House panel okays resolution on HRET power over poll cases

MANILA, Philippines - The House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms has approved a resolution reiterating the exclusive authority and jurisdiction of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) over electoral protest cases.

Passed by the panel was House Resolution No. 597 “reiterating adherence to the time-honored principle on the exclusivity of jurisdiction of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal over all contests relating to the election, returns and qualifications of its members to preserve the integrity, dignity and reputation of the House of Representatives and its members.”

It was filed by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali and co-authored by 171 other lawmakers.

The filing of the resolution stemmed from the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) declaring Lord Allan Velasco the winner during the 2013 congressional race in the lone district of Marinduque, and not Regina Reyes, who was the one proclaimed by the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) after the canvassing.

Umali said the HRET should handle and hear the election protest of Velasco against Reyes and not the SC as the latter already took her oath as Marinduque representative.

Reyes was earlier proclaimed by the poll body as the winner with a margin of over 4,000 votes against Velasco, son of SC Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco.

On Tuesday night, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, Velasco’s partymate in the National Unity Party, took the cudgels for the defeated congressional candidate, saying not respecting the decision of the SC could trigger a constitutional crisis.

He said the SC upheld the decision of the Comelec’s First Division to cancel Reyes’ certificate of candidacy for allegedly making material misrepresentations on her residency and citizenship.

The SC, according to Barzaga, “has spoken with finality. I appeal to reason and sense of fair play of every member of this honorable chamber to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution. I urge everyone, regardless of political affiliation, to abide by that final decision of the Court.”

Umali and Reps. Doy Leachon and Josephine Sato immediately stood up and contradicted Barzaga.

They said all election-related protests against proclaimed congressmen must be under the jurisdiction of the HRET, including Reyes’ case.

Leachon and Umali also said that it is clear that the SC decision was suspicious and doubtful since it was issued only 18 days after the case was filed.

They even cited the opinion of SC Associate Justice Arturo Brion who said that it looked like the decision was hastened to favor the son of a colleague.

For her part, Sato urged her colleagues to support and stand for the mandate of Congress to defend its dignity.

The SC has ordered the House of Representatives to answer Velasco’s bid to assume the post as representative of the lone district of Marinduque.

In their session the other day, the SC justices approved the issuance of an order directing the House to submit a comment on the petition filed by Velasco last month seeking the issuance of a writ of mandamus ordering Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to recognize him as duly elected winner in last year’s congressional race and administer his oath of office.

The SC gave the House 10 days from receipt of notice to comply with its order.

To read the full story please click HERE.

LP stalwart threatens to impeach justices anew

Posted in Manila Bulletin
By: Ben Rosario

Manila, Philippines — A close Malacañang ally in Congress raised anew the sword of Damocles over the heads of Supreme Court  (SC) justices as he revived his threat to impeach magistrates whom he accused of abusing the power of judicial review and violating the principle of separation of powers.

In a privilege speech, Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali appealed to witnesses of alleged judicial abuses and irregularities in the judiciary to come out in the open to help the executive and legislative branches of government cleanse the courts of bad eggs.

Delivering his second SC bashing in three months, Umali assailed several High Court decisions which he claimed to have flip-flopped on past rulings, saying that these were reached by magistrates in the guise of “judicial elasticity.”

In his first anti-SC privilege speech, the administration lawmaker vowed to push for the impeachment of two Supreme Court members, telling journalists later that the complaint will be filed in January 2014.

In his latest blast against the SC, Umali did not state reasons for failing to pursue the impeachment cases, but he reiterated his accusations that certain members of the judiciary were guilty of betrayal of public trust which is an impeachable offense.

“As the highest tribunal in the land, the Supreme Court should be the stronghold of integrity and impartiality.  Yet how can we trust a Supreme Court that changes its mind whenever such change appears to be convenient?” asked Umali, who takes pride of having authored impeachment resolutions that led to the resignation of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and the ouster of former SC Chief Justice Renato Corona.

He detailed a number of cases which he said have been shrouded with judicial controversies due to reversals of previous decisions.

But his main criticism appeared to be aimed at the case of Marinduque Rep. Regina Reyes whose proclamation as congressional race winner over former Rep. Lord Allan Velasco has been ordered nullified by the Court.

