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Amores v.

HRET

FACTS

 Amores filed a petition for Quo Warranto questioning the legality of Joel Villanueva’s assumption
of office as CIBAC party-list representative.
- questioned his age that he’s above 30 to become rep. of CIBAC youth sector by virtue of RA
7941/Party-list System Act
 HRET ruled in favor of Villanueva [Court ruled otherwise]
- Villanueva invoked RA 7941/Party-list System Act
- Villanueva from CIBAC youth sector to CIBAC OFW sector
- age limit only applied during first 3 congressional terms

ISSUES

 W/N petition for quo warranto is valid? -YES


 W/N prov of RA 7941 appies? –YES

HELD: GRANTED (Amores won)

Quo warranto may be invoked in questioning the validity of qualifications even if elected party-list rep is
already holding office.

A cardinal rule in statutory construction is that when the law is clear and free from 
any doubt or ambiguity, there is no room for construction or interpretation. There is
only room for application.
As the law states in unequivocal terms that a nominee of the youth sector
must at least be twenty-five (25) but not more than thirty (30) years
of age on the day
of the election, so it must be that a candidate who is more than 30 on election 
day is not qualified to be a youth sector nominee.

There is likewise no rhyme or reason in public respondent’s ratiocination that after 
the third congressional term from the ratification of the Constitution, which expired
in 1998, Section 9 of RA No. 7941 would apply only to sectoral parties registered 
exclusively as representing the youth sector. This distinction is nowhere found in 
the law. Ubi lex non distinguit nec nos distinguire debemus. When the law does
not distinguish, we must not distinguish.

A nominee who changes his sectoral affiliation within the same party will
only be eligible for nomination under the new sectoral affiliation if the change has 
been effected at least six months before the elections. Again, since the statute is
clear and free from ambiguity, it must be given its literal meaning and applied 
without attempted interpretation. This is the plain meaning rule or verba legis, as 
expressed
in the maxim index animi sermo or speech is the index of
intention. It is, therefore, beyond cavil that Sections 9 and 15 of RA No. 7941 apply 
to private respondent.

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