1-UNITED TRANSPORT KOALISYON v. COMELEC (April 14, 2015 GRNo.206 020 Po ne nt e :Re y e s ,J . Ac t i on:pet i t i onf orc er t i or ar i
SHORTSTORY:Pet i t i oneras sai l scer t ai npr ov i s i onsofRes ol ut i onNo.9615,whi c hpr ohi bi tt hepos t i ngof el ec t i onc ampai gnmat er i al sonpr i v at el yownedPUV’ sandt r ans por tt er mi nal s ,s ay i ngt hatt he yv i ol at e c er t ai nc ons t i t ut i onal pr o vi s i ons ,amongt hem t hee qua lpr ot e ct i onc l a us e. FACTS: 1 . Th eCOMEL ECp r o mu mu l g a t e dRe s o l u t i o nNo .9 61 5( p r o v i d i n gf o rt h ei mp l e me me nt i n gr u l e sofRANo .9 00 6[ F ai r El ec t i onsAc t ] )i nc onnec t i o nwi t ht heMa y2013anda l l s ubs equentel ec t i ons . 2. Sec .7( f )oft hes ai dr es ol ut i onpr ohi bi t edt hepos t i ng,di s pl ay i ngorex hi bi t i ngofanyel ec t i onc ampai gnor pr opagandamat er i al out s i deofaut hor i z edc ommonpos t erar eas ,i npubl i cpl ac es ,ori npr i v at epr oper t i eswi t hout t hec ons ento ft heo wnert her e of . 3 . Se c .7 ( g )e nu me me r a t e dt h ep ub l i cpl a c esr ef e r r e dt oi ns e c.7 ( f ) ,a mo mo ngt h em: a. ( I t em 5)Publ i cut i l i t yvehi cl es s uc hasbus es ,j eepney s,t r ai ns ,t ax ic abs ,f er r i es ,pedi c absandt r i c yc l es , whet h ermo t or i z edorn ot ;a nd b. ( I t em 6)Publ uc hasBUSTERMI NAL S,a i r p o r t s ,s e a p o r t s ,DOCKS, i ct r a ns por tt e r mi mi na l s,s p i e r s ,TRAI NST ATI ONS,a ndt h el i k e . 4. Sai dr es ol ut i onpr o vi dest hatt hev i ol a t i onofi t ems5and6un ders ubs ec t i on( g)s hal l beac aus ef ort he r e vocat i onoft hepubl i cut i l i t yf r anchi s e e an dwi l l mak et heownerand/ oroper at oroft het r ans por t at i ons er v i c e and/ ort er mi nall u nde rSec t i on9ofRep ub l i cAc tNo .9 00 6. i a bl ef ora ne l e ct i onoffe ns e 5. Pe t i t i on ers oughtf orc l ar i fi c at i onf r om t heCOMELECa sr egar dst heappl i c at i ono ft hes ai di t emsi nt her es ol ut i on, r e qu es t i n gt h eCOMEL ECt or e c on s i d ert h ei mp l e me me nt a t i o no fs u c hp r o v i s i o nsan da l l o wp r i v a t eo wn er sofPUVS andt r ans por tt er mi nal st opos tel ec t i onc ampai gnmat er i al sont hei rv ehi c l esandt r ans por tt er mi nal s . 6 . Th eCOMEL ECe nb an ci s s ue dar es ol u t i o nd en y i n gp et i t i o ner ’ sr eq ue stt or e co ns i d ert h ei mp l e me me nt a t i o no ft h e as sai l edpr ov i s i ons .
I SSUE/ S herorno tSec t i on7( g)i t ems( 5 )a nd( 6) ,i nr el at i ont oSec t i on7( f ) ,ofRes ol ut i onNo.9615ar ec ons t i t ut i onal 1. Whet
RULE I nor dert hatt her ec anbev al i dc l as si fi cat i ons ot hatadi s cr i mi nat or ygo ver nment al ac tma ypas st hec ons t i t ut i onal nor m of equal pr ot ec t i on,i ti snec es sar yt hatt he f ourr equi s i t esofv al i dc l a ssi ficat i on bec ompl i e dwi t h ,n ame l y : 1. i tmus tbeb as edu pons ubs t ant i al di s t i nc t i ons ; 2 .i tmu s tb eg er ma net ot h ep ur p os e so ft h el a w; 3. i tmus tnotbel i mi t edt oe xi s t i ngc ondi t i onsonl y ;and 4 .i tmus ta ppl yeq ual l yt oal l me mb mb er soft h ec l a ss .
ANAL YSI S 1. NO.
PROHI BI TI NG OWNERSOFPUVsAND TRANSPORTTERMI NALSFROM POSTI NG ELECTI ON CAMPAI GNMATERI ALSVI OLATESTHEEQUALPROTECTI ONCLAUSE. " Equalpr ot ec t i onr equi r est hatal lper s onsort hi ngss i mi l ar l ys i t uat eds houl dbet r eat edal i k e,bot hast or i ght s c onf er r edandr e spons i bi l i t i esi mpos ed. ”
Whi l et hec l as si fi cat i oni nt heas sai l edpr ov i s i oni s notl i mi t edt oex i s t i ngc ondi t i onsandappl i esequal l yt ot he member soft hepur por t edc l as s,s uc hr emai nsunc ons t i t ut i onal s i nc ei ti snotbas edons ubs t ant i aldi s t i nc t i on an di sno tg er ma net ot hep ur p os eo ft h el a w. Th er ei sa d i s t i n c t i o nb et we en PUVS a nd t r a ns p or tt e r mi n al sa so pp os e dt op r i v a t ev e hi c l e sa nd o t h er pr o per t i esi nt h att h ef o r me r ,t ob ec on si d er e dass uc h,n eed st os ec ur eaf r a nc h i s eo rap er mi tf r o mt h e g ov e r n me ntt oo pe r a t e .Ho we v e r ,t h ep r o hi b i t i o ni nRe s ol u t i o nNo .9 61 5r e f e r st ot h eOWNERSHI Pp ers eo f t hePUVa ndt r ans por tt er mi nal s ,andno tt ot hef r anc hi s enort hep er mi tt oo per at eo ft hes ame. Asr e g ar d so wn e r s h i p ,NO SUBST ANTI ALDI STI NCTI ON e x i s t s .Wh i l ePUVsan dt r a n s p or tt e r mi n a l sar e a v ai l abl ef orpubl i cu se,t hei rown er s hi pr emai nsp r i v at e.Al s o,wh et heronPUVSandt r ans por tt er mi nal s ,or onpr i v at ev ehi c l esandot herpl ac esf r equent edb yt hepubl i c ,t heel ec t i onc ampai gnmat er i al swoul ds t i l lbe s eenb yma nypeopl e.I fowner sofpr i v at ev ehi c l esando t herpr oper t i esar eal l owedt opos tel ec t i o nc ampai gn mat er i al s ,t her ei snor eas ont oden yowner sofPUVSandt r a ns por tt er mi nal st hes amer i ght .
CONCLUSI ON/ HELD/ DI SPOSI TI VE: Pe t i t i ongr ant ed.As s ai l edpr o vi s i onsdec l ar edNULLandVOI Df orbei ngr epugnantt oSec t i ons1and4,Ar t i c l e I I Ioft he1987Cons t i t ut i on.