Failing to get Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to acknowledge the ruling, Velasco, son of SC Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, filed  a Petition for Mandamus seeking to compel Belmonte to administer his oath of office and direct Secretary General Emilia Barua-Yap to remove Reyes’ name from the roll of members  of the House.

Citing a House resolution signed by majority of congressmen and jurisprudence, Umali, himself a lawyer, stressed that the Supreme Court no longer has jurisdiction over the electoral controversy because the decision is already under the jurisdiction of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal which Justice Velasco chairs.

“Surely, a full blown constitutional crisis will ensue at a huge cost to our political system on account of a flip-flopping , albeit, unwarranted decision of the High Court to favor a  son of a sitting magistrate, which I submit constitute betrayal of public trust, a clear ground for impeachment,” Umali said.

Reyes case was “motu propio” decided in record time of 18 days, without even requiring the sitting solon to comment, he said.

“It is very unusual how the Supreme Court was able to decide the Reyes case so swiftly when some, if not most, cases remain for years in the court dockets despite its mandate under the 1987 Constitution to resolve cases within 24 months from the date of submission,” Umali said.

Read the full article: click here

100% Marinduqueño Smile!

L to R: Dr. Raymond Sulit, PP , Dr. Gerry Caballes, Provincial Administrator Bong Raza, RC-MN Rotarian Agnes Espino,
 PE Coun. Antonio Mangcucang III, RC-MN Rotarian Elsie Magturo, RC-Roxas PP Melrose S. Lunn, 

Dr. Dick Herndershot, Governor Carmencita O. Reyes, Dr. Steve Krebs, RC-PSA PE Theda Collantes

Ayon sa pinakahuling tala ng World Health Organization (WHO) ang Pilipinas ang pangalawa sa may pinakamataas na kaso ng cleft lip at cleft palate (pagka bingot) sa buong mundo, nangunguna dito ang bansang Columbia.

Sinasabing isa sa mga pangunahing dahilan nito ay ang kakulangan ng wastong nutrisyon ng bata habang siya ay sinapupunan palang ng kanyang ina. Marami ding nagsasabihing ito ay namamana at dahil din sa iba’t ibang environmental factors.

Taong 1985 pa noong nagkaroon ng libreng operasyon ang ating probinsya para sa mga kabataang mayroong ganitong “facial deformities”.

Sa pangunguna ng Uplift Internationale, Rotary Club of Paranque Saint Andrews, Rotary Club of Roxas, Office of Congresswoman Regina Ongsiako Reyes at sa kanilang pakikipagtulungan at ugnayan sa Governor’s Office, Provincial Health Office at Rotary Club of Marinduque North, kanilang ilulunsad ang Operation Taghoy (Taghoy, salitang Cebuano na ang ibig sabihin ay to whistle).

Ito ay libreng surgical operation para sa mga kabataang Marinduqueño edad 21 taon pababa upang palakasin ang kanilang kompyansa sa sarili, mabigyan ng perpektong ngiti at maayos ang kanilang pagsasalita.

Inaasahang humigit kumulang na 100 kabataang Maarinduqueño ang makikinabang sa proyektong ito.

Para sa pagpapalista, Maari lamang po kayong tumawag sa Opisina ni Congresswoman Regina Ongsiako Reyes – (042) 332-0340 at hanapin si Ms. Rowena Tolentino o makipag-ugnayan sa Provincial Health Office.

Justices, solons on collision course

JUSTICES VS LAWMAKERS. There’s no love lost between the two equal branches of government—the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court of the Philippines—over several celebrated cases. INQUIRER PHOTOS

The House of Representatives and the Supreme Court are on a collision course after 169 lawmakers signed a resolution seeking to defy the order of the high court to include a son of Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr. in the congressional rolls and replace Marinduque Rep. Regina Ongsioco Reyes.

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rey Umali said the “robust support” for his resolution showed that the lawmakers were prepared to stand up to the “bullying” of the Supreme Court.

“I believe that our members have had enough of the Supreme Court’s bullying. This time, they have overstepped their jurisdiction. We will defy them and not honor their decision,” Umali said in a phone interview.

