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0Ordillo vs Comelec (192 SCRA 100)

Facts: On January 30 1990 t!e "eo"le o# t!e "rovinces o# $en%uet &ountain 'rovince #u%ao Ara and *alin%a+A"ayao and t!e city o#

$a%uio cast t!eir votes in a "leiscite !eld "ursuant to Re"ulic Act ,o- ./.. entitled An Act 'rovidin% #or an Or%anic Act #or t!e

Cordillera Autonomous Re%ion-

!e o##icial Commission on lections (CO&4C) results o# t!e "leiscite s!o5ed t!at t!e creation o# t!e Re%ion 5as a""roved y a

ma6ority o# 7889 votes in only t!e #u%ao 'rovince and 5as over5!elmin%ly re6ected y 18./. votes in t!e rest o# t!e "rovinces and

city aove+mentioned-

Conseuently t!e CO&4C on Feruary 1 1990 issued Resolution ,o- 2279 statin% t!at t!e Or%anic Act #or t!e Re%ion !as een

a""roved and;or rati#ied y ma6ority o# t!e votes cast only in t!e "rovince o# #u%ao-

t!e "etitioner #iled a "etition 5it! CO&4C to declare t!e non+rati#ication o# t!e Or%anic Act #or t!e Re%ion- !e "etitioners maintain

t!at t!ere can e no valid Cordillera Autonomous Re%ion in only one "rovince as t!e Constitution and Re"ulic Act ,o- ./.. reuire

t!at t!e said Re%ion e com"osed o# more t!an one constituent unit-

ssue: !e uestion raised in t!is "etition is 5!et!er or not t!e "rovince o# #u%ao ein% t!e only "rovince 5!ic! voted #avoraly #or t!e

creation o# t!e Cordillera Autonomous Re%ion can alone le%ally and validly constitute suc! Re%ion-

Section 17 o# t!e 198/ Constitution- !e ?ey5ords @ "rovinces cities munici"alities and %eo%ra"!ical areas

connote t!at re%ion is to e made u" o# more t!an one constituent unit- !e term re%ion used in its ordinary sense means t5o or

more "rovinces- !is is su""orted y t!e #act t!at t!e t!irteen (13) re%ions into 5!ic! t!e '!ili""ines is divided #or administrative

"ur"oses are %rou"in%s o# conti%uous "rovinces- #u%ao is a "rovince y itsel#- o ecome "art o# a re%ion it must 6oin ot!er "rovinces

cities munici"alities and %eo%ra"!ical areas- t 6oins ot!er units ecause o# t!eir common and distinctive !istorical and cultural

!erita%e economic and social structures and ot!er relevant c!aracteristics- !e Constitutional reuirements are not "resent in t!is

case-

Article Sections 1 and 2 o# Re"ulic Act ,o- ./.. "rovide t!at t!e Cordillera Autonomous Re%ion is to e administered y t!e

Cordillera %overnment consistin% o# t!e Re%ional overnment and local %overnment units- t #urt!er "rovides t!at:

SCO, 2- !e Re%ional overnment s!all e=ercise "o5ers and #unctions necessary #or t!e "ro"er %overnance and develo"ment o#

all "rovinces cities munici"alities and aran%ay or ili 5it!in t!e Autonomous Re%ion - - -

From t!ese sections it can e %leaned t!at Con%ress never intended t!at a sin%le "rovince may constitute t!e autonomous re%ion-

Ot!er5ise 5e 5ould e #aced 5it! t!e asurd situation o# !avin% t5o sets o# o##icials a set o# "rovincial o##icials and anot!er set o#

re%ional o##icials e=ercisin% t!eir e=ecutive and le%islative "o5ers over e=actly t!e same small area-