection 1of R% #<41 also provides for 8a part'-list s'stem of
registered national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions
thereof, 2 2 2!8 +ection " e2pressl' states that a 8part'8 is 8either a political part'
or a sectoral part' or a coalition of parties!=
"! o, the state polic' focused mainl' on proportional representation b' means
of /ilipino-st'le part'-list s'stem!
>(roportional representation= here does not refer to the number of people in a
particular district, because the part'-list election is national in scope! either
does it allude to numerical strength in a distressed or oppressed group! Rather,
it refers to the representation of the >marginalized and underrepresented= as
e2empli)ed b' the enumeration in +ection 5 of the la3? namel', >labor, peasant,
)sherfol&, urban poor, indigenous cultural communities, elderl', handicapped,
3omen, 'outh, veterans, overseas 3or&ers, and professionals!=
0hile the enumeration of marginalized and underrepresented sectors is not
e2clusive, it demonstrates the clear intent of the la3 that not all sectors can be
represented under the part'-list s'stem! 6t is a fundamental principle of
statutor' construction that 3ords emplo'ed in a statute are interpreted in
connection 3ith, and their meaning is ascertained b' reference to, the 3ords and
the phrases 3ith 3hich the' are associated or related!