This case has been cited 1 times or more.
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2003-10-23 |
AZCUNA, J. |
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| Beginning with Sarmiento v. COMELEC[6] and reiterated in subsequent cases,[7] the most recent being Balindong v. COMELEC,[8] the Court has upheld this constitutional mandate and consistently ruled that the COMELEC sitting en banc does not have the requisite authority to hear and decide election cases in the first instance. This power pertains to the divisions of the Commission and any decision by the Commission en banc as regards election cases decided by it in the first instance is null and void for lack of jurisdiction. | |||||