CO v.

ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL, 199 SCRA 692

FACTS:
Petitioners assailed the decision of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, declaring Ong to
be a natural-born Filipino citizen and a resident of the district he represents.

ISSUE: WON the SC has jurisdiction over contests relating to election, returns and qualifications of
members of the House of Representatives. (YES)

RULING:
YES, but only after a finding of grave abuse of discretion on the part of the HRET in coming up with
their decision.

So long as the Constitution grants the HRET the power to be the sole judge of all contests relating to
election, returns and qualifications of members of the House of Representatives, any final action taken
by the HRET on a matter within its jurisdiction shall, as a rule, not be reviewed by this Court.

The only exception to this rule is "in the exercise of this Court's so-called extraordinary jurisdiction”
upon a clear showing of such arbitrary and improvident use of power (i.e. grave abuse of discretion) as
will constitute a denial of due process. It has no power to look into what it thinks is apparent error.

In the case at bar, the Court finds no improvident use of power, no denial of due process on the part of
the HRET which will necessitate the exercise of the power of judicial review by the Supreme Court.

In the absence of a showing that the HRET has committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack
of jurisdiction, there is no occasion for the Court to exercise its corrective power; it will not decide a
matter which by its nature is for the HRET alone to decide.