Fifty-eight percent of the 289 House members have supported House Resolution No. 597 “reiterating adherence to the time-honored principle on the exclusivity of jurisdiction of the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) over all contests relating to the election, returns and qualifications of its members to preserve the integrity, dignity and reputation of the House of Representatives and its members.”

Respect coequals

Umali said it was “about time that these despots get down from their high chair and respect their coequals in government. This is a clear show of force on our part. Please, huwag ninyong ipilit (don’t force it).”

Last Dec. 3, Umali gave a privilege speech attacking the high court’s undue interference in election-related issues, specifically the Marinduque election standoff between Representative Reyes, daughter of Marinduque Gov. Carmencita Reyes, and former Rep. Lord Alan Velasco.

Velasco has formally requested Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to eject Reyes after the Supreme Court rejected with finality on Dec. 3 her appeal for the reversal of its ruling on June 25 last year upholding the Commission on Election’s (Comelec) decision disqualifying her.

Citizenship, residency

The Comelec canceled Reyes’ certificate of candidacy because of questions about her citizenship and her lack of residency to run for the post.

Reyes defeated then Congressman Velasco in last year’s midterm elections by a margin of roughly 3,800 votes, paving the way for her proclamation as representative of Marinduque.

Rightful House member

House leaders led by Belmonte have stood by Reyes as the rightful House member pending the resolution of Velasco’s protest with the HRET, which they argued had the constitutional mandate to rule on electoral protests filed after a winner had been proclaimed.

The HRET is composed of three associate justices of the Supreme Court and nine House members.

Umali suggested that the magistrates just respect each other’s turf. “Anyway, the Supreme Court is well represented in the HRET, so it should allow that body to decide the case.”

Umali said the court decision on Reyes contrasted sharply with a similar case in Quezon province involving another Liberal Party member, Toby Tañada, against proclaimed Rep. Angelina Tan.

“The high court recognizes HRET jurisdiction in the case of Representative Tan but not in the case of Representative Reyes. Where lies the difference?” Umali said.

Flip-flopping

In his privilege speech, Umali railed against the tribunal’s flip-flopping on the pork barrel and made a veiled threat to impeach the magistrates.

He noted that the Supreme Court had long upheld the legality of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) but only to turn around last November and declare it unconstitutional.

He said the tribunal declared unconstitutional the PDAF largely because of the broad public opposition to the corruption-laced pork barrel system triggered by the exposé on the dubious nongovernment organizations set up by Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged mastermind of the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

Tens of thousands of people staged rallies across the country last year, the biggest of which was the “Million People March” in Rizal Park in Manila, to call for the scrapping of the PDAF.

Whistle-blowers claimed that lawmakers pocketed up to 50 percent of the projects funded by their PDAF allocation.

Before the court ruling, senators received P200 million each in annual PDAF while House members got P70 million each.

‘Playing to the crowd’

“The justices are obviously playing to the crowd to regain credibility after one of their own (former Chief Justice Renato Corona) was stripped of his robes last year,” Umali said.

The House impeached Corona and the Senate impeachment court found him guilty of one of the charges against him for not declaring his dollar holdings in his statement of assets liabilities and net worth.

“They are justices, their decision should be based on the law and not opinion polls. If they want to be popular, they should run for office first,” Umali said.

He said the recent decision of the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the rate hike of Manila Electric Co. was another case of the magistrates’ tendency to “ride on” popular opinion.

“They are desperate to regain their credibility even at the expense of justice,” Umali said.

Read More: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/559787/justices-solons-on-collision-course#ixzz2pm63Szm6

Driver at Bodyguard ni dating Congressman "Lord Velasco" na kilabot na Drug "Lord" sa Marinduque Timbog sa PDEA.

Noong nakaraang Enero, sa pinagsama-samang puwersa ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office IVB, Marinduque Provincial Police Office and Police Regional Office IVB Regional Intelligence Division ay nagsagawa ng isang buy-bust operation upang mahuli ang isa sa mga tinuturong "big time" drug pusher sa buong Marinduque.

