Seventeen of the 38 election cases filed against members of the House of Representatives in connection with the May, 2007 elections have been resolved by the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET). Supreme Court Justice Consuelo Ynares Santiago, HRET chairperson, said that of the 17 cases, nine were resolved on the merits and dismissed on other grounds, while the rest were withdrawn by either the protestant or the petitioner in the case.
The HRET is the sole judge of all contests relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of the members of the House of Representatives under Section 17, Article VI, of the 1987 Constitution.
The resolved cases were those filed by Robert Lyndon Barbers, son of the late Senator Robert Z. Barbers, against Rep. Guillermo A. Romarate Jr. of the 2nd District of Surigao del Norte; that of Renato Unico Jr. against former Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner now Camarines Norte Rep. Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, and the petition for quo warranto filed by actor Mat Ranillo III against Rep. Rosendo S. Labadlabad of the 2nd District of Zamboanga del Norte.
The rest of the cases are: Jesnar R. Falcon v. Florencio C. Garay (2nd District, Surigao del Sur); Elda E. Libanan v. Teodolo M. Coquilla (Eastern Samar); Arceli B. Wong v. Joseph A. Santiago (Catanduanes); Carlo Luis P. Rabat v. Thelma Z. Almario (2nd District, Davao Oriental); Roberto R. Castañares v. Roger G. Mercado and The Provincial Board of Canvassers of Southern Leyte (Southern Leyte);
Vicente A. Sandoval v. Antonio C. Alvarez (1st District, Palawan); Marie Therese Veloso v. Andres D. Salvacion Jr. (3rd District, Leyte); Olegario S. Reyes Jr. and Joseph M. Saria v. Jose Antonio F. Roxas (Pasay); Anuar Joe Abubakar v. Nur Gaspar Jaafar (Tawi-tawi); Arnel M. Cerafica v. Ma. Laarni Cayetano (1st District, Taguig-Pateros); Randolph S. Ting v. Manuel M. Mamba (3rd District Cagayan); Baisandra S.A. Sema v. Didagen P. Dilangalen (District of Shariff Kabunsuan Province with Cotabato City); Joseph V. Grey v. Reynaldo S. Uy (1st District, Western Samar); and Imelda Q. Dimaporo v. Vicente Belmonte (1st District, Lanao del Norte).
Ynares said that of the 38 election cases, 29 were election protests and nine quo warranto petitions.
With the resolution of the 17 cases, only 21 cases have yet to be resolved by the HRET. Seventeen of the pending cases are election protests, while four are quo warranto petitions, she said.
The other members of the HRET are SC Justices Ma. Alicia Austria-Martinez and Conchita Carpio Morales, and Rep. Mauricio G. Domogan (Baguio, lone district), Rep. Fredenil H. Castro (Capiz, 2nd District), Rep. Roberto C. Cajes (Bohol, 2nd District), Rep. Solomon R. Chungalao (Ifugao, lone district), Rep. Florencio T. Miraflores Jr. (Aklan, lone district), and Rep. Justin Marc SB. Chipeco (Laguna, 2nd District) as members. (Rey G. Panaligan)
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