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MANALAD v. TRAJANOJune 28, 1989| Regalado, J.| Election of Oicers

Digester: Melliza, .!.".

SUMMARY: Manalad and #a$ula are leaders of ri%al factions in a&nion. 'lt(oug( )uali*cations (a%e $een earlier )uestioned,Manalad et al +on t(e elections for &nion oicers. #a$ula *ledetition for re%ie+ and on Jul- , 198/, t(e court ro0ulgated a

resolution to dis0iss etition for lac of 0erit and (a%e etitioner#a$ula et al %acant '34& oices and turno%er its 0anage0entto Director of t(e #ureau of "a$or Relations, all for i00ediatee5ecution, to $e follo+ed $- a secial elections to $e (eld on Jul-26, 198/ 7to $e (eld under t(e ersonal suer%ision of Directorraano and (is sta. #a$ula et al +ere alleged to refuseco0liance +it( t(e a$o%e resolution as docu0ented in t(eetition *led $- Manalad et al. (e Jul- 26 198/ secial electionfor &nion Oicers +as (eld, +(ere #a$ula et al as +on. Manaladet al *led etition to dis)ualif- #a$ula et al as +inners due to t(eirnon;co0liance to t(e Jul- 198/ resolution, $ut Director raanodis0issed t(eir etition and roclai0ed #a$ula et al as t(e

+inners of t(e Jul- 26, 198/ secial elections. Manalad et al, t(en,*led etition to !3 to re%erse resolution of raano, (a%e #a$ula etal dis)uali*ed and annul t(e Jul- 26 198/ elections &nion 7'34& for s(ort.

o =n 1982, t(e etitioners +ere dis)uali*ed fro0 running ascandidates in t(e election of '34& oicers $- t(e Med;'r$iter, +(ic( election (ad t(eretofore $een sc(eduled for?o%e0$er 1@, 1981 $ut +as enoined and ordered reset.

o Ao+e%er, on aeal, said order +as set aside $- t(eDirector of t(e #ureau of "a$or Relations on Octo$er1, 198B. (ereafter, t(e election of oicers and $oard

0e0$ers of t(e union +as (eld on ?o%e0$er 2C, 198B,+it( t(e candidates of t(e etitioners, t(at is, Manalad,"eano and uerto, +inning o%er t(ose of t(e ri%ateresondents, +(o +ere #a$ula, Miares and ?a%arro,for t(e ositions of resident, treasurer and auditor,resecti%el-.

's a conse)uence, t(e latter grou *led aetition for re%ie+ +it( t(is 3ourt assailing t(e

aforesaid order of Octo$er 1, 198B of t(e#ureau of "a$or Relations +(ic( (ad declaredt(e aforesaid etitioners eligi$le to run for saidunion oices.

o On Jul- , 198/, t(e 3ourt ro0ulgated a resolutiont(erein, +(ic( +as i00ediatel- e5ecutor-, +(ic(dis0issed etition for lac of 0erit and orderedetitioner #a$ula et al %acant '34& oices andturno%er its 0anage0ent to Director of t(e #ureau of"a$or Relations, all for i00ediate e5ecution, to $efollo+ed $- a secial elections to $e (eld on Jul- 26,198/ 7to $e (eld under t(e ersonal suer%ision of

Director raano and (is sta.o Mean+(ile, on Jul- 1, 198/, a 0otion +as *led $- t(e

etitioners +it( t(is 3ourt in .R. ?o. C9C8B;8/ asing t(at t(eri%ate resondents $e cited in conte0t and for t(eirdis)uali*cation fro0 running in t(e roected secial electiondue to t(eir alleged refusal to co0l- +it( t(e resolution a$o%e)uoted. (e etitioner also +rote a letter to t(e Director onJul- 18, 198/ o$ecting to t(e candidac- of ri%ateresondents.

o ?e%ert(eless, t(e sc(eduled secial election +as (eld resultingin t(e %ictor- of t(e candidates of t(e ri%ate resondents.etitioner t(en *led a 0otion +it( t(e 3ourt for t(e annul0ent

of t(e secial election, reeating t(eir allegation t(at t(ere+as non;co0liance +it( t(e 3ourt>s resolution of Jul- , 198/$- ri%ate resondents.

o On Jul- 2C, 198/, resondent Director issued a resolutionroclai0ing ri%ate resondents as t(e +inners in t(e secialelection and dul- elected oicers of '34&, +it( t(e follo+ingo$ser%ation: (e su$0ission t(at Mr. #a$ula failed toco0letel- turn o%er 0anage0ent of t(e union to t(eundersigned is +it(in t(e co0etence and aut(orit- of t(e!ure0e 3ourt to ass uon considering t(at t(e 0andate forsuc( a turn;o%er ca0e fro0 t(e 3ourt.

