KABATAAN REP.

PALATINO,
Petitioners
vs. COMELEC,
Respondent.
G.R. No. 189868
ACT!"
On Nove#$er 1%, %&&8, respondent Co##ission on E'e(tions )COMELEC* iss+ed
Reso'+tion No. 8,1- ./i(/, 0#on1 ot/er t/in1s, set 2e(e#$er %, %&&8 to 2e(e#$er 1,, %&&9 0s
t/e period o3 (ontin+in1 voter re1istr0tion +sin1 t/e $io#etri(s pro(ess in 0'' 0re0s n0tion.ide,
e4(ept in t/e A+tono#o+s Re1ion o3 M+s'i# Mind0n0o. !+$se5+ent'6, t/e COMELEC iss+ed
Reso'+tion No. 8,8,on e$r+0r6 1%, %&&9 0d7+stin1 t/e de0d'ine o3 voter re1istr0tion 3or t/e
M06 1&, %&1& n0tion0' 0nd 'o(0' e'e(tions to O(to$er 81, %&&9, inste0d o3 2e(e#$er 1,, %&&9 0s
previo+s'6 3i4ed $6 Reso'+tion No. 8,1-.T/e intense p+$'i( ('0#or 3or 0n e4tension o3 t/e
O(to$er 81, %&&9 de0d'ine not.it/st0ndin1, t/e COMELEC stood 3ir# in its de(ision not to
e4tend it, 0r1+in1 #0in'6 t/0t it needs 0#p'e ti#e to prep0re3or t/e 0+to#0ted e'e(tions. 9i0 t/e
present Petition 3or Certior0ri 0nd M0nd0#+s 3i'ed on O(to$er 8&,%&&9, petitioners (/0''en1e t/e
v0'idit6 o3 COMELEC Reso'+tion No. 8,8, 0nd see: 0 de('0r0tion o3 itsn+''it6.Petitioner
R06#ond 9. P0'0tino, 0 6o+t/ se(tor0' represent0tive +nder t/e K0$0t00n P0rt6;'ist,s+es 0s 0
#e#$er o3 t/e <o+se o3 Represent0tives 0nd 0 (on(erned (iti=en, ./i'e t/e rest o3 petitionerss+e
0s (on(erned (iti=ens.
I!!>E!"
1. ?/et/er or not t/e COMELEC /0s t/e 1ro+nd not to /o'd t/e #0nd0te o3 (ontin+in1 voter
re1istr0tion 3or t/e M06 1&, %&1& e'e(tion.
<EL2"
In t/e present (0se, t/e Co+rt 3inds no 1ro+nd to /o'd t/0t t/e #0nd0te o3 (ontin+in1
voter re1istr0tion (0nnot $e re0son0$'6 /e'd .it/in t/e period provided $6 RA 8189, !e(. 8 @
d0i'6 d+rin1o33i(e /o+rs, e4(ept d+rin1 t/e period st0rtin1 1%& d06s $e3ore t/e M06 1&, %&1&
re1+'0r e'e(tions. T/ereis t/+s no o((0sion 3or t/e COMELEC to e4er(ise its po.er to 3i4 ot/er
d0tes or de0d'ines t/ere3ore. T/e present (0se di33ers si1ni3i(0nt'6 3ro# A:$060n;Ao+t/ v.
COMELEC.
B11C
In s0id (0se, t/e Co+rt /e'd t/0t t/e COMELEC did not (o##it 0$+se o3 dis(retion in den6in1
t/e re5+est o3 t/e t/erein petitioners 3or 0n e4tension o3 t/e 2e(e#$er %D, %&&& de0d'ine o3 voter
re1istr0tion 3or t/e M06 1-, %&&1 e'e(tions. or t/e t/erein petitioners 3i'ed t/eir petition .it/ t/e
Co+rt .it/in t/e 1%&;d06 pro/i$itive period 3or t/e (ond+(t o3 voter re1istr0tion +nder !e(tion 8
o3 RA 8189, 0nd so+1/t t/e(ond+(t o3 0 t.o;d06 re1istr0tion on e$r+0r6 1D 0nd 18, %&&1,
('e0r'6 .it/in t/e 1%&;d06 pro/i$itive period.
T/e Co+rt in 30(t s+11ested in A:$060n;Ao+t/t/0t t/e t/erein petitioners (o+'d /0ve, $+t /0d
not,re1istered d+rin1 t/e period $et.een t/e 2e(e#$er %D, %&&& de0d'ine set $6 t/e COMELEC
0nd $e3oret/e st0rt o3 t/e 1%&;d06 pro/i$itive period prior to t/e e'e(tion d0te or E0n+0r6 18,
%&&1, t/+s" BTC/ere is no 0''e10tion in t/e t.o (onso'id0ted petitions 0nd t/e re(ords 0re $ere3t o3
0n6 s/o.in1 t/0t 0n6one o3 /erein petitioners /0s 3i'ed 0n 0pp'i(0tion to $ere1istered 0s 0 voter
./i(/ .0s denied $6 t/e COMELEC nor 3i'ed 0 (o#p'0int $e3oret/e respondent COMELEC
0''e1in1 t/0t /e or s/e pro(eeded to t/e O33i(e o3 t/e E'e(tionO33i(er to re1ister $et.een t/e
period st0rtin1 3ro# 2e(e#$er %8, %&&& to E0n+0r6 18,%&&1, 0nd t/0t /e or s/e .0s dis0''o.ed
or $0rred $6 respondent COMELEC 3ro# 3i'in1/is 0pp'i(0tion 3or re1istr0tion. ?/i'e it #06 $e
tr+e t/0t respondent COMELEC set t/ere1istr0tion de0d'ine on 2e(e#$er %D, %&&&, t/is Co+rt is
o3 t/e 3ir# vie. t/0t petitioners.ere not tot0''6 denied t/e opport+nit6 to 0v0i' o3 t/e (ontin+in1
re1istr0tion +nder R.A.8189.
B1%C
)e#p/0sis 0nd +nders(orin1 s+pp'ied*

T/e ('e0r i#port o3 t/e Co+rtFs prono+n(e#ent in A:$060n;Ao+t/ is t/0t /0d t/e
t/erein petitioners 3i'ed t/eir petition @ 0nd so+1/t 0n e4tension d0te t/0t .0s @ $e3ore t/e 1%&;
d06 pro/i$itive period, t/eir pr06er .o+'d /0ve $een 1r0nted p+rs+0nt to t/e #0nd0te o3 RA
8189. In t/e present (0se, 0s re3'e(ted e0r'ier, $ot/ t/e d0tes o3 3i'in1 o3 t/e petition )O(to$er 8&,
%&&9* 0nd t/e e4tension so+1/t)+nti' E0n+0r6 9, %&1&* 0re prior to t/e 1%&;d06 pro/i$itive period.
T/e Co+rt, t/ere3ore, 3inds no 'e10' i#pedi#ent to t/e e4tension pr06ed 3or.
?<EREORE, t/e petition is GRANTE2. COMELEC Reso'+tion No. 8,8, is de('0red n+''0nd
void inso30r 0s it set t/e de0d'ine o3 voter re1istr0tion 3or t/e M06 1&, %&1& e'e(tions on O(to$er
81,%&&9. T/e COMELEC is dire(ted to pro(eed .it/ disp0t(/ in reopenin1 t/e re1istr0tion o3
voters 0nd/o'din1 t/e s0#e +nti' E0n+0r6 9, %&1&. T/is 2e(ision is IMME2IATELA
EGEC>TORA.
!O OR2ERE2