Niici Buencamino
(Grabbed from his Facebook Account)

Nahuli si Niici Buencamino, 27 years old sa Barangay Bagong - Silang, Sta. Cruz  habang i-nabot nito ang isang plastic na naglalaman ng shabu sa asset ng mga operatiba kapalit ang halagang isang libo't limang daang piso (P 1,500). 

Narekober din sa kanya ang isang malaking plastik na naglalaman ng shabu na tinatayang umaabot sa P70,000.00

Sa kanyang pagkakahuli, kusang loob niyang itinuro si Mark Dexter Preclaro aka Macoy na siyang di-umano'y pinagkukunan niya ng malaking bulto ng shabu upang ibenta ito sa buong isla ng Marinduque.

Ayon pa sa kanya, bago siya mahuli ng mga operatiba ay galing siya sa bahay ni Macoy upang bayaran ang "salto" niyang nagkakahalagang P40,000.00 mula sa pinagbentahan niya noong nakaraang linggo na iyon.

Dinagdag pa niya, ilang oras lamang bago siya mahuli ay pinakita pa sa kanya ni Macoy ang "tatlong bulto" ng shabu na nagkakahalaga raw ng humigit kumulang na P120,000.00 na galing sa karatig probinsya na walang kahirap-hirap daw niya na-ipuslit ito sa ating lalawigan gamit ang mga sasakyan ng dating Congressman Velasco.

Naging hakbang ito sa mga operatiba upang imbestigahan si Macoy na kasama na sa listahan ng Most Wanted list ng PDEA Region 4B.

Mark Dexter Preclaro aka Makoy
(Grabbed from his Facebook Account)

Si Mark Dexter Preclaro aka Macoy ay galing sa isang kilalang pamilya. Ang kanyang ina ay isang Kapitana at ang kanyang ama naman na si Franco Preclaro ay kilalang announcer sa radyo at naging konsehal ng bayan ng Sta. Cruz, Marinduque. 

Si Preclaro ay kasalukuyang driver at naging staff ng dating kongresistang si Lord Allan Velasco sa Kongreso.

Dahil sa lakas ng impluwensya niya at ng kanyang pamilya, minabuti ng mga operatiba na sa Maynila mag-apply ng Search Warrant upang hindi masunog ang kanilang operasyon.

Copy of Search Warrant

Ika-10 ng Disyembre, bit-bit ang isang Search Warrant sumalakay ang mga pinagsama-samang puwersa ng Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Regional Office IVB at Marinduque Provincial Police sa bahay ni Mark Dexter Preclaro.

Copy of PDEA's Progress Report

Narekober sa kanya ang humigit kumulang na 19 gramo ng shabu, iba pang mga paraphernalias sa pagawa nito.

Narekober din ang isang mataas na kalibre ng riple, isang calibre .22, magasin at mga bala.

Ayon din sa kanyang Laboratory Result, nagpositibo din siya sa pagamit ng Methamphetamine Hydrochloride o mas kilala sa tawag na shabu.

Ayon sa ating impormante, malapit ang dalawang nahuling si Nicci Buencamino at Mark Dexter Preclaro sa dating Kongresistang si Lord Allan Velasco kaya't nahirapan ang mga operatiba na hulihin sila.

Makoy and Nicci with former Congressman Lord Allan Velasco

Former Congressional Staff of Lord Allan Velasco.

Hindi lamang daw isang driver at staff si Makoy ng dating Congressman Lord Allan Velasco, kundi lagi niyang kasa-kasama kung saan man siya magpunta.

Grabbed from Former Congressman Lord Allan Velasco's facebook
and it was tagged to Makoy's Facebook  

Dagdag pa niya, kung minsan daw ay ginagamit pa nito ang mismong sasakyan ng dating Kongresista upang kumuha at mag dala ng droga dahil kilala na raw ito at hindi na kinakailangang suriin pa ito ng mga tauhan ng pantalan. 

Double flip - flop by high court

The justices of the Supreme Court have been drowning in cases. As of 2004, the last year they gave us information through the Philippine Statistical Yearbook, their case backlog (defined as case load minus case outflow) was 6,882 cases. Divide that by 15 justices, and that means an average of 458 cases each that the justices haven’t disposed of yet.