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o etitioners *led +it( resondent director a 0otion forreconsideration on 'ugust 2, 198/ seeing t(e re%ersalof said resolution of Jul- 2C, 198/. (is 0otion (a%ing$een denied, etitioner *led a second 0otion forreconsideration on 'ugust 28, 198/ $ut t(e sa0e +aslie+ise denied on Octo$er 1B, 198/.

o =n t(e 0eanti0e, t(is 3ourt in a resolution dated!ete0$er 1, 198/ denied t(e 0otion of t(e etitioner

to annul t(e secial election of Jul- 26, 198/, $ut+it(out reudice to t(e *ling of a roer etition +it(t(e #ureau of "a$or Relations.

o (e instant etition +as t(ereafter *led, rinciall- ra-ing:o (at resondents a$lo #. #a$ula and (is grou $e

dis)uali*ed for not co0l-ing +it( t(e Resolution datedJul- , 198/ 7'nne5 >D> of t(is Aonora$le 3ourt and t(e%otes cast in t(eir fa%or in t(e Jul- 26, 198/ election beinvalidated and the candidate !ho "eceived thene#t hi$het n%&be" o' vote in aid election bedecla"ed the !inne" the"eo'(

o Or in t(e alternati%e, t(at t(e election (eld in 7sic Jul-

26, 198/ be ann%lled and a ne! election be calledth"ee !ee) a'te" "e*ondent +ablo#a$ula, et al.(a%e co0lied +it( t(e conditions i0osed $- t(eResolution dated Jul- , 198/ of t(is Aonora$le 3ourtand an audit (as $een 0ade of t(e dierent funds of t(e&nion for t(e -ear 198/F 12

.RULIN,:'33ORD=?"G, t(is case is D=!M=!!ED for $eing 0ootand acade0ic.

-ON the *etition i &oot and acade&ic.Ye. 'fter a careful consideration of t(e facts of t(is case, 4e are of

t(e considered %ie+ t(at t(e e5iration of t(e ter0s of oice oft(e union oicers and t(e election of oicers on ?o%e0$er 28,1988 (a%e rendered t(e issues raised $- etitioners in t(is

case 0oot and acade0ic. =t is ointless and unrealistic to insiston annulling an election of oicers +(ose ter0s (ad alread-e5ired.

o 4e +ould (a%e t(ere$- a udg0ent on a 0atter +(ic(cannot (a%e an- ractical legal eect uon acontro%ers-, e%en if e5isting, and +(ic(, in t(e nature oft(ings, cannot $e enforced. 4e 0ust conse)uentl- a$ide$- our consistent ruling t(at +(ere certain e%ents or

circu0stances (a%e taen lace during t(e endenc- oft(e case +(ic( +ould render t(e case 0oot andacade0ic, t(e etition s(ould $e dis0issed.

Moreo%er, it is t(e $etter art of con%entional or rag0aticsolutions in cases of t(is nature, a$sent o%erridingconsiderations to t(e contrar-, to resect t(e +ill of t(e0aorit- of t(e +orers +(o %oted in t(e ?o%e0$er 28, 1988elections. 'lt(oug( decreed under a dierent setting, it isaroos to recall in t(is case Our ruling t(at +(ere t(e eole(a%e elected a 0an to oice, it 0ust $e assu0ed t(at t(e- didt(is +it( no+ledge of (is life and c(aracter, and t(at t(e-disregarded or forga%e (is faults or 0isconduct, if (e (ad $een

guilt- of an-. 4e agree +it( t(e etitioners t(at diso$edience to a resolution

of t(is 3ourt s(ould not $e left ununis(ed. Ao+e%er, $eforet(e alleged diso$edient art- 0a- $e cited for conte0t, t(eallegations against (i0 s(ould $e clearl- esta$lis(ed. (econtentions of etitioners, e%en disregarding so0e e%identialde*ciencies, do not ade)uatel- esta$lis( t(e $asis forconte0t. On t(e contrar-, resondents (a%e satisfactoril-ans+ered t(e a%er0ents t(ereon.

At thi /%nct%"e0 it !o%ld '%"the" be a**"o*"iate to

"e&ind *etitione" that even i' the di1%ali2cation o'*"ivate "e*ondent co%ld be /%ti2ed0 the candidate o'*etitione" ce"tainl3 cannot be decla"ed a the !inne"in the di*%ted election. The &e"e 'act that the3obtained the econd hi$het n%&be" o' vote doe not&ean that the3 !ill the"eb3 be conide"ed a the electedo4ice" i' the t"%e !inne" a"e di1%ali2ed.