Poe v. Arroyo P.E.T. Case No. 002 March 29, 2005 Quisumbing, J. protestant RONA! AAN POE a.".a. #ernan$o Poe Jr. %#PJ& protestee '(oria Maca)aga(*Arro+o %'MA&
summary 'MA as )roc(aime$ inner $uring -he 200 )resi$en-ia( e(ec-ions. #PJ /(e$ an e(ec-ion )ro-es- bu- $ie$ $uring i-s )en$enc+. is i$o sough- -o be subs-i-u-e$, c(aiming )aramoun- in-eres-. The cour- $enie$ subs-i-u-ion because )ub(ic o1ce is no- a )ro)er-+ righ- -ha- is -ransmissib(e -o -he heirs o -he $ecease$ an$ Mrs. #PJ as no- a rea( )ar-+ in in-eres- as re3uire$ un$er Ru(e 49 sec 4 o -he Ru(es o Cour-.
facts of the case On June 2, 200, Congress, ac-ing as -he Na-iona( oar$ o Can6assers, )roc(aime$ 'MA -he $u(+ e(ec-e$ )resi$en- o -he Phi(i))ines againsagains- #PJ %42.9M 6s 44.7M &. #PJ /(e$ an e(ec-ion )ro-es)ro-es- on Ju(+ 28, 200. On !ecember 4, 200, #PJ $ie$. !es)i-e his $ea-h, )erio$ic mass ac-ions, $emons-ra-ions an$ ra((ies raise$ ou-cries or RET -o $eci$e -he e(ec-ora( )ro-es-. Toge-her Toge-her i-h -he orma( No-ice No-ice o -he !ea-h !ea-h o Pro-es-an-, Pro-es-an-, his counse( has submi--e$ -o -he -he Tribuna(, Tribuna(, a MAN#E:T MAN#E:TA ATON i-h ;R'ENT ;R'ENT PETTON i- is o )aramoun- in-eres- -ha- subs-i-u-ion subs-i-u-ion be a((oe$ -o ascer-ain -he genuine i(( o -he )eo)(e. Ci-ing !e Cas-ro 6. COMEEC an$ omug$ang 6. Ja6ier -o -he e?ec- -ha- $ea-h o )ro-es-an- is no- a groun$ or $ismissa( o -he con-es- nor $oes i- ous- -he -ria( cour- o @uris$ic-ion @uris$ic-ion -o $eci$e -he -he e(ec-ion con-es-. con-es-. 'MA> ci-e$ =$a. !e Mesa 6. Mencias as e(( as Presi$en-ia( E(ec-ora( Tribuna( %PET& ru(es herein i- as he($ -ha- a i$o is no- a )ro)er )ar-+ -o re)(ace -he $ecease$ )ro-es-an- since a )ub(ic o1ce is )ersona( an$ no- )ro)er-+ -ha- can )ass on -o -he heirs.
issue Ma+ -he i$o subs-i-u-e or -he )ro-es-an- ho $ie$ $uring -he )en$enc+ o -he (a--ers )ro-escase NO.
ratio Ru(e 4 o PET> Election Protest. On(+
-he regis-ere$ can$i$a-e or Presi$en- or or =ice*Presi$en=ice*Presi$en- o -he Phi Phi(i) (i))in )ines es ho ho recei recei6e$ 6e$ -he secon$ secon$ or -hir$ -hir$ highes highes-- number number o 6o-es 6o-es ma+ con-es- -he e(ec-ion o -he Presi$en- or -he =ice*Presi$en-, as -he case ma+ be, b+ /(ing a 6eri/e$ )e-i-ion i-h -he C(er" o -he Presi$en-ia( E(ec-ora( Tribuna( i-hin 80 $a+s a-er -he )roc(ama-ion o -he inner.
Only On ly 2nd and 3rd placers may contest the election: + -his eB)ress enumera-ion, -he ru(e ma"ers ha6e in e?ec- $e-ermine$ -he rea( )ar-ies in in-eres- concerning an on*going e(ec-ion con-es-. - en6isione$ a scenario here, i -he $ec(are$ inner ha$ no- been -ru(+ 6o-e$ u)on b+ -he e(ec-ora-e, -he can$i$a-e ho recei6e$ -ha- 2 n$ or -he 8 r$ highes- number o 6o-es ou($ be -he (egi-ima-e bene/ciar+ in a successu( e(ec-ion con-es-.
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There is no- ru(e on subs-i-u-ion or PET bu- i- a((os or ana(ogous an$ su))(e-or+ a))(ica-ion o -he Ru(es o Cour-, $ecisions o -he :u)reme Cour- an$ o e(ec-ora( -ribuna(s. As Applied: Pub(ic O1ce is )ersona( an$ no- )ro)er-+ -ha- is -ransmissib(e -o -he heirs. Thus, -he cour- has consis-en-(+ re@ec-e$ subs-i-u-ion b+ i$o or heirs in e(ec-ion con-es-s here )ro-es-an- $ies $uring )en$enc+ o -he case. Vda. De Mesa v. Mencias: recognie$
subs-i-u-ion u)on -he $ea-h o -he )ro-es-ee bu$enie$ subs-i-u-ion b+ -he i$o or heirs since -he+ are no- -he rea( )ar-ies in in-eres-. BUT an election protest is not purely personal and eclusive to the protestant or to the protestee such that the death of either !ould oust the court of all authority to continue the protest proceedin"s. #ence$ !e have allo!ed su%stitution and intervention %ut only %y a real party in interest. A real party in interest is the party !ho !ould %e %ene&ted or in'ured %y the 'ud"ment$ and the party !ho is entitled to the avails of the suit. (u%stitution %y the vice)mayor *+,- is permitted since the +, is a real party in interest considerin" that if the protest succeeds and the protestee is unseated$ the +, succeeds to the oce of the mayor that %ecomes vacant if the one duly elected cannot assume oce.
2 aspects of contests %efore electoral tri%unal: 4. n )ursui- o oneDs righ- -o o1ce 2. mbue$ i-h )ub(ic in-eres Though Pub(ic n-eres- is in6o(6e$, ru(es s-i(( ha6e -o be o((oe$. Ru(e 49, :ec-ion 4 o -he Ru(es o Cour- is -he a))(icab(e ru(e on in-er6en-ion in -he absence o such a ru(e in -he PET Ru(es. n such in-er6en-ion, -he in-eres- hich a((os a )erson -o in-er6ene in a sui- mus- be in -he ma--er o (i-iga-ion an$ o such $irec- an$ imme$ia-e charac-er -ha- -he in-er6enor i(( ei-her gain or (ose b+ -he e?ec- o -he @u$gmen-.
As Applied: mo6an-
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