Case Digest: Mariano v.

Commission on Elections
Posted: August 16, 2010 in CaseDigests
Tags: case, comelec, congress, constitution, digest, law, legislative, Philippines, po
litical
0
G.R.No.11862707March1995
Ponente:Puno,J.

FACTS:
JuanitoMariano,aresidentofMakati,alongwithresidentsofTaguigsuingastaxpayers,
assailSections2,51and52ofR.A.No.7854(AnActConvertingtheMunicipalityof
MakatiintoaHighlyUrbanizedCitytobeknownastheCityofMakati).Another
petitionwhichcontendstheunconstitutionalityofR.A.No.7854wasalsofiledbyJohn
H.Osmenaasasenator,taxpayerandconcernedcitizen.

ISSUES:
1. 1.

WhetherSection2ofR.A.No.7854delineatedthelandareasoftheproposedcity

ofMakativiolatingsections7and450oftheLocalGovernmentCodeonspecifying
metesandboundswithtechnicaldescriptions
2. 2.

WhetherSection51,ArticleXofR.A.No.7854collideswithSection8,Article

XandSection7,ArticleVIoftheConstitutionstressingthattheynewcitysacquisition
ofanewcorporateexistencewillallowtheincumbentmayortoextendhistermtomore
thantwoexecutivetermsasallowedbytheConstitution
3. 3.

WhethertheadditionofanotherlegislativedistrictinMakatiisunconstitutionalas

thereapportionmentcannotbemadebyaspeciallaw

HELD/RULING:
1. 1.

Section2ofR.A.No.7854statesthat:

Sec.2.TheCityofMakati.TheMunicipalityofMakatishallbeconvertedintoa
highlyurbanizedcitytobeknownastheCityofMakati,hereinafterreferredtoasthe
City,whichshallcomprisethepresentterritoryoftheMunicipalityofMakatiin
MetropolitanManilaAreaoverwhichithasjurisdictionboundedonthenortheastby
PasigRiverandbeyondbytheCityofMandaluyongandtheMunicipalityofPasig;on
thesoutheastbythemunicipalitiesofPaterosandTaguig;onthesouthwestbytheCityof
PasayandtheMunicipalityofTaguig;and,onthenorthwest,bytheCityofManila.
Emphasishasbeenprovidedintheprovisionunderdispute.Saiddelineationdidnot
changeevenbyaninchthelandareapreviouslycoveredbyMakatiasamunicipality.It
mustbenotedthattherequirementofmetesandboundswasmeantmerelyasatoolin
theestablishmentofLGUs.Itisnotanendinitself.
Furthermore,atthetimeofconsiderationorR.A.No.7854,theterritorialdispute
betweenthemunicipalitiesofMakatiandTaguigoverFortBonifaciowasundercourt
litigation.Outofbecomingasenseofrespecttocoequaldepartmentofgovernment,
legislatorsfeltthatthedisputeshouldbelefttothecourtstodecide.

1. 1.

Section51ofR.A.No.7854providesthat:

Sec.51.OfficialsoftheCityofMakati.Therepresentelectiveofficialsofthe
MunicipalityofMakatishallcontinueastheofficialsoftheCityofMakatiandshall
exercisetheirpowersandfunctionsuntilsuchtimethatanewelectionisheldandthe
dulyelectedofficialsshallhavealreadyqualifiedandassumetheiroffices:Provided,The
newcitywillacquireanewcorporateexistence.Theappointiveofficialsandemployees
oftheCityshalllikewisecontinuesexercisingtheirfunctionsanddutiesandtheyshallbe
automaticallyabsorbedbythecitygovernmentoftheCityofMakati.
Section8,ArticleXandsection7,ArticleVIoftheConstitutionprovidethefollowing:
Sec.8.Thetermofofficeofelectivelocalofficials,exceptbarangayofficials,which
shallbedeterminedbylaw,shallbethreeyearsandnosuchofficialshallserveformore
thanthreeconsecutiveterms.Voluntaryrenunciationoftheofficeforanylengthoftime
shallnotbeconsideredasaninterruptioninthecontinuityofhisserviceforthefullterm

forwhichhewaselected.
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Sec.7.TheMembersoftheHouseofRepresentativesshallbeelectedforatermofthree
yearswhichshallbegin,unlessotherwiseprovidedbylaw,atnoononthethirtiethdayof
Junenextfollowingtheirelection.
NoMemberoftheHouseofRepresentativesshallserveformorethanthreeconsecutive
terms.Voluntaryrenunciationoftheofficeforanylengthoftimeshallnotbeconsidered
asaninterruptioninthecontinuityofhisserviceforthefulltermforwhichhewas
elected.
Thischallengeonthecontroversycannotbeentertainedasthepremiseontheissueison
theoccurrenceofmanycontingentevents.Consideringthattheseeventsmayormaynot
happen,petitionersmerelyposeahypotheticalissuewhichhasyettoripentoanactual
caseorcontroversy.Moreover,onlyMarianoamongthepetitionersisaresidentof
Taguigandarenottheproperpartiestoraisethisabstractissue.

1. 1.

Section5(1),ArticleVIoftheConstitutionclearlyprovidesthattheCongress

maybecomprisedofnotmorethantwohundredfiftymembers,unlessotherwise
providedbylaw.Asthusworded,theConstitutiondidnotprecludeCongressfrom
increasingitsmembershipbypassingalaw,otherthanageneralreapportionmentofthe
law.