BANAT v.

COMELEC
586 SCRA 210
NOTE: This case is consolidated ith BAYAN Muna vs COMELEC !G.R. No. 179295".
#n $%l& and A%'%st 200() the COMELEC) sittin' as the National Boa*d o+ Canvasse*s) ,ade a
-a*tial -*ocla,ation o+ the inne*s in the -a*t&.list elections hich as held in Ma& 200(.
#n -*oclai,in' the inne*s and a--o*tionin' thei* seats) the COMELEC conside*ed the
+olloin' *%les/
1. #n the loe* ho%se) 800 shall co,-*ise the seats +o* le'islative dist*icts) hile the *e,ainin'
200 shall co,e +*o, -a*t&.list *e-*esentatives !Sec. 5) A*ticle 1#) 128( Constit%tion"3
2. 4%*s%ant to Sec. 115 o+ R.A. (261 o* the 4a*t&.List S&ste, Act) a -a*t&.list hich 'a*ne*s at
least 20 o+ the total votes cast in the -a*t&.list elections shall 5e entitled to one seat3
7. #+ a -a*t&.list 'a*ne*s at least 60) then it is entitled to 2 seats3 i+ it 'a*ne*s at least 60) then it is
entitled to 7 seats 8 this is -%*s%ant to the 2-4-6 rule o* the Panganiban Formula +*o, the case o+
Veterans Federation Party vs COMELEC.
6. #n no a& shall a -a*t& 5e 'iven ,o*e than th*ee seats even i+ i+ 'a*ne*s ,o*e than 60 o+ the
votes cast +o* the -a*t&.list election !7 seat ca- *%le) sa,e case".
The Ba*an'a& Association +o* National Advance,ent and T*ans-a*enc& !BANAT") a -a*t&.list
candidate) 9%estioned the -*ocla,ation as ell as the +o*,%la 5ein' %sed. BANAT ave**ed that
the 20 th*eshold is invalid3 Sec. 11 o+ RA (261 is void 5eca%se its -*ovision that a -a*t&.list) to
9%ali+& +o* a con'*essional seat) ,%st 'a*ne* at least 20 o+ the votes cast in the -a*t&.list
election) is not s%--o*ted 5& the Constit%tion. :%*the*) the 20 *%le c*eates a ,athe,atical
i,-ossi5ilit& to ,eet the 200 -a*t&.list seat -*esc*i5ed 5& the Constit%tion.
BANAT also 9%estions i+ the 200 *%le is a ,e*e ceilin' o* is it ,andato*&. #+ it is ,andato*&)
then ith the 20 9%ali+&in' vote) the*e o%ld 5e instances hen it o%ld 5e i,-ossi5le to +ill
the -*esc*i5ed 200 sha*e o+ -a*t&.lists in the loe* ho%se. BANAT also -*o-oses a ne
co,-%tation !hich shall 5e disc%ssed in the ;<EL=> -o*tion o+ this di'est".
On the othe* hand) BA?AN M@NA) anothe* -a*t&.list candidate) 9%estions the validit& o+ the 7
seat *%le !Section 11a o+ RA (261". #t also *aised the iss%e o+ hethe* o* not ,aAo* -olitical
-a*ties a*e alloed to -a*tici-ate in the -a*t&.list elections o* is the said elections li,ited to
secto*al -a*ties.
ISSUES:
#. <o is the 80.20 *%le o5se*ved in a--o*tionin' the seats in the loe* ho%seB
##. Chethe* o* not the 200 allocation +o* -a*t&.list *e-*esentatives ,andato*& o* a ,e*e ceilin'.
###. Chethe* o* not the 20 th*eshold to 9%ali+& +o* a seat valid.
#1. <o a*e -a*t&.list seats allocatedB
1. Chethe* o* not ,aAo* -olitical -a*ties a*e alloed to -a*tici-ate in the -a*t&.list elections.
1#. Chethe* o* not the 7 seat ca- *%le !7 Seat Li,it R%le" is valid.
HELD:
I. The 80.20 *%le is o5se*ved in the +olloin' ,anne*/ +o* eve*& 5 seats allotted +o* le'islative
dist*icts) the*e shall 5e one seat allotted +o* a -a*t&.list *e-*esentative. O*i'inall&) the 128(
Constit%tion -*ovides that the*e shall 5e not more than 250 ,e,5e*s o+ the loe* ho%se. @sin'
the 80.20 *%le) 200 o+ that ill 5e +*o, le'islative dist*icts) and 50 o%ld 5e +*o, -a*t&.list
*e-*esentatives. <oeve*) the Constit%tion also alloed Con'*ess to +iD the n%,5e* o+ the
,e,5e*shi- o+ the loe* ho%se as in +act) it can c*eate additional le'islative dist*icts as it ,a&
dee, a--*o-*iate. As can 5e seen in the Ma& 200( elections) the*e e*e 220 dist*ict
*e-*esentatives) hence a--l&in' the 80.20 *%le o* the 5/1 *atio) the*e sho%ld 5e 55 seats allotted
+o* -a*t&.list *e-*esentatives.
