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Republic of the PhilippinesSUPREME COURTManilaFIRST DIVISION G.R. No. 93833 September 28, 1995SOCORRO D. RAMIREZ, petitioner, vs.ONORA!"E COURT O# APPEA"S, $%& ESTER S. GARCIA, respondents. 'APUNAN, J.: civil case da!a"es #as filed b$ petitioner Socorro D. Ra!ire% in the Re"ional Trial &ourt of 'ue%on &it$ alle"in" that the private respondent, (ster S. )arcia, in a confrontation in the latter*s office, alle"edl$ ve+ed, insulted and hu!iliated her in a ,hostile and furious !ood, and ina !anner offensive to petitioner*s di"nit$ and personalit$,, contrar$ to !orals, "ood custo!s andpublic polic$., 1In support of her clai!, petitioner produced a verbati! transcript of the event and sou"ht !oral da!a"es, attorne$*s fees and other e+penses of liti"ation in the a!ount of P-./,///.//, in addition to costs, interests and other reliefs a#ardable at the trial court*s discretion. The transcript on #hich the civil case #as based #as culled fro! a tape recordin" of the confrontation !ade b$ petitioner. 2 The transcript reads as follo#s0Plaintiff Soccoro D. Ra!ire% 1&huchi2 3 )ood fternoon M*a!.Defendant (ster S. )arcia 1(S)2 3 no ba an" nan"$ari sa *$o, na4ali!ot 4a na 4un" paano 4a napunta rito, por4e !e!ber 4a na,!a"su!bon" 4a 4un" ano an" "a"a#in 4o sa *$o.&56&5I 3 7asi, na4a dut$ a4o noon.(S) 3 Tapos ini#an no. 1Sic2&56&5I 3 5indi !*a!, pero ilan beses na nila a4on" binali4an, sabin" "anoon 3(S) 3 Ito and 1sic2 !asasabi 4o sa *$o, a$a# 4un" 1sic2 !a" e+plain 4a, 4asi han""an" ./0// p.!., 4inabu4asan hindi 4a na pu!aso4. N"a$on a4o an" babali4 sa *$o, na"8aapl$ 4a sa States,na"8aapl$ 4a sa revie# !o, 4un" 4a4ailan"anin an" certification !o, 4ali!utan !o na 4asi hindi 4a sa a4in !a4a4ahin"i.&56&5I 3 5indi M*a!. 7asi an" ano 4o tala"a noon i8cocontinue4o up to ./0// p.!.(S) 3 Bastos ka, na4ali!utan !o na 4un" paano 4a pu!aso4 dito sa hotel. Ma"su!bon" 4a sa 6nion 4un" "usto !o. Na4ali!utan !o na 4un" paano 4a na4apaso4 dito ,Do $ou thin4 that on $our o#n !a4a4apaso4 4a 4un" hindi a4o. Panunu!b$o$an na 4ita 1Sinusu!batan na 4ita2.&56&5I 3 Itutulo$ 4o na M*a! sana an" dut$ 4o.(S) 3 7aso ilan" beses na a4on" binabali4an doon n" !"a no 1sic2 4o.(S) 3 Na4ali!utan !o na ba 4un" paano 4a pu!aso4 sa hotel, 4un" on $our o#n !erit ala! 4o na!an 4un" "aano 4a ,4a bobo, !o. Mara!i an" na"8aapl$ ala! 4on" hindi 4a papasa.&56&5I 3 7u!uha 4a!i n" e+a! noon.(S) 3 Oo, pero hindi 4a papasa.&56&5I 3 (h, ba4it a4o an" na4uha ni Dr. Ta!a$o(S) 3 7u4unin 4a 4asi a4o.&56&5I 3 (h, di sana 3(S) 3 5u#a" !on" ipa"!ala4i na !a$ uta4 4a 4asi wala kang utak. 4ala !o ba !a4u4uha 4a dito 4un" hindi a4o.&56&5I 3 Ma"8ee+plain a4o.(S) 3 5u#a" na, hindi a4o !a"8papa8e+plain sa *$o, !a4aalala 4a 4un" paano 4a pu!a8rito. ,Putang-ina, sasabi8sabihin !o 4a!a"8ana4 n" nana$ at tata$ !o an" !"a !a"ulan" 4o.(S) 3 9ala na a4on" pa4iala!, dahil nandito 4a sa loob, nasa labas 4a pu#ede 4a n" hindi pu!aso4, o4e$ $an nasaloob 4a u!alis 4a doon.&56&5I 3 7asi M*a!, binbali4an a4o n" !"a ta"a 6nion.(S) 3 Nandi$an na rin a4o, pero hu#a" !on" 4ali!utan na hindi 4a !a4a4apaso4 4un" hindi a4o. 7un" hindi !o 4ini4ilala $an o4e$ lan" sa a4in, dahil tapos 4a na.&56&5I 3 Ina8ano 4o !*a! na utan" na loob.(S) 3 5u#a" na lan", hindi !o utan" na loob, 4asi 4un" ba"a sa no, nilapastan"an !o a4o.