Meanwhile, new cases are coming in. Has this backlog been reduced? Not if we go by the high court’s case disposition rate (ratio of total cases decided/resolved in a year, over the total cases filed), which in 2003 and 2004 was 0.97.  For the mathematically challenged, that means the backlog is growing.

All this is by way of introduction. Each justice has so many to take charge of that he/she usually doesn’t want to get involved with someone else’s case by way of giving a dissenting or concurring opinion, unless it is of great moment. Just take a look at the decisions handed down each month (sc.judiciary.gov.ph) to see how few and far between those are.

That is why the decision in the case involving Regina O. Reyes vs. Comelec and Joseph Socorro B. Tan (GR 207264) caught my eye.  There were three dissenting opinions and two separate concurring opinions. That’s like the pork barrel case, for heaven’s sake. Not only that. What made me sit up and take notice were the names of the dissenters: Arturo Brion, Antonio Carpio, and Marvic Leonen, who I consider to be three of the high court’s intellectual heavyweights.

That was enough for me to read all the case material.

Here’s the case in a nutshell: Regina O. Reyes filed her candidacy as representative of the lone district of Marinduque in the last elections. Her candidacy was questioned by Tan, a voter and resident of the district. On what grounds? Essentially, that she lied about her civil status, her birthday, her residence, and her citizenship. He brought the case to the Commission on Elections. The Comelec found that she was a US citizen, and had not renounced her US citizenship. Therefore, the Comelec cancelled her certificate of candidacy (which means, among other things, that she is not a valid candidate, and that all the votes in her favor are “stray” votes).

Her motion for reconsideration failing in the Comelec, Reyes then filed her case in the Supreme Court, which decided in favor of the Comelec (there was no grave abuse of discretion on its part) and Tan.

Everything looks on the up and up, right?  Well, there is a glaring error. Would you believe that the Comelec decided that she was an American citizen on the basis of a blog? I kid you not. Justice Brion was brutal: “Common sense and the minimum sense of fairness dictate that an article in the Internet cannot simply  be taken to be evidence of the truth of what it says, nor can photocopies of documents not shown to be genuine be taken as proof of the ‘truth.’ To accept these materials as statements of ‘truth’ is to be partisan and to deny the petitioner her right to both procedural and substantive due process. Again, at the very least, further inquiry should have been made before there was the judgment.” Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes had similar thoughts in his dissent.

Then there is the matter of “undue haste” on the part of the Supreme Court in making its decision (it dismissed the Reyes petition outright) on the case. Reyes filed the case against the Comelec and Tan on June 7, 2013.  The decision was handed down barely three weeks later, on June 25. The high court did not even ask the Comelec, and Tan, for their answer (as presumably is the usual procedure). Justice Brion calls the majority approach “unusual,” and their rulings “strained,” which is why he could not allow it to stand without comments. And he calls them “comments” rather than “refutations” because the latter “implies a consideration on the merits of properly submitted and debated issues, which did not happen in this case.”

Why was there this “rush to judgment” by the majority? There’s the rub. The ruling would favor the son of a member of the high court, which is why, failing all else, the high court should “at least hear and consider both sides before making the ruling,” which it did not do.

Reyes’ opponent in the Marinduque elections was Lord Allan Velasco, son of Justice Presbitero Velasco. This apparently was discussed in the deliberations of the high court, but was not mentioned in any opinion except Justice Brion’s. That has to explain the high court’s seeming imprudence.

But the story does not end there. According to Justice Carpio, the high court’s ruling is a “double flip-flop.” It reverses the “well-settled” doctrines that the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal acquires sole jurisdiction over any contest relating to the “election, returns and qualifications” of House members, and that any question on the validity of the proclamation falls under the sole jurisdiction of the HRET. Reyes was proclaimed, so the high court should have stepped back. Why didn’t it? My guess: If the HRET determines that Reyes is disqualified, Lord Allan Velasco will have no advantage, and special elections will have to be held. Whereas if the high court’s position was that the Comelec still has the power to stop her proclamation, the votes for her will be regarded as stray, and her opponent (Velasco) will win.

In other words, the high court’s decision has the effect of disenfranchising 52,209 voters who voted for Reyes, and allowing Velasco to win the elections with his 48,236 votes.

Lesson: 48,000 wins over 52,000 if the Supreme Court is on your side.