<o did the S%-*e,e Co%*t a**ive at 55B This is the +o*,%la/
!C%**ent N%,5e* o+ Le'islative =ist*ictRe-*esentatives E 0.80" D !0.20" F N%,5e* o+ Seats
Availa5le to 4a*t&.List Re-*esentatives
<ence)
!220 E 0.80" D !0.20" F 55
II. The 200 allocation +o* -a*t&.list *e-*esentatives is ,e*el& a ceilin' 8 ,eanin') the n%,5e* o+
-a*t&.list *e-*esentatives shall not eDceed 200 o+ the total n%,5e* o+ the ,e,5e*s o+ the loe*
ho%se. <oeve*) it is not ,andato*& that the 200 shall 5e +illed.
III. No. Section 115 o+ RA (261 is %nconstit%tional. The*e is no constit%tional 5asis to allo that
onl& -a*t&.lists hich 'a*ne*ed 20 o+ the votes cast a*e qua!"!#$ +o* a seat and those hich
'a*ne*ed less than 20 a*e dis9%ali+ied. :%*the*) the 20 th*eshold c*eates a ,athe,atical
i,-ossi5ilit& to attain the ideal 80.20 a--o*tion,ent. The S%-*e,e Co%*t eD-lained/
To ill%st*ate/ The*e a*e 55 availa5le -a*t&.list seats. S%--ose the*e a*e 50 ,illion votes cast +o*
the 100 -a*tici-ants in the -a*t& list elections. A -a*t& that has to -e*cent o+ the votes cast) o*
one ,illion votes) 'ets a '%a*anteed seat. Let %s +%*the* ass%,e that the +i*st 50 -a*ties all 'et one
,illion votes. Onl& 50 -a*ties 'et a seat des-ite the availa5ilit& o+ 55 seats. Beca%se o+ the
o-e*ation o+ the to -e*cent th*eshold) this sit%ation ill *e-eat itsel+ even i+ e inc*ease the
availa5le -a*t&.list seats to 60 seats and even i+ e inc*ease the votes cast to 100 ,illion. Th%s)
even i+ the ,aDi,%, n%,5e* o+ -a*ties 'et to -e*cent o+ the votes +o* eve*& -a*t&) it is ala&s
i,-ossi5le +o* the n%,5e* o+ occ%-ied -a*t&.list seats to eDceed 50 seats as lon' as the to
-e*cent th*eshold is -*esent.
#t is the*e+o*e clea* that the to -e*cent th*eshold -*esents an %na**anted o5stacle to the +%ll
i,-le,entation o+ Section 5!2") A*ticle 1# o+ the Constit%tion and -*events the attain,ent o+
;the 5*oadest -ossi5le *e-*esentation o+ -a*t&) secto*al o* '*o%- inte*ests in the <o%se o+
Re-*esentatives.>
I%. #nstead) the 20 *%le sho%ld ,ean that i+ a -a*t&.list 'a*ne*s 20 o+ the votes cast) then it is
&ua'an(##$ a seat) and not ;9%ali+ied>. This allos those -a*t&.lists 'a*ne*in' less than 20 to
also 'et a seat.
B%t hoB The S%-*e,e Co%*t laid don the +olloin' *%les/
1. The -a*ties) o*'aniGations) and coalitions shall 5e *anHed +*o, the hi'hest to the loest 5ased
on the n%,5e* o+ votes the& 'a*ne*ed d%*in' the elections.
2. The -a*ties) o*'aniGations) and coalitions *eceivin' at least to -e*cent !20" o+ the total votes
cast +o* the -a*t&.list s&ste, shall 5e entitled to one '%a*anteed seat each.
7. Those 'a*ne*in' s%++icient n%,5e* o+ votes) acco*din' to the *anHin' in -a*a'*a-h 1) shall 5e
entitled to additional seats in -*o-o*tion to thei* total n%,5e* o+ votes %ntil all the additional
seats a*e allocated.
6. Each -a*t&) o*'aniGation) o* coalition shall 5e entitled to not ,o*e than th*ee !7" seats.
#n co,-%tin' the additional seats) the '%a*anteed seats shall no lon'e* 5e incl%ded 5eca%se the&
have al*ead& 5een allocated) at one seat each) to eve*& to.-e*cente*. Th%s) the *e,ainin'
availa5le seats +o* allocation as ;additional seats> a*e the ,aDi,%, seats *ese*ved %nde* the
4a*t& List S&ste, less the '%a*anteed seats. :*actional seats a*e dis*e'a*ded in the a5sence o+ a
-*ovision in R.A. No. (261 alloin' +o* a *o%ndin' o++ o+ +*actional seats.
