Canvassing and proclamation Felix vs COMELEC GR No. L-283 8 !

"ne 2#$ %#&8 Facts' Felix and de la (a) *ere candidates +or ma,or and vice-ma,or$ respectivel,$ o+ t-e M"nicipalit, o+ Cainta$ Ri)al$ at t-e general elections -eld on Novem.er %#& . Cr") *as t-e main opponent o+ de la (a)$ and Francisco *as one o+ t-e candidates +or co"ncilor r"nning alongside Cr"). Felix and de la (a)$ along *it- t-e co-petitioners$ *ere proclaimed t-e *inners a+ter t-e canvassing o+ t-e votes +or all t-e precincts. %% da,s later$ Cr") et al +ile *it- t-e CF/ an election case against t-e petitioners$ except Felix$ protesting t-eir proclamation on t-e gro"nd t-at t-e canvass and proclamation made do not re+lect t-e act"al res"lts o+ election$ since t-e statement o+ election ret"rns on t-e .asis o+ *-ic- t-e said canvass and proclamation *ere made do not s-o* t-e act"al and acc"rate n"m.er o+ votes received ., t-e protestants and protestees. Cr") and Francisco also +iled a petition against t-e .oard o+ canvassers *it- t-e COMELEC$ as *ell as against de la (a) and !avier$ +or t-e ann"lment o+ t-e canvass and proclamation$ since t-e, *ere .ased on admittedl, mista0en election entr, and on +alsi+ied and1or altered election ret"rns. COMELEC ordered t-e setting aside o+ t-e canvass and proclamation and to reconvene immediatel, and ma0e a ne* canvass o+ t-e votes. (etitioners +ile a petition +or a *rit o+ certiorari *it- preliminar, in2"nction "pon t-e gro"nd t-at t-e COMELEC -as acted *it-o"t or in excess o+ its 2"risdiction in iss"ing t-e order .eca"se' %3 Cr") et al -ad alread, +iled in t-e CF/ a protest contesting t-e election4 23 t-e, *ere denied d"e process4 and 33 allegations +iled *it- t-e COMELEC did not *arrant t-e action ta0en ., said .od,. /ss"e' 5-et-er t-e canvass and t-e proclamation ma, .e n"lli+ied R"ling' 6-e order o+ COMELEC declaring t-e proclamation as void s-o"ld .e ann"lled. 6-at Cr") et al claim t-at t-eir petition *it- t-e GF/ *as +iled exa."ndante ac"tela is not .orne o"t ., t-e record. 6-e protest does not allege$ eit-er directl, or indirectl, t-at it *as provisional or preca"tionar, in nat"re. /ts allegations s"ggest t-at it is intended to .e p"s-ed t-ro"g- earnestl,. o *-ere a candidate +iles an election protest assailing t-e proclamation o+ -is opponent and pra,s t-at -e 7t-e +ormer3

.e declared elected$ t-e 8"estion *-et-er t-e election ret"rns re+lect t-e tr"e res"lt o+ t-e elections s-o"ld .e el"cidated and decided in said election protest$ not in anot-er proceeding$ eit-er administrative or 2"dicial in c-aracter. o Cr") et al claim t-at t-e canvass and proclamation -ad .een .ased on admittedl, mista0en election entr,$ predicated on t-e +acts t-at the chairman, a member of the board of inspectors and the poll clerk had signed a statement to the effect that they had erroneously, unintentionally and due to tiredness and fatigue committed a grave error in good faith by crediting votes to de la Paz that of Cruz, and to Cruz that of de la Paz. One o+ t-e inspectors did not sign t-e statement. On t-e +ace o+ t-e petition in t-e COMELEC$ it *as not possi.le +or t-em to determine *it-o"t notice to Felix et al$ *-et-er said correction co"ld .e e++ected or not. 6-e +ail"re o+ one inspector to sign t-e statement s"ggested t-at -e *as pro.a.l, averse to t-e correction. Boards of canvassers should suspend the canvass only if it should clearly appear: 1) that another copy or other authentic copies of the statement of the election return from an election precinct submitted to the board give to a candidate a different number of votes and the difference affects the result of the election ! or ") that there is a difference bet#een the votes of the same candidate #ritten in #ords and those #ritten in figures in the same election return ! or $) that the entry of votes in the election return is on its face clearly falsified ! or %) that it is not legible&! 'he case of precinct (o& ) does not come under any of these situations& /t -as not .een satis+actoril, s-o*n t-at t-e attention o+ t-e .oard o+ canvassers -ad .een called to t-e alleged mista0e in t-e election ret"rn +or precinct No. 9 or to t-e a+orementioned statement o+ some o+ t-e mem.ers o+ its .oard o+ inspectors. /t is$ +"rt-er$ alleged t-at t-e canvass and proclamation made ., t-e :oard o+ Canvassers -ad .een .ased on ;+alsi+ied and1or altered election ret"rns$< ."t t-is averment is predicated merel, "pon ;a ta."lation o+ t-e election res"lt as per election ret"rns s".mitted = to t-e Li.eral (art, (resident.< Certainl, t-is allegation is ins"++icient to c-aracteri)e t-e ret"rns$ on *-ic- t-e canvass and proclamation *ere .ased$ as +alsi+ied or altered$ m"c- less to a"t-ori)e t-e ex parte ann"lment o+ said canvass and proclamation. *oreover, the protesters in their petition did not +uestion the returns on being falsified but that they #ere merely opened and recounted&