&56&5I 3 Paano 4ita nilapastan"anan:(S) 3 Mabuti pa lu!abas 4a na. 5indi na a4o !a4i4ipa"usap sa*$o. ;u!abas 4a na. Ma"su!bon" 4a. 3s a result of petitioner*s recordin" of the event and alle"in" that the said act of secretl$ tapin" the confrontation #as ille"al, private respondent filed a cri!inal case before the Re"ional Trial &ourt of Pasa$ &it$ for violation of Republic ct , .>?>.On Februar$ >, .>>/, respondent &ourt of ppeals pro!ul"ated its assailed Decision declarin" the trial court*s order of Ma$ B, .>?> null and void, and holdin" that0ETFhe alle"ations sufficientl$ constitute an offense punishable under Section . of R.. ?? local elections. 5e pra$s, !ore particularl$, for reversal of the position of respondent insofar as it affects the !unicipalit$ of ParaGa@ue and all the other !unicipalities in the Metro Manila rea. 5e clai!s that the second proviso of par. 1c2, Sec. B of R.. L.--, #hich re@uires the apportion!ent into districts of said !unicipalities does not specif$ #hen the !e!bers of their San""unian" Ja$an #ill be elected b$ district. 5e #ould conse@uentl$ lean on par. 1d2 of Sec. B,#hich i!!ediatel$ succeeds par. 1c2, to support his vie# that the elected !e!bers of these !unicipalities !entioned in par. 1c2 should continue to be elected at lar"e in the Ma$ .., .>>= elections.Para"raph 1d2 states that ,EFFor purposes of the re"ular elections on Ma$ .., .>>=, elective !e!bers of the San""unian" Panlunsod and San""unian" Ja$an shall be elected at lar"e in accordance #ith e+istin" la#s. 5o#ever, be"innin" #ith the re"ular elections in .>>I, the$ shall be elected b$ district., Petitioner therefore insists that the elected !e!bers of the San""unian" Ja$an of ParaGa@ue fall under this cate"or$ so that the$ should continue to be elected at lar"e until the .>>I re"ular elections.Jefore addressin" the cru+ of the controvers$, the &ourt observes that petitioner does not alle"ethat he is runnin" for reelection, !uch less, that he is preAudiced b$ the election, b$ district, in ParaGa@ue. s such, he does not appear to have a locus stan"i, a standin" in la#, personal or substantial interest. 1 5e does not also alle"e an$ le"al ri"ht that has been violated b$ respondent. If for this alone, petitioner does not appear to have an$ cause of action.5o#ever, considerin" the i!portance of the issue involved, concernin" as it does the political e+ercise of @ualified voters affected b$ the apportion!ent, and petitioner alle"in" abuse of discretion and violation of the &onstitution b$ respondent, 9e resolve to brush aside the @uestion of procedural infir!it$, even as 9e perceive the petition to be one of declarator$ relief. 9e so held si!ilarl$ throu"h Mr. Dustice (d"ardo ;. Paras in Osme1a #. Commission on +lections. 2No# on the !eat of the dispute.On Nove!ber .?, .>>., &on"ress passed R.. L.--, si"ned into la# b$ the President on Nove!ber =-, .>>.. It is ,n ct Providin" for S$nchroni%ed National and ;ocal (lections and for (lectoral Refor!s, uthori%in" ppropriations Therefor, and for Other Purposes., t issue in this case is the proper interpretation of Sec. B thereof #hich provides0Sec. B. +lections o% Mem!ers o% the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Panlungso" an" Sangguniang Ba&an. 3 The elective !e!bers of the San""unian" Panlala#i"an, San""unian" Panlun"sod and San""unian" Ja$an shall be elected as follo#s01a2 For provinces #ith t#o 1=2 or !ore le"islative districts, the elective !e!bers of the San""unian" Panlala#i"an shall be elected b$ le"islative districts . . .1b2 For provinces #ith onl$ one 1.2 le"islative district, the &o!!ission shall divide the! into t#o 1=2 districts for purposes