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/66885/double-flip-flop-by-high-court#ixzz2mrX4kkFq 

Solon assails SC’s decision on PDAF

Manila, Philippines – A senior administration congressman is dangling an impeachment threat against Supreme Court justices following the issuance of two recent rulings that allegedly reversed its previous decisions on the same legal controversies.

In a privilege speech delivered Tuesday, Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali provided the lone voice in the wilderness in assailing the unanimous Supreme Court ruling on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Umali also chided the High Court for its ruling on the election protest against Marinduque Rep. Regina Ongsioco Reyes who is being ordered to vacate her post in favor of rival, former Rep. Lord Alan Velasco, son of SC Associate Presbitero Velasco.

‘Instances Of Despotism’

A close associate and Liberal Party colleague of President Benigno S. Aquino III, Umali recounted various “instances of despotism” allegedly demonstrated by the High Court in issuing controversial rulings.

“We must not let these magistrates sit on their iron thrones for a minute longer. They must know where they stand and if they will continue to lord over the foundations of our great Republic, then they only deserve to be impeached,” Umali told his colleagues.

He added: “Let us not allow a co-equal branch of government to emasculate.”

The Mindoro solon said he decided to take the floor to “defend the fundamental law of the land against judicial despots,” referring to the members of the High Court.

Umali’s protest was clearly the first to be registered against the High Court’s decision on PDAF, which has earned strong public support.

Flip-Flopping

Umali, a member of the powerful Commission on Appointments, assailed the tribunal for its alleged flip-flopping decisions on the PDAF and Reyes-Velasco case that disrespected Congress as a co-equal branch.

Umali recounted various “instances of despotism” allegedly demonstrated by the High Tribunal. Among them are the walkout of former Chief Justice Renato Corona during the impeachment hearings in the Senate and the “hastily issued” Temporary Restraining Order preventing the Lower House from inviting former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez who was then under impeachment probe.

“Not contented with its despotic tendencies, the Supreme Court strikes again by undermining its counterpart branches of government this time, both the legislative and the executive in flip-flopping fashion,” he said.

Umali said the High Court flip-flopped in its 12-0 ruling against the constitutionality of the PDAF.

“This is quite perplexing because, about a year earlier, the same Supreme Court, in the case of Lawyers Against Monopoly and Poverty (LAMP) vs Department of Budget and Management with (G.R. No. 164987) promulgated on April 24, 2012, declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund as constitutional,” he pointed out.

“Now I ask – why the flip-flop?” asked Umali. “Whatever happened to the doctrine of stare decisis or ‘adherence to precedents when just a year ago the same court ruled the PDAF is constitutional?”

He said, “Mr. Speaker, if this is not despotic behavior, I don t know what is!”

Independent Powers

Umali also chided the High Court for disqualifying Reyes as elected congresswoman of Marinduque.

“Accordingly, Representative Reyes now sits as member of this August Chamber, but some magistrates resolved to disqualify her on technical grounds, again in utter disregard of the doctrine of stare decisis and disrespect to the separate and independent powers of the House of Representatives, again in flip-flopping fashion,” he said.

Citing the case Jalosjos Jr. vs Comelec, Umali said the High Court settled the question of jurisdiction over post congressional electoral protest which rightfully belongs to the House of Representatives Electoral 

Tribunal.

“The proclamation of a congressional candidate following the election divests Comelec of jurisdiction over disputes relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of the proclaimed Representative in favor of the HRET,” he pointed out.

The administration lawmaker also recalled the electoral protest filed by fellow LP member, Quezon congressional candidate Toby Tañada against proclaimed Rep. Angelina Tan, in which the SC ruled that the protest should be resolved by the HRET.

“The High Court recognizes HRET jurisdiction in the case of Representative Tan but not in the case of Representative Reyes. Where lies the difference?” stated Umali.

He added: “What moved the Supreme Court to railroad a decision which negates established jurisprudence, in flip-flopping fashion at that and perceived to benefit the son of a sitting magistrate as noted by a colleague in the Supreme Court is beyond comprehension.”

Basahin dito:http://www.mb.com.ph/solon-assails-scs-decision-on-pdaf/