6 Atienza Jr V
EN BANC
JOSE L. ATIENZA, JR., MATIAS G.R. No. 188920
V. DEFENSOR, JR., RODOLFO G.
VALENCIA, DANILO E. SUAREZ,
SOLOMON R. CHUNGALAO,
SALVACION ZALDIVAR-PEREZ,
HARLIN CAST-ABAYON, MELVIN G.
MACUSI and ELEAZAR P. QUINTO,
Petitioners, Present: Puno, C.J., Carpio, Corona, Carpio Morales, Velasco, Jr., Nachura,
- versus - Leonardo-De Castro, Brion, Peralta, Bersamin, Del Castillo, Abad, Villarama, Jr., Perez, and Mendoza, JJ.
COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS,
MANUEL A. ROXAS II,
FRANKLIN M. DRILON and Promulgated:
J.R. NEREUS O. ACOSTA, Respondents. February 16, 2010 x ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- x DECISION ABAD, J.:
This petition is an offshoot of two earlier cases already resolved by the Court involving a leadership dispute within a political party. In this case, the petitioners question their expulsion from that party and assail the validity of the election of new party leaders conducted by the respondents. Statement of the Facts and the Case For a better understanding of the controversy, a brief recall of the preceding events is in order. On July 5, 2005 respondent Franklin M. Drilon (Drilon), as erstwhile president of the Liberal Party (LP), announced his party’s withdrawal of support for the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. But petitioner Jose L. Atienza, Jr. (Atienza), LP Chairman, and a number of party members denounced Drilon’s
JOSE L. ATIENZA, JR., MATIAS G.R. No. 188920
V. DEFENSOR, JR., RODOLFO G.
VALENCIA, DANILO E. SUAREZ,
SOLOMON R. CHUNGALAO,
SALVACION ZALDIVAR-PEREZ,
HARLIN CAST-ABAYON, MELVIN G.
MACUSI and ELEAZAR P. QUINTO,
Petitioners, Present: Puno, C.J., Carpio, Corona, Carpio Morales, Velasco, Jr., Nachura,
- versus - Leonardo-De Castro, Brion, Peralta, Bersamin, Del Castillo, Abad, Villarama, Jr., Perez, and Mendoza, JJ.
COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS,
MANUEL A. ROXAS II,
FRANKLIN M. DRILON and Promulgated:
J.R. NEREUS O. ACOSTA, Respondents. February 16, 2010 x ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- x DECISION ABAD, J.:
This petition is an offshoot of two earlier cases already resolved by the Court involving a leadership dispute within a political party. In this case, the petitioners question their expulsion from that party and assail the validity of the election of new party leaders conducted by the respondents. Statement of the Facts and the Case For a better understanding of the controversy, a brief recall of the preceding events is in order. On July 5, 2005 respondent Franklin M. Drilon (Drilon), as erstwhile president of the Liberal Party (LP), announced his party’s withdrawal of support for the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. But petitioner Jose L. Atienza, Jr. (Atienza), LP Chairman, and a number of party members denounced Drilon’s