of electin" the !e!bers of the San""unian" Panlala#i"an . . .1c2 The nu!ber and election of elective !e!bers of the San""unian" Panlun"sod and San""unian" Ja$an in the Metro Manila rea, &it$ of &ebu, &it$ of Davao and an$ other cit$ #ith t#o 1=2 or !ore le"islative districts shall continue to be "overned b$ the provisions of Sections = and B of Republic ct No. --B- . . . Pro#i"e", %urther, That, the &o!!ission shall divide each of the !unicipalities in Metro Manila rea into t#o 1=2 districts b$ baran"a$ for purposes of representation in the San""unian" Ja$an . . . . and,1d2 For purposes of the re"ular elections on Ma$ .., .>>=, elective!e!bers of the San""unian" Panlun"sod and San""unian" Ja$an shall be elected at lar"e in accordance #ith e+istin" la#s. 5o#ever, be"innin" #ith the re"ular elections in .>>I, the$ shall be elected b$ district . . . .On Nove!ber =/, .>>., respondent &OM(;(&, invo4in" authorit$ of the &onstitution, the O!nibus (lection &ode, R.. --B-, R.. -->=, in vie# of the perceived a!bi"uit$ in the !eanin" of par. 1d2, particularl$ in relation to par. 1c2, Sec. B, R.. L.--, petitioner filed #ith &OM(;(& a Motion for &larificationof its Resolution No. =B.B in@uirin" #hether the !e!bers of the San""unian" Ja$an of ParaGa@ue and the other !unicipalities of Metro Manila enu!erated therein, #hich are all sin"le8district !unicipalities, #ould be elected b$ district in Ma$ .., .>>= or in the .>>I re"ular elections.Mean#hile, on March B, .>>= &OM(;(& issued Resolution No. =BL> approvin" the "uidelines sub!itted b$ the Provincial (lection Supervisors and Municipal (lection Re"istrars concerned pursuant to Resolution No. =B.B, and statin" therein its purpose in reco!!endin" to &on"ress the districtin"Kapportion!ent of San""unian" Panlun"sod and San""unian" Ja$an seats, i.e., to reduce the nu!ber of candidates to be voted for in the Ma$ .., .>>= s$nchroni%ed elections. In this ProAect of pportion!ent, ParaGa@ue to"ether #ith the other t#elve 1.=2 !unicipalities in the Metro Manila rea #as divided into t#o 1=2 districts #ith si+ 1-2 elective councilors for each district.On March ./, .>>=, &OM(;(& resolved petitioner*s Motion for &larification b$ interpretin" Sec.B, R.. L.--, to !ean that the election of elective !e!bers of the San""unian" Ja$an, b$ district, of the thirteen 1.B2 !unicipalities in the Metro Manila rea shall appl$ in the Ma$ .., .>>= elections 1Resolution 6ND. >=8/./, pro!. March ./, .>>=2. Petitioner sa$s that he received cop$ of Resolution 6ND. >=8/./ on March .B, .>>=.On pril L, .>>=, apparentl$ not satisfied #ith this third Resolution of &OM(;(&, petitioner filed the instant petition assertin" that under par. 1d2, Sec. B of R.. L.-- the elective !e!bers of theSan""unian" Panlun"sod and the San""unian" Ja$an, for purposes of the Ma$ .., .>>= re"ular elections, shall be elected at lar"e in accordance #ith e+istin" la#s. 5e #ould include in this class of san""unian !e!bers to be elected at lar"e those of the !unicipalit$ of ParaGa@ue.Petitioner therefore i!putes "rave abuse of discretion to &OM(;(& in pro!ul"atin" Resolution No. =B.B, Resolution No. =BL> and Resolution 6ND. >=8/./ #hich clarifies, contrar$ to his vie#, that the district apportion!ent of the !unicipalities in the Metro Manila rea is applicable to the Ma$ .., .>>= re"ular elections.9e have carefull$ e+a!ined pars. 1a2, 1b2, 1c2 and 1d2 of Sec. B, R.. L.--, and its precursor bills on s$nchroni%ed elections, Senate Jill No. .?-. and 5ouse Jill No. B