THE Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday denied the petition seeking to compel the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to include the choices “None of The Above” (Nota) and “The Above Only (TAO)” in the ballots for the coming elections.
SC Spokesman Theodore Te told reporters that the petition filed by lawyer Eduardo Bringa was dismissed outright by the magistrates during their regular en banc session on Tuesday for lack of merit.
“The Court also denied the application for temporary restraining order,” Te said.
In his petition, Bringas argued that the Nota and Tao choices should be printed on the ballot to allow voters to vote without choosing any candidate.
He argued that the people’s constitutional right to vote includes the right not to choose any candidate listed on the ballot.
Bringas cited Section 4, Article VII of the Constitution, which provides for situations when no one wins in the presidential or vice presidential polls and for succession of power.
Bringas told the Court that Nota should be included in the ballot as choice for positions of president, vice president, member of the House of Representatives, governor, vice governor, mayor and vice mayor.
On the other hand, the TAO should be included as a choice for the positions of senator, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Panglungsod and Sangguniang Bayan.
Meanwhile, the Court en banc also denied the petitions filed by presidential aspirants Camilo Sabio, former Presidential Commission on Good Government chairman, and Vetallano Acosta of seeking to set aside the Comelec decision nullifying their certificates of candidacy (COC) for being nuisance candidate.
The SC also affirmed the nullification of the COC for senator of a certain Gion Villamor Gounet also for being a nuisance candidate.
The Court also held that the Comelec did not act with grave abuse of discretion in denying the application for registration and accreditation of 17 groups as regional or sectoral party-list groups for the 2016 elections.
These groups include Ang Bayaning Kawal at Pulis Inc. (Abakap); Alyansa ng Katutubong Pilipino (Akap); Association of Direct Vendors, Agents, Networking Circles and Entrepreneurs (Advance); Witnesses for a Transparent and Equitable Society; Lingap Balen; Sulong Katutubo; Ating Aral Regional (NCR); Essential New Generation in Needs of Energy and Environment Resources Inc. (Engineer); Philippine Alliance for Responsible Trade by Nation Builders; Alliance of Public Transport Organization Inc. (I-Apto); Pilipinas Para sa Pinoy (PPP); Chronic Kidney Disease (Ang CKD); Angat Ahon Magsasaka Inc. (AAM); Women and Child Crime Abuse Assistance (Waccaa); Ang Siguro Inc.; United Women Against Poverty (Uwap); and Isang Lapian ng Mangingisda at Bayan Tungo sa Kaunlaran (1-Lambat).