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Abdula vs. Guiani

Abdula vs. Guiani G.R. No.: 118821, February 18, 2000, 326 SCRA 1 FACTS: The case involves a petition for certiorari and prohibition to set aside the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Japal M. Guiani of Branch 14 of the Regional Trial Court of Cotabato City. The petitioners, Mayor Bai Unggie D. Abdula and Odin Abdula, were charged with murder in Criminal Case No. 2376. The murder complaint alleged that the petitioners paid six other individuals for the death of a certain Abdul Dimalen, the former COMELEC Registrar of Kabuntalan, Maguindanao. Initially, the Provincial Prosecutor of Maguindanao dismissed the murder charges against the petitioners and five other respondents due to lack of prima facie evidence. However, a separate information for murder was filed against one of the respondents, Kasan Mama. Subsequently, the case was ordered to be returned to the Provincial Prosecutor for further investigation. After additional evidence was presented, the Provincial Prosecutor foun...

Philippine Bar Association vs. Comelec

Philippine Bar Association vs. Comelec
140 SCRA 455, January 7, 1986

FACTS:

Petitions were filed questioning the validity of BP 883, calling a special election for President and Vice-President on February 7, 1986.

The law was enacted following the letter of President Marcos to the BP that he was "irrevocably vacating the position of President effective only when the election is held and after the winner is proclaimed and qualified as Pres. by taking his oath of office ten days after his proclamation."



The principal ground for the challenge to the validity of the statute was that the conditional resignation of the President did not create a vacancy required by Article VII, Sec. 9 which authorized the calling of a special election.

ISSUES:
  1. Whether or not BP 883 is unconstitutional.
  2. Whether or not the Supreme Court should allow incumbent President Marcos to run on that said special election.                         
HELD:

After deliberating, 7 Justices voted to dismiss. On the other hand, 5 Justices voted to declare the statute unconstitutional.

In accordance with Javellana vs. Executive Secretary, of the view that as there were less than ten votes for declaring BP 883 unconstitutional.

The petitions should be dismissed.

On the second issue, it turned out to be a political question. It can only be decided by the people in their sovereign capacity at the scheduled election.

Thus, it is outside the ambit of the courts.

The Court cannot stand in the way of letting the people decide through their ballot, either to the give the incumbent president a new mandate or elect a new president.

Read more case digests here:
Tolentino vs. Comelec
Moy Ya Lim Yao vs. Commissioner of Immigration
Javellana vs. Executive Secretary
Ople vs. Torres
Frivaldo vs. Comelec

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