#n sho*t) the*e shall 5e to *o%nds in dete*,inin' the allocation o+ the seats. #n the +i*st *o%nd) all
-a*t&.lists hich 'a*ne*ed at least 20 o+ the votes cast !called the two-er!enters" a*e 'iven thei*
one seat each. The total n%,5e* o+ seats 'iven to these to.-e*cente*s a*e then ded%cted +*o, the
total availa5le seats +o* -a*t&.lists. #n this case) 1( -a*t&.lists e*e a5le to 'a*ne* 20 each. The*e
a*e a total 55 seats availa5le +o* -a*t&.lists hence) 55 ,in%s 1( F 78 *e,ainin' seats. !Please
re"er to the "ull te#t o" the !ase "or the tabulation".
The n%,5e* o+ *e,ainin' seats) in this case 78) shall 5e %sed in the second *o%nd) -a*tic%la*l&) in
dete*,inin') +i*st) the additional seats +o* the to.-e*cente*s) and second) in dete*,inin' seats
+o* the -a*t&.lists that did not 'a*ne* at least 20 o+ the votes cast) and in the -*ocess +illin' %- the
200 allocation +o* -a*t&.list *e-*esentatives.
<o is this doneB
Iet the total -e*centa'e o+ votes 'a*ne*ed 5& the -a*t& and ,%lti-l& it a'ainst the *e,ainin'
n%,5e* o+ seats. The -*od%ct) hich shall not 5e *o%nded o++) ill 5e the additional n%,5e* o+
seats allotted +o* the -a*t& list 8 5%t the 7 seat li,it *%le shall still 5e o5se*ved.
E#amle$
#n this case) the B@<A? -a*t&.list 'a*ne*ed the hi'hest total vote o+ 1)162)276 hich is (.770
o+ the total votes cast +o* the -a*t&.list elections !15)250)200".
A--l&in' the +o*,%la a5ove/ !4e*centa'e o+ vote 'a*ne*ed" D !*e,ainin' seats" F n%,5e* o+
additional seat
<ence) (.770 D 78 F 2.(2
Ro%ndin' o++ to the neDt hi'he* n%,5e* is not alloed so 2.(2 *e,ains 2. B@<A? is a to.
-e*cente* hich ,eans it has a '%a*anteed one seat 4L@S additional 2 seats o* a total o+ 7 seats.
No i+ it so ha--ens that B@<A? 'ot 200 o+ the votes cast) it ill still 'et 7 seats 5eca%se the 7
seat li,it *%le -*ohi5its it +*o, havin' ,o*e than 7 seats.
No a+te* all the t0.-e*cente*s e*e 'iven thei* '%a*anteed and additional seats) and the*e a*e
still %nocc%-ied seats) those seats shall 5e dist*i5%ted to the *e,ainin' -a*t&.lists and those
hi'he* in *anH in the votin' shall 5e -*io*itiGed %ntil all the seats a*e occ%-ied.
%. No. B& a vote o+ 8.() the S%-*e,e Co%*t contin%ed to disallo ,aAo* -olitical -a*ties !the
liHes o+ @N#=O) LABAN) etc" +*o, -a*tici-atin' in the -a*t&.list elections.
Altho%'h the -onencia !$%stice Ca*-io" did -oint o%t that the*e is no -*ohi5ition eithe* +*o, the
Constit%tion o* +*o, RA (261 a'ainst ,aAo* -olitical -a*ties +*o, -a*tici-atin' in the -a*t&.list
elections as the o*d ;-a*t&> as not 9%ali+ied and that even the +*a,e*s o+ the Constit%tion in
thei* deli5e*ations deli5e*atel& alloed ,aAo* -olitical -a*ties to -a*tici-ate in the -a*t&.list
elections -*ovided that the& esta5lish a secto*al in' hich *e-*esents the ,a*'inaliGed !indi*ect
-a*tici-ation") $%stice 4%no) in his se-a*ate o-inion) conc%**ed 5& ( othe* A%stices) eD-lained that
the ill o+ the -eo-le de+eats the ill o+ the +*a,e*s o+ the Constit%tion -*ecisel& 5eca%se it is the
-eo-le ho %lti,atel& *ati+ied the Constit%tion 8 and the ill o+ the -eo-le is that onl& the
,a*'inaliGed sections o+ the co%nt*& shall -a*tici-ate in the -a*t&.list elections. <ence) ,aAo*
-olitical -a*ties cannot -a*tici-ate in the -a*t&.list elections) di*ectl& o* indi*ectl&.
%I. ?es) the 7 seat li,it *%le is valid. This is one a& to ens%*e that no one -a*t& shall do,inate
the -a*t&.list s&ste,.