Group hauls local Comelec execs, Treñas to Court
A group of lawyers belonging to the Ilonggos' Movement Against Arroyo's Cha-cha (I-March) formally asked the Court to prevent local Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials from verifying the signatures recently gathered during the Barangay General Assembly purposely for the People's Initiative move of the administration.
Comelec Regional Director Atty. Dennis Ausan, City and Provincial Election Officer Atty. Elizabeth Doronila and Mayor Jerry P. Treñas were named respondents in the case of Prohibition with Prayer for Preliminary Injunction and Issuance of Temporary Restraining Order filed by lawyers Daniel V. Cartagena, Joshua C. Alim, Romeo P. Gerochi, and Leo S. Sombiro, among others.
The petitioners stand firm in their belief that as citizens, they enjoy the right of suffrage as enshrined in the Constitution. And as a necessary consequence of this constitutional right, they are entitled not only to a clean and honest exercise of which but are also entitled to an orderly process through lawful and constitutional means.
As citizens and taxpayers Cartagena claimed that they have the civic obligation and the claim to ensure that the Comelec is duly empowered if and when they are asked to vote in any "people's initiative" so as not to waste their time, energy and money in joining an otherwise useless task.
"It is very fitting that this case be filed in the place of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Sr. so that the people would know that Ilonggos do not let a travesty of justice pass without confronting the evil head on. We want to show the whole country that Ilonggos are intelligent," the petitioners said.
This is the first case filed against the Arroyo administration-sponsored "People's Initiative" to overhaul the 1987 Constitution.
The petitioners are asking the Court to stop verification if verification is still going on, or stop issuance of certification if indeed, the verification is already finished, or declare the verification as null and void.